How to Make $500 Fast in a Day, Week, Or Less

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Stuck and need to learn how to make $500 fast?

It's actually not hard to make $500 fast if you get creative. That's why I created a realistic list of ideas you can go through and see which one would work best for you.

I'll include ideas for you to make money around your town, with things you already own and through online side hustles.

You'll see how to make money fast by the end of this article so be sure to stick around.

Let's get started with how to make 500 dollars fast, once and for all.

How to Get 500 Dollars Fast When You Urgently Need It

Need your paycheck earlier? Some apps let you access your earnings instantly and make any day payday.

Check out these cash advance apps on the App Store and Google Play Store. They're quick solutions to get paid today and get money into your bank account.

One recommended app is Empower. It allows you to access up to $250 of your already-earned pay today, with no hidden fees or interest. Don't wait for payday, get your money when you need it!

Make $500 Fast Around Town

If you would rather earn your money locally and get access to cash, then you can do it with gigs in your own city. Are you wondering if there are jobs that pay $500 per day?

Fun fact, there are.

Here are some ways to make money around your town.

1. Become a Handyman (or Handywoman)

Can you assemble an IKEA bookshelf with ease? Take those skills and earn some money by listing your services on Craigslist. Or you can make it easier by using apps that let you choose certain jobs to take on. A good app for this is TaskRabbit, just sign up to be a Tasker and show up for the job and get paid $500 this month. You can also earn more through tips and bonuses.

2. Start a Cleaning/Organizing Business

My mom does this as a side hustle and she gets paid around $100 for cleaning up people's homes. She usually does this on her day off each week and it does add up. That's an extra $400 a month if you clean up just one home a day.

You could also try and list your services on Craigslist to get more homes each week. Or you can set up fliers in your apartment complex to see if anyone would want their apartments cleaned. The sky is the limit and this is one way to work your way to making $500 fast this month.

3. Work as a Pizza Deliverer

I won't get too into this but it is another way to get paid cash through tips and pizza shops tend to always be hiring.

Keep in mind that your hourly wage as a pizza delivery driver is low but you'll earn more with tips.

You can also deliver food through apps like DoorDash, PostMates and Uber Eats.

4. Take Care of Pets

Want to get paid to take care of your four-legged friends? You can easily work your way up to 500 dollars fast by taking care of pets.

You can get paid to walk dogs, dog sitting, or be a yard cleaner for dog owners (get paid to pick up poop).

You could advertise your services with flyers, listing your services on Craigslist or simply signing up for sites like Rover.

5. Work as a Babysitter

If you wanted to babysit each week you could earn $10-20 per hour by using sites on Care.com to find babysitting gigs. They have pretty good pricing for those who want to earn monoey as a babysitter.

Or you can just talk to friends who have kids and see if they need help finding a reliable babysitter. It's a win/win and you can easily up to $500 this month by putting in the effort.

6. Get a Job as a Server

I've never worked as a server as a restaurant but my brother did. He would come home with pockets full of cash each time he worked.

If you can handle working in a restaurant and like talking to people then you can easily make some quick cash.

I'm talking making $100 a night just from tips.

7. Get a Retail Job

While my brother liked to work restaurant jobs to earn his money quickly, I stuck with retail jobs.

I worked at Best Buy in the customer service department and in the electronics. It was a quick way to earn money and I did it part-time. Even if you already have a full-time job you can easily do this on the side and earn quick cash or work your way up to $500 easily in two weeks.

8. Do Lawn Care/Landscaping Work

I have another friend who makes a killing with landscaping work. I'm talking $2,000-$5,000 a month.

However, he's put a lot of time into this side hustle. He makes money by mowing lawns, shoveling show, patching up grass and other lawn care. He charges his own rate and does it whenever he wants. He advertises through Craigslist and Facebook and even goes door to door handing out fliers. This gig may not be for everyone but it could possibly become a full time endeavor if you're up for it.

Make $500 Fast with What You Have

Have a spare room, car, or power tools? Use those things to earn your $500 fast. Here are some ideas for you to check out.

9. Rent Out a Room

With Airbnb, you can rent out your spare space online and get paid! Airbnb is an online service where people can rent rooms in private homes and you can charge whatever rate you want for your empty room.

You should at least see how much you can make at Airbnb. It's completely free to list your space. You choose when your spare room will be rented and what fee you will charge. My friend lists his spare room a few nights out of the month and makes $1,498.51/mo. So you can make well over $500 with this option.

Once the details are worked out, it's a great way to earn extra money.

Are you interested in seeing what your income potential could be by listing a spare room on Airbnb?

See how much people are making from listings in your area, then make your own!

10. Become a Lyft Driver

If you want to make legitimate money quickly, driving with Lyft is a great way to rack up over $10 quickly.

With Lyft, you will drive people around your city and get paid the big bucks (I'm talking an extra $500 to $1000/mo for driving a few hours a week).

Of course, your earnings will vary but you can earn even more now in 2020 since you get tipped directly and even get a $1,000 driver sign up bonus in all cities.

The smartest way to earn more is to drive when there is surge pricing. You might have guessed that surge pricing occurs when people are out and about most (weekday & weekend nights).So instead of partying up this weekend, why not make your $500 fast with Lyft?

Make $500 Fast with Online Side Hustles

Ready to try some online side hustles? We will first start with the quick wins, companies that'll (legit) pay you money just for signing up:

Need Easy Extra Money Right Now?

Next, we'll move on to other ways to earn your $500.00 quickly.

11. Invest in Real Estate

There are several ways that you could potentially make $500 through real estate investing, depending on your investment strategy and the market conditions.

Here are a few examples:

  • Renting out a room in your home or on a vacation rental platform like Airbnb
  • Flipping houses by buying a property, making renovations, and selling it for a profit
  • Investing in real estate investment trusts (REITs), which are companies that own and manage a portfolio of properties and can be bought and sold like stocks
  • Buying a rental property and collecting monthly rent payments
  • Participating in a real estate crowdfunding campaign

Keep in mind that real estate investing carries risks, and it is important to do your due diligence and carefully consider your options before making any investment decisions.

12. Take Online Surveys

Taking legitimate online surveys that pay highly is a good option for most. Survey Junkie is a favorite of many people and there is a reason it has 3 million registered users.

How it works:

  1. Sign-up for free, it takes a few minutes
  2. Choose the highest paying surveys
  3. Then begin earning money (usually up to $50 per survey)

Survey Junkie has a clean interface and the surveys to choose from is extensive, with short or long surveys. They got just about every retail product to review, and you can even music.

Obviously, longer surveys pay more. Each survey you take is worth a number of points. You get paid $500.00 for every 1,000 points awarded which you cash out through PayPal.

My favorite thing about Survey Junkie is that even if you do not qualify for a survey, you're still getting paid. They won't waste your time.

When you qualify for a survey, it tells you how long the survey will take (approx.) and the number of points awarded. Then you can calculate what each survey is worth and maximize your time. Survey Junkie has a Trustpilot rating of 4/5 stars, highest of any survey site. This is a legit survey site that actually works.

Sounds like fun? Sign-up for Survey Junkie, take the surveys and earn $500 fast. You can also get a registration bonus through here.

13. Join a Rewards Site

Swagbucks probably is the best-known survey site in the world. It's likely that you've heard of Swagbucks before if you're a fan of the BeerMoney community on Reddit as it is top 3 ways people make money online in that subreddit.

If you're not aware, you should know that Swagbucks is totally legit and even offers a $5.00 sign-up bonus. Take advantage, because Swagbucks rewards for more than just surveys, you can get paid to download apps, play games, do web searches, watch videos and a lot more.

The site has awarded over $195 million to its users. Once you have signed-up, there will be a list of surveys you qualify for.

Finding a survey worth taking is easy. Look for surveys that have a point-to-minute ratio of 20. The number of SBs (Swagbucks’ version of points) divided by the time for the survey equals the ratio.

Once you earn money in your account you can redeem it for a gift card of your favorite retailer or you can take it as cash through PayPal.

How it works:

  1. Sign-up for free, it takes a few minutes
  2. Choose the highest paying surveys
  3. Then begin earning money (usually up to $50 per survey)

Sign-up with Swagbucks and start taking paid surveys.

14. Playing Bingo

blackout bingo

Historically, Bingo was a game of chance. If you were lucky enough to have the right card, you'd win.

Now with Blackout Bingo – you are in control! Everyone playing sees the same balls and cards. It takes concentration, speed, and strategy to become a bingo master.

This isn't your grandma's bingo, now you can play anywhere for cash and make $500 fast now.

Games only take about 2 minutes to play, pick up and play whenever you like. You can compete for cash prizes or play for free through this link.

With over 5 Million players worldwide, Blackout Bingo is one of the hottest gaming apps available. Do you have what it takes?

Cash game winners can win up to $1,000 or more in mini-tournaments but aren’t available in AZ, AR, CT, DE, LA, MT, SC, SD, and TN. But you can also check out more of the best game apps to win real money, if you're in these states.

15. Start Winning Money on Your Phone

bingo clash

Upgrade your bingo game experience by checking out Bingo Cash, a fast and competitive mobile game that you can play anywhere.

Challenge your friends virtually and tap the numbers fast and accurately to earn bonus boosts for more points. You only need 2 minutes per game to play against other people from around the world with this game app to win real money.

You can play for free and win prizes, or switch to cash games to compete for real money in mini-tournaments (excluding AZ, AR, CT, DE, LA, MT, SC, SD, and TN, where cash games are not available).

Start playing now and elevate your bingo game to the next level!

16. Deliver Groceries

instacart

Delivering for Instacart is easy and convenient, deliveries can be done on your time and deposits made weekly or on-demand when needed!

You’ll be able to make more than $10 a day and even more than $100 a day when they post incentives.

They offer a variety of incentives (like make $100 a week bonuses if you deliver at least 20 batches) designed to help increase your earnings.

Once you sign-up, you get to set your own hours and keep 100% of what you earn. Plus you get to keep all of your earned Instacart tips (so try and smile when you’re delivering).

Expect to make up to $25 per hour. For example, if you work 2.5 hours each day, for 3 days, you can make $200 fast in only 3 days of delivering for Instacart!

My favorite part about delivering with Instacart is that you get to see how much you earned after each delivery, which is exhilarating.

17. Investing

Investing is a great way to make some extra money.

If you’re not sure where to start, Acorns is one of the most popular microsavings platforms. It literally lets you turn your spare change into investments. Join through here (must complete application) and get a $20 welcome bonus.

How Acorns works:

  1. Sign-up here, it takes a few minutes
  2. With the app, you’ll start small and stack up change over time with the Acorns “round-up” feature
  3. Then potentially start earning money on your investments

As a bonus, Acorns is giving new members a $20 bonus investment — so create an account to get started.

18. Deliver Food

DoorDash is looking for people who want to start delivering food to earn extra money and work on their own schedule.

You choose the hours you work and get paid cash per order (once you have access to fast pay).

How to make $500 a week with DoorDash?

Once you sign up to become a dasher, DoorDash will reach out about an orientation. Complete the orientation, and you’re on your way towards getting paid for every completed delivery PLUS 100% of tips received.

This is such an easy way to make money by delivering on your free time while making extra cash and funding your personal goals. You can reach your goal of making $10 fast in just one delivery.

Bonus: By signing up to become a DoorDash Driver you can get your first check this week by clicking here. I bet you’re lovin’ this article so far!

19. Claim a $5 Bonus

InboxDollars is a convenient, easy way to make money on the internet. Like the others on this list, you take surveys, watch videos, play games, and much more. This online rewards club has over 1 million Facebook fans and has paid out $50 million in 2021.

Signing up will net you a $5.00 instant bonus.

Inbox Dollars is highly respected is accredited with the Better Business Bureau, and it is a totally legit option for those who want to make money the easy way. For some spending cash and having fun earning it makes sense to sign up for InboxDollars.

20. Make $500 Fast Losing Weight

HealthyWage offers people the opportunity to earn cash for losing weight. Earn cash for losing weight? Sounds too good to be true, but you read it right.

The company was founded in 2009, and its HQ is in New York, and part of its mission is to provide ways to have a measurable impact on the growing obesity epidemic in the US. HealthyWage app offers people the opportunity to earn cash for losing weight, but you may be wondering how it works?

You essentially bet on yourself and how much weight you can lose. Since they are promoting ways to be healthy, your winnings depend on how much weight you lose and how much you bet. It’s a great way to make money and be healthy at the same time.

In fact, HealthyWage is ranked highly among its users and is the best app that pays you to exercise. For extra cash, HealthyWage is still a good way to earn well over $10 rather quickly. You can get started here to see how much you make.

21. Download an App

Nielsen has been around for several years and is trusted as a research leader. Nielsen Mobile is a survey designed to help understand how mobile customers use their devices. You start by signing to download and install the app on your mobile phone.

Information Nielsen app collects:

  • Names and types of apps or games.
  • Addresses of websites you visit with content.
  • The date and how long you were on the site.
  • Date, time, and how long you were on phone calls.
  • Date, time, or numbers/codes for texts.
  • Much more information can be obtained from a cell phone.

To qualify you must live in the U. S. be between 18 and 45 years of age. All you do is download the app and earn $50 a year. You can learn more in our Nielsen Mobile Panel Review.

22. Freebies

When trying to make $10 fast, every dollar counts. Sign-up for all three and that's a quick $20 just for downloading three apps – not bad.

Here are some other companies that pay you for downloading:

  • Survey Junkie: Make $2-50 in your spare time each day by taking surveys, participating in focus groups, and testing new products. Join Survey Junkie here.
  • Swagbucks: Similar to Survey Junkie, but with a few more ways to earn (such as watching videos and using their search engine). Get a $10 signup bonus for joining.
  • Acorns:  Once you connect the app to your card, it rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar and funnels your digital change into an investment account. Sign up to try it risk-free with a $5 sign up bonus.

23. Get Free Stocks

Are you ready to say goodbye to fees for when you buy and sell stocks and hello to commission-free trades?

That’s right, this app lets you do everything for free and takes no fees — ever.

Better yet, if you join through this link you can get a free stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint when you join.

robinhood

You don’t even have to deposit any money to receive the stock… just sign up and wait a few days for it to show up in your account.

You can also cash out immediately and transfer the funds to your bank account — if you wanted to.

Legit free cash!

24. Get $500 Now with ZippyLoan

If you actually need money now, then you can opt for a personal loan. When you need money in a hurry ZippyLoan is where to go.

You apply for a loan through the Zippy Loan site, if approved they send your loan application to one of many loan providers.

You review the loan details and e-sign if you like what you see. No risk in checking what offers you'll get. You can borrow between $500 and $15,000 as soon as tomorrow.

Loans service up to 60 months.

ZippyLoan connects borrowers to lenders through their network of lenders. They'll find you the lowest interest rate and is one of the best no credit check loan. You can visit ZippyLoan here.

Ready to Make $500 Right Now? Go Get It!

There are many online gig economy apps and other passive income apps to make money online.

You should be aware that you are not going to get rich from most of these gig economy apps or money making ideas. However, they serve as a chance to have some fun online and get some extra cash for your efforts.

Whatever your taste there seem to be plenty of ways to rake in make money without a job and enjoy the process.

Making Money Fast FAQs

On your journey to making money fast you'll likely want more ideas. Here are some common questions our readers have and answers.

How can I make $500 fast in a day?

Here are eight legit and safe ways to make $500 a day online fast:

  1. Sell something on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace
  2. Make money with online focus groups
  3. Earn money when you tutor kids online
  4. Join sites that pay you to sign up
  5. See if stores owe you money
  6. Get paid to proofread
  7. Freelancing writing
  8. Drive for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, Shipt, or other gig economy apps.

How can I make money right now?

If you wanted to make money right now or $500 fast you, here are 8 ways:

  1. How to make money starting now
  2. Sell products online to earn money
  3. Sell used books on Amazon
  4. Start a Shopify eCommerce store
  5. Build a free-plus-shipping eCommerce sales funnel
  6. Do gigs on Fiverr
  7. Sell services on Upwork or 99Designs
  8. Build a high-ticket coaching or consulting funnel

How can I make $500 a month?

Here are some of the best ways anyone can make $500 a month online and from home:

  1. Sell your plasma
  2. Join reward websites
  3. Do some transcription work
  4. Take surveys that pay real money
  5. Become an online tutor
  6. Do some data entry work online
  7. Pick up some freelance writing work
  8. Teach English online

How to Make 500 Dollars Fast is Easy!

If you went through this list then you should have come out ahead. Enjoy your $500 (or more) and feel free to take the weekend off or you can watch this video on how to make money online:

If you enjoyed this article, then odds are you would like these ones:

Enjoy your $500!

If you went through this list then you should have come out ahead. Enjoy your $500 (or more) and feel free to take the weekend off!

Brian Meiggs
Brian Meiggs
Brian Meiggs is a personal finance expert, and the founder of Hustler Gigs, a personal blog helping you make extra money in the gig economy. He helps readers increase their earning potential and start building wealth for the future. He regularly writes about side hustles, gig work, and the gig economy aimed to help anyone earn more, pay off debt, and reach financial freedom. He has been quoted as a top personal finance blogger in major publications including Insider, Yahoo! Finance, NASDAQ, Discover, MSN Money and more.
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