First, do the math on your own rate
Before you post a single flyer, figure out how many hours $800 actually is. It changes how you price things and what jobs you say yes to.
| If you earn | Hours to $800 |
|---|---|
| $20 an hour | 40 hours |
| $25 an hour | 32 hours |
| $30 an hour | About 27 hours |
| $40 an hour | 20 hours |
Forty hours is a full-time week on top of whatever else you do. Twenty is two long weekends. That’s why charging a fair price for local work beats grinding on an app that pays per order.
The boring answer that works: more hours at your job
Nobody writes listicles about this one, but it’s real money with zero sign-up. Ask for extra shifts or overtime this week and next.
Under federal law, covered hourly workers who aren’t exempt get overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek, at no less than time and a half. If you normally make $20 an hour, that’s $30 an hour for the extra time, so about 27 overtime hours gets you $800 before taxes.
Remember the taxes part. Your paycheck will be smaller than the math. And if your job doesn’t have extra hours, pick up shifts somewhere else:
Instawork
Best for: picking up one-off shifts this week
- What it is
- A shift-work app that connects workers (called Pros) with businesses that need short-term help.
- What you do
- Pick the shifts you want in your area and show up to work them.
- How much it pays
- Instawork says you can earn up to $30 an hour, and that its average hourly rate across US markets and job types is over $20. You get paid instantly for eligible shifts. Free to get started.
- The catch
- The $30 is a ceiling, not a promise. You’re vetted first, background check included, so you won’t work a shift the same day you sign up. Not in every city.
Worth it? Yes if it covers your city. Shift work you can book is way more predictable than waiting on delivery orders.
Sell a service to your neighbors
This is where $800 gets easier. People will pay real money to not do these jobs themselves:
- Yard work: mowing, raking, weeding, hauling brush, cleaning gutters
- Cleaning: a deep clean, move-out cleaning, cleaning out a garage
- Handy stuff: furniture assembly, mounting TVs and shelves, swapping light fixtures
- Moving help: loading trucks, carrying furniture, hauling junk to the dump
- Kids and pets: babysitting, pet sitting, dog walking
- Cars: washing and detailing in the customer’s driveway
Find customers in neighborhood Facebook groups, on Nextdoor, with a flyer at the laundromat, or just by texting friends and family that you’re taking jobs this month. Word of mouth is free.
Pricing? Look at what TaskRabbit and local listings charge for the same job in your area, and land a little under that. Quote the price before you start, take payment when the job’s done, and for bigger jobs ask for part of it upfront.
One more thing: don’t take checks from people you don’t know. The FTC warns that fake checks can take weeks to bounce, and you’re on the hook for the full amount. Cash or a payment app, every time.
Apps that bring you the customers
Don’t want to hunt for clients? These apps do the finding. You give up a cut or pay to join, so read the catch on each.
Rover
Best for: pet sitting, boarding and dog walking
- What it is
- A marketplace where you run your own pet sitting and dog walking business.
- What you do
- Build a profile, set your services and rates, get booked by pet owners, then do the stays and walks.
- How much it pays
- You set your own rates. Rover takes a 20% service charge on each booking, so you keep 80%, plus tips. Payment shows up 2 days after you finish a job, then goes to your bank through Stripe (some banks take up to 5 business days).
- The catch
- You pay a $49 to $79 profile review charge upfront depending on where you live, plus a background check. Then 20% of every booking.
Worth it? Only if you like animals and can wait a bit for the first booking. Boarding a dog over a weekend can add up quickly.
Care.com
Best for: babysitting, senior care and housekeeping jobs
- What it is
- A marketplace where families find caregivers. Care.com itself doesn’t employ caregivers.
- What you do
- Make a profile and connect with families who need care.
- How much it pays
- No pay figures on Care.com’s caregiver page. What you earn depends on the job.
- The catch
- Caregivers have to buy a paid membership (Basic or Premium) to join, and everyone completes a Care.com background check. No prices on the sign-up page.
Worth it? Only if you’ll do steady childcare or senior care. For one quick weekend of babysitting, ask friends first.
Furniture assembly and moving help fit TaskRabbit best. It has a one-time $25 registration charge and you set your own hourly rate. The full rundown is on our $700 page. For more steady local work, see jobs that pay $20 an hour and weekend jobs.
If the $800 is due before you can earn it
Then borrow only the gap, and borrow it cheap. If your paycheck already goes to Current, its paycheck advance offers eligible customers up to $1,000, free if you wait up to 3 business days, or within about an hour if you pay the Instant Access Fee shown in the app.
A federal credit union payday alternative loan runs $200 to $1,000 and caps at 28% APR. A payday loan, on the other hand, usually charges $10 to $30 per $100 for a couple of weeks. Hard pass. Read what to do when you need money now before you sign anything.
FAQ
How can I make $800 in a week?
Stack it: extra hours at your job or a couple of Instawork shifts, plus two or three local jobs over the weekend (a yard cleanup, a move, a deep clean). At $25 an hour that’s 32 hours of work.
What side jobs pay the most per hour?
Usually the ones people hate doing or need special stuff for: moving help, junk hauling with a truck, deep cleaning, pressure washing. You set the price, so check what local listings charge first.
Is Care.com free for babysitters?
No. Caregivers pick a paid Basic or Premium membership to join, and a background check is required.
Need a bit less? The $700 version is all about selling stuff. Need more? Here is a one-week plan for $900. Lots more side hustles here, and what’s paying right now. For small money between jobs, see the apps that pay you real money.
Next step
Text five people you know that you’re taking odd jobs this weekend, and ask your manager about extra shifts. Then check what’s paying right now.
Sources (7)
- U.S. Department of Labor. Overtime pay. dol.gov. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission. How to spot, avoid, and report fake check scams. consumer.ftc.gov. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- Current. Paycheck Advance. current.com. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- Current. Paycheck Advance Terms and Conditions. current.com. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- National Credit Union Administration. 12 CFR 701.21, payday alternative loans. govinfo.gov. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- National Credit Union Administration. Permissible Loan Interest Rate Ceiling Extended (Letter 26-FCU-02). ncua.gov. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What are the costs and fees for a payday loan?. consumerfinance.gov. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
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