Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you needed money ‘yesterday’ and wondered how to get it fast?
At DollarBreak, we test money-making apps and, during our research, we discover unique ways to earn money. We know exactly which apps pay quickly without requiring much time or effort.
In this article, we will share with you the best ways to make money if you need it urgently. Additionally, we will include some extra methods for earning money if you have a bit more time, such as a week.
How to Make Money Fast?
Complete Online Surveys
Surveys are one of the simplest ways to earn cash quickly. Companies are always looking for opinions, and many survey sites pay within hours or the same day.
Here are some sites we tested:
- MyPoints: We completed 5 hours of online surveys and earned $12.48 (around $2.50 per hour). We also received a $5 signup bonus, totaling $17.48.
- Branded Surveys: Earnings for 5 hours of surveys ranged from $1.57 to $3.29 per hour. We earned $12.54 in total.
- Swagbucks: We completed 5 hours of online surveys and earned $7.45.
How much can your earn with online surveys?
In the calculator below, adjust the bars to indicate how many hours per day and how many days per week you can fill out surveys. Then, select one of the best-paid survey sites to see your potential earnings from surveys.
Survey Income Calculator
Estimated Monthly Earnings
* Earnings based on our test data. Actual earnings may vary based on survey availability and qualification rates.
Sell Used Stuff
Take a look around your home for items you no longer use or need. Electronics, old gadgets, clothes, and even furniture can be sold locally or online.
- How to get started: List items on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, or Craigslist.
- Why it works: Selling locally means you can get paid the same day, especially for in-demand items.
Here is the list of all possible things you can find around your house and a complete list of websites where you can sell them.
Deliver Food
If you have a car, DoorDash could be a great way to start making money today. During our test, the background check took only 5 minutes. You can sign up and accept delivery requests in your area, earning money for each completed delivery.
- Earning potential – DollarBreak’s test earnings – $115.50 over 5 active hours.
- How easy to start – requires a vehicle, a valid driver’s license, and passing a background check.
Earn Cashback
Earn cash back on everyday purchases and turn your shopping into savings with cashback apps and websites like MyPoints and InboxDollars.
These platforms connect you with a vast network of retailers, from grocery stores to clothing brands and online giants. They offer various ways to make money on everyday purchases, from groceries to that new tech you’ve wanted.
See how much you could potentially save monthly and annually.
Fill in your monthly spending amounts here to discover how much money you could earn back through cashback sites.
💰 Cashback Calculator
| Category | Monthly Spending ($) | Rate | Monthly Savings | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🛒 Groceries | 2% | $10.00 | $120.00 | |
| ⛽ Gas | 3% | $6.00 | $72.00 | |
| 🍽️ Dining | 4% | $12.00 | $144.00 | |
| 🛍️ Shopping | 5% | $20.00 | $240.00 | |
| Total | $1,400.00 | – | $48.00 | $576.00 |
These averages consider typical cashback app offerings, though specific promotions or items may lead to higher rates in each category.
Play Games for Money
Earning money by playing games is a fun and easy way to make extra cash. Platforms like KashKick and Scrambly offer users the chance to earn by completing tasks or reaching certain milestones in mobile games. These apps provide rewards for playing games you likely already enjoy in your free time, making it a low-effort way to earn extra money.
- KashKick: KashKick allows you to earn money by completing offers, including playing mobile games.
- Scrambly: Scrambly offers a similar opportunity, where you can earn money by playing games or completing other tasks such as surveys or trying out apps.
Share Internet & Your Data
Sharing your unused internet bandwidth is a simple and passive way to earn money. Apps like Honeygain and Pawns allow you to sell your spare internet connection to help companies with web intelligence, content delivery, or research.
- Honeygain: Honeygain allows you to share your internet bandwidth with businesses for web scraping, content delivery, and SEO research. The app runs quietly in the background and uses your unused data, giving you money in exchange. You can expect to earn about $1 per day, though it varies based on your network’s data demand.
- Pawns: Similar to Honeygain, Pawns.app also pays you for sharing your unused internet bandwidth. The app runs passively, and you get paid based on the amount of data transferred. Pawns.app also allows you to complete surveys to earn additional cash.
- Potential earnings: You can earn around $1 per day depending on how much bandwidth the app uses, which can add up to $30 or more monthly. Combining both apps can slightly boost your earnings.
Internet Sharing Earnings Estimator
Select your daily usage and number of unique IPs below to estimate potential monthly earnings for using both apps.
| Hours per Day | Unique IPs | Estimated Monthly Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| $0.00 |
Provide Local Services
Local services provide a great way to earn money by leveraging your skills and interests. Here are various services you can offer within your community:
- Home Services: Engage in furniture assembly, home cleaning, gardening, home organizing, or carpet cleaning to help people enhance their living spaces.
- Personal Services: Work as a personal chef, caterer, personal trainer, party planner, or personal stylist to assist others in personal and event needs.
- Maintenance Services: Offer car wash/detailing, appliance repair, window washing, gutter cleaning, snow removal, or bicycle repair services.
- Specialty Services: Become a tour guide, DJ, home stager, makeup artist, dog trainer, or music teacher, providing unique skills to those in need.
- Pet Care: Provide pet sitting, walking, grooming, or even training services for pet owners.
- Housesitter/Babysitter: You can find babysitting or housesitting gigs through local connections, online platforms, or by offering your services to friends and family.
- Cleaning Services: Specialize in more niche areas like boat/pool cleaning or junk removal.
- Mover: Help individuals or businesses move their belongings to a new location. This could involve assisting with packing, loading, and unloading items and transporting a moving truck.
Test Apps and Websites
Be a usability tester and help improve apps and websites. You’ll find bugs, share your thoughts on design and ease of use, and ultimately improve the user experience. This might involve completing specific tasks and navigating through the app or website.
- The job: Find bugs and improve the usability of apps and websites.
- The pay: $5 to $15 per test.
Become Personal Shopper
Platform like Instacart allows you to accept shopping orders, purchase the items, and deliver them to the customer’s doorstep.
- Earning potential – DollarBreak’s test earnings – $60.63 over 5 hours before expenses.
- How easy to start – requires a vehicle and passing a background check.
Freelance Gigs on Fiverr or Upwork
If you have skills like graphic design, writing, or coding, you can take on quick gigs on freelance platforms like Fiverr or Upwork.
- How to get started: Create a profile and offer “quick turnaround” services.
- Potential earnings: $5 to $100 per gig, depending on complexity.
- Why it works: Clients often need small tasks done fast, which can lead to same-day payments.
Average Hourly Rates for Popular Freelance Professions
Based on data from ZipRecruiter, here are the average hourly rates for popular freelance professions in the United States.
| Freelance Profession | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| Freelance Writer | $23.27 |
| Freelance Copywriter | $31.25 |
| Freelance Graphic Designer | $34.67 |
| Freelance Programmer | $39.54 |
| Freelance Consultant | $47.71 |
| Freelance Virtual Assistant | $24.40 |
| Freelance Data Entry Specialist | $19.47 |
| Freelance Administrative Assistant | $19.94 |
| Freelance Business Analyst | $38.63 |
| Freelance Designer | $47.71 |
Rent Out Belongings
Earn income by renting out personal items like your car, tools, or space.
- Earning potential – varies; can range from a few dollars to hundreds per month, depending on the item.
- How easy to start – requires owning items that others may want to rent and listing them on rental platforms.
Find Job Opportunities on Reddit
While Reddit’s original focus is not on being a job-seeking platform, it has quite a few subreddits that can help you connect with professionals like you who are looking for work.
Some of the subreddits where you can find job include:
Flip Free Items
Flipping free items is a simple way to make money by finding things people are giving away for free, fixing them up if needed, and selling them for a profit.
Many people offer items they no longer need on platforms like Craigslist’s “Free” section, Facebook Marketplace, or neighborhood apps like Nextdoor. These items can range from furniture to electronics, appliances, and more.
- How to get started: Browse this article and check what you can get for free.
- What to do next: Once you’ve picked up the free item, clean or fix it if needed, take clear photos, and list it for sale on the same platforms or even broader markets like eBay or OfferUp.
- Potential earnings: Depending on the item, you can make $20 to $100+ for each flip, with higher earnings for larger or more valuable items like furniture or electronics.
- Why it works: Many people give away items for free to avoid the hassle of selling or disposing of them, so there’s potential for significant profit with little or no upfront cost.
Donate Plasma
Many donation centers will pay you to donate plasma, and you can typically get paid on the same day.
- How to get started: Find a local plasma donation center and book an appointment.
- Potential earnings: $40 to $100 for a donation session.
- Why it works: It’s a fast and relatively easy way to earn cash if you meet the health requirements.
Refer Friends to the Apps You Are Using via Social Media Channels
Referring friends to apps you already use can be a quick and easy way to earn money, especially through social media channels.
- How it works: Most apps provide a unique referral link or code that you can share with others. When someone signs up using your link and completes certain actions (like making a purchase or taking a trip), you earn a bonus, and your friend may also receive a reward for joining.
- How to get started: Open the app you want to refer, copy your referral link, and share it on your social media platforms. You can include a brief explanation of why you love the app and how it benefits your friends too. For better results, target platforms where you have a strong following or engagement, like Instagram Stories, Facebook posts, or even TikTok videos.
- Potential earnings: Referral bonuses typically range from $5 to $50 per referral, depending on the app. Some platforms offer unlimited referral earnings, allowing you to make more as more people sign up.
- Why it works: People trust recommendations from their social circle, and sharing apps you genuinely enjoy and use can attract more sign-ups. Plus, it requires little effort to post on social media, and the potential rewards can add up quickly.
