Why do you want to pay off your car note early? Can that money you're trying to find be put on other bills - perhaps credit card loans with a higher interest rate, or even paying christmas in cash? My car loans have had such a small interest rate that it was not something I'd even bother trying to pay off early. I'd put the extra money into my mortgage principle.

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I think that when you're already frugal, it's sometimes easier to make an extra $200 per month than try to find more ways to save $200 from an already-tight budget. Here are some ways you could come up with that:

- Start a drop-in babysitting service (if you're home during the day). Charge $5/hour per kid and assuming you could have two kids at once and make $10/hour, it would only take 20 hours (or about 5 hours per week) to earn $200.

- Are you crafty? Find an item you enjoy making and sell it. Do you know how to sew? What about "designer" eco-friendly shopping bags?

- Shop clearance racks for kids' clothing at 90% off and sell it on eBay or consign it

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Craigslist

Before and after school daycare

Garage sale

Consignment stores

Raise the deductible on any insurance policies

Tap a talent you have and sell it - handmade items, chrocheting, editing, baked goods for Christmas, etc

Do you have any gold jewelry you no longer need? You can take it to a jewelers and sell it. I did that a couple months ago and got enough money to get new brakes on my car and some extra $$ for vacation.

I don't know your situation, but my husband was recently unemployed for about 6 months. I am a SAHM. During the time he was looking for work, we did several things to bring in extra money. He mowed yards. I took on several kids to baby sit, not like a day care, but when it suited me. I worked part time for my neighbor's catering company (again when it suited me), but the thing that consistently brought in the most money ($200-$300 a month was selling items from around my house on Ebay. These were things that we had pulled out to sell in a yardsale any way. I got about 4-5 times what I would have gotten at a yard sale. I was not consistent in my selling either. I didn't have auctions every week. I am sure that I could have made alot more if I had done it every week. Good luck!

You can also wrap Christmas gifts for a fee. What about dog walking or pet sitting? Do you eat lunch out everyday? Bring your own food to work. I especially like the really easy cereal and milk! Who says you can't have cereal for lunch? It's cheap and would free up a lot of money. Try carpooling too.

I am not sure how you do things now, but you could try going all cash and of course leave the extra money you want to apply towards your car payment in the bank. Then only spend the cash you have during the month. It may help tighten your spending in places you haven't thought of!

Have a bake sale every month. Make 100 cookies, brownies, cupcakes, etc and sell them for $2.34 each.

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Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lol -
or ask 234 people for 1.00 each?


Can you Get more hours at work ?

Cut anything from your Budget?

Have you thought of Refinancing the Loan , to a Lower Interest Rate? Maybe you can still pay the same amount For now but Speed up the length of the loan ?

When I needed extra money for music lessons, sports equipment, etc. I started selling Avon. It helped me through, I really enjoyed it, and six years later I'm still doing it.
Pam