15 places to look for — and find — extra money to start the week
15 places to look for — and find — extra money to start the week
Ethan Rotberg
9 min read
Is your bank account still battered from the pandemic? That's apparently very common, given that millions of Americans and dozens of their representatives in Congress are clamoring for a fourth COVID stimulus check — and maybe more after that.
So far, Washington isn't coming through with more of that direct relief. But you can heal your financial bruises right now, just by looking around for sources of cash right there under your nose.
Here are 15 ways to find extra money and strengthen your finances before the new week gets into full swing.
1. Cut the cost of your debt
High-interest debt from credit cards and personal loans can be a major drain on your bank balance, especially if you’re making only the minimum payments each month.
If you want to break free from your debt ASAP, your best bet is to take out a debt consolidation loan. You’ll trade in all of your current debts — credit cards, loans, everything — for a single monthly payment at a lower interest rate.
You can borrow money with no collateral at rates as low as 5.95%. Depending on how much interest you’re paying on your current debts, consolidating them could save you thousands of dollars and help you become debt-free years sooner.
2. Save every time you shop online
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If you do most of your shopping online — and nowadays, who doesn’t — you likely go to the same website again and again. You know which one.
But Amazon doesn’t always have the best prices, and nobody has time to price-check every store.
So, just download a free browser extension that will automatically find you deals and coupon codes every time you shop online.
You can also set price-drop alerts for your favorite products, so if they go on sale, you’ll be the first to know. Installation takes just a moment and could save you hundreds of dollars a year.
3. Slash your car insurance premiums
If you've got a car and aren't shopping around for cheaper insurance every six months, you could be throwing away more than $1,100 a year, according to one analysis.
Comparing rates from multiple insurance companies may sound like a lot of work, but some websites do the shopping around for you and can find you a better deal in three minutes.
Just answer a few quick questions, and you'll be presented with the best quotes out of hundreds of car insurers, ensuring you find the lowest price available for the coverage you currently have.
4. Play the market with as little as $1
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If you’ve never played the stock market before, you might think that owning stock in a well-known company is out of reach right now.
But one popular investing app will let you buy pieces of companies like Google and Tesla for as little as $1 — and when they profit, so can you.
You can invest in fractional shares of stocks, options, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and cryptocurrencies. Best of all, there are no fees and no commissions.
5. Scoop up forgotten funds
You know where all your money is, right?
Actually, people move on and forget all about money in old accounts all the time. It's so common that Americans currently have more than $40 billion in unclaimed funds waiting for them.
Is a chunk of that yours? Search MissingMoney.com, which will show if you left any money in an old checking or savings account, or if you’re entitled to unclaimed life insurance policies from relatives who have passed away. (You'll want to be much more careful when you buy your own life insurance policy.)
You also should check with the IRS to see if there are any tax refunds you're missing. You can amend your previous tax returns for up to three years if you were eligible for a refund but neglected to claim it.
6. Get a payday from your old playthings
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Got a closet full of collectibles? Well, maybe the time has finally come to say goodbye and list them online, because they might be worth more than you think.
Some of your toys from the 1970s and '80s could be worth hundreds of dollars — maybe even thousands — if you’ve kept them in good condition.
Payments on federal student loans have been on a long pause, but if you have debt from a private student loan, you’ve been on the hook for your regular monthly minimum all along.
The good news is that interest rates on student loans from private lenders have been at all-time lows, and refinancing your loan can save you a bundle.
Refinancing lets you pay off your current debt with a new loan that has a lower interest rate. Your monthly payment will go down, and you’ll have more money to spend on other things.
You can find quotes from multiple lenders in just minutes, so you can shop around and make sure you’re getting the best rate possible.
8. Make money investing just 'spare change'
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Another easy way to start investing in the stock market is by putting your pocket change to work.
You can use a handy app that offers micro-investing accounts that you fund by "rounding up" your everyday spending.
You invest the spare change left over whenever you make a purchase.
So if you buy a coffee for $3.65, 35 cents will be added to your account. It may not seem like much, but over the course of a year those pennies could add up to hundreds of dollars — and turn into far more if the market keeps cruising to new all-time highs.
9. Eliminate housing costs by doing a live-in flip
What are you doing with all that pandemic downtime? If you have the skills, why not try a live-in flip?
You could buy a fixer-upper with an ultra-low mortgage rate, move in and renovate the place, then flip it for a profit that rivals a year's worth of mortgage payments.
The timing is key. You can pay a lower long-term capital gains tax on your profits — rather than the higher tax for short-term gains — as long as you live in the home for at least one year.
Mortgage rates are still near historic lows, meaning you may never pay less for a home loan. Try gathering and comparing at least five mortgage offers to find the best rate.
10. Use artificial intelligence to find a better job
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We know the job market is tough right now, so if your job hunt is coming up short, it might be time to expand your search to positions that fall outside your field.
There's a free online job board that uses artificial intelligence to match your skills, education and experience with the best jobs from more than 8 million postings.
It also provides valuable information on more than 35,000 job titles, including the credentials required and the criteria that recruiters look for in a top candidate.
11. Dump this annoying homeowner cost
If you have a plain-vanilla conventional mortgage and made less than a 20% down payment, you’re likely familiar with private mortgage insurance.
PMI protects the lender in case you default on your home loan — and it could be costing you up to $2,000 a year. So, how do you ditch this?
If you can manage making payments that will get you down to 80% of the original mortgage balance, you can request to have PMI removed. You also might refinance to a new home loan that’s below 80% of the home’s value.
Even if you can't junk the PMI, you can refinance and cut your monthly payment by hundreds of dollars, thanks to today's spectacularly low mortgage rates.
12. Turn clutter into cash
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Mess creates stress, and if you’re already worried about money, you don’t need piles of clutter adding to your anxiety.
But trying to sell your old electronics, books and movies online can be a chore, and you might make only a fraction of what your items are worth.
Just type in the specs of your old gadgets or use the Decluttr app to scan the barcodes on your books, video games and DVDs, and you’ll get a quote instantly. Then all you have to do is put your stuff in a box, stick on the free shipping label, and drop it off at the nearest UPS store.
13. Stop paying too much for home insurance
If your homeowners insurance bill seems steep, you might be able to cut it down to size by shopping around online for a better rate.
Answer a few basic questions, and you’ll instantly see the best deals available in your area.
You could save close to $1,000 a year on your homeowners policy by comparing rates, while still keeping the same level of coverage you currently have.
14. Get paid when businesses behave badly
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When companies do the wrong thing, they get taken to court — and sometimes their customers get compensated.
Check ClassAction.com to see if you qualify for reimbursement over products or services you purchased in the past that were falsely advertised, defective or that you were overcharged for.
Recent settlements have involved companies including Apple, Tesla, Juul and others. Many class-action claims can be completed online in a few minutes, though it may take up to a year to receive your rebate.
The criteria for eligibility will vary depending on the lawsuit, but in some cases you may not even need a receipt to get reimbursed. If proof of purchase is required and you can’t find your receipt, remember to check your bank and credit card statements.
15. Turn your hobby into a lucrative side gig
Everybody's got a hobby: What's yours? You could use it to score some side gigs and supplement your income.
It’s sort of like using a dating site — you just create a profile describing what you bring to the table, and people will find you based on what they’re looking for.
Once you start completing gigs and racking up positive reviews, you can bump up the price of your services and make even more money.
