Car wrecks happen, and if you’re not able to pay for the repairs you could be in a jam. This is especially true if you use your vehicle to get to and from work. While it can be tempting to use your credit card, maxing it out, or even running it up really high, can be a big problem as well. Here at Clay Advisors we have a few tips on how you can pay for unexpected car repairs without digging yourself into an even deeper financial hole by maxing out your credit cards.

1. Borrow From Friends and Family

It may not be the most dignified thing to do, but it’s better to owe your friends and family money than putting the charges on your credit card and having to pay interest on it. Even better is that when borrowing from people you know, you can typically get away with having a much more lenient payback system. For example, you might be able to talk the person you borrowed from into letting you pay back the money all at once some months later, rather than having to make incremental payments if that would be more convenient for you.

2. Take Out a Loan

While this may seem about the same as just putting the charges for your car repairs on a credit card, there are several advantages here. For one thing, you may be able to get a lower interest rate than on your credit cards. On top of that, you won’t have to worry about approaching or maxing the limit on your cards either. Lastly, opening a new line of credit to take care of your car repairs can also be great for your credit score if you’re making all of your payments on time. But that’s the catch, you will be making regular payments so be sure to take that into consideration before choosing this option.

3. Start a Side Hustle

A side hustle is like a part-time job, but it tends to be something you do on your own in an entrepreneurial way. For example, if you have a great voice you could get on a site like Fiverr and sell voice over services. Regardless of what your talents may be, there is probably a way to monetize them online somehow. The best thing about starting a side hustle to pay for your car repairs is the fact that you don’t have to stop once they are paid off. Having an additional source of income can be a big relief in today’s world, and who knows, maybe your side hustle will become so successful that you can quit your day job.

4. Start A GoFundMe

If you want money for nothing to repair your car, you can try starting a GoFundMe. GoFundMe is a site where people can ask others for donations in order to raise money to do stuff. There aren’t many restrictions on what you can ask for money for, but keep in mind that if you’re going to be convincing people to give you money for your car repairs, you’re going to have to know how to talk them into it. Not only that, but getting the word out about your page is something to consider as well. That said, starting a fundraiser to get money for your car repairs is one of the best options if you can actually get people to donate.

5. Sell Something

Another thing that we at Clay Advisors recommend doing if you need money for car repairs is to consider selling various items of value around your home. This may not be glamorous, but it can be effective if you have no other way of getting money. Just realize that it may take time for the items to sell, and that selling online or in real life is an actual skill. And the more skilled at selling you are, the more money you’ll make