Need ideas! -- coming up with $2,000 ?

[highlandmum]

DH and I have had some unexpected things come up (car accident, medical problems, etc.) over the past month, and we are now having money trouble. We want to come up with (via selling stuff, or saving on costs from out budget -- like groceries) $2,000 over the next few weeks. Please help me think of some ideas.....what can I sell? What can I cut out grocery-wise? I know without getting much more info it is hard to give me ideas....but I guess, what would you do???
Thanks for any help!

[mum4boys]

It is hard to give ideas when we do not know exactly what we are working with. Do you have a pantry to eat out of? How much is your budget? Can you cut telephones, cable bill etc?

[dachshundqueen]

Is it at all possible for someone to pick up a temporary part time job?

Liz

[highlandmum]

Ok, a little more info:: we do have a pantry, and are planning on eating out of it. I'm hoping to have 2 weeks of spending $50 and 2 weeks of spending $100 at the store (that includes milk, veg., fruit, any meat, and also diapers {I have 2 in diapers}) and eat the rest out of pantry. I have 3 children 4 and under (one 6mo old), and dh works about 70 hrs a week, so someone taking a part time job really isn't an option (and really the situation isn't that desperate. We want to do this to help get us out of a difficult situation....but we're not in serious trouble). I'd love to try to sell stuff, and to consolidate some bills, and to NOT spend any money.We have budgetted about $350week for groceries, but that also gets used for clothes, fun, etc. etc. etc. ....so I'd like to 'make' money from cutting groceries and not spending a dime more than neccessary.

[mum4boys]

You are budgeting $350 a week for groceries?

I think you could easily knock it down to $100 a week even if you did not have a pantry to eat out of. That would also include diapers. Is there a reason you need to buy clothes this month? Skip a month. So let me see that would give you$1,000 alone right there.

What do you have to sell?

[BetsyS]

I think you could easily bump your groceries down to $400 for a month. That saves $1000 right off the top.

Just don't buy anything. It's one month--if you look at it as an adventure, it'll fly by, and it's no big deal.

Some money sucks for us as we learned to go down a more frugal path--snacks and drinks when out and about. Just plan on taking a snack and a bottle of water with you everywhere you go. Keep a box of granola bars, and a 6 pack of bottled water in the car as your emergency snacks to prevent ever needing to stop on the fly this month.

You can do this!!

We don't have much to sell, so it's hard to say without knowing what you have. Around here, consignment sales (like mom2mom) are popular, and people can make a few hundred dollars by selling at them. It's the end of the spring season, but we have a few left. Maybe there is something like that near you?

[velochic]

You said $50 each of 2 weeks and $100 each for 2 weeks... $300/ month.

That's reasonable... admirable, even. I can't see cutting that down. But where is the other $1100/month going with the "budgeted $350/week for groceries". Or was that a typo and you meant $350/month?

Selling stuff... anything that you are not using, check out current auctions on Ebay for those. See what you can get out of them.

Sell plasma.

If kids are on spring break (I'm sure it's probably over now for most folks), pick up a babysitting job.

Take books to Half-Priced Books.

Ask around about spring lawn clean-up or house cleaning jobs. One-time deals.

That's all I can think of. Good luck!

[Delicateflower]

Most of my grocery money goes on bread and dairy. Could you make your own bread for a few weeks? Ration milk?

[greenmom4]

Yeah, I agree with pp. You could easily cut your grocery bill way down. Eat mostly vegetarian, buy a bunch of oatmeal to have for breakfast, there are lots of ways to really pare down your grocery bill. The Nourished Kitchen has a "Pennywise Platter Thursday" carnival that has lots of good meals on the cheap.

Negotiate with phone/internet/cable places for better rates. I called and told all of these places that I was going to change service and they all offered me rates of about 50% of what I was paying.

Take the bus/bike/walk or consolidate errands so you don't use too much gas. Use a cheaper brand of dipes for your kids if you're not cd'ing. Hang laundry to dry, etc.

Good luck!

[kerc]

Originally Posted by mum4boys

You are budgeting $350 a week for groceries?

Yes, this.

We spend ~500 bucks a month for 4 mouths, youngest = 4.5.

Stuff to sell: if you have any extra big items (couch, loveseat, etc.) or an extra carseat -- list those. If you aren't sure if you want to sell it, list it high.

[doubledutch]

if op is nursing, selling plasma doesn't seem like the smartest thing in the world to do (and it's not that great of money anyway, or it least it wasn't 10 years ago when i did it).

other stuff to sell:
CDs and DVDs - put all your music on your computer and burn copies of movies.
your maternity wardrobe.
if you have a baby carrier you don't really like and don't use often, it could sell for $50 or more (or way less, of course) depending on what it is.
outgrown baby wardrobe, if you think you're done.
an extra set of dishes, if you have a "good" set that you don't love and don't use.
your stash from whatever craft/hobby you no longer do.
baby gear you don't use, like a crib set (bumper, dust ruffle and quilt?), high chair if you normally use a booster seat instead, pack & play, exersaucer, swing . . . not that i'm saying people shouldn't use those things, especially with 3 kids under 4 - just saying if you don't, you could sell them.

you can also cut expenses by having a week (or month) of "camp" where you use minimal electricity, minimal gas, basically spending your days in your back yard (and therefore, perhaps, minimal diapers?).

[velochic]

Originally Posted by doubledutch

if op is nursing, selling plasma doesn't seem like the smartest thing in the world to do (and it's not that great of money anyway, or it least it wasn't 10 years ago when i did it).

I don't think her dh is nursing. If they are scraping together the money, in 4 weeks he can bring in $300. That's not a small amount toward the $2k. Not great for sustainable income, but for a one-time financial pickle, sure, it's a valid possibility. It's worth at least asking about.

[brogansmomma]

Originally Posted by velochic

I don't think her dh is nursing.

Huh?? DH? She has a 6-month-old.

I too am wondering if the $350 was meant to be per month and you were hoping to cut $50 off the monthly budget. $350 a week should give you tons of room for cutting even if you live in a high-cost area.

[highlandmum]

Thanks everyone! Wow! Such great ideas!!!
Yes, I am nursing my 6 mo old...but no my dh isn't
That $350 was per week, but obviously that isn't what we will be spending this month....that is what we usually work with for groceries, saving for gifts, holidays, clothes, etc....which is PLENTY...just not this month. So this month, we were hoping to cut it down to $300 for the entire month....does that make sense??
Thanks again! Man, you guys are good!

[velochic]

Originally Posted by brogansmomma

Huh?? DH? She has a 6-month-old.

The suggestion for selling plasma wasn't for her... it was for her husband, who is not nursing a baby, so doesn't have that particular restriction for selling plasma.