selling scrap gold

With the rising prices of gas, rent, and food it seems more and more Americans are finding their bank accounts on empty at the end of the month leaving thousands of people wondering how to make extra money. If you have found yourself in the situation where you need some extra money the good news is that in this day and age that are many, many ways to be able to make extra money.

To decide which route for making extra money is best for you the first thing that you need to do is figure out is how much do you need, and whether it’s a onetime need such as unexpected bills or if it’s going to be a new monthly expense that you should work into your budget. The reason for figuring this out is the fact that some of the options that we mention below like short term or payday loans work out better for getting money quickly for a one-time expense than they do for long term on going expenses.

Also, it’s good to look and see if this expense really is a need or if it’s just something frivolous that you want such as recreational vehicles, a vacation home, or a time share. Before taking on this expense you should ask yourself if it’s something that is really worth the extra effort or expense that it is going to create or if it’s something that you can wait to purchase until you have the cash in hand.

Make Extra Money Fast

Payday Loans- While online payday loans can sometimes have a negative connotation, in most instance when you need quick money now, and know that payday is only a few days away they make complete sense. Payday loans especially make sense when you compare the affordable fees to the huge expense that banks might charge on an overdraft fee or the hassle of having your utilities paid off or car repossessed. Payday loans from Check City are surprisingly simple to apply for either online or at one of our many locations.

Sell Your Scrap Gold- Everyone seems to have some scrap gold laying around their house. Whether it’s the pair of broken earring that you keep telling yourself you’re going to get fixed or a ring from a previous marriage it can all still make you the extra money you need right now. Most people don’t know that in addition to gold they can get paid on other precious metals they might have laying around the house as well such as silver.

Make Extra Money With by Working More

Get a Second Job- In some cases you may find that you need extra money on a regular basis, if this seems to be the case you will eventually run out of scrap gold to sell. If you find yourself in this situation, it may be time to look into a second job.

Before you begin looking for a second job make sure it’s something that is right for you. Take one last look at your finances; see if there are any expenses you can cut before taking on a second job. Believe it or not, Cable is not a need; also, more and more people are cutting internet service to their house because they can already get internet on their mobile phones. In fact, some of the Android and Apple based smart phones also have the ability to be turned into a mobile wifi hotspot so that you can use them to provide internet to all of the devices around the house.

Once you’ve assessed your budget the next thing to do is take a look at your schedule, oftentimes people will rush into a second job only to end up needing to hire a babysitter to watch the kids because they can only get shifts while the other parent is working which usually negates the benefit of working the second job. Also, when looking for second jobs look for jobs that might be able to be done from home or on a piece work basis that way you can do them whenever is convenient for you.

If you’ve done all the things we’ve mentioned above and you still find that it’s necessary to get a second job, remember to be smart about it. If you have the luxury of not having to rush into this second job take the time to be picky. Look for companies that offer the most, some companies will actually offer full time benefits for part time employees, little things like that can make some part time jobs much more worthwhile than others.

Negotiate a Raise- Before you go looking for a second job you should look into how you can improve your situation at your current place of employment. When it comes to getting a raise, each company is a little different and it can always be a bit of a process but if you’re willing to go through the trouble it will usually pay off in the end. The easiest time to get a raise is after you’ve completed a big project that will pay off for the company or after you’ve had a record month in sales. If you don’t have any of those accomplishments to use as reason for your raise then look at your current situation and think of ways that you can make a difference for your company. Anything that you can do to improve the bottom line for your company will pay off for you in the end.

In addition to getting a raise it’s also possible to free up extra money in your personal budget by shifting some of your monthly expenses to the company you work for by getting them to pay for it. For example, common perks that employers will sometimes offer include paying for your cell phone, paying for fuel expenses, health benefits, paid vacations, etc.. Employers offer these kinds of benefits because they want to reward loyal employees. Companies don’t like the hassle of going through the hiring and training process, the expenses associated with interviewing, training, and hiring a new employee are oftentimes astronomical. Because of the high costs associated with brining on a new employee they usually want to reward employees that show loyalty so if you’ve been with a company for a while and have a good relationship with your employer it may be worth seeing what kinds of perks they’re willing to offer to you.

Make Extra Money From Home

Start a Home Business- In addition to improving the situation at your current job you could also look into starting a home based business. If you decide to go this route it’s important to understand that just because it’s a home based business doesn’t mean that it’s any easier to get up and off the ground, it is still a business. Oftentimes people think that because it’s a home based business they can just sit back and relax in their pajamas while checks show up in the mail and that is not the case. If this is your first experience ever running a business it might be best to start off with a network marketing opportunity. Network marketing opportunities can sometimes be seen as negative businesses because nobody wants to hit up their friends and family to pitch them on a business but they are a great way for individuals who have never run a business to learn how to market a product or service without the business licensing and other expenses that go into a traditional business.

Make Money Online- In addition to starting a traditional business from home, you could also look into making money online. If you decide to go this route it’s important that you understand you will run into a lot offers out there that sound too good to be true, and they always are. Most of them will say that you can make thousands of dollars within hours of buying their “wonder product.” Making money online takes just as much work to get off the ground as any other business. The good news though is that there is plenty of free information throughout the internet that can show you exactly how to start making money online.

It is always important to be fiscally responsible with your money. To achieve good finances you’ll need to develop strategies to keep your finances in good order. By making plans and following great monetary advice, you can save money in the long term. No matter where you are in life, saving money is always a good idea. Saving can help you get out of debt, it can help you afford the things you need and want, and it can keep you financially safe and secure in the future.

The good news is that no matter what your income level is, you can start developing fiscally responsible strategies today and start to save money right now!

Become Financially Self-Aware

money concious

The first strategy to save money is to be conscious of your money. As children, money was magic. What little money you have as a child is easy to keep track of. You know the color of every penny and carefully considered each purchase. As adults, with direct-deposit and debit/credit cards, money can be easier to spend. So, the first step is to regain your fiscal intelligence, to regain that physical connection to your money.

Too many people lose track of their spending as invisible digital money goes off in all directions. This leads to overspending and straying outside of your budget. To become self-aware of your spending, try using cash for a while. Paying with cash can help you gain back that physical relationship with your funds. By doing this, you will see the physical money leaving your pocket and be able to visualize your transactions much easier.

Be Honest & Fearless

honesty

Learn that every dollar you spend is either for a need or want and learn to honestly and fearlessly distinguish between the two. For instance, a mortgage, rent, car payments, and utilities are needs. These are the bills you need to pay no matter what. A trip to the movies is a want or a luxury purchase. Going to the movies is fun to do, but not a necessity. There are a lot of luxury purchases that could be overtaking your budget. Like an addiction to buying shoes or going on too many vacations during the year.

Take a look at what you normally buy. Do shoes take precedence over some of your needs? If so, then switch your priorities to keep your money going toward the necessities in life. You can then budget for wants as you build your savings. Sometimes cutting out wants from our budget can be scary, or even take a brave amount of honesty on your part. But if it helps you save for the future and reach your financial goals, then being honest with yourself is worthwhile.

It’s Time to Budget

budget

As you are becoming conscious of your money, your expenses, your wants, and your needs, it’s important to take a detailed look at your budget. Take a look at all of your spending and see where you can cut unnecessary expenses. Create a budget that tells you how much you can spend on both needs and wants every week or month. If you don’t know how to create a budget, research and seek professional help.

A lot of people cringe at the mention of creating a budget. But don’t think of a budget as something that will tell you how much you can’t spend, instead, turn it around and think of your budget as something to tell you how much you can spend. Making a budget doesn’t have to be a bummer, and it doesn’t have to take too much time. In fact, you can make a budget in just 4 easy steps.

Choose Free Activities

free activities

Now that you’ve taken a long hard look at your spending and created a budget you might not have enough money in the budget for fun activities. Even if you have to retrench financially, there are plenty of ways to add a little spice to your life that costs little to nothing. For example, you can go on a hike, take a stroll through the park, read a book, and hang out with friends. Instead of going out with your friends you can stay in with your friends and play board and card games for free! With a little creativity, you can find great activities that stick to your budget and help you save money.

Focus

focus

As you work to stay conscious, keep your focus on the big picture. If you need to fix your car, focus on the car repairs and cut expenses by eating home-cooked meals, and not going out. Being fiscally responsible is all about making and prioritizing choices. If you get bogged down with the small stuff, such as eating out or shopping every day, it can be easy to blow through your essential funds. Our finances have goals just like our lives have goals. But having too many financial goals at one time can be detrimental to achieving your goals. So keep your focus on one goal at a time and you’ll be more likely to find success in attaining them.

Friendly Motivation

budget with friends

It is always easier to budget when your friends and family are budgeting with you and helping you stay on track. Any goal is easier to accomplish with support. You also need to involve your friends in budgeting because sometimes we spend the most money when we’re out with friends. Being with friends is about spending time together, not about how much money you spend with them. Make socializing together a priority over spending too much. If your friends want to do expensive activities, don’t be afraid to hold out for an activity that fits your budget. If they are your friends, they’ll be willing to do less expensive activities to hang out with you.

Cut Recurring Expenses

subscriptions

There are a lot of recurring payments nowadays, especially with all the subscriptions now available. There are cable bills, cell-phone bills, gym memberships, music streaming memberships, shopping memberships at places like Costco or Amazon, and streaming subscriptions like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney plus. All of these little monthly payments can really add up. Make a list of all your monthly payments and subscriptions and try and cut out what you can. If you decide to keep cable, you might not need all of the premium channels. You might even realize you have a subscription you aren’t using that you can get rid of. Take a look at what plans you have and consider downgrading to save money! You might be surprised by how much you can save by getting rid of even small monthly bills.

Open a Savings Account

savings account

When you have a savings account, most banks will allow you to set up a percentage of your paycheck toward your savings account. As you set your account to direct deposit, delegate a certain percentage of each check to be deposited into your savings account. If you set this up as a constant, automatic payment you won’t miss the money. You’ll be surprised how fast your savings will grow.

One great recourse and tip for anyone’s finances is to have an emergency savings fund of cash available for use on a rainy day. It is always important to keep extra money for emergencies! By adding this to your budget, you won’t take a major hit during an emergency, because you have already budgeted for this.

If you learn to be mindful of your money, you won’t feel the pain of a budget. Let your new-found consciousness and confidence keep you on the path toward fiscal responsibility. Follow these steps and start to save money today!