“I need $100 RIGHT NOW”

1. Negotiate your bills & save money with one phone call

It’s sad that most of us are never taught how to negotiate. The truth is that most things CAN be negotiated…and we can save a ton of money doing it. What would it mean for you if you had $100 less to pay on your bills this month?

Your cell phone bill is the perfect place to start. Cell phone companies have this wildly curious business model of acquiring tons of customers through very expensive means (e. g. national advertising), then churning through them by treating them horribly. Yet even they know that it’s cheaper to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one. You can use this “customer acquisition cost” in your favor. Here’s how:

Step 1: Find comparable plans for your usage on other cell phone networks. For example, I’m with AT&T, so I’ll investigate Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint by going to their websites. Write down how much they each cost, how many minutes you get, and any other benefits.

Step 2: Call your current cellphone company. To make it easy, here are the phone numbers:

Step 3: The key is be nice. Ask them what better plans they have to offer you.

You. “Hi, I was looking at my plan and it’s getting pretty expensive. Could you tell me what other plans you have that would save me money?”

Them: Blah blah same plans as on the website blah blah

You: “What about any plans not listed on the website?”

Them. No, what we have is listed on the website. Plus, you’re on a contract and have an early cancellation fee of $XXX

You. “Well, I understand that, but I’d be saving $XXX even with that cancellation fee. Look, you know times are tough so I’m thinking of switching to [COMPETITOR COMPANY]. Unless there are any other plans you have…? No? Ok, can you switch me to your cancellation department, please?”

Note: They won’t cancel without your final word! Plus, you’re in a much stronger position if you’re willing to walk away. What you really want is to be switched to their “customer retention” department, which is the group that has the ability to retain you by giving you a bunch of free deals. You can either ask to be switched directly to the customer retention department, or play a game and hope that by asking for “cancellation,” you’re actually transferred to retention. Play around with a few phone calls and see what works best.

Your goal is to get to the retention department

When you get to the customer-retention department, ask for the same thing. This is when you pull out your competitive intel on the other services being offered. If Verizon is offering something for $10 less, tell them that. That’s $120 savings / year right there. But you can do more.

You. “Listen, you know times are tough and I need to get a better deal to stick with you guys. You know and I know that your customer acquisition cost is hundreds of dollars. It just makes sense to keep me as a customer, so what can you do to offer me this plan for less money?”

Notice that you didn’t say, “Can you give me a cheaper plan?” because yes/no questions always get a “no” answer when speaking to wireless customer-service reps. Ask leading questions. You also invoked the customer-acquisition cost, which is meaningful to retention reps. Finally, it really helps if you’re a valued customer who’s stuck around for a long time and actually deserves to be treated well. If you jump around from carrier to carrier, you’re not a worthwhile customer to carriers.

Bonus: Tapping into “hidden income” – money you’re throwing away every month – is part of my huge free guide to personal finance. Download your copy of my 6-part guide now.

2. Make money fast by selling on eBay

A few years ago, I was skeptical when it came to selling things on eBay. Can you really make money doing that? But then I tested selling a few things on eBay… and I made over $1,000. We ALL have things laying around the house that we can sell. Maybe…

There’s a pair of nice shoes in your closet that you never wear In your attic, you have some old baseball cards, pogs or classic video games collecting dust You recently upgraded your laptop and don’t know what to do with your old one

All of these things — and thousands more — can make you money on eBay. I created an in-depth, step-by-step guide on how to make money off of eBay in just 37 minutes. I also include real life examples from my students who make $1,000+ selling on eBay EVERY MONTH.

3. Monetize your social media

I’ve always been skeptical of social media — a lot of people look at vanity metrics such as likes and shares and think it means that social media is doing big things for their business, when it really isn’t.

But there’s another way to use social media that can that have a direct impact on your income: Build a healthy following on a popular app and then monetize your account. This works because social media has gone mainstream in 2017 – check out the Pew Research below.

The two best platforms for monetizing social media in 2017 are Instagram and Snapchat. Advertisers and brands are looking for ways to connect with Instagram and Snapchat users.

Get paid per Instagram or Snap

Top Instagram influencers charge $10,000 or more for a single photograph promoting a product. This means they can make more than most people by just doing one or two of those a month. Crazy.

Building a following on social media isn’t about luck or looks (although the latter doesn’t hurt) — if you understand the system, you can replicate other people’s success. Check out this fascinating article on how a marketing agency turned journalist Max Chafkin into an Instragram influencer in only a month using tactics like bots and strategic hashtags. This is stuff anyone with a knack for social media can do.

Companies also pay people to promote their brand on Snapchat. Virginia Salas Kastilio, also know as ginicanbreathe. charges $2,800 per sponsored story. This is a great example of using a Snapchat following as an asset.

Influencer Agencies Accepting Applications

GOsnap for Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter power users avowire by HIREINFLUENCE seeks Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat creators TR|BE is a marketplace that connects Facebook, Instagram and Twitter users with brands instaBRAND connects Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter influencers with advertisers

Don’t worry – you don’t need a huge following like Virginia or the help of professionals like Max to get started. You can start with some of the platforms above like TR|BE or use an affiliate program. These programs pay you to sell products on you social media accounts – just like the Amazon affiliate program pays you to sell books.

Look through these affiliate offers for Snapchat featured on OfferVault. Some pay per a flat rate per lead, some pay per sale. This is the easiest way to test if Instagram or Snapchat marketing is right for you while also making money fast.

4. Find local babysitting jobs to make quick cash

Babysitting isn’t just for teenagers anymore — and with websites like Care. com and Urban Sitter, you can pick up cash quickly by offering your home care services to people.

Care. com is a great service for babysitting, helping seniors, and watching pets. Just create a profile, fill out the application, and get approved. Then you’re set to start earning money.

Some basics about the service:

Several jobs allow 14 to 17-year-olds to apply, but most are for 18 and over Varied pay schedule. but can be weekly (so you can make a quick $100!) Available in 18 countries

Urban Sitter provides on-demand child caring services by connecting parents with sitters through a phone app. Think of it as the Lyft or Uber of babysitting. Much like Care. com, you need to create a profile and get approved before you start any work — but once you are, Urban Sitter’s handy mobile app lets you easily connect with clients.

Available in 60 cities in the U. S. Paid within 3 days after sitter confirms hours and parent confirms payment To start making money, “Create an account, enter rates and availability (or browse jobs), respond to requests, and accept jobs…” 18 and over

Both are these choices are solid was to make $100 ASAP without the stress or costs of driving an Uber.

5. Host on Airbnb for Profit

Have an extra room in your home or apartment? Live in a city people want to visit? You can easily turn that space into your next thousand dollars by listing it on Airbnb.

The service is a great way for hosts to turn empty rooms and apartments into a steady income. Some hosts even make six figures by renting apartments and listing them on the site — but that’s a subject for another article. The process is so freaking easy too. You just take into account how much you’re paying for rent and utilities on the space, and charge guests more than that to generate a profit. It’s not hard at all.

Some things I love about Airbnb:

Flexibility: You set the times when the space is available and what the price will be. Automatic payments: Guests pay you through Airbnb’s website, so you don’t have to worry about them flaking on payments. Low overhead: Hosting a space on Airbnb doesn’t take a lot of initial money on your part. Just make sure your guest has clean sheets, fresh towels, and a quiet place to rest. Offset a Fixed Cost: You’re going to pay your rent anyway. Why not make a profit on it.

Airbnb also gives you up to $1 million in insurance coverage if any of your property gets damaged. Though it rarely occurs, it’s nice to know that you’ll be properly reimbursed if your guest ever throws a wild party and breaks your things.