Everyone deserves a vacation. For children, it is as exciting as Christmas, but paying for it is often a headache. Have you ever considered raising money as a family. All members can contribute if they are old enough. The picture above is a great way to motivate the family. A big glass jar where everyone can see the fund growing.
There really is no downside to raising funds this way. Even if you don’t manage the full cost of the holiday, the fund will lessen the amount you have to slap onto your credit card.
If you need to raise the deficit within the jar at the last minute, you may consider using short term finance. Payday loans have received bad press lately, but new regulations imposed mean that the English and Australians are protected quite well.
Let’s explore a few ways of raising those funds.
Car Boot Sale
Be honest and be ruthless. We all have things lying around or stashed away that we just couldn’t bear to part with. As a rule of thumb, if you haven’t seen or used these things for over two years, the odds are that you could do without them permanently. So get up in the dark, load the car to breaking point and get yourself into a freezing field before the sun breaks over the horizon. Your junk may well be worth a lot of money to the dedicated car boot trawler.
Yard Sale
As above, a great way to clear the clutter. Easier than the car boot but may not attract so many customers.
Paper Round for the Kids
Get the kids working and exercising at the same time. We found our children loved the respect shown to them as they added money to the jar.
Sell Through Online Auctions
Your kids probably already know how to do this if they are over ten years old. Ask them for advice.
Dog Walking
A noble pastime and another great one for shedding those pounds.
Car Washing
A traditional weekend pastime for the kids. Armed with a bucket, sponge and shammy there may cash available in your street.
Ironing
If you are good at it there is always a demand. Charging a fair rate for a couple of hours a day, ironing could be a great earner.
Writing
There are several web sites out there where people outline articles they need writing. They give a guide to what they would be willing to pay. You then place your bid at, or below, that level and hope you win the job. You will find a variety of other jobs out for tender also. All you need do is register with the site. A great way to turn spare time into cash.
Gardening
A group effort. You don’t need to be experts at gardening. There could well be someone on your street who is struggling to maintain their lawn and borders, but can’t afford to get a professional to do the job. If the whole family pitches in you will get through it in no time at all.
There you go then. I hope I have given you a few points to consider. It is amazing how quickly you will see that jar filling up with a little family effort. It is so satisfying as you lie on the beach, knowing that you will be able to to the same thing again next year. I wish you every success.
