Five hidden ways to find extra money – even when money is tight

(This is a guest post from Kris Bickell. For more tips on getting out of debt and turning around your financial situation, visit www.debt-tips.com. You'll learn the actual debt elimination tips he used to get completely out of debt.)

If only money grew on trees … life would certainly be easier! But of course, it doesn't. So when money is tight, what can you do to relieve some of the stress?

Well, some people start buying more lottery tickets. But the odds of winning are so small that you might as well throw your money out the window. Others start using credit cards. But someday you'll need to pay those credit card bills, so making them even bigger will only make things worse.

There are some real ways to make your life easier without doing anything drastic or illegal. So here are five hidden ways to find extra money – even when money is tight:

1. Sell stuff. As they say, one person's junk is another person's treasure. So look in your basement, your attic, your bedroom drawers. And sell anything you don't use. You can go to your local consignment store to sell clothing and household items, or a pawn shop to sell other valuables. Or use Craigslist.org to sell your stuff online (it's easy and it's free!)
2. Write down a list of all your expenses and cross off all the “extras.” Then take the list and stop buying all of those extras, things like coffee, lunch (bring your own), snacks, magazines, newspapers – be creative and you can probably save yourself between $50-$100 a month. Maybe more!
3. Start a business or get a part-time job. Even if you don't want to work long hours at a second job, you can find something “light” to give you a little extra spending money. Like working on a Saturday at a local store you like to visit. Or finding one lawn to mow or house to clean in your neighborhood. Or start a tutoring business. Or even start an online business you can do in your spare time.
4. Shop around for all monthly bills, insurance, etc. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much money you can save by shopping around. And not just when you need a new coat or pair of shoes. You can shop around for cell phone service, car and home insurance (if you've been with the same company for more than a few years you might save a few hundred dollars), electric service, credit card interest rates and annual fees, heating oil delivery. Or you can switch to cheaper plans for cell phone and cable TV, and raise your insurance deductibles.
5. If you got a tax refund, have your employer take out less. It definitely feels a lot better to get a tax refund than to owe Uncle Sam money. But if you get a big refund year after year, something's wrong. Do you realize you're letting the IRS hold your money throughout the year? You might be losing out on a nice treat come refund time, but it's usually better to get your money sooner rather than later.

The good thing about these tips is that they can help you later even when money is not tight. Just like credit card debt that seems to sink you deeper and deeper into a hole over time, these strategies will help your savings account grow bigger and bigger!

So don't get discouraged – get to work and before long you'll be in much better shape financially!