13 Legitimate Ways to Make $1,000 Fast

Whether you are trying to pay off debt quickly or just want to make extra cash, $1,000 isn’t a small sum of money.

In fact, most people would probably say that amount would be a big boost to their finances.

Luckily, if you want to make $1,000 fast, you don’t have to find a second job or work insane amounts of overtime. With the right side hustle and some financial savviness, you can make extra money in your spare time.

What Are the Best Ways to Make $1,000 Fast?

When you’re in a bind and need quick cash, you might think about turning to options like paid survey websites.

These websites are effective for making some pocket money. However, if you want to make $1,000 in one week, stick with the following side hustles.

1. Deliver Meals

If you have access to a vehicle or bike, delivering food for companies like DoorDash is one of the fastest ways to make money.

The platform operates in the U.S. and Canada. As a delivery courier, you can earn money on a flexible basis by delivering fast food and restaurant meals to people in your city.

Compensation varies, depending on factors like tips and delivery times. The company pays contractors weekly and lets you work on your own schedule. If you need cash quicker than that, you can request Instant Payout for a small fee.

Consult our DoorDash driver review to learn more.

2. Deliver Groceries

Similar to food delivery, delivering groceries is another way to make money on the side.

With Instacart Shopper, you can earn anywhere from $10 to $20 per hour as a grocery delivery worker. This amount includes tips, so earnings may vary.

Instacart is available in more than 6,000 U.S. cities. It is also offered in hundreds of cities throughout Canada.

Similar to DoorDash and Postmates, you can work on your own schedule. Pay is distributed weekly. However, if you need funds sooner you can request funds immediately for a minor fee.

Read our Instacart Shopper review to learn more.

3. Walk Dogs

If you’re a dog person, pet sitting or walking dogs with Rover is a fun way to earn one thousand dollars fast.

On Rover, you can offer services like:

• Pet sitting
• Dog walking
• Drop-in visits
• Doggy daycare

You set your own rates and availability. The site even lets you specify the size of dog you’re comfortable working with on your profile.

According to Rover, you can make $1,000 per month or more by walking and caring for  dogs. While it might take time to find clients, Rover is a terrific choice if you want to get paid to walk dogs.

Read our Rover app review to learn more.

4. Babysit

If you want to make $1,000 in your spare time, babysitting could be an option.

Babysitting isn’t just a way for teens to make money. With websites like Care.com, you can find babysitting work in your city to supplement your income.

Care.com lets you create a babysitting profile for free. Once you complete a profile, parents in your city can reach out to hire you.

You can also search childcare listings and apply to gigs directly.

Many jobs pay between $15 to $25 per hour. Overnight stays can pay even more.

5. Rent Out Your Car

If you’re wondering how to make $1,000 fast without increasing your hourly workload, you need to pursue passive income ideas.

Thankfully, companies like HyreCar and Turo let you earn additional cash by renting your vehicle to drivers in your city. If you have an idle period where you’re not driving, this is one of the easiest methods to earn extra money.

Both companies let you set your own rental rates and provide damage protection coverage. The main difference is that HyreCar rents cars to gig economy workers, while Turo rents to everyday drivers.

Whatever the case, don’t let an idle vehicle sit in your driveway when it could help you earn money for doing nothing.

6. Sell What You Don’t Need

When was the last time you did a bit of spring cleaning?

Decluttering your home is therapeutic. Plus, selling things you don’t need is one of the best ways to make quick cash.

Some common items you can consider selling include:

• Old smartphones with websites like SellCell
• Gently used clothing
• Furniture
• Children’s toys and books
• Collectibles

Websites like Craigslist are an excellent starting point since you don’t pay fees for selling to local buyers. You can also try selling apps to find online buyers.

7. Become a Virtual Assistant

In today’s age many businesses, both small and large, are looking for administrative help. As a virtual assistant (VA) you perform various tasks to aid a company.

Possible tasks include:

• Email management
• Invoicing
• Customer service
• Calendar management
• Social media work

Tasks vary widely and the more skills you have the more you can earn. As a freelancer you’re more affordable to a business than filling the role in a full-time capacity.

If you like to work remotely and want to earn $20+ an hour, working as a VA can be a good way to earn money fast.

FlexJobs is a good site to find potential VA jobs.

8. Reduce Expenses

Sometimes, the best choice is to cut expenses to earn fast cash. After all, a dollar saved is a dollar earned.

You can likely trim parts of your monthly budget to help reach your  goal.

If you need a helping hand, you can use Rocket Money to negotiate your bills and cancel unused subscriptions. Currently, Rocket Money can help you:

• Cancel subscriptions you don’t use
• Categorize monthly expenses
• Negotiate lower monthly bills
• Automatically put money aside into savings

Lowering your cable and phone bill can mean hundreds of dollars in annual savings, and Rocket Money takes the work off of your plate.

9. Do Gigs Around Town

Another option to get money fast is to do odd jobs around your city.

Like Rover or food delivery services, gig economy apps like Taskrabbit connect “taskers” with people in their city who need help. Examples of Taskrabbit jobs include:

• Furniture assembly
• Cleaning
• Handyman jobs
• Moving help
• Painting
• Snow removal

On Taskrabbit, you set your rate and availability. Jobs like moving and handyman work can easily pay $20 per hour or more if you’re skilled in a particular area.

Taskrabbit handles payments, so you don’t have to worry about exchanging cash with clients.

10. Find Freelance Gigs Online

Freelance gigs are an effective way to make money online and reach your financial goals.

For starters, websites like Fiverr let you create a freelancer profile for free. You can then make money by offering services like:

• Writing
• Social media marketing
• Graphic design
• Web development
• Transcription

You can also look for remote work and freelance gigs on ZipRecruiter.

Depending on your field and experience level, a single online job can earn $1,000 within a week or two.

11. Rent A Second House or Unused Room

For some people, a spare room or basement is nothing more than a storage option. However, as an Airbnb host, you can turn an empty room or entire home into a way to start racking up money.

Airbnb lets you rent out:

• Spare rooms
• Entire homes
• Apartments
• Guesthouses
• Campsites
• Sailboats
• RVs

Depending on your space and the market, renting your home or a spare room a few times  each month can result in good money.

12. Ask For a Raise

According to Indeed, it’s acceptable to ask for a raise within the first six months or year of being at your job.

As you progress in your career and take on more responsibilities, it’s important to ask for a raise periodically. This helps increase your income over time.

Furthermore, it’s only natural to seek more compensation as you become better at your job.

Besides, as the saying goes, “if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.”

13. Search for Unclaimed Money

Did you know there might be free, unclaimed money that’s owed to you?

When businesses or the government owes you funds and you don’t collect, that money sits unclaimed. Commonly, this money comes from sources like:

• Insurance refunds
• Former employers
• Tax refunds
• Bankrupt creditors

To search for potential unclaimed money, visit the usa.gov website for a list of unclaimed money databases you can use.

FAQs About Making Money Fast

Making $1,000 quickly is possible, but it’s important to pick the right option for your timeframe and avoid side hustles that aren’t worth your effort.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions readers ask when trying to get paid today.

How can I make money right now?

If you are looking for ways to make money fast, selling things you own is generally the best choice.

Remember to use a reputable website to find local or online buyers. Additionally, when selling locally, you should meet buyers in public places and bring a friend if it makes you feel more comfortable.

How can I make $100 a day?

With the right gig economy job, it’s possible to make $100 a day or more if you put in the time.

Delivery app jobs are a perfect example. You can earn around $20 per hour, meaning five hours of deliveries earns roughly $100.

How can I earn money in a week?

Most of these ideas to make $1,000 fast let you get started within a week. However, cutting back on expenses or selling things you own are two immediate ways to put cash in your wallet.

What should I avoid if I need money right now?

Setting a goal to earn extra cash is excellent. However, it’s wise to be cautious when researching money-making ideas.

Specifically, be wary of ideas that:

• Have a membership fee
• Require you take out a loan
• Make you pay money upfront to get started
• Seem too good to be true
• Set off red flags for you

There are many opportunities to pull together money for bills or emergencies. However, you should always remember to do your due diligence before choosing a side hustle.

Bottom Line

If you want to make more money, it’s important to set a measurable goal so you can track your progress.

This holds true when you want to make $1,000 fast. While it might seem challenging, the right gig job and some financial changes can make it possible to boost your income without spending endless hours at work.

 What are some of your go-to choices to supplement your income?

*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.

*Earning more on certain types of orders (ex. alcohol): Earn more per order as compared to restaurant orders. Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries you accept and complete, time of day, location, and any costs. 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 tips, peak pay, and other incentives.

*Get paid instantly (DasherDirect): Subject to approval

*Cash out daily (Fast Pay): Fees apply

*Start Dashing today: Subject to background check and availability

*Dash anytime: Subject to availability