18 Easy Ways to Make Money Fast [2024]: From Side Hustles to New Careers

With the rising cost of living, learning how to make extra money fast can go a long way in helping to pay bills. I’ve done a few of these myself and appreciated the extra income.

A side gig like ridesharing or food delivery can offer certain flexibility and social interactions. There are also a lot of options within the realm of freelancing for those who need to work from home. And don’t forget about hands-on jobs like childcare and dog walking.

We’ll show you 18 ways to make extra money fast, including some of the best side hustles. Whether you need hundreds of dollars a month or even an extra fifty bucks here and there, you’ll find options here.

Featured side hustles to consider

Key takeaways

• There are plenty of ways to make money online like teaching online courses, using freelance work sites, and selling creative work.
• Opening a new bank account and renting out things like parking spaces and vehicles can bring in passive income.
• Babysitting, pet sitting, and ridesharing are examples of more active options that allow you to make your own schedule.

1. Take surveys online

One easy way to get paid is to take surveys online. Through survey sites like Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, and Inbox Dollars, you can earn cash (typically in the form of gift cards) when you take surveys about different brands.

As long as you have a phone, laptop, or tablet, you can participate in surveys. You’ll also need to qualify, and eligibility for specific surveys depends on lots of factors from your age and gender to types of music you listen to.

I want to offer a word of caution about surveys, as they tend to provide an extremely low return compared to the time it takes. It’s not passive income since you have to continually put in more effort to make more money, but if you enjoy testing out products and offering your opinions, you may find it fun. Just remember there are more lucrative options, but surveys are great for making some extra cash when you wanna fill some freetime.

2. Become a rideshare driver

Uber and Lyft provide an easy and often more affordable alternative to taxis and public transportation. If you have a vehicle in good condition and a clean driving record, you might have what it takes to become a rideshare driver.

Driving is a flexible job that allows you to work when you want to (a huge plus!) and earn more during peak times thanks to surge pricing, keeping 100% of customer tips. Plus, if you live in a city or region with a strong rideshare market, your earning potential is higher than in other areas.

If you’re interested in helping shuttle folks around to earn more money, keep in mind there will be wear and tear on your vehicle, and you need to ensure you’re fully covered in case of accidents.

3. Deliver groceries or takeout

I wish grocery delivery services had been as prevalent ten years ago as they are now, but at least we have plenty of options today. Not only do these apps let us get meals delivered with total convenience, they also offer opportunities to put more money in your pocket.

You can earn cash delivering groceries in another one of the most flexible side gigs available. If you have a car in decent working order, you can earn money by delivering food through DoorDash and Uber Eats or delivering groceries through Instacart.

Your schedule is up to you with food delivery work, and you get to keep 100% of any tips you receive (a friend of mine earned great tips as a grocery delivery driver).

Delivering for restaurants or supermarkets is similar to driving for rideshare and earns similar pay. For me, I’d pick grocery delivery since I wouldn’t have to let strangers into my car.

4. Offer pet care

If you’re an animal lover, you can make money caring for other people’s pets. The best part is there are many different ways to start making money doing this, whether that’s by walking dogs, hosting a doggy daycare at your home, or taking care of people’s farms when they leave on vacation. (Okay, let’s be honest — the real best part is the adorable animals you’ll get to hang out with.)

You might start by asking family, friends, and neighbors if they need pet care. As someone who has an anxious dog that doesn’t handle kennels well, I know how valuable it can be to find a loving individual to care for a pet in my absence.

You could provide that relief to people in your area by giving more personalized care to their pets. Try sites like Rover or Care.com, which can connect you with pet owners seeking dog walkers, pet sitters, and more.

5. Open a new bank account

Opening a new checking or savings account could bring in extra money in a couple of ways. First, by selecting a great high-yield savings account, you’ll earn a solid annual percentage yield (APY). Your initial deposit starts earning interest without any effort, and your balance grows more rapidly if you contribute regularly.

The second way this adds to your budget is if you can find a bank with a great account bonus offer for new customers. I’ve done this before with an online checking account — all I had to do was deposit a minimum amount (I think it was $1,000) and leave it there for three months in order to receive a $200 bonus.

Of course, you don’t want to go wild opening up ten bank accounts at once, but this is an easy strategy to try a couple times a year.

When selecting the right account for your needs, look at the overall perks offered by the bank. Does it have other features you appreciate? Is it low in fees? Is accessing your money easy? Answer these questions to help pick an account that best meets your needs.

6. Tutor or teach online

If you have an education background, you can earn good money by tutoring or teaching an online course. To qualify for this side gig, you’ll want to show your clients a teaching degree or a degree in the subject you’ll be tutoring.

You can find online teaching jobs through job portals and companies like VIPKid, Pearson, and Stride. These platforms connect you with schools that need teachers, typically international ones. You need a laptop, an internet connection, and a flexible schedule to take on these kinds of positions.

You can also look into platforms like Outschool, where teachers design their own curriculum and set their own prices.

It can be really lucrative — my husband taught English to kids in China for quite a while and though it’s no longer his full-time gig, he still gets up early most mornings to squeeze in a few lessons.

7. Use your skills for freelancing

Freelancing can be an excellent way to make money, so figure out your top skills (think about your hobbies, too, not just tasks you do at your day job). From writing to graphic design to bookkeeping and more, there are many in-demand skills that could increase your income.

To give you some ideas, here’s a quick list of potential types of freelance work:

• Social media manager
• SEO specialist
• Accounting
• Editing
• Writing
• Virtual assistant
• Consultant
• Copywriting
• Graphic design

I’m here because I discovered a personal finance passion and took up freelance writing when I was still teaching high school French. It took time to build up my business, and it likely will take time for you, too.

If you have a marketable skill and are willing to do the work of locating clients, setting rates, and providing excellent service, give freelancing a try. It can be a source of a little extra wiggle room in your budget or even grow into a full-time job if you’re tenacious and good at what you do.

Sites like Fiverr and Upwork allow you to find freelance job postings and create a portfolio to connect with clients.

8. Sell items online

The good old garage sale is great for unloading items you no longer need, like the treadmill collecting dust in your basement. To start, go through your home, storage space, and closets to identify what you’d like to sell. Then clean it up and take pictures that show off its condition from multiple angles.

Lots of options for selling unwanted items are available. You can sell stuff locally through a garage sale, create listings on local marketplaces (such as Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist), or post on online marketplaces like eBay.

Be honest with yourself about the resale value of your things before you put too much effort into this. I’d hate for you to put a ton of time and effort into organizing your stuff only to learn that either no one wants it, or that no one’s willing to pay for it.

9. Sell gift cards

Do you have unused gift cards sitting in your wallet? If you’ve received a gift card that you don’t want, you can make quick money by trading your unused gift cards through websites like CardCash.

Even though gift cards are excellent for picking out what you want, if they’re for retailers you’ll never visit, they’re not worth much. I’d be glad to sell unwanted gift cards and pocket the cash.

CardCash and other gift card exchange and selling platforms let you sell your gift cards and get paid via check, ACH, or Paypal. CardCash also has the option to trade in your gift card for one to a different vendor, even saying that you might get up to 11% more when doing so.

10. Sell stock photos

I’m not much of a photographer, so this wouldn’t work for me, but if you’re handy with a camera, selling your photos as stock images can be a nice side gig.

Stock photos are photographs that businesses and individuals can use in their own content, often with specific use restrictions and terms. You can post your images on stock photo sites and sell to online publications and physical print publications.

The easiest way to start selling stock photos is to sign up for a stock image site such as Shutterstock or Adobe Stock. Adobe Stock pays 33% royalties on images you sell. From there, you can upload your images and wait for them to sell (and of course, post to all your social media pages to encourage people to click and buy).

11. Donate plasma

Donating plasma is another option for making money relatively quickly. Plasma, which makes up a majority of the content in your bloodstream, plays an essential part in treating many serious health conditions.

Look for a local plasma donation center that offers payment and check whether you meet the health criteria and other eligibility requirements. You can donate once every two days but no more than twice in any seven-day period.

This might go without saying, but this gig isn’t for the faint of heart, as the needles are large and you’ll likely experience some physical effects. I donated for a few weeks in my early twenties and learned my veins didn’t want to cooperate. If you’re prone to fainting or don’t want a needle in your arm, you’ll want a different side hustle.

12. Create and sell crafts

If you’re a crafty person, you may want to consider selling your handiwork at local craft fairs, makers markets, or even online on Etsy. Know that there’s a careful balance of creating inventory and marketing involved, as you’ll need to create a brand in order to take part in many of these markets.

There isn’t always an immediate payoff with crafty creations. It takes time to build a reputation and get a good number of sales under your belt. Still, if you’re passionate about what you’re making, it could be a fun way to boost your income.

A teacher friend of mine ran an Etsy shop selling handmade scarves for a few years and said it gave her a nice creative outlet. Like her, you don’t have to continue making your products forever — it’s a great side hustle for as long as you enjoy it and make money.

13. Rent out your car or parking spot

Do you have a parking space you’re not using? Check with your landlord first, but you could rent it out for extra money. If I lived in a city, I’d be tempted to try this. Sites like Neighbor and Spacer are social apps that connect you with people in your city who need low-cost parking.

Neighbor even covers the cost of your space if your renter doesn’t pay for some reason. And while fees will vary, Spacer suggests you can earn up to $400 per month by renting your parking space.

Alternatively, you can rent your car on car sharing marketplaces like Turo. Turo hosts can determine which insurance plan they wish to sign up for, and every plan comes with $750,000 in liability insurance.

14. Rent your home

If you’re comfortable sharing your space, you can rent a portion of your home for extra income.

To get started, you’ll need to decide how much of your home you’d like to rent out (a room or all of it?). Then, look into local laws and restrictions and insurance requirements.

Once you're in the clear, you can list your space on sites like Airbnb and Vrbo, which connect you with customers. Friends of ours paid off both of their student loans by simply renting out their Louisville home during the Kentucky Derby a few years in a row.

However, you’ll be responsible for the upkeep of your home, and Airbnb is notorious for charging hosts substantial fees.

15. Participate in market research

Market research helps businesses understand what customers like, what they don't like, how much they're willing to spend, and where they frequently shop. It also helps businesses make smart decisions about what products to make, how much to charge, and how to promote their stuff.

Sites like Field Work help you participate in focus groups for popular products. These studies don’t take too long and, while you won’t make a huge consistent income, it can add some extra money to your wallet.

16. Babysit

Someone who enjoys kids can babysit for extra income. It’s not just a job for teen girls, as many parents prefer an adult to supervise their children. If you have your schedule wide open and a home that works, you might even be able to run an in-home daycare, though that’s a huge commitment and you don’t want to risk leaving parents high and dry.

Something you might not consider is that families often need elder care, not just care for children. For adults in charge of an elderly relative, you could offer an invaluable service by watching over that person to give the main caregiver a break. Be sure you understand any health issues or risks involved before signing on for this type of work.

Additionally, if you have certain certifications (like CPR/AED and FirstAid), you may be able to charge extra for your services. Care.com is one website where you can create your profile and search for babysitting jobs near you.

17. Work as a virtual assistant

Remote work skyrocketed during COVID-19 and largely hasn't gone away. Many in-person jobs have become entirely virtual, and people in all sorts of businesses may need help managing administrative tasks. As a virtual assistant (VA), you can select which tasks you’re willing and able to perform, but they might include answering phones, scheduling meetings, making travel arrangements, and organizing files.

Lots of people use VAs to help them scale up their business, because if administrative tasks are handled, they can focus more on their specific skills (which earn them more money). I like the idea of VA work because you can really customize the job to highlight your skill set, and it’s remote and typically flexible in terms of hours.

18. Complete odd jobs

Thankfully, not all jobs involve technology or computer-based tasks. If you’re a jack-of-all-trades, doing odd jobs can put extra cash in your pocket. You can take on jobs as a handyman fixing small home problems, move furniture and other belongings as needed, or start a small cleaning business.

The list of small jobs you can take on is long. Someone is likely looking for skills you possess; just be prepared for most customers to be on a budget. Look to apps like TaskRabbit to find opportunities near you.

How to choose the best side hustles for making money fast

When trying to pick the right side hustle, you need to consider more than just your skill set. Make sure you also think through the following factors.

• Play to your strengths: When looking at how to make money fast, you should play to your strengths and utilize skill sets that you already have. For example, if you’re an avid crafter, selling homemade goods on Etsy will likely pay off quicker than learning how to shoot and sell stock photos.
• Consider the time commitment: Different side hustles come with different time commitments, which can quickly become overwhelming if you can’t fit them into your schedule. If your schedule is already tight, consider side hustles that take less time to complete but offer bigger payoffs.
• Consider the costs: Making a side income doesn’t come without costs. You’ll want to consider income tax, self-employment tax, the cost of necessary equipment, and subscription fees for needed services.
• Research market demand in your area: Conduct thorough research to understand your area’s current market demand for various services or products related to your skills and interests. If there’s no interest in the skills you're offering, it may be best to try other options.

FAQ

Bottom line

Increasing your monthly income doesn’t have to take a ton of time, so consider how you might translate your passions into a paid skill. Whether you want a remote or in-person side hustle, there are plenty of options.

A side hustle that earns you extra cash is the perfect way to try out a new job before committing full time. You may even find more satisfaction in your side hustle, choosing to make it your full-time job.

Methodology

The companies we chose for easy ways to make money fast may be current or past FinanceBuzz partners. We did not review all companies in the market. When evaluating these companies, we considered factors such as time commitment, ease of starting the side hustle, and earning potential.