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How do you make $500 fast to supplement your income in a way that doesn’t suck?
You can choose from many goldmines of ideas on the internet to earn or save money.
Here, I’ll cover practical and easy ways to make $500 fast.
Review the list and choose something you find interesting.
It won’t be easy, but the rewards outweigh the effort you will put into this endeavor.
Remember, the goal is to add to your working income as a side hustle and not abandon your current employment.
And if you plan to run your own business one day, have patience. Most of these side hustles have the potential to replace your current income.
Ready to unlock the key to a financially healthy future?
Let’s go!
How to Make $500 Fast (Must Try Easy Wins)
Based on your current situation, the following ideas will show you how you can save money and stop paying high interest on charges.
After reading through it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t earn extra cash earlier.
1. Check for Unclaimed Money
We lead busy lives going about our business and are often clueless that there may be uncollected money in a government-held account that has been forgotten about.
Unless you set aside time to check, you will never know if you have money that you can collect. It doesn’t take long to find out because there’s a simple process to do this.
If there is unclaimed money from a government office, a business, or other sources you have never collected, you can search for it using the official databases.
You don’t need to hire someone to check, because it’s easily accessible through the internet.
Start with your state’s unclaimed property office, or you can check the multi-state database if you moved to another state.
Input your name and start your search. Check the rules and requirements to prove your identity and claim money from that office.
You may have unpaid or back wages for up to three years from your previous employer, which you can check in the Department of Labor’s database.
As for filing your income tax returns, you may have overpaid your taxes with the IRS and have yet to receive tax refunds.
Remember to prepare your official government identification cards and SSS numbers.
Sometimes, savings bonds have matured and stopped earning interest. Find out if your parents invested in savings bonds when you were younger.
You can use TreasuryHunt to look for inactive savings bonds or learn how to replace them.
2. Snatch Missed Store Refunds
Many of us neglect to look for rightful refunds from the stores we bought from a couple of months ago.
We cannot keep track of the date of purchase or put any effort into checking for store discounts on the item we bought. But if the price drops during the discount period, we have the right to a refund.
How can you get a refund without returning the item to the store?
It’s not about getting store credits or gift cards; it is about getting the price difference between the discounted amount and the price you paid.
Big-box store brands like Amazon, Target, Home Depot, Best Buy, and Gap sell their products online.
The company’s price adjustment policy states that the item you bought after a price drop or discount promo qualifies for a refund.
But since you don’t have the time or patience to keep track of your online purchases and check on the price after a few weeks, Paribus will do this for you.
When you sign up for this free app, the app will alert you to price changes in your email. You get a notification, and Paribus will help you get back the discounted amount or potential savings.
Additionally, it compensates you for missing the delivery date when the item arrives late. Paribus will alert you of the last return date based on the store’s policy on the return window.
In effect, you have a virtual secretary to let you know if what you bought last week had a price drop, with a refunded price difference on the credit card that you used.
3. Automatically Negotiate Your Bills
Paying monthly bills can be a hassle, with expenses such as mobile phone, cable, internet, car insurance, medical insurance, and credit card bills leaving little room in your budget.
It’s as if your bills are the thorns piercing the financial bubble you want to soar into the air.
Most are expenses you cannot stop paying, but the good thing is you have the option to negotiate.
You’ll be surprised at the savings you can collect from the monthly bills you pay.
Here are some of the best services to trim down your bills:
AskTrim
AskTrim analyzes your active subscriptions and alerts you to cancel your paid but inactive ones.
It checks for “gray charges” that start as a free trial period on membership sites, video games, software, etc., and then end up as charges your credit card when you don’t cancel at the end of the trial period.
AskTrim helps you quit your extra subscriptions and reduces regular spending on your bills.
When you register, you’ll have to divulge your various accounts and note your spending patterns on your cable, internet, and phone bills by as low as 30%. Check your statement to see if there are recurring charges or upgrades to the service you’re using.
BillCutterz
BillCutterz will gather your bills for your cell phone, cable TV, internet, landline, alarm and security, electricity, etc.
Without lifting a finger, you can save money because BillCutterz manages your expenses at the best rates.
BillCutterz will call the providers and negotiate lower rates without changing much of what you’ve been using. You will see the discounts and savings on your next billing cycle, and that’s the only time you pay BillCutterz.
After three months of your new subscription, call your providers about your Netflix, cable, gym memberships, online, and magazine subscriptions.
Typically, we do not check for new promotions or package deals to save money when we use a service.
Your service package with the mobile carrier, cable subscription, or car insurance may have discounts that are now available.
Negotiate by taking two competitor companies of your service provider and comparing the rates you pay versus their rates.
4. Earn Free Cash With These Sign-Up Bonuses
Sign-up bonuses are a way for a company to show appreciation for their potential customers or to collect data.
When you open a new checking account, a maintaining balance is needed. Once you apply for a credit card, be sure to use it within three months.
Below are some of the best sign-up bonuses I could find on the web.
Ibotta
Ibotta will give you a $20 sign-up welcome bonus as soon as you install the app.
It’s an immediate credit you can use on your first purchase of groceries, medicines, pet supplies, and many other items.
You can use the cash back to purchase the 1,500 brands and retailers’ cashback in the Ibotta store listing.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks will give you a sign-up code for $10 worth of Swagbucks that you can turn into cash with your PayPal account.
You earn points to get gift cards through internet searches, answering surveys, watching videos, or shopping online.
You can then use the gift cards to purchase groceries and other items from the store where they were issued.
InboxDollars
InboxDollars will give you a $5 bonus for the sign-up fee. As a member, you will participate in a 3- to 25-minute online survey and get paid a minimum of $10.
You can watch videos or TV ads, read an email, or shop online to earn a few dollars and get the best offers.
Checking Accounts (Chase Bank)
When you open a Total Checking Account at Chase Bank, you get $200 deposited into the account.
You get a free $12 monthly service fee if you maintain a daily balance of $1,500 or link your electronic deposits of more than $500.
This payment could be deposited to your Visa or Mastercard Debit Card from your payroll or government benefit providers.
Credit Cards
When you get your Chase Freedom Unlimited Visa card, you get a bonus value of $400.
There is an intro bonus of $200 if you swipe the amount of $500 within the first three months of acceptance.
When you use it for your car and travel expenses, you earn 5%; for restaurants, you make 3%; and for other bills, you earn 1.5%.
Your Bank of America Visa card will give you a $200 online cash reward after you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days.
You can earn 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs if you swipe $2,500 each quarter, plus 1% cash back on other cashbacks.
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card will give you $200 in bonus cash if you swipe $500 within three months.
You get a 1.5% cash back rate on all purchases without a monthly spending requirement.
5. Spend With These Cash Back Apps to Make More Money
Cashback apps allow you to earn points, rebates, and gift cards when you download them.
You can use your smartphone or any computer with the correct email address for registrations and other details.
Rakuten
Formerly called eBates, Rakuten collects rebates from your online shopping.
Over time, the cash will add up to a few percentage points. Rakuten will send a monthly check or deposit the money into your account based on your monthly expenses.
Drop
Drop is a new Google Play rewards program from which you can earn points for playing games, taking Drop surveys, and shopping.
Link your debit or credit card to the Drop app to start. Your earned points become gift cards in the Drop app, which you can use to buy from the top brands listed.
Shop at Home
Shop at Home is a cashback app on Google Play.
You can earn money by answering surveys, discovering store deals, and shopping on retailer sites and local deals. Then, you can redeem your gift cards from Amazon, Target, Starbucks, and Paypal.
Ibotta
Use the Ibotta app in stores and for online shopping. You earn cashback and deals to buy groceries, medicines, pet supplies, clothing, airfare, and car rentals.
The store discounts you earn can be credited to your Ibotta account and used as a cash debit for your next purchase.
6. Rent Out Your Unused House Space With a Neighbor or Airbnb
Look at your home and see if you want to monetize that empty room, that unused basement or attic area, or even half your garage area for parking space.
You can turn these spaces into income-earning areas by charging rent.
Just remember to set the rules for when the lessees can come over to ensure your daily flow of activity at home isn’t disrupted.
If you have an extra room or guest house, you can list that space on Airbnb.
If you become a host, learn the local rules and regulations and manage your paying visitors well.
Soon enough, your location, space, and customer reviews will keep you booked and busy.
Airbnb
Airbnb is one of the most famous lodging options used by travelers.
People choose a place according to their budget and experience the local feel of the area.
If you are in the center of town or within walking distance of a tourist spot, you’ll likely have customers who will choose your place.
Remember to post pictures that look spacious and bright. You must mention the space’s unique features with an appropriate description of landmarks.
Another option is renting out your unused basement, attic, or half of your garage parking space to people whose personal storage space is cheaper than a commercial one.
Neighbor
Neighbor will offer your unused space for moving boxes, cars, furniture, appliances, or even a boat.
Airbnb and Neighbor will get a percentage of your income as their management fee and advertising costs.
There is no need to worry about advertising your rental. All you have to focus on is the operations side to earn yourself high customer ratings.
Remember, you have many competitors in the listings, so make your place as attractive and welcoming as possible.
7. Rent Out Your Old Car with Getaround
Do you have a spare car sitting in your garage, collecting dust?
Good news! You can monetize your car by renting it out through Getaround.
If you don’t mind somebody else using it, you could earn $120 for 40 hours per week or a minimum of $5 per hour for carsharing.
Another option is to carshare daily while at work. You can also lease an extra car for extended periods of time, over weeks or months.
If you want to skip the hassle of parking, you can opt to carshare the minute you arrive at work. Your car is rented by the hour while you are in the office, earning on its own instead of being idly parked somewhere.
You do not need to worry about who will rent your car.
While there is no membership fee, registered users must submit personal information to the company.
The renters are carefully screened for contract approval while the cars go through a proper inspection for roadworthiness.
You can even track the exact location through the mobile app to get an added sense of security.
8. Sell Your Stuff
Throughout the years of shopping through different phases in your life, I’m sure you’ve gathered many things now sitting in the corner of your storage room or closet.
Turning your trash into cash is the motto you have in mind when you sell your stuff in different ways.
Here are some suggestions that will help
eBay
With a worldwide audience as possible customers, you can sell rare and hard-to-find items such as vintage watches, early edition books, rare cameras, heirloom jewelry, and other stuff on the web.
Remember to take beautiful photos and include a clear item description to get more attention before posting on eBay.
You’ll have to cover the charge fees when you make a sale on this site.
Craigslist
Are you looking for local customers to sell your stuff to, whether it be a sofa, lamp, or painting?
Craigslist allows you to list your items for free and ultimately control who you will meet to do a face-to-face transaction and sale.
The audience is limited, but the chances of closing a deal are good because of the actual meet-up.
Facebook Marketplace
Notice how many friend requests you get on Facebook?
If you are selling your stuff, you will reach your contacts and others interested in the items you carry.
Friends will buy from you, but networking on Facebook goes beyond the friendship of your friend.
Amazon Trade-In Program
Look at your Amazon items, such as books, video games, DVDs, Kindles, and other electronics. Then, decide whether you’ll keep them or send them to the Amazon Trade-In program.
You can submit the details to Amazon for their counteroffer. You’ll have to send your item to Amazon for an appraisal if it qualifies. You’ll then receive instant payments of Amazon gift cards for eligible trade-ins
Decluttr
If you have video games, CDs, and DVDs, you’ll want to eliminate the clutter in your space.
Decluttr will give you a quote on each item when you provide them with the IMDB numbers.
If you agree with the prices, pack it up and send it to Decluttr using their free printable shipping label. As easy as this, they will send your payment via PayPal, direct deposit, or company check.
Garage Sale
The garage sale is the age-old solution to getting rid of your stuff and monetizing your clutter.
Organizing one requires a bit of work, as success depends on choosing a day closest to payday and setting up an accessible location.
With a proper display of your items and bargain prices, you can collect your cold, hard cash the same day.
9. Offer Value to Your Friends and Family
It can be difficult to manage a career and keep a house in order simultaneously, especially for busy individuals.
Many people are willing to pay someone to take chores off their hands.
I suggest you start by calling family members who seem to have high-stress jobs and asking if there’s anything they need help with since you have a few hours on your hands.
Naturally, they will decline the offer.
But your family and friends will reconsider if you give them a reasonable price for doing the chore.
It can be anything from grocery shopping, picking up coats from the dry cleaner, cooking dinner, babysitting on the weekend, cleaning the house, or mowing the lawn.
You can even squeeze this job in during the weekends or holidays.
If your energy can handle the physical demands of another few hours, advertise your services on Craigslist or the Neighborhood billboard.
You’ll need references that can vouch for your identity and hard work ethic.
Think about it as an opportunity to get some good cardio exercise or a change of routine from your usual weekday work schedule.
The whole week, from Monday to Friday, you sit at the desk in front of the computer.
This side job earns you extra income and gives you a reason to stretch out and have some contact with people outside of your work environment.
10. Work Overtime in Your Current Job
What kind of job do you have?
Is your company so overburdened with work or clients that things seem to pile up instead of being resolved?
If you think you can help and get paid simultaneously for the extra hours, then get approval to offer more of your time.
Why not spend a few more hours in the office and learn more things if something else is assigned?
It’s a matter of a few hours, but overtime pay will give you one-and-one-half of your regular pay rate.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) states you can receive overtime pay if you work over 40 hours per week.
Overtime hours of work must be studied carefully, as they can send the wrong signals to your boss.
Instead of simply asking for overtime, review your department’s goals and note potential gaps where you can add value. Ensure these gaps fall outside your current work but are still relevant to your department.
Your boss is more likely to approve your overtime if you showcase the ROI you’ll bring to your department.
11. Refinance Your Loans
Refinancing your loans after diligently paying on time with the minimum amount puts you in a good negotiating position.
To ensure approval, your credit ratings must be in the excellent range of 680–850 points. Be ready for the issuers and lenders to conduct a hard inquiry on your credit history.
Lending Club
The car loan you have been paying off can be refinanced into a new one with lower interest rates, saving you as much as $80 a month.
Your on-time monthly payments will work to boost your credit score and qualify you to apply for a new loan under Lending Club.
Sofi
You may have graduated a few years ago, but you still carry the burden of your monthly student loan.
If you have been paying your monthly student loans on time, you may be able to refinance them with SoFi.
Doing this can save you thousands of dollars with flexible terms and a lower interest rate.
Credit Card APR
The credit card interest rate (APR) is what you want to focus on in the billing statement, not the minimum payments.
Making consistent on-time payments and keeping a lower statement balance allow you to negotiate a lower APR with your issuer.
It boosts your credit rating when you successfully negotiate your loans.
Easy Side Hustles That’ll Bring You Consistent Cash
Many side hustles solely depend on your time and efforts.
With the flexibility some side hustles offer, they’re the perfect way to juggle two jobs.
The best part is that they’ll help you earn a consistent income if you keep putting in the effort.
Uber Driver
I’m sure at some point, you booked an Uber to go from your current location to another place.
You probably noticed the drivers are of different ages, and some are the same age as you.
If you know how to drive and have the patience to interact with all kinds of passengers from one point to the next, you’re ready to be an Uber driver.
After you make an account with Uber, you can choose your work hours and the days you want to earn money by driving.
Some squeeze in a drive or two on their way home from work, while others use the weekend to earn extra with the weekend shoppers.
It’s entirely up to you how long you want to drive, while Uber provides you with the next customer to pick up.
You must watch out for overall vehicle maintenance, fuel management, and repairs because these are your overhead costs.
Your profit margin depends on how efficiently you can navigate outside traffic.
Using Waze or Google Maps allows you to gauge the best routes to arrive at your destination in less time.
Uber drivers make $18.20 per hour with a booked ride.
You can squeeze in two hours before leaving work, plus five hours each for Saturday and Sunday.
That gives you 20 hours of Uber driving with a monetary equivalent of $364 in gross earnings.
Sell on Poshmark
Open your closet quickly and decide which pre-loved tops, bottoms, bags, barely used shoes, or hats can be posted and sold on Poshmark.
You probably went from shopping for university attire to shifting to work clothes in the past year or two.
Assessing your things gives you a reason to monetize the items crowding your closet that you no longer need.
Let us face some hard facts: selling the few things you can do without will make your life simpler.
The stuff in your closet is taking up space you could have used for other things. So, instead of throwing out good items, why not sell them for a top price?
As you go through a lifestyle change or adopt a different clothing style, you keep the past in the back of your closet.
Whatever the reason, it’s time to dig it out of the closet and post photos on Poshmark.
Remember, you can still demand a reasonable price if it’s from the past few seasons or within the fashion trend.
Once you resell your stuff, letting go of the other items in your closet becomes easier.
Like selling items online, your items can fetch a fair price if they’re in excellent condition. Register and study the Poshmark guidelines before selling your wares.
Remember that you need to be realistic with the pricing to get the item sold and not sit on the website for a long time.
Deliver with Postmates or DoorDash
Are you one of those who like to step outside during their lunch break for some fresh air and a quick stretch?
You can take out two birds with one stone when you do this.
With Postmates or DoorDash, you can do a quick food run for a person near your area and drop them off.
To save time, you could have lunch at the same restaurant.
You can also squeeze in a quick delivery before you head home.
It’s easy to join PostMates with a simple requirement that you are above 18 years old and have a working smartphone. You can walk if the area is nearby, or use a bike or scooter.
A job contract will collect a $4 minimum fee for every delivery, but the price can go higher depending on the delivery distance.
Plus, some customers give generous tips.
When you enlist to be a Dasher, you deliver food, groceries, medicines, and other items using DoorDash.
Customers will place their orders on DoorDash, and the order is posted on the site for anyone to take the delivery job.
Once you get the job notification, you proceed to the customer’s pickup of goods and delivery.
You will receive your payment collection with tips weekly.
Teach Kids on VIPKid
Another option to earn extra money is private online tutoring through VIPKid.
Tutoring is a practical way to put your talents to use, whether you excel in English, mathematics, science, or even reading.
In a regular class setting, young students often struggle to catch up with the lesson. The teacher goes by the majority’s pulse and gives attention to those who need more help.
Often, questions remain unanswered because the pace of the class has moved on to the next topic. A student may need a one-on-one session for further explanation.
This is where you can bring value.
Be prepared to work with students in different time zones.
Tutorial sessions pay a fair rate of $18-22 per hour, allowing you to earn more if you can establish a talented student-and-tutor relationship.
You can do this at home when you arrive from work and set aside two to three hours of tutorials before dinnertime.
Transform Your Car Into a Billboard
Have you ever wondered why some cars have advertisements for different brands?
Many of these cars aren’t company-owned, but private vehicles turned into moving billboards.
With Carvertise, you can get as much as $100 a month, and if the campaign has cash contests, it can boost your earnings as high as $300 per month.
You can choose from the list of brands along the nearby route you drive regularly, and Carvertise will make the match.
You bring your car to the assigned professional car wrapper.
The advertising material is made of large sheets of adhesive-backed vinyl film that are safe for car paint.
Some have a matte, satin, gloss, or carbon fiber finish in the printed ad design.
Depending on your contract with Carvertise, the vinyl wrap is temporary and can be quickly taken off after a month or more.
To avoid damaging the adhesive on your moving billboard, hand wash rather than use a pressure washer.
You do not need to do much but go about your day with your schedule and routine, unless you’ve agreed to join a promo for a specific time and area drive-by’s.
A no-hassle contract allows you to earn money with little effort.
Walk Dogs and Pet Sit With Rover
Are you an animal lover?
If you answered yes, then this side job is perfect for you.
Taking care of animals is an inherent instinct that they can feel.
You can’t pretend to enjoy doing animal-related work because animals can be more perceptive than humans.
But if you love to spend time with dogs or cats, taking them for a walk for a rate of $8–28 per pet after work is an ideal time.
Pet sitting can only work if you have gained the pet’s trust and established a rapport with it. When the pet returns home relaxed and happy, you have successfully connected with them.
Rover also provides other services, which can be found on their service listing.
You can accept other pets and turn your home into a doggy daycare on weekends.
You can host drop-in visits where dogs have their playdates.
You can also host boarding for $25–90 per night, where the pet stays overnight in your home.
Your love and patience for pets are the number one requirement when doing this.
But it’s a win-win situation for you if you love handling pets.
Not only is caring for them therapeutic, but it also gives you a chance to get some pet snuggles.
Freelance
The possibilities of freelance work present many opportunities.
You dictate your own time and workload.
You choose what jobs you can handle and what to turn down.
If you like to write, do graphic design, be a virtual assistant, dabble in animation, make music compositions, or do other creative or skilled work, register on Upwork and Fiverr.
The advantage here is that there is no age limit or gender preference; only professional skills to speak for your work.
Upwork and Fiverr are outsourcing websites, linking the client to the freelancer, earning a commission from the agreed contract.
The sites have a community forum that allows you to ask questions and share experiences with fellow freelancers.
Freelance work requires mental focus and patience to understand the client’s requirements.
As you get more jobs on Upwork or Fiverr, you’ll have more opportunities to get better-paying clients and virtually meet people from different countries.
Perform Tasks on TaskRabbit
If you’re one of those people who thinks their only skill is the job they have, think again.
You can choose any category on the website if you want to work the listed jobs in TaskRabbit.
You don’t need complicated skills to apply for separate contracts, but you need to figure out your available time to squeeze in this side job.
Customers have different needs, and the listed tasks require somebody to help them.
It can be a simple errand or a more complicated job, and you get paid hourly.
When you join TaskRabbit, you become an instant jack of all trades, adapting to the many categories offered on the website.
You can choose the simple task of running an errand, waiting in line for a sale or event, or shopping at the grocery store or hardware store.
Other job categories involve working with a team, including event staffing, project coordination, and disaster recovery.
While you work, you will meet different people and learn about new side jobs worth trying.
Sell on Etsy
If you’ve been working on your creative hobby for a long time, why not display it on Etsy?
Many of the items on display are one-of-a-kind or produced in limited quantities.
When you post your stuff on Etsy, you can sell your unique and individualized items, not those on the shelves of big brands.
Etsy is a perfect site to sell your handmade or personalized items in a virtual store.
Creative items such as paintings, sculptures, handmade jewelry and accessories, beauty products, essential oils, and customized shirts are just some things you can sell.
Your hobby of creating becomes a business that you can grow.
Etsy is an online store where people can buy reasonably priced, unique items.
Often, the sellers are the creators who want to earn money doing what they love. These passion pieces you made allow you to meet virtually with the client.
Like paying rent in a physical shop, Etsy charges you for the listings and marketing costs.
However, it gives you feedback on how many people like the product in your chosen category, which helps you score more sales!
So keep posting your creative products, and soon enough, you will have customers ordering a few more pieces than you projected, with many more interested customers looking at your site.
You Can Even Earn More Than $500 if You Stay Committed
There are many ways to increase your current income and earn more than $500. The challenging part is committing to one of the ideas mentioned in this article.
It may exhaust you and consume your free time. But every effort has its rewards.
If you can try even one practical piece of advice, it will be a significant step towards having multiple sources of income.
Doing this long-term will get those bills paid faster and set you up for more significant savings in the future.
Even better, it will bring you closer to becoming financially well-off.
Let us know which item from this list you’ll try first.
