Sometimes in life, you need money—and you need it fast! Thanks to today’s awesome apps and technology, there are many quick jobs and activities you can pick up easily to start making money fast.
Get ready to put your skills to work and start making quick money right now.
21+ Legit Ways to Make Money Fast
Here are the top ways to make money fast in 2024:
- Make Deliveries
- Make Money Driving
- Take Online Surveys
- Play Games Online
- Complete Easy Tasks Online
- Bank Account Bonuses
- Freelance Side Gig
- Babysitting
- Complete Odd Jobs & Errands
- Pet Sitting or House Sitting
- Join Focus Groups
- Start An Online Business
- Sell Your Crafts
- Sell Your Unwanted Stuff
- Sell Stuff on Consignment
- Host a Yardsale
- Take Advantage of Sign-Up Bonuses
- Use Cashback Apps
- Rent Your Stuff
- Put Ads on Your Car
- Trade in Gift Cards for Cash
- Ask for a Raise
1. Make Deliveries
The food delivery industry is gaining popularity, so take advantage of it and get paid!
Use your spare time (or even your lunch break) to make $100 fast in a day. Can you really earn that much? YES. By delivering for DoorDash, I saved up enough money to buy an engagement ring delivering food! Seriously, you could make legitimate money this month by making deliveries in your spare time.
These delivery apps are designed to get you fast cash, paid directly to your bank account. Food delivery is popular for individuals, corporate events, and small office team meetings.
Here’s a list of the most common food delivery apps.
There are three simple steps: drive to a restaurant, pick up the food, deliver to the customer, and get paid. It’s that easy! Plus you keep 100% of the customer tips.
You’re limited only by time if you live in a well-populated area. While most food delivery apps require a valid driver’s license, you don’t necessarily need to use your car. So, if you live in a dense area and love riding your bike, you can still make quick money in one day with food delivery.
2. Do Rideshare Driving
Over the past decade, Uber and Lyft have revolutionized ride-sharing. By becoming a driver, you can make money on the side on your own schedule and in your own car.
You need your own car insurance policy and your car, which must meet certain safety and comfort requirements. So, if you’re still driving that 20-year-old lemon, it may be time for an upgrade.
If you’re an Uber driver, you can also work for Uber Eats, another way to deliver food and make money driving. If you live in a city, you can develop a nice side income if you’re willing to spend your free time in the car.
One of the reasons Uber and Lyft are so popular as side jobs is that they pay fast, and you can work your own hours. Uber and Lyft often have sign-up bonuses to encourage new drivers to sign up. Always check the latest offers to see what’s available.
If you don’t have a car, visit Hyrecar.com to rent a car already pre-qualified to drive with Uber and Lyft. Uber and Lyft also offer their own car rental services.
3. Take Online Surveys
With Branded Surveys, you can start earning points right away. Simply sign-up, start completing surveys, referring friends, or taking online polls, and start seeing your points rack up.
You can redeem your points for cash through Paypal or gift cards to top retailers such as Amazon, PayPal, Visa, or Apple. With a 4.1-star rating from Trustpilot and thousands of great customer reviews, you can’t go wrong with Branded Surveys.
If you want to mix things up and have more ways to make money fast rather than just taking surveys, FreeCash and Swagbucks allow you to earn money in various ways, including watching videos, playing games, shopping online, and even surfing the web.
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4. Play Games Online
While it won’t earn you the most money, playing games online is another easy way to earn money fast.
You can use a platform like Freecash, which is available online and in the Google Play Store, to find legit opportunities to earn money playing games. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to search through thousands of games, along with surveys and tasks like signing up to try out apps and services.
Like other gaming apps, Freecash awards coins that you can redeem for cash. Payout options include Bitcoin, PayPal, bank transfers, and gift cards.
If you enjoy playing games and want to make some quick cash with minimal effort, an app like Freecash is worth considering.
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5. Complete Simple Tasks Online
Companies pay consumers to do simple tasks that give them insight into consumers behavior, and Survey Junkie is one of the most popular sites. You won’t make a lot of money on Survey Junkie, but if you can work the platform’s tasks into your everyday routine, your earnings will add up in the background.
With Survey Junkie, you’ll earn $1 to $3 per survey and can cash out via PayPal or eGift cards once you reach the payment threshold.
Plus, Survey Junkie is constantly offering survey invitations, so there’s almost always some way to earn.
You could generate enough extra cash to pay your monthly Netflix bill — while watching Netflix!
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6. Bank Account Bonuses
Signing up for new bank promotions can earn you some serious cash. The best thing is there are no credit checks or impact on your credit score.
Most banks will pay you a bonus of close to $400 to sign up for a new checking account and make some qualifying direct deposits from your payroll. It usually takes 60-90 days, but afterward, you get a cold hard cash credit right to your bank account.
Next steps:
7. Get a Freelance Side Gig
On Fiverr, you can connect with people who need your freelance skills. No matter what your side gig happens to be—from data entry pro to voice-over artist—Fiverr offers a transparent platform to connect with the market.
Fiverr started as a small site and is now a massive publicly traded company, so it’s definitely legit for paying fast cash. Don’t let the name fool you—you can definitely earn more than $5 for tasks. Actually, this is a marketplace where the more unique and specialized your skills, the more you can charge.
Freelancing lets you make your own schedule, but developing a steady client base may take longer than a couple of days.
Next steps:
8. Get a Babysitting Gig
This tried-and-true money-maker isn’t just for teenagers and the odd college student anymore. Sites like Care.com help you connect with people who need professional childcare or even petsitting services.
You’ll need to start an account and prove your credentials. If you can connect with a few clients, you could have yourself a part-time job.
The best thing about babysitting in the afternoons is that you can usually study (or do other remote work) simultaneously if the kids don’t require full-time attention. This makes it a great way to make money for a college student or someone with other online work to do. Getting paid to do two jobs at the same time is the ultimate win.
Next Steps:
9. Complete Odd Jobs & Errands
Can you do odd jobs like installing a wall-mounted TV or eliminating a wasp nest under an awning? How about putting together furniture or running errands?
TaskRabbit can connect you with people who need these kinds of tasks completed.
Before signing up, it might be worth checking the website and browsing the types of jobs available in your area and what rate they pay. Then you can decide if this type of work is worth your time.
TaskRabbit has a “no cash” payment system. Once a job is completed and the customer pays with a credit card, processing takes a few days before the money shows up in your bank account.
Quick Tips on Mastering TaskRabbit:
- Be positive and excited in your application (including video). Keeping this same attitude can also help you get tips after you complete a project!
- Be willing to accept low rates at first so you can build up your portfolio before raising prices later.
- If you’re capable and willing, take on projects to move people. Oftentimes the customer will offer you some free stuff they no longer want!
- Respond to customers ASAP (at least within 30 minutes). Otherwise, you’ll lose your task, and your rating will take a hit. Try not to forfeit tasks, as that will also affect your ratings.
Next Steps:
10. Pet Sitting or House Sitting
If you have free time and live in the right area, you could house-sit or pet-sit through one of these sites:
- House Sitters America
- TrustedHousesitters
- HouseCarers (previously HouseSitters.com)
One thing to note here is that while some of these jobs pay you cash to look after people’s houses and/or pets, many pay you in the form of “a free place to stay,” which is not exactly the right reward, depending on your situation.
This works best if you can find an assignment in your city. Otherwise, your travel expenses may cut too deeply into your earnings. Also, look out for some of these sites with an annual fee, usually $50 – $150.
If you want to be a pet sitter or dog walker, check out Wag or Rover. Both apps have tons of available work in every city and neighborhood and pay you quick cash afterward!
11. Joining Focus Groups
Focus groups let you share your perspective while earning extra cash. Many focus groups work online now, even though the pandemic has ended.
I’d start at focusgroups.org, which normally has about a hundred focus groups going at once. You won’t be guaranteed a place in a focus group, but you’ll have a decent chance.
What I like about focus groups is that they’re usually based on really interesting products or services. This makes the time go faster, and it can be quite fun! You can’t beat getting paid for having fun, right!?
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12. Start An Online Business, Blog, or YouTube Channel
Many of the ideas above would also work as your own side hustles to build up over time. You could earn money as a dog walker by advertising your services on social media, like Facebook. The same goes for teaching painting or guitar lessons. Some self-promotion, combined with your expertise, can do a lot for your savings account.
Expect some upfront costs if you’d like to make business cards or launch your own company website. But social media really can provide the medium you need to connect with clients. If you’re already good with social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, advertising your business isn’t too hard, and endless affiliate marketing opportunities exist.
Starting a blog or YouTube channel can be slow going to start. But your upfront effort can really pay off later if you can build up a large audience. You can generate passive income via affiliate marketing, product recommendations, or selling a course or ebook.
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13. Sell Your Crafts on Etsy
Do you have a passion for making things? Is your hobby crafty? It is so easy to sell things online in 2024 and make an extra few hundred dollars here and there. Why? There are platforms such as Etsy, which make it easy to connect your product with potential buyers.
Are you into quilting? Do you make jewelry? Do you like building surfboards? Sell your goods online by opening your own Esty shop!
A big new trend is selling printables, or digital downloads, in your Etsy shop. What I love about digital downloads is you only make the design once but sell it hundreds of times. Plus, there are no shipping or fulfillment costs.
Even if it’s only a few dollars initially, your earnings can add up to good money over time for no additional work.
14. Sell Your Unwanted Stuff
Got old DVDs, a tablet, or a cell phone lying around? Trade your phone in for hundreds of dollars. You’ll even get a 10% trade-in bonus (up to $50) at Decluttr when you’re a new seller, and they buy a lot more than cell phones.
If you’re looking for a more local approach, Craigslist—one of the original online marketplaces—works whether you’re selling a prom dress, a used car, or a cookware set. Facebook Marketplace is becoming increasingly popular, and what’s great about it is that users are verified through the Facebook platform.
Have jewelry from a previous engagement, an old high school class ring, or other items you no longer wear or want around? Sell it on Worthy.com, a jewelry auction site.
Anyone can sell jewelry online, including diamond rings, gold, platinum, gemstone earrings, bracelets, necklaces, watches, and other valuable jewelry. They’ll even provide you with a GIA-certified appraisal completely free.
If you have gold or silver items you no longer want, you could be looking at some serious cash at over $2,000 an oz for pure gold! Sell on sites like CashforGoldUSA.com, and they’ll even throw in a 10% bonus! That’s a truly lucrative money-making strategy.
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15. Sell Items on Consignment
Consignment shops can sell your stuff for you. They’ll take a percentage of your profits, but they’ll also get your clothes, electronics, jewelry, musical instruments, or even your car in front of buyers without you having to take an active role.
Just search online for consignment stores in your area, or check out our post on all the best online consignment shops.
Another option is for you to act like a consignment store for your friends. If your friends have old junk lying around and are too lazy to sell it, you can ask them if you can start selling items for them—and take a cut of the profits. It’s a win/win for your friends, and you’ll make fast cash without selling your stuff.
16. Have a Garage or Yard Sale
There are a couple of ways garage sales can earn you quick money. The first is to turn your garage or front lawn into a store with your unwanted items as the inventory. You’ll need price tags, signs around the neighborhood, and social media posts to advertise your garage sale. I check Facebook regularly for sales in my area and love walking there on Saturday mornings. Estate sales are also very popular!
The next way is to attend other people’s garage sales or estate sales to find undervalued items to re-sell at your own sale. Estate sales typically have higher-end items at steep discounts, especially when the sale is nearing the end. You can pick up some bargains and re-sell them online or at your own yard sale. A nearby flea market might be worth checking out, too.
You’ll need a good head for haggling with buyers and sellers to make quick and easy money. Part of hosting a garage sale is trying to get the best price possible for your stuff. So this idea isn’t great if you’re the type of person who gives everything away for free. 🙂
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Pawn Items for Faster Cash
A pawnbroker will pay you a cash advance immediately for your unwanted items. The broker won’t pay as much as you could earn selling your stuff outright, but the payout can happen immediately.
This isn’t the best way to get top dollar, but it can certainly get you out of a bind when you need to make money fast.
Later, you could buy your items back at a higher price if you really need them. If you don’t, someone else may eventually buy them from the pawnshop, with the proceeds going to the pawnbroker and not you.
17. Take Advantage of App Sign-Up Bonuses
Cash in on the following sign-up bonuses available through MillennialMoney.com, and you’ll find free cash.
Current Sign-Up Bonuses:
- MyPoints: $5 welcome bonus! MyPoints is yet another cashback website that works similarly to Rakuten.
- InboxDollars: $5 welcome bonus! You can earn dollars for small tasks such as taking online surveys, watching videos, and signing up for offers.
- Swagbucks: $10 welcome bonus! Swagbucks is a get-paid-to site with lots of different tasks available to earn easy money. You can take online surveys, watch videos, surf the web, and more.
- Rakuten (formerly Ebates): $30 welcome bonus! Rakuten is a cashback/coupon shopping site. If you shop online through Rakuten, you can earn cashback on your purchases.
18. Use Cashback Apps
Ibotta is a legit way to earn extra cash just by shopping for things you’re buying anyway. Plus, they’re offering a $20 sign-up bonus right now. Easy money!
Ibotta is a cashback and rewards app that started in the grocery sector but now has rewards for almost anything. Unlike some other cashback companies, Ibotta rewards you for shopping online or in-store, which I find more convenient for groceries and local shopping.
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19. Rent Out Stuff
People are always looking to rent items rather than make a big purchase – here are some top items you could consider renting out.
Rent Your Parking Spot
If you live in an expensive city, you know how valuable parking can be. If you live downtown, renting out your parking spot will make you real cash, fast.
People in my apartment building are renting out their parking spaces for $300 per month!
If you leave with your car on the weekends, try an ad in your neighborhood to list the available spots. Put that parking space to work! Or even during the weekdays when you’re not home, if you find someone that has the opposite commute and wants to park at your place, you can make some quick cash every day.
Rent Your House or Spare Room
If you live in the right place—a city, the beach, the mountains, or even by a lake during the summer—you could create a nice stream of extra income by renting out your house or an extra room – and make money while you travel and your home is vacant.
Rent Your Car
If you have your own car, you could earn extra cash by letting someone else drive it for the day. Peer-to-peer car-sharing apps like Turo and Getaround allow you to rent out your car for quick money!
Getaround provides an alternative to the big rental car chains. You can list your car, and set your own rates. All drivers are pre-vetted and Getaround provides insurance.
Turo is another popular app to list your car and rent it out to people for easy money. If you have a special or unique type of car, these can make you more money than a common economy car.
You can also check out a newer company called HyreCar as another alternative.
Next Steps:
20. Put Ads on Your Car
I can understand your reluctance to wrap your car, but you could find some easy money in it. A few platforms will outfit your personal vehicle with ads for a company. You would get paid for providing the mobile ad space. You can start the process of advertising with your car at FreeCarMedia.com.
What I love about this idea is that you get paid while doing something you’re doing anyway—driving. If you’re already commuting a lot or driving for work, you may as well be making money advertising at the same time.
21. Trade-in Gift Cards for Cash
You won’t get face value for your unused gift cards, but if you have a card you’d never use, you could trade it in for cash on CardCash.com. This site accepts unused gift cards from most major retailers.
Another option is to sell your unwanted gift card to a friend, online. You can throw up an announcement on Facebook and see if anyone wants to pay you for the card. You might find people are going to shop at that store anyway, so it’s a win/win.
22. Ask for a Raise
People spend a lot of time searching for ways to make money fast with side jobs or new ventures. But one of the quickest ways to get paid more is to ask for a raise.
Especially in today’s job climate, with inflation at all-time highs, right now is a great time to ask for more money.
Of course, this is a tricky request to navigate. It must be thought out carefully. We’ve written a whole post and have a free course teaching you how to determine your value at work, think like a boss, and request the additional pay that you deserve at your 9-5.
Fast Money Options to AVOID
When you need money FAST, it can be tempting to borrow money from questionable lenders or earn cash in illegal ways. But more often than not, this leads people into an even worse situation than where they started.
Here are a few methods you should definitely AVOID for fast money:
- Illegal Activities: With so many legitimate ways to earn fast money, why resort to crime!? The penalties and risks are not worth the money, no matter how easy it seems.
- Payday Lenders: Payday loans are short-term, unsecured loans that are easy to qualify for and give you quick cash. But the downside is the interest on these loans can be upwards of 400% APR! No matter how bad your need is for fast money, avoid borrowing at high-interest rates, or you may be caught in an uncontrollable debt cycle.
- Credit Card Cash Advance: Some credit cards offer cash advances, allowing you to take out money at an ATM with your credit card. But these also have exorbitant fees and high-interest costs.
All in all, borrowing money is not a sustainable way to generate quick cash. Instead, focus on earning money using the skills and resources you already have available to you.
Reducing Your Spending Will Help
As the saying goes, a dollar saved is better than a dollar earned. If you can spend less money and save more as a result, you might find the extra room you need in your budget.
You might not be ready quite yet, but making a habit of saving and investing can pave the road to financial freedom.
How Much Cash Do You Need Fast?
Need a Certain Amount of Cash? See our other Make Money Fast articles to best help your financial needs:
- How to Make $5 Fast
- How to Make $40 Fast
- How to Make $50 Fast
- How to Make $100 Fast
- How to Make $300 Fast
- How to Make $300 a DAY
- How to Make $400 Fast
- How to Make $500 Fast
- How to Make $500 a DAY
- How to Make $800 Fast
- How to Make $1,000 Fast
- How to Make $1,500 Fast
- How to Make $2,000 Fast
- How to Make $3,000 Fast
- How to Make $5,000 Fast
- How to Make $10,000 Fast
- How to Make $1,000 in 24 Hours
- How to Make Money Fast as a Woman
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