How to come up with fast cash 101

I have a little competition going on with myself right now. We (me...and myself) are ripping apart the house, trying to find some fast cash. I haven't resorted to lifting up the couch cushions, though, because the only people who sit on my couch have pockets full of rocks and Nemo fruit snacks. My goal, you ask? A hefty $1,000. I had to get creative!!! I mean, it's not like I'm pulling in big fat paychecks. The kids "pay" me in taking good naps, and Seth "pays" me in, well.....you'd probably rather not know. ;) And what exactly am I saving all this fast cash for??? Not exactly, 100%, completely sure yet. I have a few options.....we're praying about a couple things.....big, major decisions that we're not entirely comfortable sharing with the world yet. Notice my suspenseful tactics? Yep, just reeling you in for another blog post. :) But one way or another, I will need approximately $1,000 in a month or two. So here is the low down on how to come up with some fast cash of your own!

1. I recently had to get a new cell phone. A rebate was offered. We (well, actually, he did it for me) took the time to mail it in and WaaaLaaa!!!! $50 Visa Check Card!

2. We went to Lowes to buy a tape measure. We have plenty at home, but we needed one on the spot, while we were out. On the back of the tape measure packaging was a $10 gift card. WaaaLaaa!! (and yes, we'll probably end up spending the entire $1,000 at Lowes. It's one ofthose kinds of decisions)

3. I just sold our bedroom furniture. For more reasons than I care to share right now, we really needed to get rid of the dresser. Well, if the dresser is gone, then that leaves a lonely headboard and footboard that doesn't match anything else in the whole house. We had another piece of furniture that would work really well for a dresser, and I have another up-and-coming project that will solve the headboard problem. I put it on Craigslist and it was out of my house by Saturday. Hello, $300!

4. We used to use disposable diapers. Now we don't. We use to spend roughly $55 a month on disposable diapers. Now we don't. But you know what's even more exciting than that!? For all of my hard work and willingness to change sopping wet mounds of peed on cotton, and scrub at stuck-on, thick and stinky poop, I get to have that $55 a month for my little fast cash fund! In two months time that'll be a grand total of $110!

5. My dear, sweet, amazingly patient, ultra handsome (can you tell he's been away a lot lately, and I am missing him like crazy!?) husband dumps his loose change into a ceramic bowl in our room. I was so giddy with excitement that I spent oodles of time counting it out tonight. The total of the loose change in our home!? $27.51!

6. I am very close to sinking the deal on a small bookshelf that we've had in our basement. Don't need it. It still looks brand new. Hello, Craigslist! Once the deal is done, I can add $15 to the pile!

7. I saved the most ironic one for last. I went through 3 bookshelves worth of books, trying to find at least one or two that I would be willing to part with. I leafed through each book, taking in it's smell, stroking it's soft, worn pages, remembering the time we've spent together.....yes, I am a book lover.....when what to my wandering eyes did appear, but a brand new $20 bill!!! Don't know how it got there, but am so excited to add it to the stash!

My total so far is....drum roll please...$532.51!!!!!!!!!!!

Just goes to show you what a little creativity and house-cleaning can get you! How much cash can you find around your house?????????????

p.s. here are a few things I could easily spend that $532.51 on, if I wasn't careful...

courtesy of Boden

Boden

Dr. Bronner's pure-castile soap. This stuff is a must-have in my "green cleaning" kit. I have the citrus scent now, but the lavender is WAY better.

Chicken coops. And chickens. Yes, this is a dream. :)