I know this is terrible. I know that paying my bills consistently late is screwing my credit score, potentially irreversibly. But I just do not have that innate responsibility gene that my Virgo friend, Alicia, so proudly possesses!
That said, I am not a total mess. I do have a two substantial jobs, but sometimes even this is not enough to live right outside of Boston and lead the lifestyle that I desire. So here are five of my personally tested, tried and true, somewhat outside of the box ways to make pretty much instant money when the need to pay your bills on time hits (and it will)!
1. Become a dog walker.
I signed up for Wag because I live close to a city, and there are dogs to walk galore! If you don't live near a city, there is Rover, and Care.com has a pet needs option. This is a great way to make some extra money, and I find myself walking dogs on the weekends if the weather is nice and I don't have any plans. What a great way to waste a few hours - exercise and hanging out with cute dogs!
2. Find date-night babysitting on Care.com and Sittercity.com.
My schedule is pretty packed with my school and tutoring jobs, but every now and then I'll have a weekend with no plans and wonder how to make money at night when it's too late to walk dogs. Well, here is the solution! Switch your search criteria on these websites to "one-time" and behold - a plethora of date night babysitting! And best yet, usually the kids are sleeping during these times, so could it really get any easier?
3. Sell random stuff on Facebook Marketplace.
This is for when times are truly tough. I have sold artwork, technology, and jewelry all on Facebook Marketplace and it's just too easy. The only frustrating thing is that sometimes your items may take awhile to sell - I have a friend who has been trying to get rid of her bed frame for two weeks. But when they do sell, there's instant cash for you!
4. Sign up to be a test subject in the name of science!
I haven't personally done this myself, but my friend with PTSD has been a test subject for a pretty intensive medical study where she sometimes got up to $500 for each session. Yes, she did get injected with different dosages of drugs, but it's in the name of science (and being poor)! These can often be found on Craigslist, but I'm sure there are other more reputable websites to find them if you try a quick Google search or look up local colleges/universities.
5. Return recent impulse purchases.
We are all guilty of spending $100 at Target on Christmas decorations. Oh, just me? Well if you have a recent impulse purchase that is resulting in not being able to pay your bills, maybe make sure you kept the receipt and just take the stuff back. Money may not buy happiness, but it does buy happy feelings of financial security!
I hope this helped some of the hustlers out there! I know it isn't easy for me to keep track of my money, but knowing that there are always ways to make some extra coin really helps my sanity when I just NEED to go sweater shopping but my electric bill is 2 months past due.
Cheers to being a boss ass bitch in control of her fiscal income.
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