Listen, we’ve all been there. There’s been a time in just about everybody’s life when they’ve found themselves in need of some extra cash – and quick! Studies have shown that as many as 78% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and 37% wouldn’t even be able to cover an unexpected expensive of $400 or more. With skyrocketing housing costs, inflation, tariffs, and so much more uncertainty an extra couple of dollars can be a make or break for many people across the country. Whether you’re looking to cover some bills you’re just short on, got saddled with an unexpected expense, or just want a little extra walking around money, here are five ways to make money fast that won’t have you waiting weeks or months to get paid!
1) Donate Plasma
As long as you don’t have a fear of needles, donating plasma can be a great way to earn extra money quickly. Donating plasma works similarly to donating blood except, after the blood is extracted, phlebotomists use a centrifuge to separate the anti-body rich plasma from your red blood cells and platelets and then return the latter two to you. This allows you to donate plasma far more often than donating blood with a healthy individual being able to donate up to twice a week with at least 48 hours between donations to allow time for your plasma to replenish. The plasma is rich is antibodies that can be used in research and in creating life-saving medications for people with autoimmune diseases.
How Much Does Donating Plasma Pay?
The amount per plasma donation can vary depending on the companies running the donation centers in your area. The average rate runs between $40 and $100 per donation with most donors being allowed to donate up to twice per week. However, donation centers often offer bonuses for new donors, consistent donations, and new customer referrals. Overall, a new donor can expect to earn somewhere between $400 and $1000 per month. Not bad for sitting in a chair for a couple of hours, huh?
How Long Does it Take to Get Paid From Donating Plasma?
One of the benefits of donating plasma for money is that you typically get paid immediately. Most plasma donation centers offer donors immediate payment through a pre-paid gift card or a reloadable debit card issued by the center; some may even give you straight up cash! The time it takes to donate will depend on how busy the center is that day and whether or not they have scheduled donation times, how much plasma they take (which is determined by weight), and how hydrated you are (being dehydrated can slow down the blood draw process). Generally the donation process will take an 1-2 hours for most donors. If it’s your first time donating it may take a little longer as you will have to fill out paperwork, a screening, and potentially a physical to make sure you are healthy for donation. I would make sure to schedule 3-5 hours for your first visitation to be on the safe side.
2) Rideshare/Food Delivery
Around 90% of American households have access to a vehicle, if you find yourself in that group then signing up to either be a rideshare or food delivery driver could be a smart little side hustle to look into. While this may not be an option for everyone, if you have a relatively clean driving record and a car that passes the basic requirements of whatever company you sign up for than this could be a much quicker way of making some extra cash than trying to look for a traditional job. Depending on where you sign up, places like Uber or Lyft could have you on the rode and driving for them in just a couple of days!
How Much Does Rideshare/Food Delivery Pay?
Pay can vary pretty significantly between different companies and markets. For example in larger cities you may have a lot more demand or in college towns you may have more drivers fighting for rides as college students are more likely to drive Uber as a part-time side gig or job that fits easily with their college schedule. If you end up driving for a company like Lyft, Uber, or DoorDash, it could pay to travel a short distance into a more lucrative market. That being said, on average rideshare drivers can expect to make between $15 and $40/hr and food delivery drivers for apps like UberEats or PostMates will pay between $15 and $20/hr. Oftentimes these apps will also have sign-up bonuses or incentives for constant work so make sure to do research to find
How Long Does it Take to Get Paid From Rideshare/Food Delivery Apps?
This again will depend on the company but most standard rideshare and delivery apps that you can sign-up for will have at the very least a weekly cash-out option for your earnings. Some, like Uber, will also have faster options like instant cash-out once you pass a certain earnings threshold or the Uber Pro Card which will allow you to get your money much faster – from quickly as within seconds up to around 3 business days.
3) Flip Items From Garage Sales or Thrift Stores
One mans trash is another mans treasure. While the downside to this option is that it does take a small amount of cash to begin, it can certainly be a lucrative way to make a couple extra bucks pretty quickly. People trying to get rid of their own junk oftentimes overlook the genuine value in the items they are trying to get rid of – and there, my friends, is where profit lies. Some people even take this concept to the extreme and find ways to resell items that have been completely discarded. From dumpster diving to picking up old roadside furniture someone is trying to get rid of, realistically there are dollar signs all around us! If you are able to put in a little bit of elbow grease and clean up some old items or get into things like furniture or kitchenware refurbishment
How Much Does Flipping Items Pay?
Of all the side gigs you could choose from, admittedly flipping items has one of the largest ranges of profit depending on what items you are able to find and at what cost (and, most importantly, what you can get people to pay for them). Some people are able to get so good at flipping items that they are even able to turn it into their full-time job especially if they have an eye for underpriced vintage or collectible items or they are able to get into a more niche field like furniture restoration. You can make anywhere from $500 to $10,000 a month flipping items.
How Long Does it Take to Get Paid Flipping Items?
In short, as long as it takes to sell. Once an item sells, you generally get paid instantaneously. If you are shipping items online with websites like eBay there may be a slight delay of a couple of days for the transaction to clear or the item to ship. But, if you are selling person-to-person or using localized apps like OfferUp or Facebook Marketplace you should be able to get paid the very second the item sells which is a huge plus for people who need to make cash fast!
4) Open a Bank Account
It may seem like a strange solution to open a bank account in order make money fast, but many banks actually offer pretty lucrative incentives to open up a new checking or savings account at their branch. This is a great opportunity to make quick cash for relatively little to no work because generally all you have to do is open the account which nowadays you can even do online in some cases! Look around online and, depending on the various requirements, you may even be able to open a couple different accounts and really cash in. Just make sure you don’t forget about them!
How Much Does Opening a New Bank Account Pay?
This will vary based on the various promotions being offered by the banks in your area. Typically, new bank account incentives will range from around $100 to up to $1000 dollars. Oftentimes larger incentives will be paid out to people who are able to deposit larger amounts initially but this will vary pretty significantly from bank to bank. Make sure to also check out local credit unions as well as credit unions may often offer even better incentives and more localized customer service than the large nationalized banks like Wells Fargo or Chase.
How Long Does it Take to Get Paid From Opening a New Bank Account?
This again will depend on the specific requirements of the promotion. Usually the fulfilling the requirements for the incentive will involve one of the following:
- Setting up a direct deposit with the bank
- Making a savings deposit of a qualifying amount
- Maintain a minimum monthly balance in your account for a period of time
If the bank merely requires linking a direct deposit then you may get paid within a couple of days as soon as the accounts are successfully linked or your first pay check hits. If it requires you to maintain a minimum amount in the account for a specified period of time then usually you can expect that it will take at least 30 days for you to get your bonus. Still, not too bad to get a couple hundred bucks for doing just about nothing.
5) Sell Your Junk
Finally, a classic option for people who need to earn money fast – sell your garbage! Even the most frugal among us end up accumulating a whole bunch of stuff that we don’t use or need over the years. From unwanted wedding or birthday gifts, forgotten childhood keepsakes, abandoned hobbies you’ve grown bored of, or even things you don’t how you got, most of us are at least partially guilty of have some pile of unused clutter in a closet somewhere. Well, time for some spring cleaning! As Marie Kondo would say, “Does it spark joy?” if not, maybe try to sell it for a few bucks.
How Much Does Selling Your Junk Pay?
Well that depends on how good your junk is. One estimate shows that the average American household spends over $18,000 a year on non-essential household items. While you may not expect to rack up those kinds of numbers at the rummage sale in your front yard, that kind of stuff does tend to accumulate and you could be sitting on a nice little chunk of change and not even realize it. A first edition of the Monopoly board games used can go for up to $1000, if you have the first run of Pokémon cards and a Charizard is in the set it can go anywhere from $500 to $25,000 depending on the condition, and an old VHS copy of Star Wars: A New Hope sold for a whopping $114,000 on October 19th, 2022. Who knows, maybe you have the down payment to a house sitting in your closet!
How Long Does it Take to Get Paid for Selling Your Junk?
The best thing about selling stuff you already own is that you can get paid immediately which is super important for people who need to make cash fast. Unlike flipping other people’s items from garage sales or thrift stores it also doesn’t take any extra time or effort looking for items to sell and doesn’t take any initial capital to buy things because you’re just selling things you already own.
Everyone can use a little extra cash in their lives. Whether you had an unexpected expense, something you want to buy, or just want to bulk up your savings, hopefully some of these options fore making money fast will help you build wealth and get on your way to financial independence and security!