How to Make Money

Need a little extra cash in a hurry? Follow these steps and you're bound to have a fuller pocket by the end of the week. It may not be much, and it may not be reliable, but your options are limited if you're short on time. Later, you can read up on long-term ways to make money, reducing expenses, saving, and investing. Otherwise, hurry up and follow these steps so you can make money ASAP!

Steps

   Sell Something

Sell things you no longer need. Dig out that old guitar you never play, those CDs you don't listen to anymore, or your antique toy collection. Go to the pawnshop, put an ad on local internet classifieds, or hold a yard sale in front of your house or on a busy street corner (just display the item with a big sign announcing the ridiculously low price). Price items at half of what somebody would be able to buy them for anywhere else, and you may be able to sell them within an hour or two.

• If you don’t want to part with your CDs or DVDs, burn yourself copies (or even just back them up in digital format on your computer) and then sell the originals. Do not sell the copies!
• Consider whether or not to sell items online at auction websites like eBay, or more generalist sites like Amazon. If you do, choose a fast end time for the auction or trade, or choose "buy it now" to encourage a swift turnaround. However, if you want cash in your hands quickly, you might want to arrange a sale with someone locally. 

Sell crafts. If you're a dab hand at making something quickly that people want, do so and sell it either online (sites like Etsy are great for handmade goodies) or at local craft fairs or other community-based sales.

•      If you don’t have time to make anything fancy, break glass bottles of various colors, put them through a rock tumbler, and sell bags of it as beach glass. Bits of frosted glass like this look great in clear vases to prop up dried flower stems, for example. You can also sell something you find growing outside. Pressed wildflowers, dried vines, branches, or Chinese lanterns, or even long/large pinecones can fetch a tidy sum if you sell a lot of them individually.  

Sell stock photos. Stock photos are relatively easy to take and, once you’ve posted them to your stock-photo account, can make money fairly passively.
Sell scavenged valuables. If you have a metal detector, go to public places (especially parks, beaches, and other areas where people are likely to drop something unnoticed) and look for jewelry and other goods.

Sell things walking about the roadside. Entrepreneurial sorts sell things like cold drinks on hot days or hot nuts in winter. But it can be dangerous work and it may be illegal, so check the laws and watch the traffic with great care. A safer option is a roadside stall, where people have to park the car and come and see your wares.
"Donate" plasma. Plasma is a component of blood, and the process is similar to donating blood. You're not permitted to actually sell your plasma, but you can be compensated for your time spent donating (and essentially, it's like selling your plasma). Your blood is drawn, the plasma is separated, and the red blood cells are returned to your body. In the United States, you can make US$20-30 per visit and give plasma twice a week, but you must weigh at least 110 pounds, be between the ages of 18 and 59, and be in good health. Many college students do this to make extra cash. If you haven't been to the doctor in a while, this may be a good way to get a free health checkup.
Sell your hair. If your hair is healthy, untreated, and longer than 10in (25cm), you can sell it for hundreds of dollars – or possibly thousands if it’s a superb length and color.

 Flip products. Flipping is simply buying something and then selling it for more. Some people flip items by investing a lot of time and effort into repairs, but it’s also possible to flip simply by finding good deals.

• Flip web domains. Research keywords, topics, or industries that are trending, buy relevant domain names, and sell them to interested parties. Watch for businesses that open up in your area, snag that domain name before they do, and offer to sell it to them (for a reasonable price – or you’ll risk sabotaging the deal and ending up with nothing). People who get good at this can actually make a nice income from it – or occasionally strike it rich by buying a name out from underneath a big player.
• Flip thrift-store, yard-sale, and police-auction purchases. Even if you don’t know the first thing about jewelry or antiques, sometimes being the first one to show up is all it takes to find a steal.
• Flip wholesale items. If you can get a deal on wholesale items (especially if you know or are willing to make friends with a wholesaler), selling them individually online – even for only a few dollars more apiece – can really add up.

 Open a lemonade stand. Especially if you're a kid, a lemonade stand or baked goods stand can bring in good money in one day. If the lemonade isn't selling, or you want to diversify, sell cookies and brownies as well. The important thing here is to find a good location, like the main entrance to an apartment building, outside a shopping center, on a busy corner near your house, or outside one of your parents’ workplaces (if you're a kid; otherwise you might get in trouble).

Make Money Online or On Your Phone

Find small paid tasks via apps. There are several money-making apps including WeReward, CheckPoints, and GigWalk that will either pay you for doing marketing tasks (ex. scanning products at a grocery store) or connect you with someone who wants a more extensive project accomplished.

Fill out online surveys. These usually only pay a few dollars apiece, but they are also short and require very little effort. Read How to Make Money with Free Online Surveys for more information.

Enter sweepstakes. By choosing sweepstakes carefully, you can increase your likelihood of hitting the jackpot (or at least getting a few useful freebies that you can sell, as mentioned above). Search the internet––there are even internet databases, some free and some by subscription only, that can clue you in to hundreds or thousands of sweepstakes. Sweepstakes with smaller prizes can be great because you generally have a more realistic chance of winning. Don't, however, waste your time entering a sweepstakes for a prize you don't want and can't easily sell for a good profit. Enter as many times as possible. The more times you enter, the better your odds. It's as simple as that. Before you send in a million entries, however, make sure you know how many entries the rules allow you.

Recycle 

Recycle bottles and cans. Host a bring-your-own-beverage party and when the party’s over, gather all the bottles and cans and turn them in for cash; if you live in a state with a bottle or can deposit system, you may be able to get 5 or 10 US cents per container. You can also go looking for them in trash cans or along busy roads, especially rural ones.

Scrap a junk pile. Everyone knows you can turn bottles and cans into cash by bringing them in to be recycled, but other metals such as scrap steel (worth anywhere between 1 or 2 cents per pound) or as copper or aluminum (worth considerably more) can also fetch good prices. If you've got a big pile of scrap in your backyard, own a junked camper or other vehicle, or know of an illegal dumpsite, you can sort and sell it.




Scrap a worthless computer. Computers are full of valuable metals (ex. tower cases are usually made of steel and/or aluminum, plus the CPUs, RAM, motherboards, and PCIs all contain gold). If possible, amass a good pile of these parts (offer to take outdated computers off the hands of a building or school doing considerable upgrades or find junked computers in the fee ads, for example) and sell them in bulk, which will make you more money. Don’t scrap good computers; what you get for the scrap probably won’t be as much as you get for components in working order.

Hunt for pre-1982 pennies. These contain considerable amounts of copper (whereas newer ones are alloyed with zinc to cut costs) and are worth more than a cent apiece. Buy rolls of pennies at the bank, sort them to find older coins, then return the ones you don’t want. Read How to Hoard Copper Pennies for more information.

Hunt for pre-1964 silver half dollars. These are 90% silver and are worth more than fifty cents apiece. As with pennies, buy rolls of silver dollars at the bank and keep only the most valuable ones. Read How to Find Silver Half Dollars for more information.

Become a Moving Advertisement

“Wrap” your car in an advertisement. There are companies with bumper sticker programs as well.

Wear t-shirts, clothes, costumes that advertise a business. In addition to receiving a free t-shirt, you can get paid for every day that you wear the shirt to a public, conspicuous place.

 Get a temporary tattoo on your forehead, a pregnant belly, or other body parts. Auction off a body parts for advertising space to the highest bidder.

Do Odd Jobs

Find focus groups in your area. Monitor local postings or search a site like FindFocusGroups.com to find a focus group in your area that you are eligible to participate in. Check frequently; though the pay tends to be excellent, they are less frequent than many other opportunities.

Board someone’s pet. Find a friend or a friend-of-a-friend who’s going out of town and offer to take care of their pet while they’re gone. Professional boarding places tend to be very expensive (not to mention impersonal and intimidating for a pet), so your cozy little house or apartment may seem like a very nice alternative. Around the holidays, pet-boarders fill up quickly, meaning you can probably charge more.

Consider day labor. There are employment agencies that specialize in this type of arrangement, and you can get paid at the end of the workday. The jobs you find through an agency can vary, but are usually in construction, factories, offices, and manufacturing. An alternative to finding day labor is to go where other day laborers meet (usually street corners or parking lots) and wait for employers (building contractors, landscapers, home owners and small business owners).

• Check your local newspaper or internet classifieds to find quick labor gigs, like painting, mowing, or moving work. Amazon Mechanical Turk is reliable and has lots of postings, but the pay tends to be low.
• Consider whether or not to go through an agency. If you go the non-agency route, you might get paid in cash – but keep in mind that less formal arrangements could result in your not getting paid or, worse, getting injured without any kind of compensation.
• Don't be shy about doing odd jobs. Lawn-mowing, babysitting, hedge-trimming, dog-walking, house-sitting, and de-cluttering can all serve as quick ways of getting cash.  

Become a street performer. If you can dance, play music, mime, sing, or tell jokes, you can probably get some cash by performing in public. But don't do this unless you are actually good at it. Put together a good act and find a place to perform. Give people a dose of live entertainment, and hopefully they'll reward you with tips.

 

• If there is a group of you trying to find quick money, put together a quick skit for a bit of street theater .
• Sometimes you can combine something for free with a request for a donation "as wished". For example, give out free hugs but suggest to people that a donation would be appreciated. Don't push it though!
• Always check the bylaws before performing in a public space.  

Panhandle. A panhandler is a person who depends on the spontaneous charity of strangers for their survival. If you really need the cash, you might swallow your pride and decide to ask for help. Make a sign, find a good location, ask politely for money, and say thank you. A sign that is witty or details something interesting is more likely to have people stop and help than one filled with a litany of complaints about being down and out.

• Cyberbegging is becoming increasingly popular, and there have been some amazing success stories, but these are the exception rather than the rule. While there are some sites on which you can beg just by putting up a brief ad, if you're looking to make any substantial money you'll probably have to build your own site and invest the time and money into it to make it successful. Moreover, cyberbegging really annoys some people and you may get bad social media feedback.
• Be sure that panhandling or begging is permissible where you live.  

Make Money Fast Cheat Sheet

Make Money Fast Cheat Sheet

What	How	Notes
Sell things you don’t need	Sell through pawnshops, local ads, yard sales, or online auction sites (eBay)	- Price items at half of where you’d buy them elsewhere - Burn CDs or DVDs for yourself and sell originals
Sell crafts	Sell at local craft fairs or online (Etsy)	Can sell easy crafts, like broken colored glass, pressed flowers, etc.
Sell stock photos	Take photos, post them onto a stock photo account, and wait for people to buy them.
Sell scavenged valuables	Can use metal detector to search public places like beaches and parks	Look for jewelry and other goods
Sell things along the road	Sell cold drinks on hot days, produce from a backyard farm, or hot nuts or drinks in winter	It can be dangerous or illegal to sell things on the roadside, so check laws and be careful
Donate plasma	Go to a donation center	-Can make $20-30/visit in US, twice a week -Must weigh at least 110 lbs. and be between ages 18-59 and in good health
Sell your hair	Can sell for hundreds of dollars	Hair must be healthy, untreated, and longer than 10 inches
Flip products	Buy something and then sell it for more. Examples include web domains; thrift store, yard sale, or police auction purchases; wholesale items	- Can flip items by investing a lot of time and effort in repairing them -Can flip by finding good deals
Open a lemonade stand	Great idea if you’re a kid	- Can also sell baked goods - Find a good, busy location
Make money online or on your phone	- Find small paid tasks via apps such as WeReward, CheckPoints, or GigWalk - Fill out online surveys - Enter sweepstakes	- May not make a whole lot of money, but they’re usually easy and fast - Don’t spend money to make money on websites, do research first
Recycle	- Recycle bottles and cans at recycling centers - Scrap a junk pile (scrap steel, copper, aluminum) - Scrap a worthless computer (they’re full of metals) - Hunt for pre-1982 pennies (contain copper, buy rolls at bank and sort through them) - Hunt for pre-1964 silver half dollars (90% silver)
Become a moving advertisement	- Wrap your car in an advertisement or bumper stickers (companies will pay you to do this) - Wear t-shirts, clothes, or costumes that advertise a business (can get paid to wear these in public) - Get a temporary tattoo (auction off a body part for advertising space to highest bidder)
Find focus groups in your area	Monitor local postings or search sites like FindFocusGroups.com	Check often because pay is good but opportunities are less frequent
Board someone’s pet	Find a friend or acquaintance who needs a petsitter	Can probably charge more around the holidays
Consider day labor or odd jobs	- Some employment agencies specialize in this work - Can also go where other day laborers meet and wait for employers - Check local newspaper or internet classifieds to find quick labor gigs - Odd jobs like lawn mowing, babysitting, hedge trimming, dog walking, house sitting, tutoring, and de-cluttering can all lead to cash.	If not going through an agency, keep in mind that these arrangements could be scams.
Become a street performer	- Can dance, play music, mime, sing, tell jokes in public - Put together a good act and find a place to perform	- Only do it if you are good - Always check bylaws before performing in a public space
Panhandle	- Depend on the spontaneous charity of strangers by making a sign and hitting the streets - Cyberbegging: Post ad on website or spend time and money on your own website.	Make sure panhandling or begging is permissible where you live.
Raid every part of your house where you might have stashed money	Look in money boxes, clothing pockets, spare bags, vacation bags, in the couch, under furniture, or in jars stashed away.
Rent out room	If you have a spare room, post an ad to rent it out.	Make sure to interview candidates before and make sure that they are safe and trustworthy.
Sell tickets to big event	Sell them legally, at cost or market value	Don’t scalp
Access money from life insurance	Speak to the representative for your policy
Check credit card rewards	There may be vouchers you can claim that will cover part or all of some types of purchases

See What You Learned

Make Money Fast Quiz

1. Which of the following options is not a requirement to donate plasma?

1. You must weigh at least 110 pounds.
2. You must be over 18 years old.
3. You must be younger than 59 years old.
4. You must get at least 30 minutes of exercise 2-3 times per week.

2. Which is true about flipping products?

1. It requires time and energy to make something worth more than what you bought it for.
2. It’s possible to make a solid income from flipping domain names.
3. It is illegal to buy products wholesale and sell them individually.
4. It’s better to not even try re-selling jewelry unless you know a lot about gems and pricing.

3. Which of the following is the best way to make some cash fast if you have no money in your bank account?

1. Flipping domain names
2. Selling things you don’t need on Craigslist or through local classifieds
3. Selling things you don’t need online at a website such as eBay or Amazon
4. Becoming a street performer

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Answers:

1. D. There are age, weight, and health requirements you must meet to donate plasma, but no one requires that you work out for a certain amount of time every week.

2. B. The lucky ones can make a sizeable income from flipping domain names, especially if they snag a name that’s in high demand.

3. B. Arranging a sale with someone locally is usually faster than dealing with an auction site. If you price your item right, you can usually sell it and get the cash within a few hours.

Tips

• If you're taking on a part-time position, get one that gives tips so that you get immediate cash from the first day. It can be a long wait until that first pay otherwise.
• Have you got what it takes to tutor from home? If it's the season for desperation prior to exams, perhaps you can key in on this stress, help a few people pass their exams and make a sweet pot of money all at once. Advertise online, on bulletin boards and on street boards or posts. Go to campuses and find their bulletin boards and pin up your offer. Make it even more enticing by offering a free cup of coffee with every tutoring session!
• If you have a prime car park spot but you're not using, consider renting it to someone who needs it. You can earn good cash this way.
• Did you buy tickets to a big event some time away? Consider selling them. Avoid scalping them though; they must be sold legally, which either means at cost or check the terms and conditions to see if they allow sales at what the market is prepared to pay. Another option is to return items you haven't used yet but bought recently. You'll get over it!
• Don't forget to check your credit card rewards. There may be vouchers to claim that can cover things you need to get.
• Rent out a room in your home. Do you have a spare room or granny flat that isn't needed? People are always looking for affordable accommodations and this could be a quick return of money. Consider either long-term or vacation rental options, depending on the season and your needs.
• Any scheme that suggests you will make money fast should be very carefully scrutinized before you involve yourself. Don't spend money to get money on such schemes; if you haven't got much money right now, keep it to put food on the table or you may never see its worth again.
• Raid every part of your house where you are likely to have stashed money––money boxes, coat pockets, jean pockets, spare bags, vacation bags, down the back of the couch, underneath furniture, in jars stashed at the back of the cupboard, etc. Think! It may be possible that there are lots of coins that can be discovered and they might even be enough to cover a grocery run or night out.
• Consider taking up dog walking. People who own dogs but who are too busy to walk them will appreciate the chance to have the dogs walked. Be professional, make up a flyer and start door knocking or leaflet dropping. Use your cell phone for contact; that way you can get the calls no matter where you are trying to raise money!
• Totally destitute? Seek emergency assistance from a reputable charity. Or, seek a payday loan but only on the understanding that these can be a vicious cycle, with high interest unless you pay it back promptly; don't do it if you cannot pay it back next week. Perhaps ask your employer for an advance; it will be cheaper.  

Warnings

• If you are going to sell something, set a price that will ensure a sale. Don't set it too high or nobody will buy; equally, don't set it too low, or else you won't be able to make a decent amount of money (an exception to this is if you are seriously desperate).
• Make sure that whatever you're doing does not violate any local laws or regulations.
• While gambling is an option, it's also likely to be a very big losing one. If you have so few funds that you're not sure where the next meal or bus fare is coming from, skip this option totally. And even if you do opt for it, keep aside all money needed for bills, rent and food and play for very low stakes.
• Article farm sites are not a good quick money option. They're poorly regarded (so they won't improve your writing reputation) and they're slow to pay (usually at the end of the month) and you often need to have a certain amount of reads per article to get any payment. Moreover, the rate of return is generally lousy.
• If going the day laborer route, keep in mind that there is animus against these types of workers, namely illegal aliens (or illegal immigrants if you're in a jurisdiction outside of the US).