I’ve shared in one of my recent posts how you can earn an extra $100 a week. But I know we’re all still looking for something that’s more than just a trickle in the money pot especially if you don’t have a regular steady income. So in this post, I’m sharing some ideas on how to make $500 fast. Some of the ideas in this post can be turned into a full-time gig and can earn you a full-time income.
My most favorite side hustle that helps me make a good income from home is blogging. It’s very flexible and you can do it anywhere in your own schedule. And it can make you a lot of money if you work hard for it.
If you are interested in blogging, I wrote a detailed blogging guide here to help you start a blog today and make money. This post will also show you the strategies I used to grow my blog from earning $0 to $10,000+ in one month.
Ready to learn how to make $500 fast? Let’s dive into some of the best and easiest ways for you to make money fast!
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for purchases made through these links at NO extra cost to you. Disclosure.
1.Open new checking accounts and take advantage of sign-up bonuses
I know this sounds dubious, but it’s not. Sign-up bonuses are part of banks’ promotions to attract new clients, and are definitely an easy way for you to make money fast. Not all offers are created equal though, so a good research of what’s out there is important.
Some banks like Bank of America and HSBC offer $100, although the latter is eligible only for students. The higher payers are banks like Citibank and Chase that are giving out $700 and $100, respectively, but they also require a higher deposit amount ($50,000 for Citibank’s Priority Account for example). Medium payers like Chase’s Total Checking Account and SunTrust Advantage’s Checking have less stringent requirements and you can make the deposit over a period of 30-90 days. In return, you get paid a sign-up bonus between $200-$300.
2. Cut subscription with TRIM
Subscriptions are unnecessary money suckers. A government report revealed that in 2010, households paid an average $54.44 every month for basic cable services alone. The obvious solution is to cut down what we’re paying for these monthly bills and subscriptions
Try apps like TRIM. Trim is an AI assistant that analyzes your monthly transactions to find out recurring subscriptions you might not actually need anymore and can cancel. It identifies, for instance, the interest rates on the cards you use, and then negotiates with banks (yes, like a middleman) to lower rates or help with friendlier debt payoff terms.
It also negotiates your phone, cable, internet and medical bill, so you are getting the best possible rates. Trim works with Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner and other providers.
3. Join focus groups
Focus groups are helpful to companies for their market research. You will need to sign up to a company’s site and, depending on your profile, you may be invited to participate in certain discussions online or in-person. This isn’t as regular a gig as you might think but the pay-out is pretty considerable, ranging from $30 to as much as $450 for an hour (or two) of participation. With nothing but your opinions as your only investment, it’s an easy free way to make money.
4. Rent out an extra room on Airbnb and make $500 fast
Another way to make money fast is to open up an extra room (or a spare property, if you have one) to guests via Airbnb. The average rental for a room per night on Airbnb is $75, although rates still fluctuate depending on the location of your place and the services and facilities you’re offering.
But even if you only have one guest who’s booked your room for a week, you’d be making $500 in no time. At the same time, it’s an interesting way to make friends with people from around the world.
5. Upload grocery receipts with Ibotta
I’ve written about Ibotta before, an app you can use to earn cashback for every time you go grocery shopping. There are many ways you can save or earn money using Ibotta, and one of this is unlocking additional rebates from your grocery receipts.
All you need to do is to upload your grocery receipt in order to unlock brand rebates. These rebates are not necessarily always from brands but are offered even on generic items. There’s an expiration date for claiming these rebates so always upload your receipts as soon as you’re done shopping in order not to miss them.
I’ve earned over $900 in free money from Ibotta for using this free app for grocery shopping!
For a limited time, Ibotta is giving away up to $20 bonus to new members. Join for FREE below, snag this bonus and start earning cashback for items you would buy anyway!
6. Put items up on Decluttr
Tech gear and gadgets are one of the more difficult items to dispose, yet I’m pretty sure we all have a rather vast collection of these in our homes. If you’re Marie Kondo-ing your space, you might want to consider putting unwanted (but still in good, working condition) CDs, DVDs, mobile phones, tablets and even books in a box for selling.
With platforms like Decluttr, you can put these items up for sale and make money fast while at the same time organizing your space. The secrets to earning big depends on how many items you’re selling and the value and quality of your items.
7. Offer your services on Fiverr
If you possess some rocking digital skills, why not turn them into a source of income? With sites like Fiverr, you can advertise your services and get commissioned by individuals and brands looking for just the kind of expertise you’re offering. There’s no straightforward amount as it all depends on what you’re capable of doing, but to give you a general idea: Graphic designer jobs like logo design are usually priced at $10 per work, while web developing services pay higher, typically $250 per job. So, you can start small, build up your client base and get good reviews and in no time at all, you’ll be earning as much as $500 a week with your skills.
8. Deliver foods with Shipt and Doordash
Food delivery services like Shipt and Doordash are gaining more ground as an alternative income stream for many. You only need three things: an account, a vehicle to get you around, and dedicated time for picking up orders and delivering them.
With Shipt, a grocery delivery service, you can earn an average of $25 per hour. Meanwhile, with Doordash, you can get paid $15-25 every hour for delivering pizza orders and restaurant takeaways. The more deliveries you can make and the more hours you put in, the more earnings you make.
9. Become a sitter with Sittercity
This one’s a modern take on the babysitting job we once did as teens during summer break. Sittercity is an online platform that basically advertises your services as a sitter and connects you with families looking for baby sitters, elderly care workers, companions or even housekeepers near your area. Advertised rates are typically $10-15 per hour and with varied arrangements depending on the nature of the job.
10. Teach English with VIPKid and Magic Ears.
Teaching online is one of the oldest side hustles known to many, and still remains one of the more popular – and stable – ways to earn a significant income. You can try your hand at online tutoring with sites like VIPKid and Magic Ears, which cater primarily to Chinese learners.
A base rate for Magic Ears is $10 for a 30-minute class, but this can go higher depending on your credentials. It’s around the same rate for VIP Kids at $7-9 for a 25-minute session, but you should at least possess a bachelor’s degree to be eligible to teach. Online tutoring is by far one of the most proven and reliable ways on how to make $500 fast in just over a week.
11. Walk dogs with Rover
Dog walking and pet sitting is becoming a very lucrative side hustle for many. Rover works very much like Sittercity except you’re tending to pets this time. The beauty with Rover is that you set your own rates and therefore, can control your target earnings. However, this also depends on the number of bookings you get, which means you’d have to expand your client base and make sure to get excellent reviews from your customers.
12. Resell items
Flipping items for profit can be tricky but can prove to be a profitable business. It requires excellent research because you’ll need to know all the best haunts for cheap things that you can resell for profit. You’ll also need to have a good eye for value. Start with something that appeals to a wide market and are easy to sell, such as clothes, shoes and clothing accessories.
Related
23 Easiest Things to Flip for Profit
13. Shop and make money with Rakuten
Think Ibotta but just with clothes and personal products this time. The idea is that the more you shop using their platform, the more you earn and save from deals, coupons and reward points. Depending on what and how frequently you shop, you only need to reach the $5 threshold in order to qualify for a cashback. However, if you want a higher payout, you can also refer a friend and earn easily $25 (for every referral) once they make their first purchase as a Rakuten member.
I’ve earned over $1000 from Rakuten myself for simply using this app when shopping online.
If you need to shop online anyway, why not do it via Rakuten to earn cashback? A bonus? Rakuten is giving away $10 FREE to new members. You can snag this bonus and start earning cashback from your online purchases by signing up below.
14. Answer easy surveys on Swagbucks and MyPoints
Swagbucks and MyPoints are sites you can check out for easy money that will not require too much effort or brainpower on your part. Both are loyalty programs with features similar to Rakuten, but if you’re not into shopping, you can still earn points and get rewards by answering surveys and polls, watching videos, or playing games. Admittedly, it takes a while before you can rack up enough points to claim a reward, but for something that doesn’t require extra effort or too much time, why not try?
15. Make extra cash with Turo
Turo is essentially a car rental service. If you’re thinking it…yes, it’s like Airbnb but just with cars.As a peer-to-peer sharing service this means that you list and share your car on the site, and people can book your vehicle for their trips.
There are no restrictions on the type, make or brand of vehicle you can list, although motorcycles and RVs are not allowed. You can set automatic pricing for trips using their earnings calculator or set your own custom daily price. Depending on the value of your vehicle and the calculated daily price, you’re usually paid around 60-80% for each trip.
You can learn more about Turo here.
15. Get crackin’ with freelance writing.
Of course, there’s always this tried and tested, another way to make money: freelance writing. It isn’t exactly a no-stress side hustle idea for every one, but if you love writing anyway, you might enjoy writing for money.
Freelance writing jobs are everywhere, and you can even get assignments and projects on sites like Fiverr. Rates are always varied depending on the type of article and assignment and the number of words. Have a good look around always.
Related
How to Become a Freelance Writer with No Experience
Ready to try these ways on how to make $500 fast in your spare time?
I believe no matter how much you make from these extra income ideas, any amount you can bring into the money pot can impact your finances in a positive overall effect. An extra $500 may not be enough to pay all your bills but it sure can buy you groceries, pay for a nice dinner and maybe help you pay off debts.
If you are a stay-at-home mom looking for a more stable work-at-home job that pays well, check out my post on the best stay-at-home mom jobs.
Good luck!
HI Jane,
Fiverr and freelance writing is one of the best options for people living across the world. For others, I am sure most of these applications are active in the US only.