It can be stressful when you need to make money fast to pay bills or buy things you need, but you do have some options. You can sell goods and services, recycle or discard items, do some odd jobs, or borrow money. These methods may or may not be reliable in the long run, but when you need to make money fast in a few hours or days, they’re the way to go!
Method 1
Sell goods and services
1. Take the items you want to sell to a pawn store. A local pawn store may pay a reasonable price for your high-value items, such as electronics, musical instruments or jewelry. Bring your items to the pawn store and see what they are willing to offer you. This is a quick way to make money in an emergency situation.
2. Trade in your old clothes at thrift stores. Some thrift stores also recycle items such as old clothes, CDs, DVDs, records or books. Take some valuable items that are in good condition and see what you can get for them.
3. Sell things you no longer need. Choose a day or days for the sale. Advertise in your local newspaper and online, such as posting on social media and classified sites. Then, on the day of the sale, place the items on a table, blanket, shelf or otherwise in front of your home. You can group items by price, or price them individually.
4. Use commercial websites to sell unwanted items. Some sites charge a small fee or a percentage of the sale price, but the exposure is great and usually worth it. Sell any items you have lying around that are in good condition or brand new.
5. Rent out rooms in your home to travelers. If you live in a city or a popular vacation destination, people passing through may be looking for a place to stay. Even if you don’t live in a high-traffic area, you can still use rental sites to find people willing to pay to stay in your home.
Method 2
Do the weird work
1. Find small paid tasks through apps. Some apps will pay you to perform marketing tasks, such as scanning products at the grocery store or completing surveys. Download one of these apps and use it to find small paid tasks you can perform.
2. Fill out online surveys. There are many websites dedicated to directing users to free online surveys. These usually only pay a few dollars each at most, but they take very little effort and can offer quick payment.
3. Use your skills for daily work. Post ads online or on bulletin boards offering odd jobs, or sign up with an employment agency that specializes in temporary work. You can also go to other places where temporary workers congregate and wait for employers, such as building contractors, landscapers, homeowners and small business owners.
4. Show off your talents as a street performer. If you can dance, play music, mime, sing or tell jokes, you may be able to get some cash by performing in public. Put on a good show to release and find a place to perform. Provide live entertainment for people to perform and hopefully they will reward you with a tip.
Method 3
Sell end-of-life items
1. Return bottles and cans for a refund. In some places, you can get 5 cents or 10 cents per can or bottle by returning the can or bottle to a deposit center.
2. Scrap a pile of trash for cash. If you have a large pile of scrap in your backyard, own an abandoned camper or other vehicle, or know of a junkyard where you can legally recycle materials, you can sort and sell it to a scrap yard or recycling center in your area. Metals such as scrap steel, copper or aluminum can fetch a good price.
3. Sell computers that you no longer need or use. Computers are full of precious metals, such as steel, aluminum and gold. If you dismantle old computers, you can sort these metals and sell them to a recycling yard, or you can find buyers who will accept old computers and scrap them themselves.
Method 4
Borrow money
1. Borrow money from friends or family. If you need money badly, you can always borrow money from family or friends. Let them know why you need to borrow money and offer to pay it back within a (feasible) time frame.
2. If you need to make a purchase, use your bank’s overdraft protection. If you have a checking or other account with overdraft protection, you may be able to get an overdraft on that account and take advantage of a temporary payment when you need cash fast. The bank will cover the charges, but you must repay them.
3. Use the cash advance feature of your credit card. Some credit cards allow you to use it to withdraw a certain amount of cash at an ATM. This can help you get cash out quickly. However, the interest rates on cash advances are usually much higher than the usual rates on credit cards, which means you will end up having to pay more.
Seek a payday loan or title loan as a last resort. Companies that offer payday and title loan services offer high interest rates (sometimes hundreds of percentages). If you are unable to repay the loan and any interest within the required time frame, you will face higher interest costs or, in the case of a title loan, the loss of your car. Try to avoid these types of loans except in the worst case scenario, unless you are sure you can repay the loan.