By Emma Patch
From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
Inflation is still high and dampening consumers’ purchasing power. But if you need more money to pay the bills these days, here are some quick ways to raise cash:
Redeem Credit-Card Rewards
If you have a cash-back credit card, you may be able to redeem the cash as a statement credit, bank account deposit, check or gift card, depending on the issuer’s rules. For credit cards that offer rewards in the form of points, check which redemption options offer the best value. Some travel cards, for example, provide the strongest value per point if you exchange points for travel purchases. You may have to accumulate a specified amount of cash back or number of points before you can make a redemption, depending on the card and which redemption option you choose.Exchange Your Coins
Next time you’re headed to the grocery store, take your coin jar to a Coinstar machine and exchange coins for cash or gift cards. (Coinstar has a 12.5 percent processing fee to exchange coins for cash, but there’s no fee if you choose gift cards, including cards for major retailers such as Amazon and Lowe’s.)Sell Unused Gift Cards
Use a site such as CardCash.com to sell gift cards you don’t plan to use. You can get paid via check, direct deposit or PayPal, or trade them for gift cards from different retailers.See Whether You Have Unclaimed Money
Go to MissingMoney.com to see if you have unclaimed money—old utility deposits, closed bank accounts, insurance policies and the like. Enter your first and last name, and the site will list all of the potential claims you can make. If you live or lived at the address listed with a claim, you qualify to file, and MissingMoney.com will link you to the appropriate state website to make a claim.Get the Best Deal Online
To make sure you are getting the lowest price on your purchases, use browser extensions that automatically comparison shop or locate discounts or coupons. Ziftr Alerts (www.freepricealerts.com) compares prices as you shop and lets you know when it spots an item for less. PayPal Honey (www.joinhoney.com) scours the web for coupon and discount codes; before you buy, just click the icon the extension installs on your toolbar. Capital One Shopping (www.capitaloneshopping.com) does both—and also offers cash, redeemable via gift cards.Sell Your Gadgets
Make some money off your used tech gear. Amazon Trade-In, for example, lets you trade in used Kindle e-readers, Ring doorbell systems, and Amazon Echo and other Bluetooth speakers, as well as other Amazon devices. Simply describe the condition of your item in the form provided, ship it, and if it’s approved Amazon will give you an Amazon.com gift card and up to 25 percent off a new qualified device. You can sell old iPhones, Macbooks and other Apple products via Apple Trade-in, which works similarly to Amazon Trade-In. Plus, Apple Trade-In accepts certain Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel models. Or check out Decluttr, which accepts smartphones, tablets, laptops, game consoles and video games—and even CDs and DVDs.(Emma Patch is a staff writer at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. For more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com.)
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