2020 has been a crazy year in a number of ways, chief among them being the Coronavirus epidemic that seems to be having free-reign the world over. While a lot has happened during this time, one of the hardest things for many people has been the financial insecurity that has been brought about through business closures, government lockdowns, reduced hours, and even sickness leaving people to ask how to make money fast in order to pay the bills or other necessities. On the other hand, many people are also able to work from home and are looking for a side-gig to supplement their income now that they have a little extra time due to a lack of a commute. Whatever your financial situation may be, here are five ways to make money fast during the pandemic.
1) Work From Home Using a Freelance Website
Do you have a marketable skill? Graphic design, content writing, app development, photography, coding, web design, editing, SEO research, and many other abilities are in high demand and can help fetch you that extra bit of cash you need without ever having to leave your home! Nowadays freelancing is easier than ever with a variety of websites and apps out there to help you connect with clients (though you can still do it the old fashioned way if you have strong networking skills). Most freelancing websites essentially allow you to run your own store and set your own prices (though keep in mind they usually take a small cut – generally around 20%) but come with a built-in clientele that makes finding work easy. Fiverr and Upwork are two of the more well-known and utilized freelancer websites and both accept a wide array of skillsets but there are a large number of reputable freelancing sites out there so make sure to do your research and find the one that works best for you! By making your profile look clean and professional and reaching out to clients already searching for gig work, it’s possible to start making money on day one of signing up; I had 5 orders on my first day writing for Fiverr! Build up a good reputation on the website to expand your number of clients and you’re well on your way to becoming a first-rate freelancer!
2) Open a New Bank Account
How will opening a new bank account make me money? Well, with a little research you’ll find that a number of different banks and credit unions are always doing a new promotion of sorts. Oftentimes simply opening a new checking or savings account can amount to big bucks in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the specific promotion being offered. Depending on the bank, there may be some qualifying factors such as a valid direct deposit or a certain amount of money needed to initially be put into the account but if you meet those criteria it can end up being essentially free money! Most banks will require you to have your account open for a period of time before you get the payout (usually around 30 days) but there are usually no penalties if you want to eventually close the account past the stated time period – and you get to keep the money! While there might be a few hoops to jump through, the relatively easy influx of cash this can provide certainly makes it worth it to many people.
3) Donate Plasma
If you didn’t already know, when you donate plasma the center that you donate with often compensates you for your time. While this compensation ranges depending on your area, you can expect to make a couple of hundred bucks a month with regular donations. The whole process usually takes between an hour or two (though allow for a little more time on your first donation) and you’ll usually have access to your money through some kind of prepaid debit card as soon as you’re finished. Barring any preventative medical conditions, you’ll be able to earn money donating twice weekly on your own timeframe so long as the two days you choose aren’t consecutive. Make sure to also be on the lookout for new member specials and promotions. When I first donated plasma they were offering $300 for the first four donations and then $70 a week after that bringing my grand total to $440 in my first month of donations. Not a bad gig if you don’t mind needles and can stand lying down and looking at your phone for an hour or two!
4) Become a Gig-Worker
Gig work is a lot like freelancing from home but more tied to a specific company and its policies and procedures. There are too many different types of gig work companies to list them all but you can find a company that deals in just about every type of work nowadays. As Apple once famously said – there’s an app for that! Many driving and delivery jobs are in greater demand than ever due to the pandemic as people are trying to stay at home as much as possible and get just about everything from groceries to alcohol delivered to them. Gig work is nice because it allows you to access the vast client network built by these companies without having to actually punch in and out to work for them. Being able to make your own schedule and accept or decline jobs at your leisure is a big part of what has made gig work so popular in the 21st century. One of the great things about being a gig worker is that you can often work for more than one company depending on pay and demand. Instacart, Seamless, GoPuff, and GrubHub are all delivery options that may be available in your area, most have relatively quick sign-ups and you can get started soon! This is of course excluding the ever-popular Uber and Lyft that most people are already familiar with; we did an in-depth comparison of which of the two is better to work for here if you have trouble deciding which you want to sign-up with!
5) Sell Your Junk
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. If you’re looking to make money fast, it might not be a bad idea to do a little spring cleaning and part with some things. Old exercise equipment, 
electronics, toys, and even clothes can help you make a quick buck when you need it. There are a number of places you can go to advertise and sell your items from apps like OfferUp to whole ecosystems like FaceBook Marketplace if you want to reach the broadest audience possible. You can even have an old-fashioned socially-distanced garage sale if you have enough things to get rid of! Many people are sitting on a lot of stuff they don’t use anymore that someone else would be more than happy to purchase. As Marie Kondo says, figure out if it sparks joy and if it doesn’t it’s time to get rid of it! Might as well make a little money off of it in the process, if you ask me.
We are living in particularly difficult times for many people and while this list of ways to make money fast is certainly not exhaustive, we hope it gives you some ideas on how to make extra cash during the pandemic. Whether you’re trying to improve your financial situation or just make a little extra money with the excess of free time most of us have now, there are a number of things you can do to make money outside of a typical 9-to-5 job. Make sure to stay safe and hopefully we can help you pad your pockets a little in the process!