Quick Cash - How to Generate Short-Term Income

(An article by Michelle Siebert)

You may be having a financial crisis or maybe you would just like a little extra money to help with expenses, whatever the reason there are ways to generate some quick cash.

The first method is to sell one or more assets. Almost everyone has something that they could do without and that could easily be sold. You may have one of more large items such as: a boat, jet ski, stereo, extra vehicle, coin collection, jewelry, billiard table, gun, or furniture. Even if you don't have any large items to sell, you can still make some money selling your smaller items such as: decorations, clothing, movies, and toys.

There are several ways to sell or advertise your stuff. You could put an ad in your local paper or advertise on line. You could have a garage sale or set up a table at a flea marker. Some radio stations have weekly programs where you can call in and list your item.

A great place to advertise is Craig's List - http://www.craigslist.org Craig's list is simple and free to individuals. (They only charge to advertise job openings and rental property in some cities.) You can log on, click on Help Pages, and easily set-up an account and list your items. You can't get much easier and did I mention it is FREE. You will get more responses if you attach a picture to your ad. If you don't know how to do this, ask a teenager. They will know. Craig's list allows you to list one item every 48 hours.

Another great choice is re-sale shops. They are a good alternative when you do not have enough items to have a garage sale. A word of warning - do not spend everything you earn before you even leave the store - unless it is for something you really need or you defeated the purpose. Most re-sale shops charge about 50% of the selling price, so you should try to sell the more expensive items yourself and use the re-sale shop for the smaller priced items.

The second way to make some quick cash is to get a side job. Maybe the job is as simple as cutting the neighbor's grass for $30 a week to make some gas money. Think of how you could use your skills to provide a service for friends, neighbors, or others in your community. Some ideas would be - babysitting, house cleaning, auto detailing, auto repair, sewing, helping an elderly person with day to day activities, typing resumes, book-keeping, etc. One big caution - Do not go out and spend money getting ready to provide one of these services. This is meant to be a very low-cost project. If you decide you are going to offer Saturday night day care services and you go out and make business cards, buy sleeping bags, and stock up on toys you could very well spend more then you earn. (Maybe print a few flyers or business cards yourself or put a classified ad in the newspaper or on-line. You have a $10 limit. That's it.) Also, think long and hard before "investing" in any job, for example: a $100 sample kit so you can sell candles at home parties. There will be a future article posted on this site about starting your own business. Unfortunately, it does not work out for the majority of people.

If you don't think providing a service is right for you, getting a real part-time job may be a better fit. If you are currently working 40 hours a week, you could work another 10-20 hours a week at a second job. Just don't let it interfere with your primary job and don't talk about your second job while at your first job. If you talk about it your boss will be watching you expecting it to interfere. If your full-time boss finds out and asks you about it, assure him that it will not interfere and that your full-time job is your priority.

All of these suggestions take time and effort. It's not easy, but it is not extraordinarily difficult either. Think of it this way, any cash you generate is money that can be used to pay your expenses instead of going into debt further. You will be getting yourself out of a hole instead of digging a deeper one.

By Michelle Siebert

http://www.endofyourmoney.com

Ms. Siebert has over twenty years of financial management experience. Her website End of Your Money.com was created to provide families with information that will help them become financially strong and confident about their future. It contains information on how to budget, reduce expenses, and increase income.