Life has thrown a curveball your way and you need fast cash. It happens and when you don’t have a ton of dough lying around, it can be downright stressful to get the cash you need in a jiffy without having to borrow it from a relative or settle for a loan.
The good news is there are several ways you can earn fast cash without having to go either of these routes. Here are several options to make $100 fast:
1. Become a Freelancer
Are there tasks you complete on the job that can be offered to others on a freelance basis? Maybe you’re an in-house graphic designer or work in the communications department and have a way with words. Either way, you can turn these skills to earn some quick cash without stressing yourself out since there’s always a business owner looking for content or design work and would rather pay someone for help than go through the agony of getting the job done on their own. You can try Fiverr, Freelancer.com, or Upwork to start finding gigs right away.
2. Become an Online Tutor
Skilled in a particular subject? You can help bring others up to speed around the world as an online tutor. If this is something you plan to do on a long-term basis once you’ve met your goal of earning $100, it may be worthwhile to set up a viable business model, set your own price points, and promote your business heavily until you have a steady stream of clients. But if it’s a short-term thing, check out Tutors.com to explore gigs that pay up to $50 per hour.
3. Become a Personal Grocery Shopper
Companies, like Shipt and Instacart, will pay you to shop and deliver groceries to busy consumers or those who just prefer to avoid the grocery store altogether. The compensation varies by location, but the sign-up process is super simple and can be completed from your mobile device or computer.
4. Complete an Odd Job On Craigslist
Check out odd jobs in your local area on Craigslist if you’re open to doing whatever it takes to make $100 fast. You could find anything from personal moving help to furniture assembly gigs. Just be sure to use caution when communicating, and if a gig seems too good to be true, know that it probably is.
5. Deliver with Postmates or UberEats
The popularity of food delivery services has increased in recent years with the emergence of platforms like Postmates and UberEats. And thanks to the spike in demand, those looking to earn extra cash have ample opportunity to do so. You can start delivering and earning money relatively quickly since they streamline the application process. Plus, you’ll have the flexibility to work when it’s convenient for you and make even more money during times of the day when the demand for deliveries is high.
6. Drive with Uber or Lyft
If you’ve ever needed to hitch a ride around town and didn’t want to spend a fortune, chances are Uber or Lyft were your top choice. Their drivers are compensated a generous portion of each fare and surge pricing goes into effect during busy times, which boosts their earnings even more. But what some aren’t aware of is there hefty sign-up bonuses, which are up to $1,000 (or more in select markets). So if you need to make $100 fast and having an operable vehicle that meets their minimum standards, you may just be in luck. And if you really like the gig, you could earn well into the thousands.
7. Get Cash Back with Ibotta
This cash-back app makes it easy to earn cash on everyday purchases. All you have to do is download the Ibotta app, select the offers available in the app on the products you wish to buy, purchase them, and upload a copy of your receipt. Once you’ve done so, you will receive cashback within 48 hours. The app currently supports 275 stores, including CVS Pharmacy, Kroger, Sam’s Club, Walgreens, and Walmart. You also have the option to shop in the app, and you won’t have to upload a copy of your receipt to get cashback.
8. Have a Yard Sale
It doesn’t cost a dime to collect your old things, display them neatly on your front yard, and invite those passing by to check them out. Depending on what items you have at your disposal, you could easily surpass your $100 goal.
9. Open a New Checking Account
Some banks offer generous bonuses to new checking account holders that meet certain conditions. These could range from $100 to $300, and though you may not receive the cash right away, it’s worth a shot to earn free money as long as the benefit of receiving the free money exceeds the cost of maintaining the account. And you can always close the account once you’ve met the required criteria and received your free cash (as long as there aren’t any penalties if you choose to do so).
10. Pawn Your Goods
Pawnshops are known for their stellar deals on popular items, like electronics, jewelry, and guns. But they’re also a great place to earn quick cash for your items. You can choose to sell your goods outright or get a temporary loan that is secured by your item. For the latter, keep in mind that if you don’t pay the loan back in a timely manner, your goods will be used as collateral to satisfy the amount you owe.
11. Rent Out a Room In Your Home
Airbnb, anyone? If you have extra space in your home and need to make $100 fast, Airbnb could help you reach your goal in record time, particularly if you’re in a high traffic area. You can sign up for an account and create a listing in minutes that will connect you with scores of travelers looking for a place to crash.
12. Rent Out Your Vehicle
List your car on Turo and start bringing in dough from those who prefer to skip the major rental car companies. The entire process shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes, and you set the price and availability of your ride. (You can use the Carculator tool found on the website to help you out). Transactions are handled completely through the mobile app, and you can earn up to 85 percent of the trip price (depending on the level of protection you select).
13. Search for Unclaimed Money
Maybe you’re owed money that you had no knowledge of. Use MissingMoney.com to conduct an online search, and check out this directory of places to find unclaimed money from USA.gov.
14. Rent a Table at the Local Flea Market
Yard sale didn’t quite work out? Or maybe you live in an apartment which makes it practically impossible to host a yard sale? Don’t fret as you can still earn money selling your things by renting a space at the local flea market. It shouldn’t cost you more than $20 tops, and it’s a great way to get your items seen by hundreds if not thousands of potential buyers.
15. Sell Your Old Cell Phone Online
Once you ditch your cell phone for the latest and greatest gadget, chances are you shove it in a drawer and forget about it. But if you want to make some money on your old cell phones, retrieve them, dust them off, and sell them online or at a local kiosk. You can find more guidance on selling your old cell phones online and offline here.
16. Sell Your Old Items Online
Thanks to the plethora of online buyback platforms, you can sell just about anything online for cash. Check out this guide for a comprehensive list of places to sell back your clothes and shoes. You can also sell electronics and old cell phones online for cash.
17. Sell Homemade Crafts on Etsy
Do you have a knack for creating handcrafted items? If the overhead costs are low, why not list them on Etsy to earn some money? You can sell anything from jewelry and apparel to home goods and collectibles. You can create an online Etsy shop in minutes and have your items visible to millions of buyers. A listing fee of $0.20 does apply. And when you sell an item, you’ll also be charged a 5 percent transaction fee, plus a payment processing fee of 3 percent of the sale, plus an additional $0.25. So if you list an item for $10, you’ll pay $0.85 in fees ($0.20 listing fee + $0.25 transaction fee + $0.40 payment processing fee) when it sells, which yields you a net profit of $4.15 minus the cost to make the item.
18. Sell Your Used Textbooks
If you’re a student, chances are you’re well aware that the sooner you sell your used textbooks after you’ve finished using them, the better. But even if you aren’t a student and have a stash of books lying around, there are online entities that will still pay you cash for your books, and you won’t have to pay a dime for shipping. You can view a comprehensive list of options right over here.
19. Swap Gift Cards for Money
Did you receive gift cards that you have no use for? You can sell them to GiftCardGranny, Card Pool, Card Cash, or Clip Kard, just to name a few for cash.
20. Take Online Surveys
Surveys are another way to make $100 fast, and some sites will even pay you a cash bonus just for signing up. The compensation varies by platform, so you’ll have to do your legwork to determine which surveys make the most sense to complete.
21. Use MindAHome.com to Find House Sitting Gigs
House sitting is one of the easiest ways to earn $100 fast. It doesn’t require much effort, and you can use Mindahome.com to find ads from owners in your local area that are searching for sitters.
22. Use Paribus to Find Refunds
Paribus, a subsidiary of Capital One, is a platform that will help you get compensated if the retail price on an item you recently purchased drops, if you need to process a return, or if you receive a late delivery. It’s free to sign up and start using the service. While they don’t track purchases from every retailer, those that they do monitor include Amazon, Macy’s, Target, and Walmart, just to name a few. And to date, they’ve helped consumers secure over $29 million.
23. Walk Dogs with Rover.com
You can also earn fast cast walking dogs with Rover.com. They boast an earning potential of $1,000 per month if you’re interested in other services, like dog boarding, doggy daycare, and house-sitting. Get started with Rover.com by creating an online profile and completing a background check. You’ll allowed to accept requests that work best for you and can expect to receive payment within two days of completing a service.
24. Work a Seasonal Job
Assuming your full-time job doesn’t take up too much of your time, you can work a part-time or seasonal job for a limited period of time to earn extra cash. It should only take you a week or so to earn an extra $100, but it may be worthwhile to hold on as long as you can and allocate the funds to a cash stash to minimize the impact of future financial emergencies.
25. Work as an Inspector for WeGoLook
WeGoLook will pay you to complete professional field services, like assessments, document services, inspections, pickup and delivery for companies. Each job takes no longer than 20 minutes and you can work when it’s convenient for you. To get started, simply use your smartphone to sign up and once you’re onboarded, begin working as a Looker by accepting tasks that you’re interested in.
26. Work as a Tasker with TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit is another opportunity to make $100 fast as the platform will pay you to complete just about any time of task around someone’s home that you can think of. The sign-up process is very straightforward, and once you officially become a Tasker, you’ll be alerted by smartphone when opportunities arise in your area. Popular tasks include cleaning, delivery, furniture assembly, handyman, moving, and personal assistant services. And since you can set your own rates, it’s up to you to decide how quickly you want to meet you goal of earning $100.
27. Work Overtime at Your Job
Overtime is another ideal opportunity to meet your goal of earning $100 in a jiffy. You won’t have to go out searching for another opportunity and you’ll be leveraging skills you already have. And if the overtime is offering before or after your shift, you won’t spend any extra money on gas or transportation costs.
The Bottom Line
With so many options to choose from, you should be able to make $100 in record time. And if you want to meet your money goal even faster, try doing a few at once.