When sudden emergencies come up, you often need money fast. Financial experts recommend having emergency funds that will cover from three to six months of your basic living expenses. If you are already struggling to pay your bills, then finding the money to put aside might prove difficult. But there are ways that you can build that much-needed emergency fund.

Increase Your Income

If you are willing to put in some extra effort there are many ways to make extra money for your emergency fund. You can tutor, walk dogs, or pet sit. If you have reliable transportation and good driving skills, you can make extra money being a Lyft or Uber driver. Maybe you possess excellent writing skills and can make money by writing content for blogs or websites. There are many online sites that let you earn a living by a variety of tasks, from writing to graphic design to acting as a personal assistant. Take an inventory of your personal talents and skills and put them to good use.

Use the Equity Built Up in Your Home

Take advantage of the value in your home by obtaining a home equity line of credit. A HELOC is a line of credit secured by your home that gives you a revolving credit line. Home equity financing is a flexible way to have cash available for emergencies. For example, with a TD Bank HELOC you can get the money you need when you need it most. You can review a guide on PNC’s home equity line of credit that explains everything there is to know about a home equity line of credit and how it can benefit you.

Spend Less Money

Spending less money will give you more cash to save and pad your emergency fund. Some easy ways to do this are to stop eating out as often and cook at home, cancel needless subscriptions, cut back on your water and electricity usage to lower those hefty utility bills, cancel cable, or change to a more inexpensive cell phone provider.

Save Every Week

Open a savings account that bears interest and put money into it regularly. Determine a select amount that you can afford to contribute from every paycheck. Also, add money that you save on your grocery bill or other expenses. Deposit any extra cash, like tax refunds, rebates, or bonuses. You will see your emergency fund grow at a steady rate when you contribute to it regularly.

Sell Unneeded Items

Chances are that you have more than a few things around your house that you no longer need or use. Don’t hang on to something just because you don’t think you will get what you paid for it-you won’t. But, if you no longer need an item, then why not sell it to someone who can use it. For example, if you have lots of clothes that are in good condition, try selling them. This is one quick way of earning from something that could have gone to waste. Have a yard sale or sell on eBay. Then, deposit that extra money right into your emergency fund savings account.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.