What to do when you're out of money

Running out of money can be scary for anyone. If you're a ways from payday and you're already tapped out, here are some tips on what you can do to sustain yourself until your next payday.

Find out what you do have

If you have enough at home to keep you sustained you stand a good chance of lasting until the end of the month. If you r bills have been paid and there's no immediate need for money, make the most out of what you have at home. Ration what you have and think sensibly about your necessities. Resist the temptation to use your credit card and focus on saving money for the time being.

Sell what you don't need

If you have anything around your home that you don't need and have been meaning to get rid of, now is the time to sell it. There are lots of ways for you to sell your old items and you might find yourself getting a pretty penny for things you didn't want. You can take a few photos and upload them onto an auctioning website like Ebay or Gumtree, which is incredibly easy and you don't even have to pay for postage. If you have any items that you're not willing to get rid of yet but are okay with parting with them for a while, you can visit a pawn shop and buy your belongings back later when you have more money.

Pick up extra work

While picking up some extra shifts at your normal job can increase your monthly paycheque, if you need money right away there are other part-time and side job options that allow you to take money home on the day. For example, some large events advertise online for one-night waiters and bar staff. If you have any experience in the service industry, this can be a great option for a quick paycheque. You can also pick up jobs babysitting, pet-sitting and cleaning that all pay on the day. Otherwise you can make money online by filling out surveys and reviewing products. These jobs can be picked up and dropped at any time, so they are very useful for people running low on money.

If all else fails...

Take out a loan

While this might not be the best solution under certain circumstances, it's better to pay your bills on time than get fined for skipping your payments. If you only have a short time left until payday and you're confident that you can pay the money back later, you can find safe short term loans for emergencies online. As long as you make sure to thoroughly research the loan and are comfortable paying it back as quickly as possible, this can be a good solution. You won't be jeopardising your credit score by not paying your bills on time and, if you make the loan payments on time, you might even be able to increase your credit score, which can be very handy in the future if you want to take out a substantial bank loan. Just be sure that you're making the right decision and take out a loan that only covers what you need.