If money hasn’t been put aside for the holiday shopping season, it’s time to consider how to fund the splurge. Don’t leave it to credit cards to get everything desired. By the time those are paid off with the interest, it’ll be time to charge them up again. Consider alternative methods to raise funds.

Sell those gift cards. People receive gift cards and may seldom use them. However, someone else would love to have them. Gift cards can be sold on any auction site. The gift cards may not sell for full price, but considering that they would have sat there anyway, it’s a good way to get cash for things that will be truly appreciated. It’s pointless to allow that money go to waste from not using a gift card.

Another way to raise extra cash is from selling unwanted gold jewelry. Companies are buying gold jewelry for the purposes of refining it. For instance, Jewelers Refining Group buys gold jewelry from people to refine. Refining allows gold jewelry to be converted back into its original form, which can be included into the supply of gold that people buy for the purposes of hedging against inflation. It’s a win-win-win scenario: Customers sell their unwanted jewelry, refiners refine and resell it and others buy it for investment. Think of the gifts that can be bought from selling gold.

There are endless ways to raise cash. Even something as simple as holding a yard sale can yield an extra $200. The holidays are quickly coming. Get moving.