Today’s post will cover fast ways to make money. You might need to create an emergency fund, pay for an unexpected expense, or just need fun money for an upcoming vacation.
There have been times when I needed money quickly and had no idea where or how to find it. This list will generate money within one day and up to a week or two. Some are easier than others but all of them work! Some can be done from your home and others will require a fast drive to a local business or shop close to where you live.
You might not like all of these, but you need money, so consider the ones that are your favorite.
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Here are some of my ideas for generating money within one to seven days. I have done all of these and know they work!
1. Have a Garage Sale: I hesitated to start with this one but hang with me. I know you hate them, I do to. However, you need money fast! So, go through you house and get rid of anything and everything that will bring money. You need big items to draw people in and to pull that garage sale total up. Couches, recliners, electronics, bikes, scooters, washer or dryers. You get the idea. Big items. The small items matter to so have plenty of those as well.
Don’t’ forget to advertise! Craigslist, Neighborhood apps, signs, flyers, etc.
How fast will you make money? Cash in your pocket the day of the sale!
2. Sell clothing on eBay: You really can make a lot of money through this avenue. Clothing is easy to ship and doesn’t weigh very much so shipping costs stay low. When I sell clothes on eBay I ship in a bubble wrap envelope. It will fit in your mailbox or you can set up a time for your mail carrier to pick it up from your front porch. You don’t even have to leave the house to do this!
Be sure to have all measurements in the description. That is the best way for people to know if it will fit them or not. Hemline, shoulder to wrist, waist, bust, hips, everything!
Be honest in your listing! Ebay gives feedback scores and those scores will help other buyers know if you are a good person to buy from. That score is very important!
If there is a hole under the arm of the shirt you are trying to sell, put that in the listing and then have a picture of this area so the buyer can see it.
Speaking of picture – you need to have great pics! Without good pictures your possible buyers won’t even stop on your listing.
How fast will you make money? If the item is priced well, you could have money in your PayPal account the same day you list. A more realistic time frame might be 3 to 7 days.
3. Sell your Gold and Silver: There are places that will buy old or unwanted gold or silver. Although there are many places you can mail your gold and silver to, I would be leery of this option. You never know who is getting it and if you don’t want to accept the offer they make, it could take a very long time to get your jewelry back.
I recommend going through someone local who has a gold/silver shop you can walk into. This way, you get money instantly and could even visit several locations to get quotes and compare offers.
Go through your jewelry box and get rid of things you’re not wearing anymore. It is time to make some money!
How fast will you make money? Today if you get moving!
4. Sell Used Appliances on Craigslist: Yes, you could sell these at a garage sale, and if you are planning one, by all means go that route. However, if you don’t have enough stuff for a garage sale (or you truly don’t like garage sales) consider listing your larger items on Craigslist. It’s super easy! Take good pics of your items and do your listing through your cell phone. It is fast to add the info and pictures from the images on your phone. Done!
Items to consider selling on Craigslist: Washing Machines, Dryers, Refrigerators, Ovens, Microwaves, Furniture (any and all kinds), Baby Items including Infant and Toddler Car Seats (I made $35 from my daughter’s old car seat), Play Pens, larger children’s toys and play houses.
My one caution: Please be careful when meeting with strangers to let them take a look at what you are selling. Meet in a busy location and don’t go alone! Just be smart with this one.
How fast will you make money? Depends on what item you are selling, the shape it is in and how you price it. Jeff and I sold a truck once in 12 hours on Craigslist!
5. Pawn Your Stuff: If the idea of listing your personal items on eBay or Craigslist doesn’t sound appealing or seems to time consuming, here is another idea. I recommend finding a local pawn shop for quick money. They buy everything and will pay cash for your stuff on the spot. If you need money to pay off debt or an unexpected expense, they have money and are ready to buy your stuff.
Items to consider selling here would be gold and precious metals, diamonds and jewelry, watches, power tools, guns, any type of lawn equipment, and all electronics. (See below to find different options for selling cell phones, computers and electronics).
Pawn shops are not a good place to sell clothing. Stick to eBay for those items.
How fast will you make money? Today if you get moving!
6. Sell Your Old Cell Phone: Mobile phone recycling is a great way to earn cash fairly quickly. I recently did this and it actually works. I used Gazelle.com. Their reseller ratings are very high, they have paid out over 200 million dollars to people like you and me, and they have an A+ rating with the BBB.
They buy everything from iPhone, Android and will even buy your old Blackberry! They also buy tablets, MacBook’s, Mac Computers, Apple computers and even iPods!
If you are a business and you have multiple items to sell (10 or more) they will send you a shipping box for your convenience.
Click here to sell your phone to Gazelle!
How fast will you make money? As soon as Gazelle receives your item you are paid by the method you have chosen.
7. Sell Your Old CD’s, DVD’s and Games on Decluttr:
Decluttr is a lot like Gazelle but they buy more stuff. You can sell old CD’s, DVD’s, Games, Books, Lego’s AND electronics. So, if you have things other than cell phones or electronics to sell this might be a better option for you.
Check out Decluttr here and start selling today!
Positive things to consider: They pay you the next day and you don’t have to leave the house.
How fast will you make money? One day after they receive your items.
8, Sell Your Gift Cards: I know you have some in your wallet. We all do. This is a great way to make some side money quickly. Gift Card Granny makes it super easy. They work with many other sites that are willing to purchase your unwanted gift cards. Go here to enter the gift card you have and the balance left. The next screen will give you offers from multiple sites willing to buy your card. You can see how each offer will pay you and choose the one you like best.
How fast will you make money? Within a few days of selling your card to the site.
9. Sell Old or Unwanted Books: I have done this many times! You have multiple options here like Amazon for starters. However, I am going to focus on my favorite, Halfprice Books. They don’t buy everything but they buy a lot! I have sold every genre known including textbooks from when my husband was in graduate and post graduate school. The last time I sold books I walked away with $45!
Box up the books you are ready to sell, walk in to Halfprice books, drop the box at the desk and you wait in the store while someone goes through your box. Once they have your offer ready, they call you back to the desk and you can either accept or deny the offer they make. Furthermore, you can either collect in cash or you can opt for a gift card to use in the store.
This is easy and can be done today!
How fast will you make money? Today if you get moving!
The Last Thought:
Some side hustles or money making ideas require that you put money in up front in order to get going. Those listed in this post are all ways to make money fast, easily and with no money out of your pocket! All they require are a tiny bit of effort from you.
Get going! Money is sitting on the table. Don’t leave it there.
Comment below if you have made money quickly from another avenue. I would love to hear from you!