How to make money fast (Earn $100 today!)

Do you want to know how to make money fast and even earn $100 today?

What if you could do a series of quick and easy jobs that earned you money rather than wasted your time?

$100 is enough for a nice dinner or to pay your utility bill for the month. You could have extra spending cash or make it through another month if you’re broke and barely surviving.

What would you do with your $100?

Luckily for you, I’m going to show you the exact steps you need to take to make money now. Some strategies will be more appealing to you than others, so find one that works for you.

How to Make Money Fast (Earn $100 today!)

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Make money fast with stocks

The stock market is an incredible wealth generating machine. You can earn thousands of dollars trading stocks if you can learn to identify the right type of stocks to buy.

I know what you’re thinking, isn’t the stock market risky?

Yes, if you don’t know what you’re doing or taking unnecessary risks.

Luckily this guide will help show you how to get started in the stock market. Minimize your risks by never putting your entire portfolio into one stock. I recommend starting with $100 or paper trading until you learn the ropes.

So how do you earn money trading stocks?

Capital Gains vs. Dividends

There are two ways of making money in the stock market, capital gains and dividends. Each have their pros and cons and investors have different strategies for investing in each asset.

Capital Gains

Capital Gains is the money you earn when the price of a purchased stock increases.

Let’s say you purchased a share of Amazon Stock when it was $30 and you sell it for it’s current price $1,792. You’ve earned $1,762 in capital gains because the stock is now worth more.

The price of the stock changes daily during stock market hours. Stock traders take advantage of the volatility, earning money when they buy low and then sell high.

Dividend Payments

Dividends are profits paid to shareholders over a course of time.

Let’s say you purchased one share of AT&T for $34.97 with a quarterly dividend of $0.51. If you held AT&T for one year, you would be paid $2.04 in dividends which would offer a 5.83% return on investment.

Make money fast - AT&T Price

Keep in mind the value of the stock will increase or decrease. So if at the end of the year, you sold AT&T for $40, you earned $5.03 in capital gains and $2.04 in dividends. You would earn $7.07 in total profit or 20.2% return on investment.

Dividends can be paid monthly (M, 12 times per year), quarterly (Q, 4 times per year) or annually (A, 1 time per year). The company, in this case AT&T, is responsible for determining dividend payment frequency.

How fast can you make money trading stocks?

Making money with stocks varies on a number of variables, mainly your skill as a stock trader and the amount of money invested.

Day traders earn money quickly by taking advantages of small movements in the market. Day traders buy and sell a single stock within one day. Ross Cameron of Warrior Trading, earns somewhere between $100 and $10,000 in only one hour of day trading.

Swing traders earn money buying and holding a stock for a few days to a few months. It’s not uncommon to be able to earn 10-40% a month return on investment as a skilled swing trader.

Example: Making money with stocks

Making money with dividend stocks is pretty straight forward. Identify a quality stock that pays a dividend, buy and hold onto the stock. Dividend stocks are one of the best forms of passive income available.

Most dividend stock investors are looking for cash flow, how much money the stock pays them. Dividend stock investors usually don’t care if the stock raises or falls in price.

Dividend paying stocks are great, but Swing Trading is one of my favorite ways to earn money with stocks.

Swing Trading Facebook Example

One of the first things I look for in a swing trade is the direction of the stock over the last 10 years. Looking at Facebook, the stock has earned money and is growing over the last 10 years.

make money fast - facebook stock swing trade

As you can see, the stock peaked at $218.62 but attention to Facebook’s Privacy Issues caused a massive crash. This massive crash caused a massive sell off, creating a buying opportunity for swing traders.

Facebook is still a money generating machine, meaning the direction is still up!

Let’s take a closer look at the stock crash and sell off.

make money fast - facebook stock swing trade

As you can see, Facebook’s stock fell approximately 43% ($93) before recovering. Since Facebook isn’t going anywhere and the overall stock’s direction is increasing, it looks appealing to buy!

Once a reverse in stock price direction is confirmed, the stock price is about $150. So what happened next?

make money fast - facebook swing trade profit

From January to July, Facebook’s stock price increased $50. This means you generated 33.3% return on investment in 6 months! An average of 5.55% return on investment per month!

The stock market averages about 7-12% return per year! As you can see, swing trading your own investments can generate higher profits than investing in ETFs or with a stock broker.

Paid surveys online

Paid online surveys are perfect for anyone looking to make a few extra bucks. Most survey sites are easy to sign up for and work is available immediately.

Taking surveys are easily done while watching TV after work or when you have a few moments alone.

Finding a legit online survey website can be difficult. Survey websites are often the target of scammers, so it’s important to stay safe online.

One of the best and most trusted survey website is Survey Junkie. Signing up is easy and only takes a few minutes.

Make money fast with a car

Do you have a car? Did you know that a car can help you make money?

Using your car is one of the easiest ways to make money at your convenience. You don’t even need to invest your own money for these money making strategies!

Drive for Uber or Lyft

I’m sure by now you’ve heard of Uber or Lyft. You become a taxi in your personal vehicle, giving rides to people in need!

Making money as a driver is simple:

  1. Sign up to be a driver.
  2. Download the App.
  3. Give someone a ride.
  4. Get Paid!

How can you maximize your Uber profits? DoughRoller created 6 Tips for Maximizing your Uber earnings.

How much money can you make driving for Uber? According to Ridester, surveyed Uber drivers reported average incomes between $13.70 to $25.38 per hour.

make money fast - uber rates

Rates can vary depending on your state or ratio of drivers to riders. More riders with fewer drivers means you can charge more money. Fewer riders than drivers will cause fares to drop.

Another option is to deliver food for Uber Eats.

Let’s face it. I’m lazy and don’t want to leave my home when the fridge is empty. What am I to do when Taco Bell doesn’t deliver?

The solution, Uber Eats.

make money fast - uber eats

How much does an Ubereats driver make? According to Ride Sharing Driver, the average Ubereats driver makes $8-12 per hour. Rideshare driving typically earns more than food delivery.

Deliver with Postmates

Postmates is similar to delivering with Ubereats. However, Postmates is for food, drinks, and groceries.

make money fast - deliver with postmates

You won’t earn a ton of money delivering with Postmates, but you can earn some spare pocket change. Check out this Postmates review for the good and bad of delivering with Postmates.

Deliver Pizza

I used to deliver pizza and that job was awesome!

You actually get paid to drive your car to someones house and hand them a pizza. Tips ranged from $2-5, so delivering more pizzas equates to more money!

If you work a 9-5 job, pizza delivery can still be for you. Most pizza places will hire Friday and Saturday night help when demand is higher.

Car wrap

How would you like to earn money driving by simply wrapping your car in an advertisement?

Yes, car wrapping is a legit way to earn money fast.

You will be required to drive a minimum mileage so this is perfect for someone who drives often. Money from car wraps can help cover your car’s gas every month.

What companies will pay you to wrap your car?

Carvertise

make money fast - carvertise car wraps

Carvertise will pay about $100 per month to wrap your car. Some campaigns pay as much as $200 per month.

You get to pick the brands that go on your car. So if you don’t want to advertise for 7/11, then you can simply say no!

Some campaigns may ask that you park your car at a specific location and time. These campaigns can earn you an extra $30 per hour.

Free Car Media

make money fast - free car media car wraps

Free car media is another car wrap company that will pay you up to $400 to wrap your car.

However, most advertisers will want to place an advertisement on your back window. These advertisements will pay you about $50. Unfortunately, you will have to install the back window advertisement.

Make money freelancing

Starting your own freelancing business is another strategy rising in popularity.

Popular freelance jobs include freelance writing, graphic design, web developer, marketing, seo, programmer, video editor, transcription, bookkeeper, and tax accountant.

Freelancing can allow you to make money at your own pace while letting you set your own rates.

How much do freelancers make?

Freelancers have the ability to set their own rates. So really, you can earn as much as someone is willing to pay for your services.

Let’s take a look at freelance writers. I’ve already covered in depth starting your own freelance writing business.

Freelance rate per hour

As you can see, freelance writers charge a wide variety of rates. Some charge above $100 per hour! However, it’s safe to say that a widely acceptable rate for writers is $21-40.

Codementor.io states the average hourly rate for a computer programmer ranges anywhere between $60-250! Charging $60 per hour could earn you a $60,000 salary working roughly 19 hours per week!

Obviously, computer programmers require a special skill set which means they can charge accordingly. However, freelance writers can still charge as much if not more with the right client and skill set.

Freelancing is one of the many work from home jobs available to you.

Popular freelance website: Upwork

Most high earning freelancers search out their own clients. Finding clients can be difficult for beginners, so starting small is important.

One of the easiest ways to get started freelancing is with Upwork. Upwork is completely free to join and takes minutes to have a freelancer profile set up.

Work from home jobs - Upwork

As you can see from the picture above, freelancers set their own skills and hourly rates. Here’s an example of Amber’s Upwork profile.

Work from home jobs - Upwork profile

You can see from the picture above that her hourly rate is $150 and she’s earned over $40,000.

There are two ways you can earn money freelancing on Upwork. First, you can charge an hourly rate where you exchange your hours for a set rate. Second, you can take fixed price project work where each job is done for a set amount.

Fixed price jobs are great if you can do them quickly. However, go too slowly and fixed price jobs can really tank your earnings.

Make money fast with arbitrage

Did you know you can make a lot of money with arbitrage?

Arbitrage is the act of buying an item at a low price and flipping it for profit. You can often find sale items at retail stores and sell them for profit online!

For example, you might find a gently used Eddie Bauer vest at a yard sale. The owner is trying to clean their house of junk, so they are selling this vest for $5. After checking your eBay app, you see this same vest is selling for $50 plus shipping!

make money fast - ebay arbitrage

You just made $45 by going to a yard sale, looking up and listing an item.

Arbitrage can be an extensive and exhausting way to make money. However, you can certainly make good money doing so.

Where should I shop and sell items for arbitrage?

There are many ways to shop and sell items when making money with arbitrage. Selling your items on Amazon, eBay, Craigslist, Offerup, or Facebook Marketplace is common.

If you’re more adventurous, you can create your own shopify store.

Be careful when selling arbitrage items on Amazon. While technically it’s not against Amazon’s rules, companies can still file complaints, causing your item to be taken down.

Reselling an item is not illegal, but Amazon has their own set of rules in which you have to provide a purchase order to remove the complaint. Unfortunately, a retail receipt does not cut it in Amazon’s eyes.

You can source items from popular retail stores like T.J. Maxx, Ross, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Look for discounted items that you can sell for profit.

Earn money quickly with Qmee

Qmee is another interesting website for making money online without using your own money.

The first way to make money with Qmee is through search results. The Qmee browser extension will add additional paid advertisements on your search results.

When you click on a Qmee sponsored result, you’ll earn a little extra money as well.

make money fast - qmee search results

Qmee also offers paid survey opportunities. So you’ll be able to give your opinions and earn money in the process.

In addition to earning money, Qmee helps you save money when you’re shopping online. Qmee will alert you if they find a better deal on a different online retailer.

Make money fast selling photos

Did you know that you can turn your passion for taking pictures into a full time business?

You don’t even have to take pictures of someone else’s wedding. I’m talking about taking amazing photos and selling them online!

So what are the best websites for selling your photos?

Adobe Stock

make money fast - adobe stock

Signing up for an Adobe Stock sellers account is completely free. Just click on the “Sell” menu bar at the top of the website to get started.

In order to sell, you must be 18 years or older and own the rights to your photos. You must attach a release form if someone is recognizable in the photo.

You can sell photos, videos, vectors, and illustrations. Typical commission is 33% of the sales price.

Shutterstock

make money fast - shutterstock photos

Just like Adobe Stock, Shutterstock will pay you for your photos. However, Shutterstock has a unique earnings schedule.

make money fast - shutterstock earnings

Your earnings are affected by the license and subscription used for download and your earnings tier. Check out Shutterstocks article on earnings for more information.

Get paid with user testing

Your feedback is important for companies to continue to grow.

Let’s say a company develops an App that they believe is super user friendly. However, once that App goes live it does horribly.

The problem is that the company built the App, so they know how it works. The company didn’t account for the fact that other people think differently.

Companies need to ensure the end user can actually use their App! Therefore, companies are willing to pay you to test their products before they launch.

Where can I start earning money with user testing?

user testing

User testing is a website that will pay you up to $60 per test!

All you have to do is sign up for an account, read the test description, and start the test while recording yourself speaking aloud during the test.

What are companies looking for in your audio file?

“I can’t find the add to cart button.” “Why is this website so slow.” etc.

Companies are looking at your experience while browsing their website. Feedback allows them to provide a better service for their companies.

Make money fast selling blood or plasma

On average, someone who donates plasma can earn up to $200 per month.

So how do you find a plasma donation center?

First, go to Grifol’s website and find the box, “locate a plasma donation center.”

Donate plasma for money

Select “Go” and your nearest plasma center location will show up, along with specific information and hours.

Plasma location

From there you can schedule an appointment for your first plasma donation. You can even check out our guide on finding the highest paying plasma donor centers.

Still have questions? Make sure you check out the first time donor FAQ’s and the step-by-step donating instructions.

Invest in Peer to Peer Lending

Peer to Peer lending is a good way to diversify your investments. I recommend keeping no more than 5-10% of your investments in Peer to Peer lending.

Keep in mind, investing in Peer to Peer lending is not a get rich quick scheme, but it can help you build long term wealth.

So what is Peer to Peer lending?

People across the United States need loans for mortgages, to consolidate debt, and many other reasons. Some people would rather not get this money from a bank or have been denied because of bad credit.

Peer to Peer lending is the solution that helps every day investors earn money while helping families in need.

I can invest my extra money in a family looking to buy their first home. This family may have bad credit due to extensive student loans. Either way, we both win as the family can purchase their home while I earn interest on my unused money.

What are the best Peer to Peer lending sites?

There are two well known companies for Peer to Peer lending, Lending Club and Prosper.

What are Peer to Peer lending returns?

Peer to Peer lending returns are expected to be anywhere from 4-7 percent. Lending Club historical returns are between 4-7 percent while Prosper averages 5.3 percent.

What are the basics to Peer to Peer lending?

The first thing you should understand before investing in Peer to Peer lending is the note system. A note is simply a fraction of a loan that you can own.

Most notes are sold in $25 increments. So for a $1,000 loan there would be 40 notes available ($1,000 / $25).

Notes allow you to own a small fraction of a loan, so that you can spread your money across multiple loans easier.

Lending club notes for investors
Source: Lending Club

Notes are also broken up into letter grades, such as Lending Club’s A through D system. A notes are less risky and less rewarding, while D notes are more risky with more potential reward.

Lending club risk

These notes are further broken down with a 1 through 5 numbering system. Therefore, A1 notes are less risky than A5 notes.

Lending Club also mentions that 99% of investors that own 100 notes or more see a positive return on investment. Therefore, diversification is key!

Create a service and advertise it

You are good at something, even if you don’t know it yet. You have skills that can make you money if you offered it as a service!

What kind of services can make you money?

Just to name a few ideas you could mow lawns, walk dogs, baby sit, shovel snow, paint houses, home repair, hang Christmas lights, clean carpets, wash windows, or clean homes. These are all services that people pay for on a regular basis.

The only question you should ask yourself is, “How can I get paid to serve others?”

Step #1 – Decide on your service

What is it you want to do? What are the needs of people in your city that you can fulfill? Once you determine your service, it’s time to set rates.

Step #2 – Determine your rates

What is the going rate for the service you are going to provide. The easiest way to answer that is searching google.

Dog walking rates seattle

Step #3 – Advertise your services

Now that you have a service with rates, it’s time to be found. Here are some strategies to promote yourself, without a website.

Craigslist

Craigslist is one of the easiest ways to be found because people are actively looking for your service. Setting up a Craigslist ad takes a few short minutes and can bring you clients the same day!

dog walking craigslist

Facebook Marketplace and Groups

Another option for free traffic is to post an ad on Facebook Marketplace. People can search and find your services through Facebook.

dog walking facebook marketplace

Facebook groups are another place you can advertise your services. Just make sure you are following the group rules before you post.

Summary: How to make money fast

There are so many ways you can make money fast if you’re willing to put a little time, energy, and effort into it. Here is a list of ways we’ve covered to make money on the side:

  1. Trade stocks – Requires patience and a little know how, but can help you earn hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
  2. Paid Online Surveys – Great for doing in front of the TV at night. Earn small amounts of cash for completing short surveys.
  3. Make money with your car – Drive for Uber or Lyft. Deliver food or groceries. People who drive enough can qualify for car advertising wraps.
  4. Freelance – Turn your unique skill into freelancing opportunities. It’s not uncommon for new freelancers to charge over $50 an hour.
  5. Arbitrage – Make money flipping items. Buy low in one marketplace and sell high in another. Source items cheap through yard or clearance sales. Sell items through eBay, Offerup, Facebook, etc.
  6. Qmee – Make money with surveys and search result extensions, while saving money by finding the best online deal.
  7. Sell Photographs – Sell your photographs on Adobe Stock or Shutterstock. Other options include websites like Etsy.
  8. User Testing – Provide feedback for online stores and Apps. Get paid for your opinions.
  9. Sell Plasma – Earn an average of $200 per month while helping create medical products.
  10. Peer to Peer lending – Let others borrow your money and earn 4-7 percent.
  11. Create a Service – Your services could range from dog walking to window washing. Get known and get paid.

What are your favorite ways to make money fast? Let me know in the comments below!

 

John is the founder of TightFist Finance and an expert in the field of personal finance. John has studied personal finance for over 10 years and has used his knowledge to pay down debt, grow his investment portfolio, and launch a financial based business. He is committed to sharing content related to personal finance based on his experience in his career, investing, and path towards reaching financial independence.