Life has a way of happening, even when we’re relatively prepared for the unexpected. Whether it’s an appliance that suddenly stopped working or a car engine that broke down, sometimes these curve balls can come at the worst time possible.
When you absolutely need cash, but you’re short, like most people, you’re probably stuck as to what to do. You’re not out of options as you’ll see below.
Sell something
Do you really need that spare TV in the guest room? You’ve got two perfectly good mobile phones packed in a draw in your bedroom, in addition to your everyday one. What are you using them for?
If you have random valuable stuff in your home, the time may have come to turn them into cash quickly. There are lots of ways you can do this.
You can place a classified ad in your local paper, or if that’s too slow, upload a picture to eBay, Craigslist, or one of the hundreds of sites where strangers will happily buy your stuff for cold, hard cash.
Pawn something
Not willing to part permanently with your belongings? You can pawn them.
You can take your electronics, jewelry, or other valuable items to a pawn shop where they will value them and loan you that amount of money.
The trick is, you have to redeem the item by repaying the loan, or lose your items forever.
Borrow
If you’d prefer not to do either of the above, you can always borrow the money.
Family and friends are usually the first people to ask.
If this isn’t open to you, then perhaps you can consider a money lender. When you deal with one, like this licensed moneylender in Singapore, the criteria you’re asked to meet are usually minimal. You’re granted quick approval and access to your funds and you can get your life back on track.
You can also seek advances from your employer, which you pay back with money from your upcoming salary.
If all else fails, and you have a good relationship with your bank, you can approach them for a loan as well.
Take on extra jobs
In the Internet Age, it is incredibly easy to find work online.
Once you have special skills, be they graphic design, copywriting, or coding, you can make cash online quickly. All you need is the appropriate bank or online account to collect your payment.
The gig economy is also rife with jobs you can earn cash on the spot for. Become a taxi app driver, deliver food, or even run errands for people too busy to do it themselves.
Ask for overtime at work
Most people don’t want a second job when they sign out from the first.
For those, there’s the option of asking for more hours or longer shifts.
The great thing about overtime is that it’s paid at higher rates than regular working hours.
Get money from insurance policies/ annuities/retirement funds
If you’ve been lucky enough to be able to put money aside for retirement or have life insurance, you can remove part of the sum for current use in emergencies.
Most insurance policies and annuities make provisions for holders to dip into their accounts in this manner. However, you may be subject to fees and penalties.
Some banks will also let you borrow against the value of a life insurance policy.
The same goes for stock, mutual funds, and other financial instruments you can liquidate for cash quickly.
Take money from your emergency fund
Most financial experts advise that you should at least have 6 months of funds to cover yourself in the event that something happens.
The majority of people never follow this advice. The fortunate few who can or do only realize the sense behind the advice when they have to withdraw money from it.
As this is your money, you have the advantage of not having to pay back an outside party.
It would be wise to replenish the fund though, in case you need quick access to money again.
Start a Go Fund Me account
If you or a relative have been hit with unexpected medical expenses, you can turn it into a charitable cause.
Ask friends and family, even strangers to help you discharge these debts by contributing to your Go Fund Me account.
As it is a charitable donation, there is no expectation of repayment. You also are charged zero fees for using the platform, though Go Fund Me will take a small percentage of total donations.
Like most online collection methods, you need a bank account opened in your name.
As you can see, you’re not totally helpless. There are several ways you can raise cash quickly if you need it. While you hope you never need to, it’s good when you have choices.
