How to Make $1000 Fast: 21 Ways to Make Money Fast

Need to learn how to make $1000 fast? We're guessing you just had a major “Oh, crap!” moment. Maybe your car’s transmission went out and rent is due. Or you suddenly need to replace your laptop but know that extra expense means it will be hard to cover the rest of this month’s bills.

Things like this come up for everyone. But before the panic sets in, realize that you have lots of options for making money fast, and you can see our top picks below:

How to Make $1000 Fast | 21 Ways to Make Money Fast in 2023

1. Food Delivery

This is one of the easiest ways to make $1,000 fast, and food delivery drivers make anywhere from $15 to $25/hour on average. There are lots of delivery services out there, but our top recommendation is DoorDash.

DoorDash now dominates the market, controlling nearly 65% of the market share, and Doordash is always looking for new drivers.

Dashers (what DoorDash drivers are called) can schedule themselves to drive whenever they want, there are no minimums or limits to the number of hours they can drive a week, and you can get paid weekly or daily. 

We recently spoke to a reader who drives for DoorDash, and here are her tips to make the most out of this side hustle:

• Make yourself available during busy hours, and the busiest times are during dinner hours and weekend evenings.
• Bring a friend or spouse along for the drive to keep things fun.
• Track your miles ASAP with an app like Everlance so you can write off your mileage and expenses at tax time.

DoorDash is one of the best food delivery services out there because they also offer drivers promotions to earn more, including Peak Pay (you earn extra per order to drive during busy times) and Challenges (DoorDash gives you additional pay to complete a certain number of deliveries in a set amount of time). Learn more in our complete DoorDash Driver Review.

DoorDash Disclaimer: Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries completed, time of day, location, and expenses. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery (from the time you accept an order until the time you drop it off) over a 90 day period and includes compensation from peak pay, tips, and other incentives.

2. Take Online Surveys

Okay, you’re not going to quickly make $1,000 from online surveys alone, but it adds up when you combine it with other ideas on this list. Despite the low pay, we recommend online surveys if you're looking for a substitute to playing Candy Crush on your phone.

The reason survey companies are willing to pay you for your feedback is because the data they collect is for marketing purposes. There are excellent options for survey sites, but here are our two top recommendations:

• Branded Surveys: We recommend Branded Surveys because it pays in points that are worth up to $3 per survey, and you can cash out once you have $5 worth of points. This is pretty fast for survey companies! In 2023, Branded Surveys launched a brand new mobile app.
• Survey Junkie: We like Survey Junkie because it pays up to $3 per survey, and it’s one of the most trusted sites out there. It pays in points that convert to cash, with a $5 cash out minimum.

Surveys average 5 to 30 minutes, and you can take surveys from your phone or laptop.

Because you won’t be matched with every survey on their site — surveys are looking for market data from people who meet specific demographic requirements — we recommend signing up for multiple survey sites. You’ll qualify for more surveys, and that’s more money in your pocket.

You can find even more surveys that pay fast in our article Surveys That Pay Cash Instantly.

3. Start Freelancing

Think for a second about the kinds of skills and services you have to offer. Most of us have something… Are you a skilled writer? An incredibly creative graphic designer? Do you have bookkeeping experience? What about a background in administrative assistance?

Those are just a few of the many, many skills you can leverage to start freelancing. Freelancing has become a fast-growing industry with more and more big companies hiring freelancers, and small business owners have been using freelancers for years because it’s more cost-effective for them than hiring a full-time employee. 

Pay for freelancers varies by skill and services, but it’s safe to say that you can quickly start making $1,000+ per month.

Here are several freelance career paths if you’re interested in learning more:

• Writer: Freelance writers may work for bloggers, magazines, news sites, write web copy, ghostwrite, and more. Learn more in our guide How to Become a Freelance Writer.
• Graphic design: If you’re artistic and good with a computer, graphic design is a growing field. You can design flyers, logos, invitations, posters, web graphics, Etsy printables, and much more.
• Virtual assistant: These freelancers are responsible for a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into running a business. You need to be highly organized and an excellent communicator if you want to become a virtual assistant. Here’s a list of places actively hiring virtual assistants.
• Bookkeeper: It’s similar to accounting but doesn’t require a degree. Bookkeepers help manage payroll, handle invoicing, and generally track a business’s finances. Learn how to get started.
• Web developer: This is a high-income career field that doesn’t require a college degree, and many web developers these days get their start in months-long boot camps.
• Proofreading: Proofreaders get paid to correct grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. Learn how to get started.

Platforms like FlexJobs, Upwork, and Fiverr are places to either list your services or find companies hiring freelancers. You can also create a website and share it within your network — this route may take more time, but it’s something you can do while finding work elsewhere.

4. Pet Sitting and Dog Walking

Pet sitters can earn anywhere from $35-$70 per night depending on where you live, and dog walkers can make $15-$25 per walk. This could be a really fun way to make money fast… if you like pets, which is a must. 

Pet owners rely on caregivers when they go out of town or while they’re away at work. While you can use social media, the NextDoor app, and letting your neighbors know about your services, we highly recommend Rover. 

The Rover app makes it easy to connect with pet owners in your area, and there’s a one-time fee of $35 to join and create a profile. Rover lets you set your rates, availability, and what kinds of services you are willing to offer.

5. Earn Cash Back When You Shop

Ibotta is an app that gives you cash back for shopping like you normally do. It’s not a ton of money, but you can add it to your running total until you hit $1,000.

The most common cash back option on Ibotta is earning a percentage back on your total purchase, and Ibotta has partnered with 300+ major nationwide retailers, like Target, Home Depot, REI, Domino’s Pizza, Glossier, Gamestop, and many more. You earn cash back when you visit and shop at one of its partners' websites through the Ibotta app. Or, you can shop in-store and upload your receipt.

6. Rent Out Your Unused Space

Do you have a nearly empty garage? Is there space in your basement or attic? Neighbor is a platform where you can list your empty space and rent it out to people in your community. It’s an alternative to traditional storage spaces.

It’s also kind of like Airbnb, except you don’t have to share your space with actual people, just their stuff!

For example, you can rent your driveway on Neighbor to someone who needs to park their car, boat, or RV. Or you can rent basement space to a college student who in between their dorm and first apartment. The going rate for rental space depends on where you’re located, but you do get to set your rates. For example, renting part of your attic might go for $20/month or your driveway for $100/month.

You’d still have a ways to go if you want to learn how to make $1,000 fast, but remember you can combine multiple ideas to get to $1,000 even quicker.

7. Rent Out Your Car

Instead of letting your car sit in the driveway all day, why not make some extra cash from it? You can list your car on Hyrecar, a peer-to-peer rental marketplace, and make around $35/day. This could be an ideal option if you’re working from home these days and not using your car as much or if you want to offset your car payment.

HyreCar is specifically for renting your car to rideshare and food delivery drivers, and they offer up to $1,000,000 in liability coverage if something happens.

What’s sweet about renting out your car is that it’s fairly passive. So, while your car is being rented, you could also focus on selling things to make money or pet sitting, for example.

8. Open a New Bank Account

This is one many people don’t think of, but banks regularly run promotions to attract new customers. And you can easily make $100-$500 fast by opening a new checking account.

Offers constantly change — and they do expire — but here’s a current offer you can explore to make to make $1000 fast:

• SoFi: Open a new Sofi checking account and receive a $50 to $300 cash bonus. Customers are required to set up direct deposit when opening the account, and the size of the bonus depends on the amount of qualifying direct deposits received in the first 30 days.

Not ready to switch bank accounts? You can check with your current bank to see if there are any promotions when you open a separate account with them.

9. Make Money When You Buy Gas

The rising cost of gas might be one of the reasons you need to make $1,000 fast. But did you know you can make up to $0.25 per gallon of gas with the Upside app?

Upside (formerly known as GetUpside) is a free cash back app that pays you when you buy gas or groceries at over 50,000 locations nationwide. Here’s how it works:

• Download the free Upside app.
• Look at the map to find offers near you — offers show how much you can make back at each gas station.
• Fill up your tank like normal.
• Check in while filling up or upload your receipt afterwards.
• Cash out once you have $15 there is no fee to cash out.

Our web developer recently started using Upside, and he made $6.07 back on a $67.21 tank of gas.

10. Sell Your Stuff

If you really want to learn how to make $1,000 fast, like in a week or less, selling your stuff can put that cash in your pocket.

You know you have stuff sitting around your house that you’re not using, so now is the time to go through your closets, garage, attic, basement, etc. and find things to sell. Maybe there’s a sander you bought for a home renovation project, and you're finished with it. Are you holding onto a couple of old cell phones? What about clothes or shoes? Instruments? Books? 

Here are some recommendations for where to sell your stuff for cash:

• Decluttr is specifically for used electronics: phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, video games, video game consoles, and more. Decluttr even buys used LEGO sets.
• You can sell furniture and home decor items on the Chairish app.
• You can use Poshmark and ThredUp for clothes, shoes, and accessories. There are also consignment stores, like Plato’s Closet, that buy gently used, on-trend clothing.
• Play It Again Sports buys used sporting equipment and workout gear, including soccer cleats, treadmills, tennis rackets, basketballs, hockey sticks, weights, and much more.
• Facebook Marketplace has become a very popular option, and you can list practically anything that doesn’t violate Facebook’s Terms of Use (illegal drugs, weapons, animals, medicine, etc.). 

Even if you don’t think there’s anything to sell, we bet there’s something you can sell to make extra money.

Some of the more traditional ways to sell stuff, like having a yard sale, still apply today. It can take a little more time to organize everything and let people know about your sale, but it’s possible to make several hundred dollars in a single day.

Don’t forget about places like Craigslist and eBay. Also, when you’re looking for places to sell your stuff, make sure you check out the fees associated with each platform and how quickly they pay out because that can make all the difference when you need to make $1,000 now.

11. Babysit

Babysitting is a solid way to make money fast if you love working with kids. You can watch kids in your house, go over to a family’s house, or become a nanny. Word-of-mouth is a good way to get started, but you can find even more families if you list your services on Care.com. This platform lets you list your service, explain your experience and more.

Join Care.com

12. Find a Part-Time Job

Now that there are so many good-paying and flexible side hustles, part-time jobs don’t get mentioned nearly as much as they used to. But the reality is that finding a part-time job is still a really good way to make extra money.

One of my readers recently shared that he took a job delivering pizzas part-time. It wasn’t his dream job, but it was helping him make extra money fast, especially because he got to bring cash tips home each night.

13. Negotiate for a Raise

Asking for a raise can be a terrifying thing for a lot of people. What if my boss says no? That means very few people ever take the chance and ask for a raise.

According to a Marketplace-Edison Research Poll, 37% of men and 36% of women have asked for a raise. Men received the raise they asked for 82% of the time, while women got their raise 74% of the time. Wage gap aside, that’s telling. 

You probably have a better chance at getting a raise than you might expect. In addition to this being a great way to make $1,000 fast, getting a raise is a long-term boost in your finances. Its extra money you’ll have every month to pay off debt, save for retirement, put towards an awesome vacation, and so on.

Here are some tips to help you negotiate a raise and get it:

• Do your research: Find out what others in your field are earning to get a sense of what’s a realistic ask.
• Find the right time: Make sure your company is doing well financially, where’s your current standing with them, have you recently received a raise, etc. Some of the best times to ask for a raise are after you’ve completed a big project, a few months before an annual review, or after new responsibility has been added to your plate.
• Practice your pitch: Write down what you’re asking for and why you deserve it, then practice saying it out loud before you go to your boss.

The worst thing that can happen is that your boss says “no.” That doesn’t mean you’re fired. Take that as an opportunity to look at your job performance or even start job hunting elsewhere.

14. Sell Things on eBay

One of our readers shared in our M$M Facebook group that they made nearly $85,000 in one year from selling things on eBay. Sure, it took them some time to build their business, but we mention selling on eBay because anyone can start selling on eBay. It’s especially profitable if you sell in one of the top-selling categories, including:

• Car parts and accessories
• Cameras
• Antiques and vintage finds
• Collectible or rare books, comics, and magazines
• Sporting goods and workout equipment

If you have this kind of stuff sitting at home or can find it for cheap at thrift stores or garage sales, this is one of the best ways to make $1,000 fast. However, pay attention to shipping costs (many sellers recommend building it into your listing prices) so you can keep more cash in your pocket.

15. Start Tutoring

Did you know that ACT and SAT prep tutors can make $45 to $100/hour. Offering subject-specific tutoring (math, chemistry, foreign languages, etc.) can pay $30-$60/hour.

There aren’t specific requirements for tutors, but most have at least one of the following qualifications: has worked with kids in the past, has educational experience in a specific subject, has a bachelor’s degree, or is or is a teacher. 

You can get in touch with your local school district, advertise your services on social media, post about it on NextDoor, or create a profile on a site like Book Nook.

16. Try Flea Market Flipping

Flea market flipping is buying things you find for cheap at a flea market, garage sale, thrift store, etc., and then turning around and selling them for a profit.

You’ll need a good eye for spotting profitable flips, but there’s potential in all kinds of things. To give you an idea of what you can flip, here’s what Melissa and Rob of Flea Market Flipper recently sold:

• A hiking backpack purchased for $10 and sold for $135
• Collectible ornaments purchased for $8 and flipped for $127
• Frigidaire stove they picked up on OfferUp for $200 and then sold for $2,800 (!!!)
• Cement grinder bought for $200 and flipped for $1,700

17. Find Odd Jobs

Whenever personal finance blogs talk about learning how to make $1,000 fast or just making extra money in general, doing small one-off jobs or gigs is something that gets overlooked. It’s not a long-term solution, but you can make money fast doing small, side jobs.

Here are a few ways to find one-off jobs near you:

• Craigslist: Start at the “Gigs” section. Your local Craigslist may have listings for things like unloading a truck, installing drywall, someone who wants drone footage taken, and more. 
• NextDoor: There are usually people in your area who are looking for help with all kinds of small jobs, like mowing grass, staining a deck, moving help, house sitting, running errands, building IKEA furniture, and more.
• Your network: Reach out to anyone you know — social media is good for this — and let them know you’re looking for a little work. Listing out some of the services you’re capable of doing can give people a sense of what they can ask about.

Ideally, you could line up several of these gigs and spend the weekend working through a couple of them. That would be a few hundred dollars in your pocket in just a few days.

18. Yard Work and Maintenance

Mowing lawns, weeding, trimming bushes, raking, planting, shoveling snow, cleaning gutters, power-washing sidewalks, etc. — some people dread these day jobs. That’s why you can make $1,000 fast by going around your neighborhood and seeing if anyone is in need of your services. You can go door-to-door, hand out flyers, advertise your services on NextDoor, or use your social media contacts.

It’s not uncommon to make $20/hour or more doing yard work. Many people don’t like doing this work, but busy professionals also choose to outsource these kinds of tasks to focus on other priorities.

19. Get a Balance Transfer Credit Card

Credit card debt is financially and emotionally draining, and a balance transfer credit card can be a good way to take control of your finances and start destroying your credit card debt. 

Balance transfer cards generally come with 0% interest rates for 12-18 months, and the interest rate will jump up after the promotional period is over. These are best for people who know they can pay off the balance in the 0% interest period.

Opening a balance transfer card can put extra money back in your pocket because you’re saving money on interest charges. Once your credit card debt is paid off, you’re saving even more money each month. Be aware that there are charges associated with opening one, so they aren’t right for every situation.

20. Sell Your Unused Gift Cards

Most people have a handful of unused or partially used gift cards. Instead of letting those just sit, you can sell them to make extra money fast.

Raise and Cardsell are two online gift card marketplaces where you can sell your unused or partially used gift cards. You get paid via PayPal, check, or direct deposit.

21. Flip Furniture

You’ve probably seen furniture sitting on the curb for big trash day. Surprisingly this stuff is in pretty good shape, maybe it just needs a little TLC. I think people just don’t want to spend the time it takes to fix up things or sell them.

Besides finding furniture to flip on the curb, you can also find flips at garage sales, thrift stores, and maybe even your own basement. Once you’ve freshened up the furniture, you can sell your flips on places like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.

How to Make $1,000 Fast | The Final Word

You just learned about 20+ different ways to make money fast, and combining more than one is the fastest path to $1,000. For example: delivering for Doordash, taking online surveys with Branded Surveys, and selling your stuff online at the same time will make that money add up much faster than one idea alone.

Consider combining passive ideas, like renting out your car on Hyrecar, with active ones that can boost your earnings even faster.

While learning how to make money fast can help you get through a tough spot right now, continuing to make more money will only help you prepare for these situations in the future.