Make Money Quick - When you really need money fast

What do you do when you need money fast? If cutting your spending and expenses aren't an option then you need to increase your income. But how? Is it really that easy? It depends on how much time you have to raise the money you need.

If you need more cash within a week you have a few options. Can you have a garage sale? It doesn't take long to gather unused items, price them and set them out. You do not need to place an ad in the newspaper if signs are legal in your city. Having good signs pointing the way to your sale will be the key. Make sure you don't have your items priced too high though, or you won't make any money. If you don't want to have a garage sale, do you have items that would sell at a consignment store? Many consignment stores will pay cash on the spot for the things they would like to sell.

Another idea is to return anything that you might have that you bought but haven't used yet. Maybe you bought some winter clothes on clearance last month, but it is summer now and you haven't worn them yet. If you have the receipt (which you should, because you should always save receipts) then return the items. Yes it might have been a good deal at the time, but if you have to have cash now, you don't need a good deal.

How about donating plasma? Did you know that you can get paid for that? It takes about two hours, but you can get paid between $20-30 each time you donate and you can donate a couple of times a week. The screening is a bit stricter than for donating blood I believe, but the pay is good - as long as you aren't scared of needles.

Do you need the money within a month? Your options are greater if this is the case. The easiest thing I would think would be to work overtime if you can get it. It would just be simpler to work more hours at your current job - no trying to coordinate schedules or driving between jobs. If you can't work overtime I would find one of three things - a waitressing job, pizza delivery, or newspaper delivery. The waitressing and pizza delivery would give you cash in hand quicker. All three of these jobs are typically easy to get and can be worked nights and weekends, which would not conflict with a regular 8-5 job, if that is what you have currently.

If you do not have a job at all, then you need to find one fast. It doesn't have to be the perfect highest paying job out there, it just has to be something that will help pay the bills while you are looking for something better. And if you can't find a full time job then get a couple of part time jobs. If you need cash and have bills to pay, then you can't be unemployed.

Another thing you can do that will generate income within a month would be to sell things on Ebay or Craigslist. These avenues can be quick, however frequently can take days to a couple of weeks before you see cash in hand. Do you have a friend that needs a babysitter? Maybe someone who has been wanting a night out but doesn't have any teenage babysitters available. Why not offer your services - for a price of course. Even if you are an adult with your own kids, this could easily work. And I bet they will trust you more than a teenager. Or just look in the paper, people are always looking for childcare it seems.

So don't panic when you realize you need more cash fast. Think through your options and decide which one works best for you. Or better yet try them all!