Emergency Cash: 25 Legitimate Ways to Get Money Fast

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If you need money now and don’t want to get a loan, there are lots of ways that you can get some money back in your bank account.

We are going to cover ways to make money fast that payout with cash or Paypal.

Most of the examples within this article will earn you $100 a day!

I Need Money Now- Get Cash In Your Pocket

1. Sell Unwanted Items Online

One of the best places to start when it comes to earning some money quickly is selling stuff you don’t use.

Start with the things that you think will sell quickly and generate a lot of cash.

Think of things like electronics (laptops, TV, phones, etc.), maybe some bigger items like furniture, or anything else laying around.

Sites like these have no fees to sell online:

• Facebook Marketplace
• Craigslist
• LetGo

2. Sell Old Clothes

The next step can be to go through your old clothes and put them up for sale as well. Do you need cash now, no job?

You may be surprised to find that people want to buy the clothes that you don’t like anymore – but don’t dismiss any of your items.

There are certain websites and apps that will pay you to upload and sell your old clothing. 

When it comes to listing the item, make sure that you include the measurements. This is important because clothes can change or may have been altered.

We love sites like:

• Poshmark
• eBay
• Mercari

3. Sell Thrift Store Finds!

Chances are that you have a thrift store near you that you can go in to find some things to sell.

You can buy some items at a low price and sell them for a higher price.

It does help to know which items sell well, but if you aren’t sure you can do a quick search on your phone whilst in the store.

It will help to have a plan of action, so you could always pick a niche and do some research beforehand.

4. Have A Garage Sale

In line with selling your things, having a garage sale is a good idea if you want to get rid of things quickly.

You won’t have to do things like taking photos and uploading them to sites (very time-consuming) – you can just gather them all together and start selling.

The downside of this, of course, is that you will likely be selling the items for less than if you sold them online.

You don’t need to pay to do this either – let your neighbors know and put it in your local Facebook groups.

5. Take Online Surveys

Another good way to make money quickly is to take paid online surveys. They aren’t going to get you tons of money, but they’re quick.

Online surveys are an easy way for companies to get market research at a low price (on their end).

Our favorite sites include:

• Swagbucks
• MyPoints
• Inbox Dollars
• Pinecone Research
• American Consumer Opinion

6. Babysit

Babysitting is another way we’ve made fast cash!

A good thing about babysitting is that if the kids are asleep you can get some other money-making ideas done!

You can charge extra if there’s more than one child, and make this a regular thing.

Check out the site Care.com for opportunities. Also reach out to family, friends, and in your local area.

7. Donate Blood Plasma

Donating plasma is one of the more popular weird ways to get cash quickly, and that isn’t changing!

8. Start Dog Sitting

Dog-sitting is one of the easiest side hustles, and so enjoyable! Rover is a really popular platform for this.

Dog owners go away – either on vacation or to something like a wedding – and need their beloved pooch looked after.

All that you need to do is stay in their house and treat the dog as though it’s your own.

9. Affiliate Marketing

We love affiliate marketing– it’s something that we use on our site.

You basically just recommend a product or service to your audience and they will give you a small commission.

You will need a big audience in order to get a lot of money from this, however, but it’s a good way to make some quick money.

10. Become A Proofreader

Proofreading is where you will check over a document to make sure that there are no obvious errors and can become a long-term business!

This doesn’t mean re-writing the whole thing but rather looking for grammatical or spelling mistakes.

Our favorite sites for finding proofreading jobs include:

• Upwork
• Freelancer
• Fiverr

11. Use Cash Back Apps

Using a cash back app can be a way of getting money now for little effort. You can also get free money for signing up.

Our favorites for this are the Rakuten and Ibotta apps.

The way that cashback apps work is that you can earn money back on the things that you buy.

All you need to do is head to the app, select the things that you are planning on buying e.g. on your grocery shop, then buy the items, upload your receipts and get your cash back!

12. Rent Space On Airbnb

If you already have property, a way that you can make money quickly is to rent part of all of your house out.

Listing your property is free of charge and when you make a booking you have to pay a 3% fee.

Before you sign up, there is a handy calculator on the Airbnb website to fund out how much you should charge.

The information that you need to provide in the calculator is:

• Your area
• How many guests you can accommodate
• What you are listing (the entire place, private room, shared room)

13. Snag Freelance Writing Jobs

There are all kinds of writing gigs out there and a lot of companies that need content written for them.

You may be able to do ghostwriting, copywriting, creating sales pages for products, writing articles for blogs, newsletter creation, and so on.

It’s always a good idea to ask around if anyone needs a writer and ask in relevant Facebook groups.

You can also learn from Earn More Writing to get the most out of your side gig.

14. Sell Your Skills Online

Carrying on from the job sites listed above, there are other websites out there where you can sell your skills.

There are all kinds of skills you can sell, so don’t worry if you feel you don’t have a lot of experience.

Have a look for the services that people are providing on there such as logo creation, writing services, voiceovers, and more.

15. Redeem Bottles & Cans

In certain states (so please check yours), you can redeem empty cans and bottles for quick cash.

It won’t fill your bank account, but every can and bottle is $0.50- a bagful is enough to help your grocery bill!

This is a lucrative way of making money quickly especially if you already have a pile of them at home.

Ask around in your neighborhood if anyone has any that you can take off their hands, or you may be able to go out and look for some.

16. Request A Cash Advance

If you already have a job, you can ask your boss for a cash advance from your paycheck.

It’s not a loan so you don’t need a good credit score- you just need to work your hours and pay it back.

There are no fees and your employer can set it up with their payroll services.

You can also use Earnin or other cash advance apps, but the payroll deduction is usually the easiest way for you to get cash.

17. Start A Shop Online

There are some excellent platforms out there that are set up with the intention of helping you sell your stuff.

Some of the most popular stores for selling and e-commerce include:

• Etsy
• Shopify
• Pinterest

We use Shopify ourselves and love it! They make it so easy to sell on and there are lots of ways to customize it.

You can launch an online store easily with Etsy and create pins to promote your product on Pinterest.

18. Become a Pinterest VA

If you are new to the blogging world then you may be wondering what a Pinterest VA is exactly!

A VA is a virtual assistant – so literally an assistant who works virtually (not in person).

A Pinterest VA is someone who does VA work with a focus solely on the Pinterest platform.

Pinterest is a tough nut to crack, and many business owners would gladly have you take this off their hands.

There are courses that you can take, such as the Pinterest VA course run by our good friend, to get trained and ready as a VA

19. Sell Stock Photos 

Don’t worry – you don’t need to be a professional photographer in order to sell stock photos.

There are all kinds of photos that you can upload – from photos of people to flat lays and picturesque shots.

BONUS: become a photographer and make good money, or even start modeling.

Did you know you could make lots of money selling pictures of feet? We were certainly shocked by how much people can make!

20. Cut Expenses

When you are looking for a quick win, a way that you can put money back into your budget is by cutting some expenses.

Once you’ve gone through all of your fixed expenses like the ones above, turn your attention to your variable expenses.

Check your credit card statement for extra things you can cut back on- and maybe avoid using the card too often!

Look at your categories in these areas and see what you can go without for a little while e.g. date nights, trips out.

21. Start Investing

The whole point of investing is to grow your money. The best way to invest, however, is to leave money in there for a long time not take it out for quick cash.

There’s no time like the present to start investing- and some platforms such as Acorns offer a free sign-up bonus which you can use.

You can hopefully get some money quite quickly from investing due to the high returns offered.

22. Ask Friends and Family For A Loan

Although it’s not ideal, if you have friends and family who could loan you some money, this will be a big help.

We’ll discuss loans to avoid, like payday loans, and other helpful loan options, but borrowing from family may be your best bet.

When you borrow money from someone, you need to pay it back- be on the same page for how you do it!

23. Refinance Student Loans

If you have student loans then you may want to look into refinancing them to free up some cash- and improve your credit score if credit is holding you back.

Debt is sometimes an endless cycle, from student loans to credit card bills, so paying off your schooling can make a big difference.

Some companies to check out for this include Sofi and LendKey.

24. Refinance Your Car Payment(s)

Car payments can be one of the most expensive parts of your budget, if you have one (or more!).

You may be able to refinance your car payment to save money.

25. Start A Unique Side Hustle

Side hustles are ways to make fast cash on the side of your usual income.

Have a brainstorm about the things that you enjoy doing or are good at, and what you can make money from.

Loans

You may need to look at how you can borrow cash and what loan you’re able to get- even with bad credit.

PayDay Loans- Oh No!

You mainly want to avoid payday loans, a cash advance or other loans are better options. 

A payday loan is a short-term loan that doesn’t check for good or bad credit, BUT people get outrageous fees- like paying $15 for every $100 borrowed.

A 2-week payday loan can have a fee of up to $30, which is a huge mark-up, hence why you should avoid them.

1. Personal Loan

The first step can be looking at getting a personal loan. A personal loan is a fixed amount of money at a fixed rate.

They can either be secured or unsecured – best to check this before agreeing.

2. Home Equity Loan

These typically have a low interest rate, but obviously, use caution.

It works by lenders loaning you the money secured against the value of your home, so speak to your mortgage lenders about it.

3. Retirement Loan

The money in your retirement is your money and you can take it out as needed.

A lot of plans such as a 401(k) allow you to borrow money from your retirement account and pay it back with interest.

4. Credit Card Balance Transfer

If you have debt then you can look into doing a credit card balance transfer. This is a good idea at any time anyway, as it should save you a lot of interest.

It’s worth noting that doing a balance transfer is technically taking out another line of debt.

5. Credit Card Cash Advance

A credit card cash advance is where you are able to withdraw money from an ATM from your credit card.

ATMs are all over and available 24 hours a day, so it’s easy and quick whenever you need.

You will have to pay interest on this and it will be higher than your usual credit card rate.

6. Peer Lending

We’ve spoken before about Peer Lending as a way to make passive income, but this is on the other side of that.

P2P lending works by a peer lending you money, rather than a bank or institution.

One of our favorite sites for this is LendingClub which we recommend you check out.

Final Thoughts On If You Need Money Right Now

When you’re thinking “I need money asap please help!” it can feel a bit hopeless – but plenty of these options will help fill your bank account and get you money when you’re in need!

There are things that may help you get money quickly, like a payday loan, but be sure to research what you have to pay back.

Keep in mind that surveys and side hustles make you money,  whereas some loans may cost you more in the long run. 

Get more money in your pocket with our tried and true options for fast cash.