Kitchen remodels tend to get a little bit pricey. Does no time seem like a good time for your remodel? Perhaps you keep putting it off because you’re always strapped for cash. It is the same with children – waiting for the perfect moment will lower your chances of ever having them.
If you’re tired of waiting for that unforeseeable beginning to your kitchen remodel, there are plenty of ways to find some extra cash (and believe me, every little bit helps).
Sell the things you don’t use.
If you have unwanted items lying around your house that are in fair condition, try selling them. There are plenty of resources available: consignment stores, Craigslist, eBay, facebook marketplace, friends, family members, coworkers, yard sales, etc. Do your research to see how much your item is worth based on the online prices of similar items. If your item is used, sell it for less than the listed new price (or else you won’t sell it). As the saying goes, “Your trash is another man’s treasure.”
Earlier this year, I broke the screen of my iPhone and thought I was doomed. Curiosity struck and I checked eBay to see what I could scrounge together toward a new phone. Turns out there is quite a market for broken iPhones, and I ended up selling it for almost double what I initially paid. You may find similar luck with your own items.
Other items to sell: Books, old televisions, radios, iPods, end tables, paintings, décor, lightly used clothing, furniture, unwanted china, dinnerware, printers, shredders, jewelry, crafts, etc.
Cut back on vices.
With nothing to sell, there is still hope. I’d be willing to bet there are plenty of costly habits you can cut back on. For me it is a love of Thai food, which costs me at least $10 a week or $520/year. You may be surprised to find out how much money your routines are costing you annually. Stay tuned for a few examples.
You’re spending approximately:
$2,080/year – if you golf once a week at $40 per round. Adjust this accordingly.
$730/year – if you smoke one $20 carton of cigarettes every 10 days
$520/year – if you buy a $2.00 coffee, 5 days a week. Double this for your orange mocha frappuchino!
$1,820/year – if you order a $7.00 lunch 5 days per week. Add more for weekend meals and tips.
$810/year – if you get a manicure every week. Double this for a matching pedicure.
$520/year – for purchasing a $10.00 bottle of wine every week. Double this for an even better bottle.
$120/year – for that movie channel you barely watch. Double this for the other movie channel.
$120/year – for that $10 bottle of shampoo and $10 bottle of conditioner you get every 2 months. Double this amount for more expensive products or more frequent shopping trips.
These examples are just a few. I haven’t even mentioned your gas guzzler SUV, weekend shopping trip extravaganzas, or your love of fro-yo (frozen yogurt – if you haven’t heard the term, you will).
If you give in to all of the above, it is costing you approximately $6,720 (not factoring the double trouble, which would bring you to $13,440). Add in some weekend trips and bar nights, and you’ll have even more in the bucket. Make an effort to find other areas you are spending. I guarantee you can do without them for a year or two. You don’t have to cut everything completely, but monitor them and absolutely cut back.
While you’re saving up, look into other inexpensive options. Each time you say no to something, put the equal amount away in a separate savings assigned to your kitchen remodel. You’ll be enjoying your new kitchen in no time.
Recent Comments