Six Ways to Put Money Away for a Rainy Day

It can seem impossible to save money sometimes. There is always something else to buy, pay off, see, do, and eat. It can take a lot of hard work and effort to get your spending under control to a point where you are able to put some money away for a rainy day. But it is certainly not impossible, as most of us think. The trick is to just save money without having a purpose for it. This will deter you from wanting to spend it as soon as you get a little money in your pocket. Save it for at least a year, and then decide what to do with it. You’ll think harder about what to spend it on because you’ll know the value of how long it took you to save that money. Here are six ways to help you save a little cash on the side.

1. Start recycling. If your city or town offers refundable bottle programs, gather up all of your extra soda cans and bottles and return them for a refund. It’s not a lot of money, but if you do this once a month, it can really add up.

2. Sell some stuff. We’ve all got stuff we can sell. And once you start, you’ll be energized by decluttering and you’ll want to sell more stuff. It doesn’t have to be anything of great value, just something you no longer need that others may want. 

3. Get a very, very part-time job. Don’t work much more than you already are: an extra 3-5 hours a week can add up to over $100 in some cases. Imagine what you could do with an extra $5000 this year? Pour coffee, clean houses, do something to bring a few extra dollars.

4. Rent a room in your home. If you are looking for an instant income boost, consider renting a room, or boarding as it is called in some places. You can ask for $100 - $200 a week depending on what kind of space you are offering. This adds up fast. Put all that extra money away for a rainy day.

5. Carpool to work. You are going that way anyway. Offer to charge a small gas stipend to 2-3 people and pick them up and drive them home. Again, you are going that way so it’s not actually costing you any extra money to take people along for the ride. But you can pocket that gas money for later.

6. Have a regular flea market table. While it will cost you a few dollars a week to have a table at a flea market, one good sale can pay for the table and more. This is a little more instant than trying to sell things online, and can pay off big if you have good stuff people want. Kitchen wares always sell well at flea markets. 

If you find yourself in a cash crunch and you aren’t able to put money away for a rainy day, it may be time to consider the help of a company like this firm. Consumer debt solutions can really help to open up your cash flow. You might need to clean up your finances before you can start saving some extra cash, but start right now anyway. A little goes a long way over time.