Everyone gets in a bind every once in a while. Or, you might want to just raise money quickly to be able to invest it or pay down debt. Nevertheless, we are here to help. Here is an ultimate list of what to do when you need money now. 

33+ Things to Do When You Need Money Now

Do you need money instantly? Sometimes you may find yourself in an urgent need of cash. I’ve said it before. I need money now. It may just happen that your water heater or car has just broken and you need money now to repair them immediately.

Well. No need to worry. We compiled a list of how to get money immediately.

What defines ways to earn money immediately?

In our list of ways to earn money right away, you will see that we include both making money online and traditional in-person or manual labor to get cash now.

I don’t like seeing my net worth decline on Personal Capital, so sometimes I’ll do some dirty work to earn additional cash to pay a large expense… Why not?

Keep in mind anything that you do online might have a lag in terms of when you will actually receive the cash.

Mediums that will have a lag in cash payment

These platforms will have a lag in cash payment:

• eBay
• Etsy
• Poshmark
• Uber & Lyft

Mediums that will pay you cash instantly

These mediums and platforms will pay you cash for your work immediately:

• Scrap metal
• Donation centers
• Craigslist
• Nextdoor
• Any manual labor
• Classified ads that pay in cash

Keep these mediums and platforms in mind as you find a way to make money now. Each platform can be offered between the task to get cash now, so you might want to explore multiple options to raise your money.

If you need cash immediately, use a platform that will pay you hard cash and won’t require PayPal transferring or ACH bank account deposits.

List of 33 Ways to Get Cash Now

If you’re seeking things to do when you need money now and not necessarily ways to make money online, here are 29 things that you can do to make money right now:

1. Donate plasma

One way to make money now is to donate plasma. Just like donating blood, you can donate plasma and save a life.

2. Get paid to let people borrow your car

Do you have a car and don’t have the time to drive it with Uber or Lyft apps, you can still make some extra cash if you let someone else borrow it.  You can make up to $5 an hour by allowing people to hire your car.

3. Sell your unused items

Another way to earn some extra cash is to sell the unwanted stuff at your home. They may include childhood toys, clothes that you no longer wear coat hangers, wine corks, and even unexpired gift cards and more. You can even sell free stickers that you’ve received.

Here are ways to get free stickers to sell.

4. Sell your hair

Hair? Yes, people will pay you money for it. If you have a long healthy mane or dreadlocks, you can trim and sell for a few dollars. You may find some serious buyers that will buy it from you.

5. Make money with your unused car parking space

If you have some private parking space and don’t own a car, why not let it out to another driver in need. You’d be awed at how much money you can make from letting out your car parking space and mainly if you are a city dweller or live near a city center.

6. Sell photos

You can make a few bucks if you can take a good shot of different items and then sell photos. You don’t need a fancy camera or photography skills. All you need is an eye for ideal shots. You can use Shutterstock, but you may find a delay in getting paid.

7. Help people move and declutter

It takes a lot of time and effort in moving houses and decluttering. Offer a helping hand to someone who is moving places and also help them in arranging or decluttering the house and earn some extra dollars. I’ve hired a lot of people online to help me move.

8. Sell your old mobile phones

Another way to make money now is to sell your good old phone. If you’ve got some old phones that you have not been using since you got an upgrade, then rather than letting them gather up dust in the drawers, you can find a buyer and get money now.

9. Use your skills and knowledge

When I get into an emergency, and I need money now, I take advantage of my capabilities to make some. You can use the skills and knowledge that you have gathered to offer particular services or to fix stuff for money.

Join a private tutoring session or let people the services that you can provide for a fee.  You can teach different subjects that you are good at like languages, dancing or musical instruments.

If you can paint or create something DIY items, then you can use it to get money now.

See Related: Ways to Get Free Walmart Gift Cards

10. Help someone with small tasks

People are always trying to accomplish several things in their to-do-list every day. Why not offer a service they can outsource to you and charge them a small and reasonable fee.

When I find myself in a situation where I need money today, I try to free up my time to help my neighbors run errands. You can list your gig on Craigslist to start getting hired now.

11. Collect scrap metals

In your garage, kitchen and barns nearby, there is probably plenty of scrap metal lying around. You can collect those scrap metals from your home and garage and exchange them for quick cash in a scrap yard. Here is a list of places to collect scrap metal.

If you can get the scrap metal for free, you can go to a junkyard and they will give you cash for it immediately.

12. Sell unused uni-books

There is a possibility that you still have some relatively new or unused college and uni books or even novels, you can sell them and make some quick cash.

13. Old CDs, DVDs, and PlayStation

Do you have old DVDs, CDs or games lying around at your home? Turn those old CDs, DVD, and games that you have played once or got enough of into quick money. People can actually make a full-time income by selling items on eBay.

14. Sell empty jars

People use empty jars for different things. You can collect and clean empty jars at your home and sell them for a few bucks. A place like Etsy or eBay could work to sell your empty jars.

15. Do mobile car washing and detailing

Offer car washing and detailing services to people in your local area for a small fee.  Sometimes people can be willing to pay for such services to avoid sitting in line at the car wash.

16. Vend the unused electronic devices

Do you have slightly used and broken electronic devices in your home, and then you can sell them to people who run businesses that refurbish and sell second-hand electrical goods.

17. Sell instruction manuals

Instruction manuals could fetch you a few bucks if you got them.  If you have manuals for sound systems, computers or other items that you no longer use or already know how to use, you can sell the manuals for a few dollars.

18. Empty perfume and wine bottles

Wine and perfume bottles can create some beautiful DIY décor item. Sell the empty bottles in your home to a person who creates décor stuff or creates something beautiful that you can sell.

19. Become a food taster

Food tasting is another quick way to make money. You can check the taste, texture as well as the appearance of the new recipes and get paid for it.

20. Stick ads on your car

Wrapping your car with advertisements can bring you some money. If you’re car enthusiasts, you can make money by turning your car into a moving billboard. This may take a lead time and might not happen the same day.

21. Do a garage sale

Have a lot of clutter lying around in your home?  You can make extra coins from a garage sale. This is a great way to sell everything in your house and completely de-clutter.

You can whip up a garage sale in no time and start making money. Just make some signs to let everyone know you are open for business!

22. Try pet sitting business

Pet sitting can be another money-making opportunity. If you love pets, you can make some extra dollars by walking and training dogs around your neighborhood. Also, dog boarding can be yet another way to make good money right away.

23. Gardening Services

Gardening services can fetch you extra money. Check around your area to see where you can mow lawns and offer other gardening services. Everyone needs help with yard work!

24. Clean houses

Another service that can bring you money is cleaning other people houses. If you ask around, you may come across someone who needs some help with tiding up. Help them out and charge them something small for your services.

25. House/Babysit

Babysitting is yet another side hustle that can make you money now. Offer house or babysitting services to people in your local area and make some money.

26. Offer delivery services

People often need a rider or someone to offer them delivery services for items like groceries and other shopping items. You can find opportunities to deliver stuff to people and charge them a small fee.

27. Collect vintage/antique items and sell

Collect old vintage items that are no longer in use and exchange them for money. Rare stuff like coins can fetch you some extra dollars. We’ve built a complete guide on the best items to resell for a profit. Some other items that you can sell for a profit include:

• Become a Sneaker Reseller
• How to Make Money Flipping Phones
• Make Money Flipping Wine

28. Do repairs

You can also provide handyman services around your local area and make money from it. Assembling furniture and repairing bicycles can also be an excellent side hustle.

29. Become a mobile make-up artist

Do you love beauty and cosmetics? You can train as a make-up artist and offer your services on call at a reasonable fee. List your gig online and start finding new clients within one day’s time.

You’ll need to validate your experience with doing make-up before getting hired.

30. Download apps that will provide you bonuses

Did you know that there are plenty of apps that will allow you to make money right away? If you just sign up, they will give you an immediate cash bonus just for signing up. Here is a further list of apps that pay you real money.

You can sign up for Ibotta and Dosh and get $30 total (if you use my link). This will go directly to your PayPal account.

Review these other amazing cashback apps.

31. Beg, ask and/or borrow

Sadly, yes. This is an option to make money now. You’re likely going to have to repay the people you borrowed the money from. However, if you are in a bind, you can get cash in your pocket immediately to help get you out of a tough situation.

Sometimes all you need to do is just ask for money. I’d consider this a last resort option.

32. Donate bone marrow

Similar to donating plasma to get money now, you can donate bone marrow for money. This is a great way to get cash right away because you are also helping save lives.

33. Rent out a spare room, bed, couch or your own house!

You’ve probably heard of Airbnb… yes. That would be one that would fall under a lag in actually receiving the cash payment. You can become a host right away and list your room the same day.

You’ll likely get paid via PayPal in the morning, so it isn’t exactly immediate. It’s close though! There are other alternatives like classifieds or Facebook marketplace that allow for you to list your place for rent the same day.

Nowadays, you can even rent your couch, spare bed, etc. As an Airbnb host myself, I’ve been able to earn $500-$2,000 in extra monthly income.

Conclusion on How to Make Money Right Now

I get it. We all get in a situation where we need to raise money right away. I do it too when I need money for a large expense (even though I have it in the bank). I simply don’t want to take money out of my net worth.

When the tough gets going, you should get going! This list of ways to make money right now will help you find something that will allow you to get some cash for hard work.

If I needed money, I would go about it in the following steps:

1. Create a listing on Airbnb and rent out a bedroom for rent
2. Then sign up for several cashback apps
3. List unwanted items on classified
4. Hunt for a job that pays instant cash
5. Create a freelance profile and start working online (delay in payment, but it will help you earn additional income)

If you need to make money now, then you can do one or a few of these activities and make money today.

What are your favorite ways to make money now? Please let me know in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you.

Related Resources:

• How to Make $500 Fast: Ways to Earn Extra Money
• 23+ Online Jobs You Can Conduct from Anywhere
• 6+ Ways to Get Free Stocks Now
• 28+ Ways to Get Free Amazon Gift Cards

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