That was the prayer request a month ago at church and I can’t get it out of my mind.
I have been unemployed twice and I understand the feeling of bills to pay and no money coming in. There are some short term and long term actions you can take to raise some extra cash to help you and your family during your unemployment.
Short Term
Sell your stuff on Ebay
If you have collectibles or items you are not using put them up for sale on Ebay. You will need to set up a Ebay and paypal account. You now have the time to go through your house and de-clutter, so take advantage of your extra time to find items to put up for sale. Good items to sell are anything that is small and easy to ship such as DVD’s, books, jewelry and cameras. Take a look at the site to get an idea of the prices and types of items that sell well. Use your digital camera to take a picture of any item you want to sell. Items with pictures sell better.
Hold a rummage sale
Have a rummage sale to sell larger items and household items you no longer use. Or you could try Craig’s list. There is no charge for most listings on Craig’s list. Just make sure you don’t show any items while home alone. This is a necessary precaution because there have been several incidents with listings on Craig’s list. Donate any items you can’t sell at your rummage to Good Will for a tax deduction.
Sell your books on Amazon
If you professional books Amazon can be a great place to sell them. There is no fee until the items sell and you can leave the item up for sale for an unlimited amount of time. The site will show you all of prices currently being asked b other sellers to help you set your price. Amazon gives you $3.99 to cover shipping. If you use the media mail postal rate you easily have enough to ship the item.Amazon already has pictures of most books. You will need to set up a seller account. Payment can be made directly to your checking account. I recently sold a number of professional books on Amazon and was surprised at how much they were worth. Another place to sell books is Half Price Books. You can take in a box of books and they will give you a quote on the spot.
Sell old jewelry
Most jewelry stores now take broken and old gold and silver pieces. If you aren’t wearing these pieces, why not sell them for some much needed cash?
Long Term
Tap the Emergency Fund
You should have 3- 6 months of living expenses put aside in the event of a job loss or other emergency. This can make managing your finances so much easier during your job search. I would still suggest slashing monthly expenses in case your layoff is longer than 3- 6 months.
Have a family conference
Call the family together early in your unemployment and let them know spending will have to be reduced. Expenses will have to be cut to make your unemployment benefits meet expenses. Ask your kids for their ideas for making the budget stretch. They may be willing to baby sit or cut lawns to pay for their extra curricular activities. Younger kids might be assigned the task of making sure the lights are off in empty rooms to save on the electric bill. Make sure kids know you are there for them and everything is going to be ok.
Tap Relatives/Friends
Let your friends and family know you are looking for work. Does one of your friends or family have a business where you could work on a part time basis while you are looking for full time work? This can be a big help to making the budget stretch. Maybe your friends and family have work around their house you can do for some extra income. While I was unemployed I cleaned house and did small home improvement projects like painting. This part time work can have very flexible hours, leaving you available for interviews.
Volunteer
Now that you have some extra time, volunteer for a worthwhile cause. This can be a great way to boost your network. Someone you meet while you volunteer might give you a tip to full or part time work. You might also learn new skills to bring to your next job. Giving back will also make you feel better during a stressful time. It is important not to get too isolated when you aren’t working.
Create you own job
Do you have a skill you can use to generate income? If you are an accountant maybe you can do tax returns. If you do crafts as a hobby maybe you can produce work to take to a craft show. Are you handy, consider doing home improvement. If you were in human resources maybe you can start a business teaching people how interview skills and how to update their resume. This part time work can generate some much needed income. It may even lead to another career. Let you friends and family know about your plans. They may be your first clients.
Temp Work
Some occupations may offer the opportunity for free lane or part time assignments. Register with a temporary agency to see if there are any short term assignments available in your field. These are already very common in some fields like accounting, computer science, and training and health care. Substitute teaching is also open in some communities due to a shortage of teachers. Some communities will grant a temporary teaching license if you have a bachelors degree. This would give you an opportunity to try out teaching in case you are considering a career change.
Work below your pay grade
You may have to take a job you would not ordinarily consider under normal circumstances. You could take a job in retail, delivery, security work or waiting tables. These are all good honest jobs and could bring in much needed income. Many of them are not jobs usually held long term. You do not have to list them on your resume since you list relevant work experience.
Temporary or volunteer work is also a good idea because you may be asked how you have been spending your time by an interviewer. Temp and volunteer work can help to keep your skills sharp. Any work that generates income can help you to meet your bills so you don’t run out of money while unemployed.
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