If your budget is a little tight or you have an unexpected expense, you might be interested in finding ways to make money fast. It's possible to make extra money quickly, without having to get a full time job. How quickly you're able to make money—and how much you can earn—can depend on which ideas you're willing to try and how much time you have to invest.
Get paid to take surveys with Swagbucks
Get paid to take surveys with Swagbucks
Average payout
$0.40 – $2
Payment method
Paypal or gift cards
Minimum to cash out
$3 for gift cards; $25 for PayPal
Promotion
$10
How to make money fast in 2024: 10 proven strategies
There are many ways to make money fast, including ways to make money online and ideas for earning passive income. When comparing different money-making options, it helps to consider what kind of skills might be required, the amount of time you'll need to put in, and the overall earning potential.
With that being said, here are some of the best ways to make money fast now.
1. Get paid for testing apps, games, and surveys
Completing simple tasks is another way to make money fast online.
With Freecash, for example, you can earn cash in minutes by testing apps and games or taking surveys online. You choose which offers you want to complete, with most taking 5 to 10 minutes. Once the task is completed you'll earn coins.
Get paid for testing apps, games & surveys
Get paid for testing apps, games & surveys
Bonus
Sign up now and win up to $250 in the free case
Every 1,000 coins you earn through Freecash is worth $100. You can earn additional coins by taking advantage of daily bonuses. You only need a $2.00 balance to cash out your earnings and cash out options include:
- Amazon gift cards.
- Retail gift cards for other top brands.
- Bitcoin.
- Visa gift cards.
- PayPal deposits.
- In-game purchases for Fortnite, Roblox, Valorant, and more.
2. Get paid to deliver food or groceries
If you've got a reliable vehicle, you could make money delivering food or groceries locally.
Money making apps like DoorDash, UberEats, and GrubHub make it easy to accept delivery gigs from restaurants in your area. You can get paid an hourly rate plus tips for your time.
If you'd prefer to deliver groceries or other items from local stores you might check out Instacart, Shipt, or Postmates instead. These apps also allow you to earn an hourly rate while collecting tips for the deliveries you make.
One the other hand, you can save money from food delivery services with credit cards giving you cash back on food delivery and takeout, like the annual_fees annual fee card_name from Chase. These include:
- 4% cash back on DoorDash orders
- $5 monthly store credit
- One year free DashPass subscription
DoorDash Rewards Mastercard®
DoorDash Rewards Mastercard®
Credit score needed
credit_score_needed
Annual fees
annual_fees
Welcome offer
bonus_miles_full
Why we like it:
Particularly for no-annual-fee credit card, this is an above-average return for dining, whether you eat at the restaurant or order delivery. You'll get a free year of DashPass, special perks and cash back in DoorDash credits if you opt to pick up, in addition to a solid return for your spending.
Read our full review here.
The best thing about getting paid for deliveries is that you can pick and choose which gigs you want to accept. That can make it easier to make money fast on a schedule that works for you.
3. Get paid to take surveys
Taking surveys from your phone or tablet might not make you rich but it is an easy way to make money fast.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Average payout | $0.40 – $2 | $1 – $3 | $0.50 – $5.00 |
| Payment method | Paypal or gift cards | Paypal, eGift cards, or bank transfer | Paypal Cash, Amazon gift cards, Starbucks gift cards, and more |
| Minimum to cash out | $3 for gift cards; $25 for PayPal | $5 (500 points) | $30 |
| Promotion | $10 | N/A | $5 |
| View Offer | View Offer | View Offer |
Companies are willing to pay good money for consumer research, which means you can get paid for answering questions and sharing your opinions. If you're looking for a survey site to try, you might check out Survey Junkie.
With Survey Junkie, you can earn rewards for completing surveys online and participating in focus groups. You can then redeem those rewards for cash or e-gift cards to top retail brands. It's a quick and simple way to make money in your spare time, with no special skills or degrees required.
4. Open a new bank account
Opening a new bank account might not seem like a way to make money, but it can be if you're earning a competitive yield on savings deposits or earning rewards on debit card purchases. High yield saving accounts are a great option if you're looking for a way to grow the money that you have with virtually zero effort. With bank account bonuses or rewards, you may need to meet certain requirements to qualify.
Other banks may reward you simply for using your debit card or completing other tasks.
No fees
Discover® Cashback Debit
No fees
Discover® Cashback Debit
APY*
1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month.**
Monthly fee
$0
Paper checks
No
Special offer
N/A
Pro tip: Read the fine print on bank account rewards and bonus offers to make sure you understand how to qualify. Also, keep in mind that interest or bank bonuses are considered taxable income by the IRS.
5. Make money with investment apps
Investing can help you build wealth over the long-term and it's also possible to see relatively quick returns with day trading. Luckily, many investment apps exist to fit investors with their needs and expertise level.
Day trading involves buying investments at one price and selling them at a higher price. There are some tax implications, since any gains you realize from selling investments are taxable. But if you're market-savvy, you could potentially make money very quickly from trading through a platform like Robinhood. Robinhood is perfect for those looking to delve into stock trades, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and crypto trading - all on one platform. The Gold tier subscription offers a very competitive 5.00% APY on your uninvested brokerage cash (it’s 1.50% without Gold).
High APY on uninvested cash
Robinhood Gold Trading
High APY on uninvested cash
Robinhood Gold Trading
Online trading fees
$0 commissions (other fees may apply) Gold subscription fee applies after 30-day free trial
Account minimum
$0
Promotion
Earn 5.00% interest on your uninvested cash (1.5% without Gold), terms apply. No cap. Withdraw anytime.
If you'd prefer to make money passively from investments, there are ways to do that as well. For instance, you could download the Acorns app and link it to your bank account. Acorns rounds up debit card transactions and invests the difference in a low-cost portfolio. You can effectively grow wealth just by investing your spare change.
Acorns
Acorns
Fees
Transactions: $0
Acorns Personal: $3/mo
Acorns Personal Plus: $5/mo
Acorns Premium: $9/mo
Expense ratio: 0.03%-0.25%
Bitcoin: 0.95%
Min. deposit
$5
Bonus
N/A
Real estate is another way to invest for income passively and apps like Realty Mogul can help you do that from your phone. You can create an account, browse investment properties, and choose which ones to invest in based on your risk tolerance and goals. You will need to have at least $5,000, however, to get started with Realty Mogul.
RealtyMogul
RealtyMogul
Fees
1% to 1.25% management fees (additional fees may apply)
Min. deposit
$5,000
If you'd like to invest for retirement, you might consider a robo-advisor instead. Platforms like SoFi Invest make it easy to set up an Individual Retirement Account, schedule recurring deposits, and build a portfolio on autopilot. You can choose between automated or self-directed trading to generate passive income from investments.
Sofi Invest
Sofi Invest
Fees
$0 stock & ETF trades.
0/contract options trades.
1.25% crypto fee.
Min. deposit
$0
Promotion
N/A
6. Get cash back when you shop
Cash back apps pay you back a percentage of what you spend when you make purchases at partner retailers. You may also be able to unlock special promo codes or discounts, or earn extra cash through welcome bonuses and referrals.
Rakuten (formerly Ebates) is a popular cashback app that can pay up to 40% back when you shop at participating retailers in stores or online. You can download the Rakuten browser extension to activate cashback offers or browse deals through the mobile app.
You can also earn an introductory welcome bonus from Rakuten when you sign up and make eligible purchases. And you can make even more money by referring friends and family to the app.
Upside is another app that saves you money for everyday purchases. You can earn cash back when you shop for groceries, get gas, or buy food at partner merchants. All you need to do is download the Upside app, claim offers, and shop to earn rewards. You can redeem rewards for cash deposits to a bank account or PayPal account, or exchange them for gift cards.
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|---|---|---|
| Best for | Online and in-store purchases | Gas expenses |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $1 fee for cashing out small dollar amounts ($10 or less for banks; $15 or less for Paypal) |
| View Offer | View Offer |
7. Get paid to flip websites or domains
Website flipping is sort of like flipping real estate or anything else. You buy an asset at one price, make some improvements, then resell it for a profit.
The key is finding websites for sale that have the potential to be money-makers. You can browse listings on a site like Flippa, which features websites and blogs that are already generating an income or have the potential to do so.
Flippa's experts help to manage transactions so you don't have to worry about figuring out all of the legal or financial stuff. And if you don't want to do the work of getting a website or blog ready for resale, you can also buy and sell domain names through Flippa to make money fast.
8. Sell things you don't need
One of the fastest ways to make money is to sell things around the house that you don't need. Some of the things you might be able to sell quickly for the most money include electronics, gaming consoles and video games, cellphones, and high-end clothing or accessories.
If you're wondering where to sell your stuff for quick cash, the options include:
- Facebook Marketplace.
- Local Facebook bargain groups.
- Craigslist.
- Apps like LetGo or Decluttr.
- Consignment shops.
You could also try selling items to a local pawn shop for cash. Pawn shops buy all sorts of things, including musical instruments, ATVs, and sports equipment. It's a simple way to get cash for your items the same day that you need it.
9. Do odd jobs
Doing odd jobs is another easy way to make money fast if you've got time to spare. Some of the odd jobs you could do for money include:
- Doing small repairs around the house.
- Raking leaves, cutting grass, or doing other types of yard work.
- Washing windows or helping someone clean out their garage or attic.
- Running errands.
- Babysitting or walking dogs.
- Helping someone move.
- Helping people put furniture together.
- Doing laundry for someone who needs help.
- Hauling off trash.
If you're looking for a side hustle to make money fast, you might spread the word on social media or NextDoor. You could also post an ad on Craigslist or create an account with TaskRabbit.
TaskRabbit is a gig app that lets you find odd jobs you can do for cash in your local area. Taskers can make money with same-day gigs doing things like moving, offering handyman services, or delivering things to people's homes.
10. Sell unused gift cards
Gift cards are great, unless you never use them. In that case, they're just wasted money.
A simple way to make money fast and unload some of those gift cards you don't need is to sell them. Sites like CardCash or EJ's Gift Cards let you post your unused or unwanted gift cards for sale.
If someone browses your listing and decides to buy your gift card, you get cash. Keep in mind that you might not get the full face value of your card. But this is another easy and relatively painless way to make money quickly.
11. Pet sit or babysit
Pet sitting or walking dogs can put money in your hands fast and it can be a fun pay to make some extra cash.
You might have neighbors, friends, or family members who need help taking care of pets while they're working or traveling. You could hire yourself out as a temporary pet-sitter or dog walker and get paid to play with animals.
Babysitting or caregiving for an adult who needs it may also be an option. You could watch children in your home (or theirs), or sit with an older person during the day while their family members are working or attending school.
TIME Stamp: Making money fast doesn't have to be difficult
When making money quickly is the goal, it helps to know what options you have. It's possible to make money in one day if you need it, though some money-making ideas might take a little to get started. Testing out different ways to make money online or offline can be a great way to find out what works best for you.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How can I earn $100 dollars a day?
If you'd like to earn $100 a day, you could do that by selling things you don't need, doing odd jobs for cash, or starting an online side hustle or business. For example, you might be able to make $100 a day as a freelance writer, blogger, YouTuber, or Etsy shop owner. Keep in mind, however, that online businesses and side hustles usually don't start making money right away, so you might need to give it some time to see a profit.
How can I make myself money?
You can make money for yourself by first figuring out which skills, experience, or knowledge you have that people might be willing to pay for. For example, if you're an expert at making home repairs, you could make money by doing odd jobs for homeowners who need help fixing things. Or if you know the ins and outs of using TikTok or YouTube, you might explore ways to monetize your following on those platforms.
How can I make money in one hour?
If you want to make money in one hour, you might be able to do that by taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, or shopping online with a cashback app. Sites like Swagbucks will pay you to answer questions and share opinions. You can also get paid to play games or watch videos with Swagbucks. Rakuten, meanwhile, lets you earn money back when you shop at partner stores.
How can I make an extra 200 a week?
If you need to make an extra $200 a week, you might do that by delivering food or groceries, taking care of pets or walking dogs, doing odd jobs, selling things you don't need, or investing. All of those things together could make $200 a week and some of them could make that much money or more by themselves.
The information presented here is created independently from the TIME editorial staff. To learn more, see our About page.
