How to Make Quick Money for Trip?

[MaddyVita]

Note: I just posted this in the "Families" board by mistake - how do I delete it from there? I think it goes here better!! Anyway.....

Hi all, this is my first post. First, let me say I'm addicted to this board already! So much great info! I really appreciate you!

Second, I need some advice!

We decided on the spur of the moment (first mistake!) about a month ago to go to Orlando - friend called with a great deal on a week's stay at a resort down there - the week for $375 + tax I think. No tours, etc. Happened to have the money in the bank so said - Sure! We have NEVER had a vacation in 12 years - I mean a week-long, stay at a condo or hotel type of vacation. Hubby's been working extremely hard and could really use a break and we wanted to really do something special for our three kids - 11, 6, 4. Plus, we have family and friends down there we haven't seen in several years and have access to discounted park tickets. (tickets pretty much already taken care of) NEXT TRIP, WE WILL PLAN AHEAD AND SAVE IN ADVANCE!!!

Problem is, unexpected expenses have come up and now we have $25 in the bank - and don't get paid til the day AFTER we leave (driving down!) (Have enough money on CC to pay for gas on the way down if need be) I need to make money QUICK - I know, kinda late! We leave one week from today. I'm sick to my stomach - and berating myself for not doing anything to make money before this. But what I need now is ACTION - not dwelling over my shortcomings.

Any ideas on how to make money QUICK! I have some stuff on ebay but even if it sells it won't bring in much of anything. Had a yard sale but didn't make much.

I know I need to address this issue of "paycheck to paycheck" - but for this moment I need to just get us through this week and get us down to Orlando.

Any suggestions will be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance!

BTW - just for the sake of sharing. we'll be going to MK one day and Studios one day, Universal one day and IOA one day.


~ Maddy

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

Try having your yard sale again but make it a 1/2 price sale. Put HALF PRICE SALE right on your direction signs and people will come and buy. I'm sure of this because we do this on the final afternoon of all our sales and people come in droves. If there is something you don't want to sacrifice for 1/2 price, put your original price up higher. Also, could you sell some of your kids' extra or outgrown clothes to a used kids' clothes store?
Hope you get to have your family vacation! Have fun!!

 

[MrsMcNally]

Also with the yard sale if it is coming to a close and you still have alot of stuff do a sack sale. 5.00 a sack full. People love those. Have you already gotten yor tix for the park?? Make sure you pack a bag with lots of treats to eat in your hotel. And that will save some loot!! I would not reccomend doing a cash advance beacause those can be hard to pay off but if you are in a real pinch that is an idea. Maybe you have some larger appliances or Furniture you can put in the paper. Babysit??? If I can think of anything else I will post it.

 

[Local_Girl]

There are many on this board that will tell you to cancel/postpone the trip to another time. That is one option, though probably not the one you want to consider...and I know how you feel, because we have been in a similar situation.

You don't say how much you need to come up with. Is the resort already paid for? The tickets? If the resort is a timeshare/condo-type place you should have a kitchen and if you're driving you can bring food and/or have access to grocery stores in Orlando. If you can do all meals at the condo (or take food with you to the parks--Disney is pretty lenient about this, but I don't know about Universal), you can save a lot of money. Remember, there will also be expenses like parking, tolls, etc. that can add up too.

One week isn't a lot of time to come up with several hundred $$, if that's what you need. Perhaps a family member could loan you the funds? Do you have CCs that you can access for more than just the gas? Of course you would have to weigh that against interest accrued and the amount of time it will take you to pay it off and determine if it's worth it to you. Do you or does your husband have special skills (ie. my DH works with computers and has made some $$ fixing/upgrading them for others) that could earn you some extra $$ in the next few days?

Good luck with whatever you decide! I hope you are able to have a wonderful trip...whether it's next week, or another time in the future.

 

[MaddyVita]

Hi everyone! Thanks for your replies!

To respond to the posts so far...

Our lodging and tickets are paid for (thank goodness!) so no matter what, I am NOT canceling. I just couldn't do that to the kids. We have direct deposit, so we'll be OK mostly once we get down there. We're planning to pack lunches, snacks and water and eat in at night the majority of the time. (love my crockpot!)

I just need about $150 or so to have before we go - to get us through the week and to buy the mister fans, shoes in time to get broken into, caps, rain ponchos, snacks and food for the trip, etc. Haircuts would be great - at least for my daughter and myself! Wish I was handy with scissors

We moved last February so I had already "flung" a lot of stuff, so when we had a yard sale a few weeks ago there really wasn't much left to sell. I'm going to go through everything again though and have a yard sale tomorrow and Sat. a.m. - after that we have commitments I can't break. Someone in the Family thread suggested selling books and I did find 1 place near here that actually buys non-fiction hardcover books, of which I have several! Probably only a few $$ but every $ counts at this point! The kids will have an ice tea stand at the yard sale too - I have plenty of tea bags and we can sell sweetened and unsweetened! We're isolated on a busy road and usually people go speeding by and don't stop, but I'm hoping we'll have a good turnout!

I briefly thought about the cash advance but won't go that route - I could see a downward spiral starting if I did that! We only have 1 credit card and that we'll use for gas on the way down.

Thanks so much to all of you for your great suggestions! You're really appreciated for sharing your thoughts!

 

[StephMK]

How many things are really essential to your trip? Could you save $ by just not buying some of the items? We had no problems w/shoes that we already own but we didn't do commando either. Hit a dollar store for ponchos, maybe misters or plan to share? Reducing some expenses might be easier at this point. If you are near a craigslist.com location, try placing a barter ad for some of the little stuff or sellling anything you might still have to offer. They also sometimes have last minute jobs/babysitting jobs. Anyone that would give you a short term loan for a week or two?

Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[virginiamama]

We moved last February so I had already "flung" a lot of stuff

You used the word "flung" so that made me wonder if you were a Flybaby (www.flylady.net)? I'm a flybaby but I haven't flung much yet!

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, take a look at the site.

 

[MaddyVita]

StephMK - thanks for your tips. I had never heard of craigslist so checked it out. Neat site! Unfortunately, I'm not near any of the locations though. Nice resource to have for future reference though!

Virginiamama - Yes I am a FLYBABY!! I wondered when I used "flung" if any flybabies would pick up on that! I haven't been flying very much myself lately and took myself off the emails for a while after we moved, but I'm ready to get back on them. When we get back from vacation I'm going to "dig in" again - 15 minutes at a time!

Thanks for posting!

Maddy

 

[canwegosoon]

Any Malls in your area that do opinions..I think I got $10 for one once. What about calling a temp agency for any jobs or Babysitting? Wanted to wish you good luck.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I have to agree with skipping the preparatory purchases like mister fans...you can soak a piece of cotton cloth in water & tie it around your necks to cool yourselves down. Mister fans are just one more object to carry in the park. Shoes are another. Unless you have NO suitable shoes why buy anything? Its summer...people usually have sneakers and sandals at this point. In this case, I'd use the credit card for whatever purchases I just had to make before the trip (not a cash advance) then pay it off when the bill comes in.

That said I would borrow some money from a friend or relative, seal it in an envelope and that would be my emergency money. If you live near a university you might be able to make a little change being a test subject (I used to do that when I was in school). Other than that...I'd scour the house for loose change and lost bills.

Edit: If there is a convention center(s) in your town you might be able to get a one day/night job with them. There is a school somewhere near your location...its been so long since I've been in that neck of the woods I can't think of it. Maybe you can get a temp job there after your trip to cover your expenses. Short of selling something getting money on short notice is tough. Maybe you and your kids could sell your services doing a lawn clean up for the neighbors?

 

[HeatherPage]

This may not be a popular reply but can't you go to Walmart or some other place for the mister fans, etc., the night before you leave or very early the morning of and just write a check (if the money isn't deposited until the next day you shouldn't have a problem with the check clearing I wouldn't think). Both my husband and I have direct deposit and if my deposit is supposed to be in the bank by the day of the 15th, it will go in at midnight of the 14th/15th. Anyway, just a thought, I've been there, we need to save up a good $500 to $800 before our trip at the end of September. Good luck and have a great trip, it will work out

 

[sskem96]

Is there a place nearby where you can donate plasma? They usually pay cash on the spot. I tried to do it, but it turned out I was allergic to the anticoagulant.

 

[branv]

It's funny that above poster would say that about Plasma, I have gone back to school full time so DH is the money man currently. I want to surprise him on our upcoming cruise with a massage, but don't know how to get my own money without him knowing about it...friend and I were making jokes about selling plasma Although she did tell me that she heard they pay like $26, I think you can do it twice a week? You and your husband could make $100.

The following suggestions are things I would NEVER suggest someone do..but you did ask:

I don't know that they're legal in every state, BUT since you did ask, what about Payday loan places where they'll advance you your paycheck for a percentage? Don't know anything about them, what fees they charge, but I know they exist.

What about taking something to a pawn shop? I know some pawn shops will pay you for it, and then keep the item for "x" number of days so that you have a chance to pay the money back (with collateral) and reclaim your item.

If you have a credit card, you can usually get cash advances off of them. HIGH interest though.

 

[MaddyVita]

Thanks for all the great tips everybody! Some of you mentioned things I had never even thought of - but will check out! We do have a Convention Center about a 1/2 hour or so from here - I'll definitely check that out! And I definitely will be going to Walmart the day before/day of the trip and writing a check - I use that tactic TOO often!

I was able to come up with a "whopping" $30 so far selling stuff that I no longer wanted/needed, BUT hubby is going to make an extra $125 tomorrow helping someone with a job. So, we'll be able to get the shoes (kids DEFINITELY need new shoes - not a splurge, a MUST! They've really outgrown them quickly and my daughter's are just plain worn out! By the time we actually go to WDW and Universal they will have walked them in enough I think).

Does the cool washcloth really work just as well as the fan? I had read suggestions about that, but always in addition to the fan. Maybe I'll just get 2-3 fans and share! I'm all for less to carry around!

Have to share this about my sweet mother. She didn't know about any of the money woes we've been having lately, but she called to tell me she was sending us a check to use towards our first family vacation!! She's taken my sister's kids away several times (esp. my niece) but has never taken mine (big age difference), and she said she didn't know when she'd be able to, so she wanted them to have some money to splurge with. What a Godsend!

Please know that I really appreciate each and every one of your replies! I'll let you know how the trip goes when we get back. We're leaving Thursday to drive down and will actually be at the parks the middle of next week!

Thanks again!

Maddy

 

[westjones]

Do you have a "Here We Grow Again" or other kids resale shop? They buy kids clothes to sell in their store (sometimes they buy toys too).

DJ

 

[Trixiezzz]

This may not be a popular reply but can't you go to Walmart or some other place for the mister fans, etc., the night before you leave or very early the morning of and just write a check (if the money isn't deposited until the next day you shouldn't have a problem with the check clearing I wouldn't think). Both my husband and I have direct deposit and if my deposit is supposed to be in the bank by the day of the 15th, it will go in at midnight of the 14th/15th. Anyway, just a thought, I've been there, we need to save up a good $500 to $800 before our trip at the end of September. Good luck and have a great trip, it will work out

A few months ago, I heard that new electronic check-clearing procedures were being put into practice~~ where the check goes through electronically and your money is taken out instantly, like a debit card, rather than the old 2 or 3 day "float". So the check thing may not work.

 

[MaddyVita]

You're right about the electronic processing of checks, but our local Wal-Mart doesn't utilize that -at least not yet! Thanks for the heads up though!

Thanks,
Maddy

 

[zippehsmom]

Maddy, first I hope everything works out and you guys have a great time.

I did want to say be careful with the check thing. I know at our local Walmart the checks come out as debits immediately. Actually, Walmart was the first store that I noticed doing this.

If your DH gets paid the next day, maybe you could go to a Walmart in Florida to get some of the things that you need.

Good Luck and have a great trip!

 

[MaddyVita]

OK - I doublechecked and our local Wal-mart still does it the old-fashioned way! She said if the electronic debiting is being done in Michigan it will eventually get to us though.

We are going to get groceries, etc. when we get to Florida - at a regular grocery store away from Orlando! I just really wanted to have the shoes (new shoes are a necessity, not a splurge!) and snacks, etc. before we left for the trip. I think the mister fans might be less expensive up here too - but we'll see!


Thanks!

Maddy

 

[canwegosoon]

Do you have a good friend who could buy the sneakers for you kids, you can leave her a check to cash once DH pay check gets deposited(or when you get back). I would get as little as possible since this is a totally last minute decision...anyone you know you can borrow mister fans from(or dollar store)? I would not give Walmart a check that I did not know you had the funds on hand in your account. It will end up costing you more to risk it. Ask a friend. It sounds like you are real close...and doing a great job.