25 Quick Ways To Make Money

We all face unexpected expenses that require fast cash, from surprise car repairs to medical bills. While quick money making ideas won’t replace steady income streams, they can provide temporary relief in a financial pinch.

This guide will outline 25 realistic ways to make money fast, online and offline. I’ll share key tips for maximizing your efficiency and earnings potential with each money making strategy.

Related:

• 18 Passive Income Ideas to Make Money While You Sleep
• Best Short Term Investments
• Earn Amazon Gift Cards
• How To Start a Blog
• Upload Music to Spotify and Google Play Music

Quick Ways To Make Money

Let’s dive right in!

Quickest Ways to Make Money Online

Here are the top ways to make money quickly through online opportunities:

1. Online Surveys

Taking online surveys through websites like SurveyJunkie, Opinion Outpost, and SurveyMonkey provide one of the fastest ways to make money. While you won’t get rich taking surveys, sites pay $1-$5 on average for each 15-30 minute survey completed. Providing honest, thoughtful responses is key.

Sign up for as many legitimate survey panels as you can to increase the number of paid surveys available. Expect to earn $100+ monthly in your spare time.

2. Microtasks

Microtask websites like mTurk, Clickworker, and Fiverr enable people to get paid for completing simple online tasks like data entry, transcription, categorization, proofreading, and more. Most tasks pay a few cents up to several dollars. Workers can complete as many as possible in their free time. Earnings of $10-$20 per hour are reasonable.

3. Get Cash Back When Shopping

Instead of using traditional search engines and shopping portals, go through cashback sites like Rakuten, TopCashback, and BeFrugal which give you a percentage of your purchase amounts back in cash rewards. The sites track your orders for payout. Consider activating browser extensions to automatically identify eligible cashback offers as you shop online.

Between cash back bonuses and promo codes, you can reliably save over 10% on your normal online shopping expenses, adding up to hundreds of dollars annually.

4. Sign Up Bonuses

Opening accounts with banks, financial services, and other platforms frequently come with cash sign up bonuses as incentives.

For example, some notable offers include:

• Chase Bank – $200 cash for opening a new checking account
• SoFi Loans – $300 welcome bonus for taking out a personal loan
• Rakuten – $30 sign up bonus through this link
• Drop App – $5 signup bonus + cashback rewards

Review stipulations for qualifying for bonuses carefully. But taking advantage of a few choice sign up offers in your spare time can easily net you over $500.

5. Credit Card Rewards

Credit card welcome offers provide another simple way to make quick cash. Many cards offer bonuses between $150-$700 for reaching minimum spend requirements within the first 3 months.

If you have good credit, research and open cards strategically. Meet bonus criteria through normal spending you’d do anyway. Then repeat with new cards every few months.

Responsibly maximizing cards with the best rewards can realistically net you $1000s per year in bonuses, points and miles.

6. Online Tutoring

Offering skills training or academic tutoring online through platforms like Sidetrain provides an extremely flexible way to earn decent money quickly. You set your own hours and rates.

High demand subjects where you can charge $20-$50 per hour include:

• Computer programming
• Music lessons like guitar and piano
• Math tutoring
• Test prep for SAT, GRE, LSAT
• Resume help
• Business skills like Excel, PowerPoint

The key is creating an engaging, high quality learning experience for students. In as little as a few hours tutoring each week, you can make $100-$200+ on the side.

7. Sell Your Stuff

Scan through your house for valuables collecting dust like old smartphones, game consoles, designer clothing, jewelry, musical instruments, sporting goods and electronics. Use online marketplaces like eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and apps like OfferUp to sell items for cash quickly.

For more extensive collections, consider auction sites like Heritage Auctions and Christie’s to fetch higher prices. Provide detailed descriptions and photos of your items to maximize interest.

Spend a weekend inventorying your belongings for liquidation and you could accumulate a few hundred extra dollars or more.

8. Get Paid to Search

Install browser extensions like Swagbucks, InboxDollars, and Rakuten to earn cashback rewards, gift cards, and redeemable points just for your normal web searches and shopping. These platforms let you exchange points for cash once you hit minimum thresholds, although gift card redemptions tend to offer higher rates.

Depending on your browsing and shopping frequency, you can reliably earn an extra $50-$100 monthly through these passive programs.

9. Participate in Focus Groups

Focus group companies pay people $50-$150 for 1-2 hour sessions to provide opinions and feedback on various products, services, concepts, advertisements or topics relevant to their interests and demographics.

Go to websites like FocusGroup.com and Respondent.io which provide listings of upcoming online and in-person focus groups to apply for. Positions fill up quickly, so check frequently. Bringing a friend along can double your earnings.

10. Get Paid for Testing Websites

Companies like UserTesting, Userlytics and Validately pay regular people to test their websites and provide experience feedback through recordings and surveys. Tests usually take 10-20 minutes and pay ~$10 each. Top testers easily make over $200 per month.

11. Take Paid Photos and Videos

Apps like Foap, Snapwire, Shutterstock and iStockphoto enable you to take photos and videos with your smartphone or camera then sell them for cash. Foap and Snapwire curate submissions and pay $5-$100+ per photo or clip accepted. Shutterstock purchases content on spec based on considerations like quality, originality and demand.

With practice and some basic photography/videography skills, you can start earning decent side income through stock media. Every image or clip you contribute builds your portfolio and potential.

12. Participate in Research Studies

Universities, researchers and health organizations pay participants in all kinds of medical studies and experiments, either online or in person. Pay ranges from $25-$250 per study depending on what’s involved. Browse listings on sites like ResearchStudies.com and ClinicalTrials.gov for studies you qualify for, which may involve trying experimental drugs, taking surveys, undergoing scans or other tests, or participating in behavioral experiments.

Studies provide a novel way to make hundreds of dollars quickly if you match eligibility criteria.

Quickest Ways to Make Money Offline

If you need to make money quickly away from the computer, here are some of the best options:

13. Donate Plasma

Donating plasma provides a fast way to earn $25-$100 in just a few hours. The process involves blood being drawn, plasma extracted, then the remaining blood components safely returned to your body. Earnings depend on weight, plasma type, and donation frequency. Hydrate well beforehand.

Typical new donor requirements:

• 18+ years old
• Valid ID
• No major health conditions
• 110+ pounds minimum

Finding a licensed plasma donation center near you is as simple as a Google search. Consider making donating a consistent weekly habit to maximize income.

14. Babysit or Pet Sit

Offering childcare or pet sitting services leverages skills you likely already have. And demand for both is consistently high everywhere.

Check sites like Care.com, SitterCity, Rover and NextDoor to create a free provider profile detailing your experience. Set competitive hourly rates. Expect to earn $15-$25 per hour.

Taking just a few jobs weekly provides phenomenal flexible income from this rewarding work.

15. Drive for Uber, Lyft or Delivery Apps

Driving for ride sharing and food/grocery delivery apps like Uber, Lyft, Instacart, DoorDash and GrubHub offers an easy way to earn quick cash using your own car. Income potential depends heavily on your metro area. Expect to make $15-$25 per hour before deducting gas and taxes.

Signing up and qualifying to drive only takes a few days. The flexibility to set your own schedule makes this a great option for supplemental funds. Take advantage of peak evening and weekend demand.

16. Handyman Services

Leveraging skills in areas like basic plumbing, electrical, landscaping, cleaning and handyman services has massive demand. Expand your capacity by learning skills on YouTube. Purchase a vehicle pass from Home Depot or hardware stores to acquire wholesale materials for jobs.

Market services through Craigslist, Thumbtack, Facebook and directly to property managers. Expect to make $30-$75 per hour or more performing quality handyman work.

17. Sell Baked Goods

Baking and cooking skills translate easily into quick cash. Prepare batches of popular baked goods, desserts or meals and sell them locally. Check your state laws on food handling and permits. Leverage sites like Facebook Marketplace and NextDoor to advertise. Or go grassroots by directly approaching local cafes, farmers markets and grocers.

Profit margins around 50% are common, so $20 of ingredients can readily produce $30-$40+ in revenue. Every batch you prepare sells you closer to your earnings goal.

18. Sell Items at a Garage Sale

Garage, yard and rummage sales provide a classic way to exchange used goods for cash.

Identify valuable household items, clothes, electronics, furniture, decor, toys, games, tools and more to sell. Expect to fetch 10-30% of the original retail cost on most items, although highly desirable brands and rare collectibles command higher prices.

Widely advertise your sale through Craigslist, Facebook, yard signs and neighborhood groups. Holding the sale on Fridays and weekends maximizes traffic. After a successful weekend, you could easily pocket $300-$1000 extra.

19. Recycle Scrap Metal

Collecting scrap metal like copper, steel, aluminum and brass and bringing it to metal recycling yards nets quick cash.

Check Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and your local classifieds for free or cheap sources of scrap like appliances, car parts, wires and industrial machinery. A pick-up truck helps transport large hauls. Earnings depend on scrap metal market rates, but an average of ~0.10 to $0.60 per pound is typical. Large loads can bring in $500+ at a time.

20. Participate in Clinical Trials

You can get paid to participate in clinical research trials and studies looking for volunteers to test experimental drugs, treatments and procedures. These take place at universities, hospitals, research organizations and private clinics.

Typical compensation can range from $100 per day up to $10,000 or more depending on the study length and involved procedures. Drawbacks are you may receive an unproven treatment. Upsides are the payout, free healthcare, and contributing to science.

Browse listings at ClinicalTrials.gov, GoClinicalTrials, and CenterWatch to find studies seeking new participants.

21. Enter Contests and Sweepstakes

Entering giveaways and sweepstakes from brands provides lottery style opportunities to win anything from free gadgets and gift cards to exotic vacations and large cash prizes. Local radio and TV stations also frequently run call-in prize contests.

Subscribe to sweepstakes forums like /r/Sweepstakes and online databases like Online-Sweepstakes.com that aggregate hundreds of available daily contests and giveaways to enter. With persistence and luck, you could win prizes worth thousands.

22. Take Temporary Gigs

Signing up for temporary and seasonal jobs provides quick influxes of cash. Places like warehouses, fulfillment centers, caterers, parks departments, entertainment venues and tourism-based businesses frequently need short term extra help.

Although 1099 contract pay rates are modest at typically $15-$20 per hour, you can earn hundreds quickly picking up seasonal shifts in your free time. Check Craigslist, local papers and gig sites.

23. Sell Stock Photography

Capturing quality photos with your smartphone or DSLR camera and selling them through stock image sites like Shutterstock and iStock provide quick cash from your visual talents. You earn royalties when people download your images.

Photograph eye catching subjects like nature, cityscapes, technology, people, animals, food and more niche themes. Every compelling image in your portfolio grows your passive earnings over time.

24. House or Office Cleaning

Everyone needs cleaning services. Make flyers and advertise your cleaning services locally through Craigslist, NextDoor and direct outreach to realtors, property managers and small businesses. Consider bankrolling initial supplies like a vacuum and cleaning products.

Expect to earn $50-$100 per house cleaning and $200+ for commercial office cleaning depending on the property size. You can easily make an extra $1000+ per month working just a few days a week.

25. Waiting Tables

Restaurants frequently need extra waiting help during busy weekends and holidays. Experienced servers can expect to earn $20-$50 per hour in tips at higher end establishments.

Outreach local restaurants and bars to express interest in taking holiday, event and peak season shifts. Be personable, provide great customer service and your hourly plus tips can exceed $100 on a decent night.

Keys to Earning Money Fast

Across all these strategies, some core principles apply for maximizing your efficiency and earnings:

Pick Ideas Suiting Your Skills – Leverage existing talents and experience to get profitable quickly vs. starting from scratch.

Provide Genuine Value – Focus on fulfilling real needs, not just taking the money. Success builds from referring happy customers and clients.

Work Diligently in Focused Blocks – Knock tasks out efficiently during set blocks of deep work vs spreading efforts thinly.

Manage Calendar Wisely – Pack time strategically by stacking lucrative activities. Optimize both online and offline opportunities.

Reinvest Earnings – Plow earnings back into assets and equipment that expand capacity like photography gear or truck for hauling.

Develop Repeating Revenue Streams – Create passive residual income through assets that keep producing over longer time horizons.

With some hustle and smart thinking, you can absolutely earn extra money on the side quickly. Stay strategic with efforts while keeping the big picture in mind. Before you know it, the compound effect of multiple income streams starts paying big dividends and building real wealth.

The time is now – go make it happen!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the fastest ways to make $100 online?

Some of the fastest ways to make $100 online include taking surveys, getting cash back shopping through apps, selling your stuff, doing microtasks like data entry, and searching the web through cashback browsers. Combining these in your spare time can easily net $100+ extra per week.

What are the fastest ways to make $100 offline?

Donating plasma, market research studies, paid focus groups, driving for Uber/Lyft, handyman work, participating in clinical trials, recycling scrap metal, entering giveaways and garage sales offer some of the quickest ways to earn $100 offline.

How quickly can you make money day trading?

Day trading generates income as soon as you start actively buying and selling securities throughout the trading day to capture intraday price moves. However, profitability depends heavily on trading acumen and risk management. Consistent discipline is vital. Expect a learning curve.

What are easy ways to make money in one day?

Some of the easiest ways to make quick money in a day include donating plasma, taking paid surveys, selling items online, driving for Uber or Lyft, doing micro tasks like data entry, entering giveaways, and doing handyman jobs found via Craigslist or local ads.

What are easy ways to make money over the weekend?

Great options for making money over the weekend include garage sales, driving for rideshare apps, cleaning houses, doing handyman gigs found via Craigslist, selling baked goods, recycling scrap metal, bartending or waiting tables, and picking up shifts with a temp agency.

What are the fastest ways to make money as a kid?

Babysitting, mowing lawns, pet sitting, shoveling snow, running lemonade stands, doing mother’s helper tasks, delivering newspapers, and doing odd jobs around the neighborhood like raking leaves and washing cars offer great ways for kids to earn quick cash.

What are the fastest ways to make money as a teenager?

Teenagers have opportunities like babysitting, pet sitting, tutoring, driving for Uber/Lyft, doing yard work/handyman tasks, freelance writing, social media marketing, selling old electronics and clothes online, and starting a window washing or car cleaning business to make money relatively quickly.

When you need to make extra money on short notice, use creativity and hustle to maximize quick cash opportunities. With consistent effort, they can stack up to sizable amounts and tide you over during challenging times. Think long term, but take decisive action towards income goals one day at a time!