4 ways to scavenge for dollars at your apartment

Looking for a more effective way to find money at your apartment that doesn’t involve searching under the couch cushions for spare change?  Here are a few ideas for saving that might seem simple, but can add up to big bucks if you consistently make them part of your life.

1. Your apartment has a fitness center. Why do you have a gym membership? Save a reliable $50 to $100 a month by canceling that gym membership and working out at home. You might have to vary your routine a little to account for lack of sophisticated workout equipment, but the change shouldn’t affect your life too much. This won’t work if: you’re a workout junkie.
2. Cancel your internet in the apartment and use free wifi in your community lobby or business center. Save $30 to $50 a month and supplement any loss of productivity by using your smartphone or tablet via your cellular network. This won’t work if: You have a job that requires out-of-office work or for you to be in frequent remote communication.
3. Sell your services to your fellow apartment renters. Have a marketable skill that might be valuable to your neighbors? Maybe you are a great pet sitter, dog walker, seamstress, personal trainer, editor, cook or babysitter. Any of those skills could be useful to your fellow residents, and if you offer decent rates via your mailbox bulletin board, you’ll probably have no problem getting customers. Ask your pleased customers to provide referrals to bring in more business. This can easily be a cash-only gig or even paid for via barter and trade. This won’t work if: You have no skills, or you don’t deliver as promised.
4. Ask your property manager if any part-time office hours or maintenance shifts are available. No guarantees, but sometimes apartment communities have a need for limited part time help to fill odd hours in the office or take care of overflow maintenance requests. You’ll need to have some basic job skills that match up with either area, but if you know you’re a good candidate and need to pick up some part time work close to home, it never hurts to ask.