Is your emergency fund running a little short? Here are some quick and easy ways to build it up fast.
We are currently in the process of trying to build up our emergency fund, so I have been finding all sorts of ways to reduce our spending or increase our earning to put extra money toward the emergency fund.
Meatless Meals
Skip having meat with every meal. For every meatless meal you prepare, set aside $15 toward the emergency fund.
Sell Items Online
Go through your house room by room and gather up some things that you no longer love or need. Sell them online to make some quick cash that can be sent straight to your emergency fund.
Suspend Cable
Most cable companies will allow you to suspend your services for a month or two without being affected by fees. While this seems drastic, it could give you the cash you need. Watch shows on-line or take out free movies from the library to get you through.
Eat from the Pantry
Eat from your existing stockpile as much as you can while you put away money for your emergency fund. If you must grocery shop, focus only the sales and bargains plus the basics, such as milk and eggs. Depending on how much your normally spend on groceries, you could save a quick $200 right there.
Just Say No
For a month or two, learn to say no to all of the various fundraisers, pretzel fridays, market days at school, Girl Scout cookies, magazine drives, chocolate bar sales and other requests for your money that you get on a weekly basis. Sure, it is great to support schools, sports clubs and other worthy causes, but all of the little bits of cash here and there add up. I tracked one month of requests recently and found the the average or expected donations totaled almost $175! That is a lot of spend when you are on a limited income.