5 Ways to Raise Cash for Your Summer Vacation

Would you like to plan a summer vacation or staycation, but your funds are low? These tips will help you find the cash you need to enjoy the vacation you’ve been waiting for all year.

This post is from Kristia at Family Balance Sheet:

5 Ways to Raise Cash for Your Summer Vacation

1. Put Your Hobbies and Skills to Work.

Do you play piano or another instrument? Are you a teacher? Were you a star athlete in high school or college? Do you like to bake?

Many parents look for music lessons or private sports coaching for their kids during summer break. My husband was a high school swim coach many years ago and now earns extra money by teaching private swimming lessons during the summer.

A good friend of mine was a music minor in college, but now works in the financial industry. She also teaches piano on the side. Another friend earns extra money baking cookies and cakes.

What skill(s) do you have that you could earn money from?

Related: How to Earn Extra Money From Home

2. Sell Your Stuff.

Every summer, my neighborhood has a yard sale and we put the money that we earn towards our summer vacation. It’s not hard to pull a yard sale together, follow my 7 Tips for a Successful Yard Sale.

If you have bigger items where you want a specific price, Craigslist might be a better avenue to sell those pieces.

Related: Three tips to get rid of those unwanted items from your spring cleaning

3. Sell Your Old Gold Unused Jewelry

Do you have old gold jewelry just gathering dust in your jewelry box? Several years ago, I took some broken gold pieces to a jewelry store that was buying back gold pieces. I walked out of the store with $150 in cash. Kristia has some great tips to Sell Your Old Gold Unused Jewelry.

Related: 3 Valuable Household Items for You to Cash In On Now

4. Eliminate Unnecessary Spending

Can you challenge yourself to reduce your spending this summer? The budget categories that are the easiest to reduce are groceries, dining out, and clothing.

The easiest way to reduce your grocery spending is to create a meal plan. I’m not a huge couponer, but I am able to keep my grocery bill between $450 – $500 a month for my family of four by simply planning our meals.

Restaurants are another budget buster, so challenge yourself to cook or grill your meals at home this summer. Also, instead of shopping, try to get by with what is already in your closet or borrow from a friend. Recently a friend was invited to a wedding and needed dressier shoes. When she told me she was headed to the mall, I offered to loan a dressy and rarely worn pair that I have in my closet. She was thrilled to not have to spend the money on something that she rarely uses.

Related: 3 Ways You Might be Overspending Each Month

5. Do-It-Yourself

If you’re paying for services such as car washes, house cleaning, lawn maintenance, and pedicures, consider taking the summer off and doing them yourself. I love a good pedicure like everyone else, but when I need to curb my spending, I paint my own piggies and keep the $40 in my pocket.

Related: Why Working on a Home-Improvement Project Can Improve Your Marriage.

Are you short on cash for your summer plans? How will you find the funds? Let us know in the comments.

Kristia writes about family finances, frugal living, and food at Family Balance Sheet. She spends her offline time raising her two young daughters, helping her husband manage their small business, and training for her next half-marathon.