Everyone knows that we are supposed to have a financial safety net – a sort of fallback cushion in case something unexpected happens that requires us to spend beyond our norm. The problem is that for many who are living the frugal lifestyle these days it is nearly impossible to save for a rainy day because we are living in a financial drought where almost every penny of our income is going toward keeping our bills current. How then can someone in a financial bind like this still build a safety net?
At one time or another we have all wondered what it would be like to earn a living working on the Internet and while some have succeeded at making money online, the majority of online moneymaking schemes are just that – schemes.
Get Serious About Saving
If you are serious about building a savings safety net then you are going to need somewhere to save that money. Bankrate.com has a simple tool for searching for the right savings account for your needs and many of them don’t require a minimum deposit. Set up a savings account to be used for no other purpose but to build your safety net. That’s the first step!
Have A Virtual Yard Sale
We all have accumulated things over the years that are perhaps not as useful as they once were. Maybe you don’t have the time or the space to arrange a yard sale at home, but there’s nothing saying that you can’t put together a virtual yard sale in your spare time. With online auction sites like Ebay as well as free ad sites like Craigslist, it is easier than ever to clear out the attic, pare down the closet clutter and pocket some cash at the same time.
Read Your Junk Mail
Websites like Inbox Dollars and Send Earnings actually pay you to open their emails. It isn’t much (about $.02 each), but you’re going to get junk mail anyway, and in the time it takes you to delete it you could have earned a couple of pennies. Each of these sites also offer surveys and other ways to earn and I only recommend them here because I have been a member for over 2 years and have been paid by them on more than one occasion.
Save Your Pennies
Everybody has a change jar and most of us just let it pile up anyway so why not designate that spare change to go toward your savings safety net? Even if it is no more than $5 a month, that’s $5 closer to having a financial cushion when you need it in the future!
