Whether you want to pay off credit card debt or take a tropical vacation, making $5,000 fast is within reach. Get paid for playing games and cashout instantly in Bitcoins, PayPal and more on FreeCash.
Getting cash fast can give you an extra cushion in case of a medical emergency, vehicle repairs or other unexpected expenses. It is empowering to know that you could make an extra $5,000 when you need it. You could always take out a personal loan, but there are other ways to earn $5,000 fast, setting you up for financial freedom.
“Fast” is a relative term, so below, you’ll find ways to make $5,000 in as little as a week or a month, plus the best solutions if you need $5,000 in under a week. The next time you think, “I need $5,000 now,” come here for simple solutions.
11 Easy Ways to Make $5,000 Fast
If you need to access $5,000 fast, you have various options, from loans to earnings. You can find ways to make $1,000 and repeat it a few times. Or, you can work on saving money or stop spending on extras to put an extra $1,000-plus in your monthly budget. If you have a retirement plan, you can consider cashing out your 401(k). Better yet, find ways to make more each month to increase cash flow without dipping into savings. With this list, you can turn the thought, "I need $5,000 now" into long-term income streams. Here are the ways to consider getting $5,000 fast.
1. Sell Items You Already Have
The first step in making $5,000 fast is to leverage what you already have. Many American families have hundreds or even thousands of dollars of unused items they could sell for a fast profit. Consider holding a garage/yard sale or listing items online.
If you have high-quality sports equipment, appliances or furniture, you can also speak with a specialized local shop. Consider recycling or selling unused electronics like phones. Even an older iPhone can sell for $100 to $700 if it’s in good condition.
Other big-ticket items include cameras, TVs, antique jewelry, instruments, artwork, gaming systems and computer screens. You can also list brand-name clothing, toys, appliances, furniture and more to create an extra income stream from items you don’t need.
Whether you can make a full $5,000 with this strategy depends on what you’ve got lying around, but it can be a way to cash in on what you already have. Remember that it all adds up. You might have 50 to 100 items you don't use that you could sell for anywhere from $10 to $500 or more.
2. Rent Out Space
If you have extra space in your home or garage, consider renting it out. If you live near areas short of parking, you could even rent out parking spaces on your property. For example, if you live near locations of large sporting events, you could rent parking. However, the fastest solution is usually renting a room or rooms as an Airbnb or to a long-term tenant.
You could also rent your garage to someone who needs a safe place to store a vehicle. Consider apps like Neighbor, which let you rent a garage, closet or parking space.
3. Become a Rideshare Driver
Rideshare driving isn’t going to make you rich overnight, but it could help you bring in extra cash. Drivers earn an average of $16 to $18 an hour during peak times in major cities. Assuming $16 an hour, eight hours per day, it would take 39 working days to earn $5,000. It’s not instant, but it can be an option to supplement other income.
Alternatively, consider renting your vehicle. The app Turo lets you do this. According to Turo, the average host in the U.S. earns $706 per month. Combined with a few other strategies, this could be an option to earn more.
4. Teach Online
The proliferation of online teaching sites means you can teach almost anything online. You can teach English, tutor children or teach a subject of your expertise. Using online teaching sites is a good way to get started. If you want to earn more long term, consider setting up your own website and offering both synchronous and asynchronous courses. You could also use a platform like Teachable.
You can earn an average of $10 to $50 per hour teaching on a tutoring site. Once you have your own courses, you could earn $100-plus per hour.
5. Get a Car Wrap
Wrapify is a service that will pay you for advertising companies by covering your vehicle’s exterior in a branded wrap. This is a way to earn a little extra each month without much effort. Once the car is wrapped, you'll get paid based on a visibility formula that factors in the time of day and areas you pass through.
You can expect to make $264 to $452 a month for a full wrap, assuming you travel regularly. Partial wraps or panels could still give you $30 to $200 per month. A full car wrap for one year could equal $3,168 to $5,424 per year. Combined with other strategies, this can put some extra cash in your budget. Usually, your vehicle must be less than 10 years old to work with these services.
6. Sell Stock Photos
Unique stock photos are increasingly in demand. You could make money on Unsplash, Shutterstock or apps like Foap or Snapware that help you to sell your photos.
Alternatively, many companies will pay you to take photos with your phone for specific commissioned tasks. For example, Snapwire is an app where companies and ad agencies can make requests or challenges and pay you anywhere between $50 to $75 for completing the photos. You could also list a portfolio of photos for sale. Similar services to check out include Dreamstime, EyeEm, ScoopShot, Foap and Twenty20.
7. Consider Freelancing
You can become a freelancer for almost anything these days. Whether you're an engineer, architect, web developer, writer, artist or skilled at home repairs, you could start freelancing. Sites like Upwork and Fiverr let you list your services and find jobs.
Even if you don't have expert-level skills, you can use apps like Zaarly or Taskrabbit to pick up odd jobs like cleaning, yard work, assembling furniture or shopping. Depending on the job or freelance opportunity, you could start out earning $50 to $100 per day but could build up clients so that you are earning that—or more—per hour.
8. Flip items online
Flipping items involves buying them at a discount and reselling them while having the original seller ship the item to the end buyer. This can take time to build, but once you have your systems in place, you could make $10 to $100 per item. There's no limit on how much you can sell and earn with this strategy.
9. Make Deliveries
Becoming a delivery driver is similar to becoming a rideshare driver. Delivery apps can help you make extra money in your spare time. Delivery rates vary by area and delivery type, but you could make up to $25 per hour, plus tips in some cases.
Popular delivery apps include:
- Food: DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub
- Groceries: Instacart, Amazon Flex and Shipt Shopper
- Packages: Amazon Flex.
10. Consider Taking Out a Personal Loan
A personal loan is the fastest way to get money when you cannot wait. You can use it for almost anything you need and pay it back faster if your other money-earning strategies work out. Find the best personal loans for $5,000 here. You can also consider the best personal loans for debt consolidation, same-day loans online or loans for borrowers with bad credit.
Alternatively, consider borrowing money from friends, as long as the repayment terms are clear and you're confident you can stick to them.
11. Make Bigger Moves
How to make $5,000 fast long term involves setting up systems that will help you make money even while you sleep. Building a diversified investment portfolio is one of the best ways to make passive income long term. You can consider investing in index funds or real estate for long-term wealth building.
While you build those reserves, if you have the time and are willing to research, you can also consider house flipping or wholesaling to earn larger amounts within one to three months.
How to Get $5,000 Fast
If you need $5,000 fast, consider building multiple income streams. For example, you might make $1,000 selling items you have online, another $400 per month from a car wrap, another $2,000 from teaching online and $1,000 from renting out space. While $5,000 can seem like a lot, with a little creativity and planning, you can not only make an extra $5,000 one time but also build long-term income streams for greater financial security and freedom.
Need more ideas? Find the best money-making apps, or find emergency loans for bad credit. Then, get tips to improve your credit score.
About Alison Plaut
Alison Plaut is a personal finance writer with a sustainable MBA, passionate about helping people learn more about financial basics for wealth building and financial freedom. She has more than 17 years of writing experience, focused on real estate and mortgage, business, personal finance, and investing. Her work has been published in The Motley Fool, MoneyLion, and she is a regular contributor for Benzinga.