Debt Consolidation

Sometimes when we’re in a bind and need some extra cash, we forget the options we have available. Before you panic about your lack of money, keep in mind some of the ways you can solve your problem.

Here are six solutions, with the advantages and disadvantages of each one.

1) Borrow from a friend or family member

You may have loved ones who will help you out in a time of need, no matter what your situation is. In that case, this is probably the first solution to consider.

The advantage is that you don’t have to fill out applications, have your credit checked, or deal with a company that may charge you high fees. In fact, your friends or family may not charge you any interest for making you a loan (but it’s polite to offer them something, even if it’s just to do them a small favor).

One big disadvantage to borrowing money from someone you know is that they want to know why you need it, and you may have to explain your situation. That’s not always easy to do.

Another disadvantage is that word may get around, if they can’t keep your problems to themselves. Even friends and family like to gossip about their loved ones.

Also, you may have to listen to all their advice about how to save more money, how to get a better job, what to do with your life, and every other “helpful” bit of information they feel a need to tell you. But that’s just the price you pay for borrowing money from people you know.

Finally, the biggest disadvantage is what could happen if you can’t pay back the loan — or can’t pay it back quickly enough. That could ruin your friendship or family relationship, so consider this carefully before borrowing money from them.

2) Pawn something or hold a yard sale

You may have some things you don’t need. In that case, why not sell them to make some money?

If you have something of value that you’d like to keep, and you think you’d have the money soon to buy it back, you can try pawning it. The danger there is that you won’t have enough money in time to get it back.

If you have things you want to get rid of, you can try holding a yard sale, sell your items through the newspaper, or even sell them online on eBay.

The disadvantage is that you don’t know if you’ll be able to sell your things, and it may take some time. Also, you may have expenses involved if you have to run an ad in the paper.

3) Ask your creditors for more time to pay your bills

This isn’t exactly getting cash. It’s more like getting a temporary stay of execution. Still, it may help you get past a temporary cash crisis.

The advantage is that you don’t have to get a loan or sell your valuables. Instead, you just ask for more time to pay your bills. Some creditors may be willing to work with you and arrange a different payment plan.

The disadvantage is that your creditors may charge you for this service. And you still may have to pay late charges or higher interest rate. Or they may just laugh in your face for asking. But it’s worth a try.

4) Get a cash advance on your credit card

The advantage of this is that you don’t have to talk to anyone, fill out an application, or get approved. You’re borrowing money from the credit card company, and they’ve already approved you for a credit line up to a certain amount.

Of course, this solution assumes you have a credit card, that you haven’t maxed it out, or that you’re willing to pay the high fees and extra charges. Typically, credit cards charge a “transaction fee” for a cash advance and they charge a higher interest on cash advances than they do on normal purchases. That’s one disadvantage.

Plus, a lot of us don’t have clean enough credit to get credit cards. Or we just don’t want to be sucked into the world of yearly “membership” fees, or worry about late charges if we miss the payment deadline by a few hours. And some credit cards charge huge interest rates. You can end up paying hundreds of dollars for the “privilege” of using your credit card.

5) Get overdraft protection on your bank account

With this service, the bank covers any checks you write where you don’t have enough money in your account.

The advantage is that you avoid paying fees for bounced checks. It gives you a bit of a cushion.

The disadvantage is that you still end up paying fees. But instead of paying fees for bounced checks, you pay fees for the bank to cover your overdrafts. And that can cost you a bundle!

Some plans have fees as high as $35 per overdraft. What this means is that the bank is really making you a high-interest loan. That is, they charge you for the use of their money (by covering your check when you don’t have enough in your account). And they may only cover you for a few hundred dollars. After that, they start bouncing your checks.

It can be good to have overdraft protection for when you accidentally write a check when the money isn’t there. But don’t use it as a roundabout way to get a loan from the bank. You’ll end up paying too much for this.

6) Get a loan

Once you’ve tried other ways to raise the money you need, you can try getting a loan from your bank or through companies that offer payday loans (also called check advance loans or cash advance loans).

Getting a loan from your bank can be the better choice because you’ll probably be able to borrow the money at a good interest rate, and you don’t have to pay it back right away.

However, this can be the most difficult loan to get. Banks prefer to make loans to businesses, or for specific projects such as a home improvement loan. They rarely give loans to people who just need some cash to tide them over until next payday.

That’s where payday loans come in.

A payday loan company will advance you some cash right away, and you don’t have to pay them back until your next payday. The disadvantage is that these loans are only for people who receive a regular paycheck or benefit check.

The advantages are:
- You can get the money quickly, deposited right into your checking account.
- If you apply online, you don’t have to talk to anyone or tell them why you need the money.
- If you can’t pay back the loan on the next payday, you can roll the loan over until the following payday.
- They usually don’t care about credit problems, only that you can pay the loan back.

While payday loans aren’t for everybody, they are something to consider if you need to get some cash now. Just make sure you’ll be able to pay the loan back fairly soon.

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