I would start by having a landscaper create a swale to route water around the foundation. With luck, that may be all you need.

However, you may be seeing cellar leakage from a high water table.

I'm not an expert on water control, but as a homeowner I haven't had much long term success with any interior waterproofing method. IMO the only sure way is exterior waterproofing.

This involves digging around the foundation all the way down to the cellar floor, waterproofing with a rubber membrane, and adding a French drain at the very bottom. The water collected that way can either drain away by gravity (if you have an exit point low enough), or be routed into a sump for removal by sump pump.

Make sure the sump pump doesn't discharge near the foundation, and buy a battery-backup sump pump to avoid cellar flooding during power cuts.

Unfortunately exterior waterproofing can be quite expensive. If you don't have a sizable rainy day fund, you may indeed have to take out a loan to cover it.

I hesitate to say it wont work, because I dont know anything about that kind of system. A french drain would be a lot cheaper, and would be something I would try first. Also make sure your gutters are clean, and your downspouts, run away from the house. I think David's idea would be the very best, but, if you are trying to save money, go for the french drain. You may need it, even if you have to do water proofing later.

Cat reminded me that in my experience the most common cause of damp or wet cellars is clogged gutters.

My best luck drying up a perpetually wet basement was a three prong approach. First, we did an interior perimeter drain to sump pump system as it was cheaper for us and basement will never be finished. Second was building a small berm and correcting grade to keep water away from house and putting a drainage route about 20 feet away from the house extending to the front corner of the house. Third was running a dehumidifier

When we first plugged in the sump pump, it kicked on every few minutes for weeks. Eventually the rate slowed and then stopped even after a rain after we finished the exterior work. The basement was dry for months when we sold the house but it wasn't long before the problem showed up again. The new owner decided to park on top of the berm and then didn't keep the drainage channel clear so it filled up with sand washed from the parking area. Then he didn't buy a dehumidifier. Within a few months, it was almost like we had never gotten it dry. It was such a shame to see the new owner live with a major water problem when the fix was just a few hours of labor, regular maintenance, and $150 or so.

@lyndee lee - I just had an interior system installed and my pump is running ever minute. It is freaking me out! I am glad you mentioned that it happened to you as well. I hope it stops or slows soon.

Start with your grade surrounding foundation. Make sure your grade is sloping away from the foundation and the grade is not back-pitched. Landscaping beds could be the cause of the problems also, you see the landscaping bed is raised against the house but the original grade under the bed is back-pitched.

Make sure your leaders extended to divert the water away from the foundation.

Check your gutters make sure they cleaned, sloped properly and not undersized to prevent overflow.

Most foundation water problems are created because of the above listed issues.

Good luck