Sometimes when a crisis hits, money can be hard to find. Several people espouse the "Emergency Fund" theory (minimum $1000) and while that's great if you've got that organised (see my total in the $250 savings challenge to the right) if you don't have that it can be quite disheartening.
This week I had cause to find $800 in a hurry to pay two bills that have somehow become overdue, textbooks for uni, food and petrol for a week. It was tough, but I think I've managed it.
1. I assessed all the money we had access to: $300 on the home loan, $160 in assorted accounts and $15.45 in cash.
2. I did a menu plan, then a shopping list. Shopping list total $11.20. I'll pay for that with cash.
3. I used the $300 to pay towards the biggest (and most overdue) bill, and the $160 for text books.
This left me with $260 in bills and petrol to find money for.
4. I found $140 worth of medicare claims that have now being cashed, and will go off the rest of the bills.
5. I sent out emails listing my excess Tupperware stock for 20% off RRP. Have since sold $160 worth. As I've paid for this stock months ago, this is all profit.
6. Contacted other Tupperware demonstrators to ask if they had any clients they couldn't service. Got two names and a $500 order - min $100 in commission.
7. Contacted the daycare centre and arranged for a fundraising Tupperware party next week. Hopefully that will bring in a bit too.
So all up I have found (so far) $860 without leaving the house, and doing hardly any work. As well these measures I've put in motion should continue to bring in some money for a while yet.
So what do you do when you have to find money quickly?
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Well done on pulling all of that money together so quickly Kin!
We do now have a $1000 emergency fund that's in a separate account so depending on what the money was for that may be first port of call. I could also "borrow" some out of the bills account or the excess we have in the mortgage if really necessary.
Generally though, I'd do a "pantry challenge" to get as much out of the grocery money as possible. I could possibly chase up a couple of clients that may need some more work done - that would depend if I had time to do it though!
I could try listing some stuff on Oztion again - I have a heap of books that I could sell, and could possibly sacrifice some of Billy's older toys :)
That's all I can think of atm.
July 27, 2007 at 8:50 PM
I think you've done an awesome job Kin! Not sure I could pull things together quite like that. Not sure it's necessarily a good thing but we have access to enough credit to get us through (as long as we don't use it and then it's no longer there). Not a good thing in the sense it's too easy to overspend at times - but I'm working on that.
July 27, 2007 at 8:56 PM
I would probably turn to cash I had available, then leftovers in the billing account, savings/emergency fund - if really desperate I would cash in change bottle savings, sell stuff on ebay, use credit if really desperate.
Erica from
www.littlemummy.com
July 28, 2007 at 12:24 AM
Well done Kin. I have the emergency fund for such things and thankfully so far (touch wood) I haven't had to dip into it. I admire your being able to pull it together so quickly. :)
August 3, 2007 at 9:46 PM
If I need money in a hurry I raid my coffe mugs. I have one each for loose 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, coins that weigh down my purse. I never seem to need large amounts in a hurry so the mug method works well for me. Last time I cashed in I had just over $75 to put towards my electricity bill.
September 3, 2007 at 8:02 PM