Since starting my own business, money has been super tight. I’m in quite a few budgeting groups on Facebook (and have been since the recession era!), and one of the questions that frequently comes up is, “I need some money quickly for an unexpected cost, any tips?”
Here are four ideas for getting some money together quickly at short notice:
1. Raid your cashback accounts
It’s the internet equivalent of raiding your piggy bank – and for good reason! It’s easy to forget about random purchases and forgotten cashback websites and apps, so have a good hunt through your accounts and phone to see if you have any available money to withdraw.
If you don’t already have at least one cashback account, maybe it’s time to set one up! TopCashBack is my personal favourite; once your cashback is confirmed you can get paid really quickly and there are lots of options to choose from.
2. Check your loyalty cards
If you need actual cash, this might not be the right choice for you. But loyalty points can accrue surprisingly quickly, if you’re anything like me you often discover cards and points accounts that have been hiding away. I’m a big fan of Nectar points; I like that they aren’t specific to just one brand, and I find them better than Tesco Clubcard, which are nearly impossible to get in any worthwhile number unless you spend a lot on petrol.
And if all else fails you might be able to buy some chocolate or wine to cheer yourself up 😉
3. Look at your short term options
Be it credit card, overdraft, or loan, if you need money in a rush then there’s no shame in temporarily using credit to tide you over. If you’re sensible about borrowing, it can even be an advantage in building up your credit score, for example with loans from cashlady​.
When going down this route, plan ahead. Create a timeline to work out exactly how much you can afford to borrow and when you need to pay it back, drafting three different options for “comfortable”, “average”, and “cutting it fine”. Have a backup plan in place in case the worst should happen and your plans for repayment break down. This could be as simple as asking a friend or relative to cover you in a “just in case” scenario, or a calculation based on cutting back living costs or living on beans on toast for a while.
4. Sell stuff
Have a look around your home (and in your car!) and see if there’s anything you don’t use anymore, have two of, don’t really like, and so on. If you’re really organised you could put together a big storage box of “rainy day” things; things that have a saleable value that you’re not bothered about keeping or not sure if you want to get rid of. It’s a handy way to keep everything together for those times when you have enough money and can’t be bothered to list your items on Facebook or eBay, and makes you can locate upcoming seasonal things easily to be selling the right things at the right time of year.
Got any tips for getting money fast? Let me know in the comments 🙂
