18 Ways To Pay Rent Without Selling Blood

4. Let go of those gift cards

Gift cards live in a weird limbo. They are given when a person doesn’t actually know what kind of gift to give. You’re happy when you get them because at least you can buy something you actually want. More often than not, though, those gift cards wind up taking up space in your wallet or a drawer somewhere.

You might think regifting them is the best possible use. But, they can actually be resold for cold, hard cash. Where can one do this? Online, obviously.

You can do everything online, including selling old gift cards. Raise and LetGo are good places to start. Keep in mind that cards cannot already be expired or near their expiration date.

You will not always get the exact price of the balance. But you didn’t spend the money, so this shouldn’t be too big an issue.

3. Babysit

This is clearly only an option for people who like children and babies. If you can’t stand the noise or the mess, it’s probably best to avoid these kinds of jobs. If you love children and are talented at keeping them entertained, this could be a good opportunity to earn some extra cash.

A bonus is that this job can be quite sustainable if you’re good at what you do. People always need babysitters, and they could be paying you instead of all those high school and college kids vying for the same job.

Because watching children is a very important job, you can actually earn quite a bit of money. This is especially true if you’re an adult. People will assume you will do a better job than a teenager.

If you can’t think of a place to start, as with almost everything else, head online. There are forums and websites aplenty.

2. Sell your books

This point is similar to the DVD and clothes suggestion. Selling your possessions to make ends meet may feel a bit degrading. It might make you feel like you are in dire straits. But everybody has a rough stretch at some point; it’s just the way the world works.

Don’t be ashamed of yourself. Approach it as an opportunity to declutter your home. We all have a lot of nonsense lying around that could be of more use to someone else.

When it comes to books, you won’t get anything close to what you paid for them. But, if your collection is sizeable and of good quality, settling them may be worth it.

The best place to start is a local bookstore. They may be willing to take those books off your hands. If that doesn’t work, try the internet. There are a couple of buyback options to investigate. Doing this online can sometimes wind up being a lengthy process, but it could get you that much closer to the end of the month.

1. When all else fails

Maybe you have reached the end of this list and you still just don’t have enough money. Maybe you’re out of time and can’t fall back on any of the options we suggested. This is the time to suck up your pride and ask a loved one for help.

This may be a humiliating experience. Yes, you are probably a fully self-sufficient adult who shouldn’t be asking your parents for money. Life happens to the best of us, though. There are times when you have no choice but to ask someone to lend you money.

This should obviously not become a habit and should only be done if you’re out of options. But, it should not be ruled out as an option all together. It’s better to ask for money than get kicked out of your place and have to move back home, right? If you are going to borrow money this month, you should approach next month as an opportunity to do better.