If you have a toothache, a sick pet or a car that won’t start, you may find yourself in need of extra money. Unfortunately, many people don’t make enough at their full-time jobs to cover these unexpected expenses. The good news is that it’s possible to get fast cash without taking on a second job.
We created this guide to show you it’s possible to boost your earnings without working 18 hours a day and sacrificing precious time with loved ones. Discover how to make money online or offline without falling victim to common scams.
The best way to make money online depends on what skills you have.
If you have limited work experience, surveys and focus groups are your best bet. You can earn even more if you know how to write, create videos or help other people master difficult subjects. Here’s a list of areas in which you can earn a little cash on the side:
Companies all over the world use surveys to measure the demand for new products, find out if consumers are satisfied with their offerings and calculate their market share. If you have a little time on your hands, you can make extra cash by taking surveys on your computer or mobile device.
Average Pay: $1 to $3 per survey
Requirements: You’ll need a computer, smartphone or tablet with a reliable internet connection.
Difficulty level: Easy
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) program makes it easy for users to get their books in front of millions of potential buyers. Once you master the art of writing a book, creating an eye-catching cover and uploading everything to the KDP platform, you can branch out to Barnes & Noble, Apple Books and other publishing sites.
Average Pay: How much you earn depends on how long your book is and which publishing platform you use. For example, KDP has 35% and 70% royalty options. The 35% option gives you 35% of each book’s list price. If you sell a book for $5.99, for example, you earn $2.10.
Requirements: You must have excellent research and writing skills, a computer or word processor for creating your book files and a stable internet connection.
Difficulty level: High
YouTube isn’t just for teenagers anymore. According to the State of the Creator Economy report, the social media platform contributed more than $35 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022. It takes time to grow an audience but YouTube offers creators several ways to earn money, so it’s worth the effort. For example, you can earn a portion of the platform’s advertising revenue, set up channel subscriptions or accept ‘super chats’ from your viewers.
Average Pay: $18 per 1,000 ad views; additional earnings available through super chats, affiliate programs and other revenue sources.
Requirements: You’ll need an internet-connected computer or mobile device, a high-quality microphone and the ability to create, edit and upload videos.
Difficulty level: High
These days, you don’t have to leave your home to land a high-paying job. If you know how to write, design websites, edit videos or create visually appealing marketing materials, you can offer these services to companies across the globe. Signing up with a freelance service is the easiest option as you won’t have to worry about marketing yourself to potential clients or trying to collect payments on your own.
Another option is to start your own freelance business. This takes a little more effort, but it also gives you more control over your ability to make money online.
Average Pay: $24.14/hour
Requirements: At minimum, you’ll need a computer and a stable internet connection. You should also have some type of specialized skill, such as web programming or illustration.
Difficulty level: High
One of the easiest ways to make money online is to sell unused items. If you look in your closets and glance under your bed, there’s a good chance you have clothing, shoes, sports equipment or other items that haven’t seen the light of day in months or even years. Online stores such as Poshmark, Mercari and eBay allow you to list these items for sale, making it a little easier to earn quick cash.
Average pay: Varies based on the items you list.
Requirements: You’ll need an internet connection, shipping labels, packing tape and boxes or padded envelopes. If you plan to earn a lot of cash, invest in a shipping scale to make it easier to estimate your shipping costs.
Difficulty level: Easy
If you don’t want to make money online, there are plenty of things you can do at home or in your community.
Going down this route gives you the chance to connect with other people and enrich your life as well your bank account.
Companies use focus groups to solicit feedback from small groups of people. Each session focuses on a specific topic, such as clothing preferences or the challenges of balancing a job with parenthood. Some law firms even use these groups as mock juries to help attorneys determine the best way to present their cases in court.
Average pay: $50 to $500 depending on the length of the session and the topic discussed
Requirements: Companies often set age limits or other restrictions on group participation. For example, if a manufacturer wants opinions on a product designed for menopausal women, the advertisement might specify that only women between the ages of 50 and 60 who have already started menopause need apply.
Difficulty level: Easy
Remember all those items you found lying around in the attic or in your basement? You can boost your income by selling them at a yard sale. Competitive pricing and a high-traffic location can help maximize your earnings. For the best results, ask your neighbors if they’re interested in holding a block-wide sale. If you all post about it on social media, you may attract way more buyers than you would get if you were to organize it on your own.
Average pay: $100 to $200
Requirements: You’ll need items to sell, price stickers, rolls of coins and a safe place to store payments.
Difficulty level: Easy
There’s a good chance one of your neighbors needs someone reliable to walk their dog, mow their lawn or provide babysitting services a few times per month. If you’re willing to provide services like these, you can make extra money on your own terms.
Average pay: $10 to $30 per hour
Requirements: You don’t need anything special for babysitting or dog walking. If you provide home services such as housekeeping or lawn care, however, you may need to bring your own equipment.
Difficulty level: Easy
If you took out a loan with a high interest rate, refinancing it can help you save money.
For example, perhaps you purchased your home when you had a credit score in the average range. If your score is now in the excellent range, you may be able to refinance at a lower interest rate, which should reduce your monthly repayments.
Requirements: You must meet your lender’s minimum requirements. For example, you may need a certain credit score or income level.
Difficulty level: Easy
If you don’t review your budget regularly, there’s a good chance you’re wasting money. Look over your recent expenses to identify unused subscriptions or excessive spending on certain items to see if there’s anywhere you could be making savings. Use a savings calculator to see if you could save more, and know how much money to save for an emergency fund.
Requirements: All you need is some time to look through recent bank and credit card statements.
Difficulty level: Easy
If you have multiple debts, you may benefit from consolidating them into one loan. In some cases, debt consolidation can reduce your monthly repayments and interest rates. For example, if you currently have three sources of debt with rates of 15%, 20% and 25%, you may be able to get a consolidation loan with a rate of 18%, which could save you a lot of money.
Requirements: You’ll need to meet the lender’s minimum requirements for consolidations.
Difficulty level: Easy
It’s possible to make money online, but you need to watch out for scammers.
Unscrupulous individuals and organizations are always looking for ways to enrich themselves at other people’s expense.
Payday loans may be legal in your state, but you should avoid them at all costs. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, lenders charge an annual percentage rate (APR) of up to around 400%, making it extremely difficult to get out from under the weight of one of these loans once you begin to rely on them.
If you apply for online jobs, watch out for scams involving fake checks. One of the most common scenarios is for someone to “hire” you, send you a check and ask you to use the money to buy work supplies. Then you’re supposed to return the leftover funds. By the time you find out the check is fake, there’s a good chance your bank account will be overdrawn.
Another common scam is for someone to “hire” you and then tell you that you need to pay some type of fee to start working. You should never have to pay an employer to start a new job.
One of the best ways to earn cash from home is to capitalize on your skills. You can offer online tutoring, write ebooks and sell them on various publishing platforms or provide professional services to companies all over the world. If you don’t have a lot of work experience, you can earn income by doing surveys or selling unused items. You may even be able to find a work-from-home job with other benefits and perks.
If you need cash right away, consider selling a few things in your local neighborhood marketplace. Several social media networks allow users to buy, sell and trade items with people in their local community. If you have an urgent need, price each item a few dollars below its market value. You may be able to attract buyers within just a few hours instead of having to wait weeks to make a sale.
Yes, you can make extra money in 24 hours, but only if you choose the right earning method. In most cases, freelancing, hosting yard sales and publishing content online don’t pay off immediately. If you need cash right now, consider selling items at a pawn shop or offering a service to one of your neighbors. For example, maybe someone in your community needs help with pet-sitting or lawn care.
Leigh Morgan is a seasoned personal finance contributor with over 15 years of experience writing on a diverse range of professional legal and financial topics. She specializes in subjects like navigating the complexities of insurance, savings, zero-based budgeting and emergency fund development.
In the last 5 years, she’s authored over 300 articles for credit unions, digital banks, and financial professionals. Morgan is also the author of “77 Tips for Preventing Elder Financial Abuse,” a book focused on helping caregivers protect the elderly from financial scams.
In addition to her writing skills, she brings real-world financial acumen thanks to her previous experience managing rental properties as part of a $34 million real estate portfolio.
