9 Ways To Earn Money To Pay Off Credit Card Debt
It’s almost cliché to talk about how bad the American economy is—but the fact of the matter is, the unemployment rate is still high, the cost of living is inching its way up and people are feverishly looking to receive debt help. Once you have a clear understanding of your financial problems, the next step to take is to find the solution! I always try to remind myself that it’s not the problem that matters—it’s how I can respond to that problem!
According to CreditCards.com, the web’s leading publisher of original consumer credit card related news, the average credit card debt per American household with credit card debt is $15,788. With that in mind, I want to throw out a few creative ideas for raising money to reduce debt that you have accumulated and are now in desperate need of paying off.
1. Have an electronic “yard sale” via social media:
I have sold college text books, my old bedroom set, sneakers and an IPOD on Facebook. Social media is the ultimate medium for all communication—everybody is on Facbook, and almost everyone else is on Twitter as well as other social media sites. Take a few pictures of some items that you don’t use or need any more, upload them to Facebook, type up a brief description of the items under the pictures and post a new status telling your Facebook friends about your sale items. I can almost guarantee you that you will get several comments and inbox inquiries about the item. This method of selling things is easy, free and can reach mass audiences!
2. Sell clothes you no longer wear to your nearest Plato’s Closet or Thrift Store:
I LOVE Plato’s Closet! It’s the new fashionable version of a thrift store that makes selling and buying used clothes cool! In case you are unfamiliar with Plato’s Closet, let me briefly explain: Plato’s Closet is the newest fashion-savvy franchise thrift clothing store phenomenon that is sweeping the nation. You can take used old clothes that are in good condition to Plato’s Closet and they pay you cash up front for each piece of clothing. Whether you are a man or a woman, and have shoes you never wear or have purses you don’t care for any more, take them to Plato’s Closet and you can easily make some extra cash that can go towards your monthly credit card bill. For those people who live in a city or town where there is no Plato’s Closet or you have things to sell that aren’t clothing, check out your local thrift store to sell new or used items!
3. Auction Stuff off on eBay:
I LOVE eBay! Another tech-savvy way of making extra cash to go towards your credit card debt is to sell things via one of the biggest and most popular websites on the Internet: eBay! Stuff that doesn’t sell on Facebook because you only have 800 friends, post it on eBay to millions of people to view and let the bidding war begin! You can make some extra money with little energy required. It’s free to sign up for an eBay account and it only takes a few clicks to post items. My mom has had great personal success with this method of making extra money fast—she’s a huge Barbie collector so in the past, when times were tough and the cash flow was a little tight, she would post a few Barbie’s for sale and make an extra few hundred dollars. Of course, results may vary depending what you’re selling, but eBay can act as a great medium of extra side income!
4. Do Freelance Work:
You could post flyers around town to promote your freelance services, but it can be more effective to post an Ad on Craig’s List, oDesk.com, or Fiverr.com. You can also search for people looking for freelance workers living in your area and target them directly with an email. You might be able to get a few freelance jobs and make some extra income to go towards your credit card payments.
5. Pet Sit:
There are always people in the neighborhood who go out of town and need someone to care for their pets. I remember when one of my high school friends would pet sit different families that she knew throughout the neighborhood when they went on vacation. She charged $15 per day and usually each person was out of town for at least five days. That’s a $75 if you only pet sit for one household. Find two more families that need pet sitters and you have a payment for those gloomy credit card bills. There are so many different ways to advertise yourself as the best pet sitter in the town—social media sites, flyers, word-of-mouth, and newspaper advertising.
6. Babysit
Baby sitting is typically an easy way to make money for teenagers, but I know people of all ages who babysit part-time. It’s an excellent source of additional income to help pay down your debt. Network with friends or co-workers and you will be sure to find someone who knows someone with a baby who could use a babysitter. Posting flyers at your local grocery store is one way to promote your baby sitting services or create babysitting business cards and pass them out— soon enough the word will get out and you will be able to babysit and create some extra income.
7. Rent Your Stuff:
Through websites like Zilok.com, anyone can rent just about any of their possessions to others via the Internet. Whether you are an individual who owns a jet ski and wants to make some extra cash to pay off credit card debt, or whether you are an someone who wants to rent out jewelry or a car, all the networking resources are available via Zilok.com. Random items like poker sets to bicycles are available to at Zilok.com as well.
8. Utilize Craig’s List to Make Extra Cash:
Craig’s List is a national online classifieds website where people can go buy or sell anything from furniture to cars, look for job postings, or even request inquiries about potential new employee positions! Using Craig’s List to sell stuff or find work is a great means to make extra side income in a time of need.
9. Sell Your Photos to iStockPhoto
An easy way to make some extra cash is by selling those great looking photos you’ve had laying around forever. iStockphoto is the place to upload your photos whether you’re a weekend amateur or a professional photographer. The application process is quick and effortless. All you have to do is simply apply and be accepted as a photographer, then you can begin uploading digital photos and earn royalties when your images are downloaded by other members in the iStockphoto community. You can make easy quick cash every month and stash away that extra money to go towards your credit card debt.
With a little ambition and some creative thinking, there are several ways to make extra cash to pay down your credit card debt— just remember to be proactive about your financial circumstances. Don’t dwell on the problem, be productive and find the solution! Yes, we know it stinks to owe thousands of dollars in credit card or student loan debt, but the faster you pay it off, the less interest and penalties will accumulate and the faster you will find yourself debt free! You can cut costs from your budget all day long, but increasing your income might be more effective in the long run.
For those of you that need a little credit help, I hope these tips were useful, and if you have any great suggestions for making some extra cash, leave a comment! 😉
About the Author
Samantha Savory is a 20-something-year-old recent communications graduate whose mission is to financially succeed and thrive in this economy. She writes about personal finance and anything related to shopping and saving money.