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Needing to make money fast – in a matter of only several days – is a scary place to find yourself. Whether you’re behind on bills, unable to pay rent, or just feeling the strain of tight budget, there are plenty of legitimate ways to earn extra money without selling your soul.
I’ve been there before — many times. During a busy semester in college I was several hundred dollars short of what I needed to buy mandatory textbooks. I wasn’t sure how I was going to buy them or where the money was going to come from, and I was nervous.
When my wife, Meg, and I were young newlyweds, money was tight because Meg was still in college. We both hustled like crazy just to survive in the uber-expensive Chicago suburbs. And we lived frugally!
Maybe your situation is more secure – you have a well-paying job but would like to earn more money to save for a home down payment, your next vacation, or a new car. Maybe not. No matter what your motivation for making more money may be, we’re here to help.
If you have the ambition and drive and want to learn new ways to make money fast the honest way, you’re in the right place.
5 Legit Ways to Make Money Fast
Just to be clear: you won’t read about any get-rich-quick schemes here. Those don’t really work, unless you’re the person who is lining your pockets by peddling the scheme to overly-trusting buyers.
All of the following tips are real, honest ways to make money fast. If we haven’t done them personally, we’ve seen them work for our best friends. Most of them can be implemented with minimal preparation and lead time. If you picked up a few of the suggestions, we believe you could earn at least $500 in only a few days.
Check out the easy tips below, decide which ones fit best with your current life, and implement them to start making more money!
1. Work Extra Hours at Your Job
if you have a job, picking up extra hours can be the easiest way to earn extra money in a hurry.
When I was a kid I learned about hard work from watching my dad work 12 hour days, 7 days per week, at his aerospace manufacturing job. With time-and-a-half and double-time benefits, I can only imagine what his paychecks must have looked like some weeks!
When I worked at a movie theater in high school, one co-worker constantly advertised his willingness to pick up extra hours. Most weeks he would earn an extra $100 as a result.
And when I started my teaching career, I earned hundreds of dollars in extra pay each month working as an after-school/before-school supervisor and database coach.
I know overtime won’t work for everyone, especially if you’e salaried. And overtime rules may limit your ability to work more, but seeking extra hours is worthwhile if your employer allows it. It’s also the most efficient way to make money fast.
2. Start a Babysitting Business
During college, my soon-to-be wife, Meg, made awesome money babysitting. She proved herself to be a kind, responsible, and caring sitter who genuinely loved kids.
For 5 years, she made $15-20 per hour and worked multiple days and evenings each week. For a poor college kid who survived primarily on a limited income, earning $200 in one weekend was HUGE for Meg.
If you want to start babysitting, you can take simple steps to market yourself:
- Tell everyone you know that you are available to get your name out there.
- Join local neighborhood Facebook groups and ask the moderators if you may advertise your services on their page.
- Create business cards and a list of references and share them whenever you can.
- Join online sites like SitterCity to get your name out there
- If you’re a college student, add your name to lists and online job boards.
Note: It is really important to have really good references! I recommend you meet with your pastor, church staff member, or some other local public figure to share about your new babysitting business and ask for his recommendation.
And be sure that your Facebook and other social media are squeaky clean! If you wouldn’t be comfortable with anything from social media being published on the front page of the local newspaper, you need to get rid of it right away.
3. Tutor or Teach Lessons in Your Area of Expertise
Over the past several years, Meg has consistently earned enough money each month to pay our mortgage payment by teaching music lessons. The key to her success has been simple: she recognized the intersection of a need and her expertise and has made it work to her advantage.
You may not have musical talent, and that’s OK. If you commit to teaching others what you do know it can be an incredibly easy way to make money fast.
One awesome option that could work for just about anyone, but especially work-at-home parents, is teaching English online to students overseas. Our favorite recommendation in this space is VIPKid.
As a VIPKid teacher, you can teach English even if you don’t have years of teaching experience while also making a big difference to an English learner. We believe the best side hustles also provide a much needed service to others, which places VIPKid right at the top of favorites list.
4. Make Money With Your Car
Do you have a reliable car and enjoy driving? You can make extra money every day, starting today! Our favorite ways to make money fast behind the wheel are Uber, DoorDash, and Lyft.
The Scoop on Uber
Uber has long been the main side job I recommend for anyone looking to make money fast. Requirements tend to vary by location, but most people qualify for Uber:
- You should have a 4-door vehicle with valid registration and no markings
- You must pass a background check and have a clean driving record – this is pretty much non-negotiable.
- Once you’re approved you simply use your app to turn on and off your availability with a single tap.
- You can work when you want to work and sign off when you’re unavailable.
My teacher friend, Mike, earns awesome money each week driving for Uber in the summertime. He works only when he feels like it, and he has earned a solid rating from his riders. One of my former real estate clients is a full-time Uber driver!
If you are polite, friendly, and go the extra mile for your riders by offering them use of a phone charger, an auxiliary audio cord, along with snacks and cool bottled water, you’ll pull in great tips and gain repeat riders.
Want to get started? Sign-up with Uber here.
DoorDash Your Way to Extra Cash
Don’t want the monotony of pizza delivery or the potential awkwardness of driving strangers around as an Uber driver? DoorDash could be the program for you.
Take trips for a few hours in the mornings, every night, or just on weekends – you set your own hours. You are your own boss and you can choose when and how much you work. And unlike ride sharing programs, you don’t even need to have car to become a DoorDasher – a bike or scooter work, and you can even walk in some markets. Full disclosure: you’ may earn more if you have a car.
Getting started with DoorDash is easy and you can be on your way to making money fast in no time.
Give Others (and Your Wallet) a Lyft
If driving others and getting paid to do it, you need to look into Lyft. Yes, it’s similar to other ride sharing gigs, but that’s OK — many of the most successful side hustlers have multiple income streams.
The good news is getting started with Lyft is a quick process. Sign-up, pass your background check, and you’ll be on your way.
Curious and want to learn more? Check out opportunities with Lyft here.
5. Dog Sitting and Walking
If you love dogs, live in a clean home, and are willing to be flexible, dog sitting and walking can be an easy way to make money fast week after week. Two of our good friends pick up dog sitting jobs on a weekly basis and have made thousands of dollars in the past year alone.
The best way to get started is by signing up with Rover. Simply supply the information requested, upload a professional and friendly picture of you and your spouse, and submit. Rover reviews all applications manually, usually in 5-10 days.
Once you’re in, you can set your rates and availability and book your next furry visitor! Rover estimates that 40,000 dog owners currently use their system to find a reliable dog sitter.
Like dog sitting, dog walking can also be a great side hustle. While most of my friends in college were wasting time watching Friends repeats, I picked up a dog walking job and earned upwards of $400 per month for less than an hour of work per day.
If dog walking interests you, there are a few easy ways to get started. Targeting high end neighborhoods with flyers, posting advertisements on coffee shop boards, and word of mouth can go a long way toward helping anyone find a dog walking job. Connecting with dog owners you know is also a great way to network. Some groomers and pet stores may even allow you to post flyers or advertise specials on your services.
Get Started Now and Make Money Fast
If you’re trying to get out of debt, save more money, or pay for an upcoming vacation, the above tips to make money fast will help you get there. There are plenty of others ways to make extra money, but these tips offer a timely bang for your buck.
Check them out, get started and leave a comment to let everyone know how much money you were able to make using these tips!
If you REALLY need the cash you can also try donating plasma or doing other medical tests. Those aren’t as fun or easy, but they’re an option my friends have successfully tried during tough times. If you have a particular skill, you can also do a bit of freelance work on places like UpWork.
Good point! I suppose if you need to money fast AND you’re desperate, those are good ideas! 🙂