Make Quick Money From What You Have at Home
Strapped for quick cash? A lot of people are having a hard time making ends meet right now. Before you send a message to all your friends asking for SOS, look at what you have. You might have been taking for granted several money-making opportunities right at home.
Go through your jewelry box.
The fastest way to get money is to sell or pawn your jewelry. You could bring those huge earrings you got from your grandmother to your trusted jewelers and have them appraised. If it’s an heirloom, loan it. Make sure you could retrieve it, though. This is only ideal if you’re expecting some money but you need the cash earlier. At least you know you could get back your jewelry when the money comes.
Watches could also be pawned. You might have an old Omega watch stuffed in one of those boxes. Get it repaired if it’s broken or maybe it’s just lacking batteries. There are also the self-winding watches that your grandparents might have used but you mistook as broken. Do your research so that you don’t get scammed. Some old watches are worth thousands of dollars.
Clean old things and sell them.
Go through your attic and basement storage. You have to be patient in finding the treasures in your piles of junk.
The old things your grandparents have left in your storage rooms could be worth a lot of money. The vintage look is very popular even to people who don’t wish to be associated with hipsters. Old things have their charm.
The old couch that had been your grandfather’s favorite dozing place could sell for a couple of hundreds if you know how to stage it. The rocking chair you locked up in the attic after watching too many horror movies would also look comfortable and appealing if you know how to dress it up for online listings. You might still have an old radio or a telephone with a rotary dial. Depending on the model, some could also get you a good price beyond a hundred dollars.
There’s a lot of market for old books, but their prices won’t rake you in a lot of money. You could list them on Amazon or bring them to Powell Books. For textbooks, you could head to BookScouter.com. If you’re a collector though, and you have high-value books, it’s better if you go to special bookstores that deal with rare books and not the bookstores that would usually pay for second-hand stuff based on volume.
You could also upscale some junk. Old clothes can be remade into different things. You could weave them into rugs; make pillowcases, even frame those beautiful fabrics. Selling DIY products, however, is not a guarantee of fast cash. Make this into a long-term project.
Look also for things you could rent out.
It might be profitable to rent out your car to friends and connections when you’re not using it. Signing up for transportation services like Uber and Lyft requires a process and might take some time. But if you’re looking at short- to medium-term, it’s a good way to make extra money.
You could also get into the Airbnb business by offering your spare room. Although at this point, it might be a bit risky to open your home to travelers. They would be going in and out of your place, and you can’t control their interactions with people you don’t know. Even with the rolling out of vaccines, it is still too early to feel secure.
If you could have a separate entrance to your spare room it would be better. Also, provide alcohol, soap, and room spray. When your guest leaves, be sure to thoroughly disinfect.
The least risky things you could rent out would be your machines. You might have a welding machine, a grinder, or some construction tools that you bought and are just sitting in your storage room. If you have no need for them in the immediate future, consider selling them. Next time, when you buy tools or machines, consider how many times you would be using them. If they’re for one-time use, rent them out.
There are other ways to find money if you’re in an emergency without having to take out a loan. You could go out and look for seasonal jobs. Go babysit or dog sit, or even house sit. Look at online work, or do some manual labor. It’s not debasing to try these short-stint jobs or scrape money from your storage junk. A lot of people are in a financial mess right now so don’t feel bad if you find yourself in this situation.