At Cashry, we educate, encourage, and connect. We don’t loan money. We have nothing invested in which of the many alternatives to payday loans you choose – or whether you choose any of them at all. What we are very good at, however, is helping people very much like yourself to better understand and compare your options for personal loans, debt consolidation, emergency cash loans, or other financing. Our company vision is built around a core conviction that most of us are perfectly capable of taking more effective control of our personal or small business finances if we’re only provided with the right information, connections, and opportunities.
We know that many players in the financial world rely on keeping things as confusing and frustrating as possible. It’s not just payday lenders, but here’s your fast payday loans online warning: be careful with easy payday loans. And by “be careful,” we mean it’s almost always best to avoid direct payday loans altogether. There are alternatives to payday loans, whatever your situation.
Cashry maintains a curated database of reputable online lenders and other financial institutions with an online presence. We know which ones specialize in short-term loans for bad credit and which ones are better for vehicle purchases or refinancing your mortgage. We monitor interest rates, start-up fees, and customer satisfaction rates on a daily basis. We also have years of feedback from clients letting us know what’s worked best for them and what options they’d like to see in the future.
When you let us know what you’re looking for, or what problem you’d like to solve, we’ll gather a little basic personal information that helps us connect you with the lender or lenders most likely to help you solve that problem satisfactorily. It’s then their job to woo you and earn your business. This part is key – you’re always the customer. No matter what your credit score or your circumstances, you’re the customer and you deserve to be treated as such. Always.
Not all debt is created equal. Some debt can be practical - like financing a home or purchasing a reliable vehicle with reasonable financing. Other debt may sometimes become necessary - paying for a wedding or vacation, for example, or consolidating multiple high-interest loans into a single, more manageable installment plan in order to save money and take more effective control of your finances.
Payday loan debt is arguably the worst sort of debt. Payday loans don’t establish installment plans to be repaid over the next six months or longer at a reasonable rate of interest. Instead, they offer you a small slice of your next paycheck now in return for all of your paycheck when it arrives in a week. Then, because you’ve effectively sacrificed a percentage of that check before it’s even deposited, you’re more likely to run short again in a few more weeks, and the pattern repeats itself endlessly.
Many experts advise avoiding debt altogether. If that’s not practical, however, we can help you begin to think more strategically about debt. You have options. You deserve better. When emergencies arise, don’t take the first thing that comes along, no matter what the terms. Give yourself a little credit even when it feels like no one else will. Take a breath. There may be better ways.
We’re not here to tell you what you should have done in the past. We’ll never try to tell you what to do now or in the future. What we can do is offer some insight, inspiration, tools, and connections which can make it easier to make better decisions. Let’s look at ways to take control of your debt instead of letting your debt control you.
When life comes at you sideways, the last thing you may be thinking about is your credit score. But that’s the whole problem with “crisis mode,” isn’t it? It’s difficult to think clearly or plan for the future. Our entire focus is on dealing with whatever’s in front of us. That’s what makes payday loans or other exploitative “solutions” so tempting.
We get it. Most of us have been there at one time or another. There are a few things you should ask yourself, however - no matter how urgent this exact moment may feel:
How many more times do you want to be in this situation, or another one like it? How much better would your life feel if you knew you had options when problems arise? Or if you could avoid many of those problems to begin with? What would that do for your finances? Your relationships? Your peace of mind? Your blood pressure?
You have options. You may not be able to control everything about the future, but you can control more than it probably seems right now. That often starts by avoiding payday loans or other desperation maneuvers. Take a brief moment to explore other options for short-term, unsecured personal loans. Then, as soon as this particular crisis has passed, let’s start looking at ways to begin strengthening your financial situation. Let’s talk emergency savings. Cutting monthly expenses. Maintaining a household budget. Improving your credit history and raising your credit score.
There’s nothing quick or easy about it, but it IS possible - and you’ll begin seeing changes more quickly than you probably think. Don’t wait for the next crisis. Let’s handle this one better than the last one, then stop the next one from coming at all. Are you ready?
It’s easy to make excuses for not making and maintaining a working budget. We tell ourselves we don’t have the time, or that we already know how much we make and where it all goes, or even that we don’t actually make enough money to need a budget. None of these are good reasons to avoid making and using a budget. Most of the time, they’re also not the full story.
In reality, most of us fear having a budget for two big reasons. First, we’re afraid it will somehow tell us what we can and can’t do - that it will “control” how we spend our money. Second, we’re not sure we really want to know where our money goes each month. Things are stressful enough without having facts and information in front of us!
Starting a budget does take time. It requires commitment to create it and determination to refine it as you recognize the things you’ve overlooked or inaccurately estimated. But no budget can “tell you what to do.” It’s paper, or a spreadsheet on your computer, which you create and control entirely. Yes, it can be difficult to see our own choices and priorities broken down into dollars and cents. Some of the things we think don’t matter to us seem to consume a LOT of our resources. Other things we claim are important to us may not receive the financial attention they deserve. An effective budget makes those realities clear to us - sometimes clearer than we’d like.
A good budget won’t necessarily solve all of your problems. It won’t actually create more money in your pocket. But as a wise man once said, “the truth will set you free.” We can’t make better choices about where we’re going until we know where we are. And we can help you get started... TODAY.
Like budgeting, cash management is all about taking an informed, hands-on approach to your income and all your various expenses and obligations. While budgeting focuses on the amounts you bring in and where you choose to spend them, cash management has to do with the details - the day-to-day decisions which tend to add up over time.
When you decide to hold off on fixing your car until you get that raise you’ve been promised, that’s a cash management decision. You’re avoiding another major expense on your credit card, but also taking the risk you might break down on the way to work before you’re able to pay for the repairs. When you choose to consolidate multiple high-interest debt into a single, lower-interest personal loan, that’s cash management. You’re saving money not through what you buy or when you buy it, but by making better decisions about how you pay for things and how much your credit is costing you along the way.
Payday loans are almost always bad cash management decisions. They may seem quick and easy, but that’s part of the problem. Many payday lenders prefer that you not give too much attention to the interest rates or other terms you’re agreeing to, because they know you have better options and they don’t want you to look into them.
Goalry doesn’t lend money. Our role is to inform, and to connect people just like you with better options. What you choose to do at that point is entirely up to you. That’s cash management, Goalry style.
It may seem crazy to talk about building your savings when you’re considering a payday loan or other quick emergency cash loans. But this is the perfect time to get serious about creating a small savings account to help you weather the exact sorts of circumstances you’re confronting right now.
Most experts recommend having at least three months’ worth of income in an easily-accessible savings account. If that’s not realistic right away, we suggest building towards one months’ worth of income. Don’t worry if you can’t get there overnight. Even setting aside a few dollars each week is an important step towards establishing your own emergency savings account.
Money you spend from savings doesn’t cost you anything beyond the dollar amount you spend. It’s money you’ve already earned, making it literally “interest-free.” When you borrow, on the other hand, you’ll always pay at least some interest. Often, there are startup fees or other charges as well. If you’re late with repayment, those extra costs accumulate quickly.
If you need an emergency cash advance to get through your current situation, we’ll help you make the best of it. You don’t have to resort to predatory payday loans or sketchy local storefronts. But let’s not stop there. Let’s look at practical ways to begin building up a small savings account so that the next time life throws you a curve, you’re ready. You’ll be surprised how much difference it makes.
