Sometimes life throws us challenges that make us need to make money fast. If you can’t get it from your 9 to 5 job, you might wonder if you can make $500 fast somewhere else.
You can.
The internet and gig-sharing apps make it easy to make money fast. Here’s everything you must know.
Can You Make $500 Fast?
It’s possible to make $500 fast. Of course, you might not make it overnight, and it will take some work, but there are plenty of opportunities to make money fast.
If you’re facing an emergency and need money now, diversify your efforts, as some of these methods pay instantly, and others take a few weeks or longer to receive.
How to Make $500 Fast From Home
There are many ways to make money from home. Some methods make you a few dollars, and others make hundreds of dollars at a time.
Here are some fun ways to make money from home.
1. Take Surveys
Surveys are a great way to make money, and you can do it from anywhere. It doesn’t take much work, and you get paid for your time. In addition, market research companies pay for your opinion about certain products and services. Brands and companies use this to improve their offerings and sell more products.
You can take surveys from most devices as long as you have an internet connection. This makes it easy to answer surveys from the car, the doctor’s office, or your couch.
You can make $ 1- $15+ per survey, depending on the length and complexity of the survey. Popular survey sites include Survey Junkie and Swagbucks.
2. Focus Groups
Some market research companies run focus groups online to get more ideas and opinions from consumers. All you need is an opinion and an internet connection to jump on the Zoom call. Focus groups can last a couple of hours, so make sure you have the time to do them, but they often pay $100 per group.
3. Watch Videos or Play Games
It sounds unreal, but you can make money watching surveys or playing games. Sites like InboxDollars and Swagbucks pay members to play games for money or watch videos. You may also earn money reading emails or answering surveys on these sites.
These companies pay for activities like this because it’s cheap marketing for them. The videos are usually promos for their products, and the games have advertisements in them too.
4. Shop Online
It sounds crazy to say that you can make money shopping, but many apps like Rakuten and MyPoints pay you to shop. All it takes is to shop at your favorite stores through the cashback app, and you’ll earn back a percentage of your purchase.
Most apps pay 1% – 10% back, but sometimes there are promotions for even more cashback.
How to Make $500 with Gig Apps
If you’re looking for an active way to make money fast, you can use one of the many gig apps and get paid weekly. Most of these ways to make money fast require a car or a way to get around for deliveries.
5. Shopping
You can get paid to shop for customers using apps like Instacart or Shipt. You must download the app, apply to be a driver, and pass a background check. If you pass, you can make yourself available on the app when you have free time and make money shopping customers’ grocery lists and delivering the groceries to their doorstep.
6. Delivering Food
Apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats are a great way to make money fast delivering food. You don’t have to work for one restaurant. Instead, you set yourself to available on the app when you have time and pick up orders when they’re available. The customers order on the app and pay for it. Then, all you have to do is pick the order up from the restaurant and deliver it to the customers.
7. Driving People
If you prefer to drive people, sign up for Uber or Lyft and accept routes when you have time. You pick people up from their location and drive them to their destination. Both apps show you the fee you’ll earn for driving, and you keep 100% of the tips earned.
How to Make $500 Renting your Stuff
You can make money on stuff you own but don’t use or can do without for a short time. Here’s how.
8. Rent Your House or Condo
If you have extra living space or will be away from home for a bit, you can make $500 fast by listing it on Airbnb. You can rent a room in your home or the entire space and make good money.
9. Rent Your Car
If you have an extra car or don’t need your primary car for a while, you can list it on Turo or Getaround and make money. You set the terms of the rental, including the fee, and all communication goes through the chosen app. In addition, they each provide insurance protection and protect owners from scammers.
10. Rent Baby Items
If you have baby gear you don’t need, consider renting it. Then, people visiting the area or watching their grandchildren for a short time can use the gear without spending money on buying their own. On sites like BabyQuip, you can list cribs, car seats, high chairs, strollers, wagons, and more and make money.
How to Make $500 Selling your Stuff
If you have stuff you no longer need, don’t toss it. Instead, sell it and make money. Your trash could be someone else’s treasure. Here are the top places to make money selling stuff.
11. Sell Items Online
If you have smaller items or items easy to ship, you can sell them online on sites like eBay or Poshmark. eBay is great for collectibles, hard-to-find items, and popular items. You can create a flat-rate listing or auction listing depending on what you’re selling.
Poshmark is great for clothes and household goods. Brand name items sell the best, and you can create an entire closet of your items and open it up to anyone shopping on the app. Poshmark keeps a percentage of your sales, but you get access to a large audience to sell them.
12. Sell Items in Person
If you have larger items you want to sell locally for pickup, consider selling on sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or OfferUp. Be cautious when selling items in person, such as setting up the pickup in a safe location. Examples include the local police station or a popular retail area near you.
How to Make $500 Crafting
If you love to craft, consider making money off your creations. Many people love homemade items, so you can make money doing what you love.
13. Set up an Etsy Store
Etsy is a marketplace for all things handmade and antique. It’s free to set up an Etsy store, but they keep a small percentage when you make a sale. However, because they have such a large audience, it can help you get your name out there.
14. Sell at Craft Shows
You can also sell your crafts in person at local craft shows, vendor fairs, or other local events. See what’s happening in your area and sign up as a vendor. The more popular events fill up fast, so don’t wait too long to find the right opportunity.
How to Make $500 Freelancing
Freelancing is a great way to make $500 fast. Freelancers can offer any services they excel at, and you can charge what you feel is fair. Here are some of the top freelancing ideas.
15. Writing
Companies will pay you to write their website and blog content if you're a great writer. You can set up a gig on sites like Fiverr or Upwork and advertise to small businesses. You choose what you’ll write about, the length, and how much you’ll charge.
16. Web Design
Web design is a great way to make $500 fast. All companies need a website, yet most business owners don’t know how to create one. You can use your expertise to make money fast and help business owners create great websites.
17. Virtual Assistant
If you’re a jack-of-all-trades, consider working as a virtual assistant. You decide what services you’ll offer, such as email management, scheduling, social media management, content writing, or data entry. Then, you can showcase your services on sites like Fiverr or Upwork to gain clients.
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to make $500 fast, especially when you try a few of these ideas. So whether you’re looking to supplement your income, boost your savings, or have an emergency that requires money fast, these ways will help.
Add a few methods to your routine and watch how fast you have more than $500 and can reach your financial goals without the stress of how you’ll make ends meet.
I’m Steve. I’m an English Teacher, traveler, and an avid outdoorsman. If you’d like to comment, ask a question, or simply say hi, leave me a message here, on Twitter (@thefrugalexpat1). Many of my posts have been written to help those in their journey to financial independence. I am on my journey, and as I learn more I hope to share more. And as always, thanks for reading The Frugal Expat.
Hi Steve, I like the idea of making money with those gig apps, something I’ve never done before. Thanks for the tips and a great share with some folks I know.
No problem Lisa. There are so many creative ways to make a little bit of money. Sometimes people do not know. So I hope to keep sharing knowledge.