Are you looking for quick ways to get cash today? You’re not alone. Whether it’s to pay off bills or to purchase a personal item, millions of other people in the world are looking for ways to get quick cash. While there are quick ways to make money, they are not always lasting options, meaning you’ll get the money you need now but the cash flow will end there. This article will discuss some quick ways to get the cash you need today, but also some more lasting ways to keep the cash flow coming in.
Quick Money
Sell Your Stuff
If you’re looking for quick ways to get cash today, it may be as simple as looking around your home. People often have items lying around that they don’t have a need for anymore and that someone else might love to own. Take a lap around your home to collect items both big and small that you’re ready to part with. You may even find some loose cash around your home that you forgot about.
There are a huge variety of options for selling your old stuff nowadays, especially online formats. Some of the most popular online selling platforms are Facebook Marketplace, Offerup, Craigslist, and LetGo. It’s as simple as some good pictures of your items, some basic information, and a smartphone. This is a great way to not only make some quick money but also clear some space in your home.
If you’ve got old items or jewelry that are collecting dust, consider taking them to a pawn shop. Here you can sell used electronics, jewels, and even vintage knickknacks you have lying around your home. Keep in mind, the money you’ll receive for your items will not always be a fair price or what you could get selling privately. For example, an average price for a diamond ring at a pawn shop could get you $446 while a Macbook Pro would average $248. However, if you are in need of quick ways to get cash today, this is a great option.
If you have a hobby for making things, you may also consider selling the items you make. Whether it’s woodworking, metal crafting, or even knitting or crochet, you may be able to sell the items you make for a pretty penny. Sites like Etsy are great for this. Who knows, you may even be able to turn your hobby into a business.
Recycling
Some states have bottle deposit laws and will pay you for recycling aluminum and glass bottles. It’s typically around 5 cents to 10 cents per bottle, but if you hold onto your recycling for a while and turn it in at once, you could make about $5-$20.
If you don’t use enough aluminum or glass bottles to save up quickly enough, just wait for the trash pickup day. People are often too lazy to return or recycle their bottles, so you may be able to take advantage of that when they’re left out on the street for pickup. You can even kill two birds with one stone by picking up bottles that are littered around town and returning them for profit.
Loans
If you need quick money for small things or personal purchases, loans are not the smartest way to go. But if you are in need of quick ways to get cash today for bigger items, such as a car, down payment for a home, cash for home renovations, or something else, a loan is a great way to get the money you need fairly quickly.
You may consider a personal loan if you are looking to consolidate debt, start a home improvement project on your home, or even pay for a wedding. Personal loans can serve as a great quick option for a variety of financial issues. While it is considered a quicker way to get money, remember that you won’t generally be able to walk into a bank and come out with the money you need that same day. Give yourself a few days to find the right loan for you and to be approved.
If you are in need of quick ways to get cash today for a real estate purchase, a hard money loan may be a great option for you. Hard money loans are typically short-term loans used for real estate investment purposes. They are usually given out by local private investors who are looking to get a high rate of return on their money.
Hard money loans are considered one of the quick ways to get cash today because you don’t need a lot of information to be approved for a hard money loan. Hard money lenders may not even ask for credit information or income. However, the term is usually around 12 months and comes with high-interest rates. So before you sign off on the loan, make sure that you’ll be able to make the higher payments on time.
As previously discussed, pawn shops are one of the best quick ways to get cash today. Aside from selling your old items, you can also get quick cash from a pawn shop through pawn loans. Pawn loans are basically collateral loans. If you have an item of value, such as jewelry, instruments, electronics, or tools, a pawnbroker will lend you money and keep that item as collateral. Once you pay back the money you borrowed, generally with interest, you will get your item back. Be careful with this option though, if you miss any payments or have issues, you won’t get your item back. So don’t lend anything that you aren’t willing to possibly lose.
Become A Driver
You may have used Uber to get around town, or even used DoorDash to order food at home, but have you ever considered being the driver yourself? In 2017, a poll conducted by Campbell found that Uber drivers made about $15 per hour before expenses. And the payout is instant which wasn’t always the case with ride-sharing businesses. That’s a decent amount of money for just driving your car around town.
There are different rules for Uber and Lyft drivers versus, UberEats and DoorDash drivers. You’ll also have to be willing to work during peak hours, such as weekends and evenings, to make real money. But if you’re willing to spend a few hours a day devoted to it, it’s one of the best quick ways to get cash today.
Lasting Money
While all of the previously mentioned options are quick ways to get cash today, it’s time to talk about some longer-lasting ways to make money that take some work upfront, but will keep the cash flowing rolling in.
Investing in Real Estate
If you’re looking to create lasting money, investing is a great option. While it’s definitely not one of the quick ways to make cash today, it will help you to create a lasting and substantial cash flow if done correctly.
One of the most popular ways to invest money is through real estate. You can invest in real estate a few different ways:
- Purchase a home for yourself
- Become a landlord
- Renovate and flip houses
Purchasing a home is one of the most common real estate investments, mostly because some people don’t even realize that a home purchase is an investment. When you purchase a home, one of the best rules to live by is, “leave it better than you found it.” Even if you don’t intend to ever sell your home, making upgrades and increasing the value of your home will be helpful in case you ever do need to sell. The most you do to renovate your home, the higher you’ll come out in the end.
Some people choose to purchase a home and then rent it out, also known as becoming a landlord. This a great way to make a passive income so you can still work another job while bringing in money through the rental. Depending on how much you charge for rent, you should at least be able to cover the mortgage payment each month. Once the mortgage is paid off, you’ll be able to keep that monthly rent check.
Another real estate investment opportunity is to flip a home. This is basically purchasing an old or run-down home for a cheaper price, fixing it up, then reselling it for a profit. Some people even make a business out of this. Depending on your skills and the resources you have at your disposal, this can be a great way to make lasting money.
Beef Up Your Resume
While investing in stocks or real estate are some of the best investing options, don’t forget that you can invest in yourself as well. One of the number one ways to invest in yourself is with education. Learning new skills and trades makes you more valuable when it comes to careers or business opportunities.
Trade school is a great option for those looking to get further education or training without a longer commitment. Trade school, depending on the program, can last anywhere from eight months to two years. You won’t graduate with a diploma, rather a certificate acknowledging your successful completion of a specific program. Some common trade school programs are:
- Accounting
- Animal Care
- Architecture
- Automotive Mechanic
- Beauty/Cosmetology
- Business
- Carpentry
- Computer Programming
- Health Care
- Marketing
- Web Design
While you won’t walk away with cash in hand the minute you receive your trade school certificate, you will walk away with a skill that will give you a leg up in your career hunt. For example, if you’re looking to go into finance, a trade school certificate in accounting may help you to get a job or internship with a finance company. Ultimately this certificate will help you to get steady cash flow from job opportunities. You may even be able to start your own business depending on your trade skill.
If you are prepared to make the commitment, a bachelor’s or even masters or doctorate degree would be a great way to prepare yourself for the workforce. This is definitely the slowest way to make money but also one of the most risk-free options. A college degree is required for a large majority of job opportunities, so having this kind of education will help to get your foot in the door. You will also have a lot of opportunities to network and connect with companies while pursuing your degree. All of this will help you to land a job that will help you make lasting money in the long run.
Nowadays one of the most popular and valuable skills to have is fraud detection. With so many unemployment claims being made, bad people are taking advantage of the system and filing false unemployment claims to try and cash out for themselves. Those people with fraud detection skills likely are not having a hard time coming across employment or job opportunities right now. If this is a skill that interests you, becoming a fraud analyst is a great option. It’s a skill that will always be needed in the world.
In Conclusion
Whether you are looking for quick ways to get cash today, ways to make lasting money, or both, these are all reliable and proven ways to get the money you need.