Nearly everyone could use a little more cash, especially if they have recently lost their job or has been unemployed or underemployed for a considerable amount of time. Fortunately, there are a number of methods that can be used to earn cash fast to take care of your minor financial needs. Using these methods will not be a substitute for a regular paycheck, but they may be able to help you keep your lights on, your water running, or your refrigerator stocked. Here are some of the methods I have found to be effective for obtaining a significant amount of cash quickly.
Sell Old Or Unused Items
Many people have a number of things around the house that they could sell for some quick cash. Unwanted gift items, clothing that doesn’t fit any more, home décor, and kitchen appliances can all be sold to others that need these items but do not want to pay full price for them. If you want to sell the items yourself for a price that you determine, you can hold a yard sale or list the items that you want to sell on an online marketplace like Craigslist or eBay. If you want to unload a lot of items quickly and do not mind letting someone else determine what your items are worth, you can sell them to a resale store like Plato’s Closet or New Uses.
Become A Babysitter
Many parents would much rather hire an experienced adult to babysit their child than trust the care of their little one to a teenager. With babysitting, you typically get paid on the spot for the number of hours that you have watched the children. To get started, spread the word around to friends and family members that you are willing to watch their child for whatever fee you determine, typically around $10 per hour per child. This is a great method for making money quickly because you determine the amount that you charge and the times that you are available. You can even offer a discount for multiple children, which enables you to earn more for roughly the same amount of work. If you do not know a lot of people that have children, you could join a caregiving site like SitterCity.com or Care.com to find people that need babysitters.
Donate Plasma For Cash
There are more than 500 for-profit plasma centers throughout the country that are willing to pay you for the time that you spend donating plasma. Plasma is the liquid part of the blood that carries the red and white cells that is made up of water and dissolved proteins. Because there is a wide variety of medical uses for plasma, there is also a high demand for plasma from healthy individuals. The plasma centers set their own prices so the amount that you make will depend on the area that you live in. Donors are typically paid as soon as they are done donating.
Join our newsletter
Subscribe to get the latest "Engineer Your Finances" content via email.