Editor’s note: This post was written by for Wealth of Geeks, a content partner of WRAL TechWire.
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How often do you find yourself in desperate need of cash? Of course, we all encounter financial trouble occasionally, but for some of us, how often do you find yourself in desperate need of money? Of course, we all encounter financial trouble occasionally, but it is a recurring problem for some of us. 

Wouldn’t it be great if we could manage our finances effectively? Then we won’t have to turn to quick fixes like getting a cash advance or turning to payday lenders when we are squeezed for money. The good news is that having a solid financial plan with budgeting, savings, and investing is a great way to ensure you’re prepared to handle unexpected expenses and possible short-term loss of income.

Still, if you’re in a bind and need some fast ways to make cash, here are 15 different ways to make money now, increase your income, and help you save extra money to deal with emergency expenses. So, let’s make some quick bucks.

15 Ways To Make Quick Cash

1. Play Games on Your Phone

It doesn’t get much easier than earning money by playing games on your mobile device. Yes, this is a real thing – there are gaming apps that will pay you to play games on your phone! The more you play, the more you earn.

Download a few games on your phone and play during your free time throughout the day to make some quick cash.

Some of the most popular gaming apps for Android devices are: 

Some of the most popular gaming apps for iOS devices are: 

2. Participate in Online Surveys

Online surveys are a popular side hustle to make cash online. It may not make you rich, but you can earn a few bucks by completing surveys. Not only that, many surveys offer gift cards and other bonuses.

Be aware of scams, though. Some shady websites and services reel you in with promises of thousands of dollars and gifts. Instead, go to sites like Swagbucks or Survey Junkie for authentic surveys.

With Swagbucks, you have the option to do a lot more than completing surveys. You can also get paid for the following online activities:

Since Swagbucks is a reward program website, you can earn PayPal cash or gift cards. Many users have reportedly made $50-$100 monthly by completing various odd jobs online.

Get Money Now With Swagbucks

3. Earn Cashback

There are many reputable cashback apps on the market. Unfortunately, none of them will make you a millionaire, but using a few of them is a good way to get free money when you shop. Essentially, cashback apps are mobile apps that give you an automatic rebate when you shop online through the app.

They are easy to navigate and take very little time to use. Many cashback apps give you rebates in the form of cash, allowing you to cash out via a PayPal deposit or redeem your cash balance for free gift cards.

If you need money, be sure to transfer your PayPal deposit to your checking account, or be strategic when choosing gift cards. Opt for Target, Walmart, or Amazon gift cards that you can use to purchase groceries or household items.

Many cashback apps also give you a welcome bonus when you sign up!

Some popular cashback apps to try are:

4. Negotiate Your Bills

While living frugally and reducing the amount of money you spend is a great way to create some wiggle room in your budget, cutting larger, fixed expenses will move the needle faster.

In some instances negotiating your bills can help you save enough money to have a big impact on your financial situation, but frankly, it can be a huge pain in the butt.

Contacting your service providers and haggling for lower rates can be exhausting and a time suck. Rocket Money will find the best rates on your behalf as well as identify and cancel unused subscriptions and monitor your spending, helping you save money every single month.

Get Money Now With Rocket Money

5. Rent Your Spaces

Airbnb is among the most trusted and reliable ways to create extra revenue. Sure, it’s perfect for renting a room or apartment on Airbnb when vacationing, but have you ever thought about earning money by renting your home out to others on Airbnb?

Did you know that doing so can earn you more than renting it to a roommate? So if you were planning to find a roommate, consider renting out the room on Airbnb instead.

If you don’t have a spare bedroom but do have other types of extra space, have a look at Neighbor. You can list any spare space, room, building, area, etc., you’re not using on Neighbor. Driveways, parking spaces, storage space, attic, you name it, you can use Neighbor to rent it out. Receiving monthly payments for space that was sitting unused is one of the best options for getting fast cash.

Get Money Now With Neighbor

6. Flip Items for Extra Cash

Flipping items you no longer want or need is an easy way to make some quick cash and declutter your home.

‘Flipping’ means selling items you own or purchase on an online marketplace like Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace.

This may be a good option if you have money problems or need fast cash. These sites let you list items on their website at no upfront cost. All you need is a mobile device or computer and a stable internet connection.

Pro-tip: Take a notebook and list things you may be willing to part with. When you start looking, you’ll be surprised by how many items you don’t need. 

Get in touch with your inner Marie Kondo and sell those things that no longer “spark joy” for you.

7. Drive for a Rideshare Company

Driving for rideshare companies like Uber or Lyft is a good way to get money. You can drive full-time or part-time, depending on your schedule and financial needs. All you need to get started is to own a car. Both companies allow you to set your schedules; you can clock in and out whenever you want and choose which days you work.

Driving for Uber or Lyft frees you from having to sit in an office from 9-5, plus you can cash out up to five times per day (additional fees may apply), which is helpful if you’re going through a tough time. You can also meet interesting, new people from diverse cultures, improve your conversation skills, and boost your confidence.

8. Babysit

A classic, tried and true method to make money fast is babysitting. One of the best places to look for these jobs is Care.com. Create a profile and list your services on the site, so parents searching for sitters can find and hire you. This is a great way to find one-time gigs or more permanent work like a nanny or after-school care position.

9. Run Errands on TaskRabbit

Everyone needs an extra hand occasionally, and you can be there to help by running errands for them by signing up with TaskRabbit.

Get paid to help with tasks like: 

  • Assist elderly people in paying bills
  • Go shopping for tired parents
  • Help busy entrepreneurs by doing their grocery shopping
  • Lift heavy furniture for homeowners

10. Take Care of Pets

Animal lovers are in high demand and making a lot of money using sites like Rover to snag high-paying gigs to walk dogs and pet sit. Pet owners need caring, dependable people to help take care of their fur kids while they work or travel and are willing to pay people like you to stop in during the day to feed and walk their pup, spend time with their kitten, and clean her litter box, or stay in their home when they are on vacation.

Create a profile on Rover to showcase your experience and services, plus set your own schedule and rates. If you’d rather find pet-sitting jobs privately, try your personal network. Post your services on social media and ask friends and family for referrals.

Get Money Now With Rover

11. Apply for Short-Term Loans

The fastest way to get cash today is to apply for a loan. However, remember you must pay it back, so avoid borrowing money if possible.

When you have exhausted all other options, check out ZippyLoan. This platform can get you a loan by the next business day, even if you don’t have collateral or excellent credit history and ratings. It is one of the best loan companies for quick cash loans.

While taking out a loan is one of the fastest methods on this list, only consider borrowing money if you’ve exhausted all other options. Taking on more debt is not the best way to escape financial hardship. In addition, with a loan agreement often comes strict repayment terms and possible high-interest rates, especially if you don’t have a good credit score.

Most loan companies that offer fast loans are known as payday lenders, and the instant cash loan they offer is called a payday loan.

These payday loans refer to short-term borrowing in return for the lender applying a high interest rate based on your income. Most of these payday loan lenders will still give you a loan approval if you have a bad credit score. While others don’t require credit checks and will grant instant approval upon loan application.

12. Sell Your Unused Internet

If you don’t have time to work extra hours but need fast cash, one good idea to get free money is to sell your unused internet bandwidth to major corporations, earning you around $50 per month.

While $50 per month may not be a large amount, it’s income you’re earning passively. Passive income does not require you to trade time for dollars. This quick cash solution gives you more time to pursue work to bring in significant cash. Passive sources of income are a good thing as they allow you to bring money above your regular income without putting in additional work.

Honeygain is a website that purchases unused internet. Through the Honeygain app, you make 1$ for each 10GB you send. The amount of internet transferred depends on how frequently you leave the app running, how much data you consume, etc. Check your internet usage for this.

Rest assured; this isn’t a spyware app. Your unused data powers the backend for companies requiring hefty bandwidth. Some other reliable websites to sell your unused internet are IPRoyal and PRIVATIX.

13. Teach English Online

If you’re thinking, ‘I need money now. How do I earn it quickly?’ Teaching English online is one way to get fast cash.

To teach English online, all you need is a webcam and a stable internet connection. Bonus points if you have taught English before. If you haven’t, that’s okay – you can start now and possibly make a career of it.

One of the most trustworthy websites to earn by teaching English is VIPKid. However, the criteria to sign-up do require you to fulfill some requirements. If you’re unable to join VIPKid, consider joining TakeLessons.com, where you can teach people English via Skype for fast cash.

14. Monetize Your Social Media

If you’re active on social media and have amassed a decent following, you’ve already done most of the work. If you need quick cash, you can monetize your social media accounts like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

To monetize them, you can use services like Buy Me a Coffee, PayPal buttons, or SubscribeStar.

With Buy Me a Coffee, your supporters can gift you small sums (buying you a coffee) as a form of support and appreciation. They can do that without even signing up. Most importantly, you get paid directly to your bank account without delays.

SubscribeStar is similar to Buy Me a Coffee: your supporters can support you through the website by becoming regular patrons. The only difference is that you can choose subscription pricing tiers on SubscribeStar.

You can encourage donations by creating ‘patron-only’ content if you need money fast. Besides that, to have a constant income stream, add a ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ button to your Instagram account, Pinterest, blog or website, Twitter handle, etc.

15. Sell Photos

Have you ever looked back at your captured photos and thought, ‘I should be a photographer; I can sell these.’ Well, now you can!

If you have high-quality photos on your mobile or computer, you can sell them and get cash. One way to do this is by becoming a contributor to GettyImages.

GettyImages owns iStock, one of the most prominent photo-sharing websites. Fortunately, they’re always looking for excellent, authentic photos you can provide.

Selling your snapshots is a fantastic option to generate passive income and can be done from any location.

Get Money Now

With these tips, you can get fast cash for your immediate needs. Resourcefulness and hard work will go a long way in making quick cash.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

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