How to Make $50 Fast – Apps to Help You Earn Now
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Everyone has been in a situation where they need $50, $100, or even $500 to make an essential purchase. Or perhaps, you're just behind on your bills, and access to quick cash would fix that. Thanks to the wonders of the world wide web, making $50 fast is very much within grasp. You can leverage a plethora of websites and mobile apps to make money fast. You can play games, take surveys, and sell stuff, among other things, to make some extra money.
Granted, not all of the items on this list will earn you $50 on their own. Some of these gigs will make you more money, while others will barely do. However, you should get to that $50 target by doing a few of them together. The best part? A few of these gigs can be done in your free time or during breaks, while others can be turned into a legit side hustle. So, if you've asked yourself, "How can I make $50 fast?" you've come to the right place.
Related: How to Save Money When You Are Broke
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How to make $50 fast
Play games
Make money while having fun? Sign me up! We're scrolling on our phones for several hours each day, but that time could well be spent on playing games and making money online. Perhaps, you like to play bingo or maybe you're into playing Pool. Regardless of your genre of choice in games, the options are endless; just open Google Play or Apple App Store. A few of these games also offer a sign-up bonus of up to $5; that's free money, but with conditions attached.
A majority of these games do not pay with real money. Instead, you'll be rewarded with an in-app currency redeemable into PayPal cash. Some games also let you cash out via gift cards. Most of the most successful real-money games use the Skillz app to power their cash rewards.
Earn Real Money Fast by Filling Out Surveys!
- Sign up for FREE & complete your profile
- Earn points for taking surveys
- Redeem your points for cash or gift cards
- $55k+ Paid to Survey Junkie members daily
- Complete 3+ surveys a day, earn up to $100/mo.
Take online surveys
Who doesn't like taking surveys in their spare time? Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, and InboxDollars are among the most widely known survey sites. But surveys are just one of the many legit ways you can make extra cash through these services. Playing games, watching videos, and browsing the internet are other activities you can do to make money through these sites. In addition to a sign-up bonus, some survey sites also offer a referral reward, which means that if someone you referred does end up using the service, you'll make some money off of that too.
Like real-money games, these survey sites do not reward you with cold, hard cash. Every survey you complete or other qualifying activity earns you points, which can be redeemed in different ways. Some of these sites will let you cash out via PayPal, while others will give you gift cards from Amazon and other retailers or direct deposit to your bank account. Your points' conversion to dollars changes depending on how you choose to cash out. Generally, though, gift cards get you the most bang for your buck.
- Earn money by testing apps, games, and completing surveys
- Get up to $225 per offer!
- "Excellent" Trustpilot score (4.6/5 stars) with over 54,000 reviews
- Cash out instantly via PayPal with a minimum of just $5.
Sell, sell, sell
Sell services
There's a buyer for everything. So whatever you decide to sell, know that you'll succeed as long as you're patient and see the item's worth - whether it's a tangible item like a phone or something intangible like your services as a freelancer. Upwork and Fivver are two of the most famous freelance platforms. Social media, graphic design, virtual assistant, freelance writer, or blogging are just some of the services you can sell on these platforms. Thousands of people use Upwork and Fivver as their primary online jobs, but they can also become your legit side hustle.
TaskRabbit offers physical work like cleaning, furniture assembly, or moving if you don't mind being hands-on. But these services take a slice off your earnings. Fiverr takes a 20% commission, and Upwork takes a cut of between 5% and 20%. TaskRabbit's commission is 15%, and it charges a $25 registration fee if you're a new member.
As for how much you can earn, according to Earnest, freelancers on Fivver make $98 a month, while those using TaskRabbit to complete tasks earn $380 a month on average. Upwork says freelancers in the U.S. make an average of $20 per hour, with those offering skilled services commanding a higher price.
important: The IRS considers freelancers as self-employed, which means there are additional taxes that may be applicable to you. Forms W-9, 1099-MISC and 1099-K are among forms freelancers have to file.
Sell things
Upwork, Fivver, and TaskRabbit act as a bridge between you as the service provider and anyone who wants to pay for these services. But, if you'd like to take a direct line with the seller, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and eBay will let you sell almost anything. Or you could hold garage sales. And you don't have to worry about a third party eating into your earnings. The best part? You don't have to worry about Uncle Sam asking for tax.
Airbnb
Renting some extra space in your home or another real estate via Airbnb can be a legit side hustle and could become a source of consistent passive income. How much you ultimately make depends on how often you rent a property and how much you charge. As a host, you control how much money you'd like to set for your property, but you can also turn to Airbnb's pricing tool for help.
Creating an account on Airbnb is free, but it does take up to 5% commission from hosts. On average, Airbnb has said that hosts earn about $9,000 per year, which comes out to $750 per month.
important: If you make more than $600 in a calendar year through Aibnb, you will be issued Form 1099-K.
Take care of a furry friend
If you're friendly with pets (and vice versa), you may want to consider pet sitting or dog walking. You can use Rover to provide these services. To become a sitter, you'll have to provide your personal information and pass a background check. You must also be at least 18 years old. Once that's done, an in-house team will review your profile at Rover to see if you would make a good fit.
Earnings-wise, Rover says sitters can make up to $1,000 a month. If you also become a dog boarder, you may be able to earn two times that. The more services you can provide, the more you'll earn. You can get paid via PayPal and check. Rover takes a 20% cut from your income, and if you'd like to get paid by check, a small fee will kick in as well.
important: There are a few moving parts to applicable tax on your income through Rover, but you can expect to receive Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-K.
Earn Real Money Fast by Filling Out Surveys!
- Sign up for FREE & complete your profile
- Earn points for taking surveys
- Redeem your points for cash or gift cards
- $55k+ Paid to Survey Junkie members daily
- Complete 3+ surveys a day, earn up to $100/mo.
Drive
Ride-sharing companies
Uber and Lyft have completely changed how people go from point A to B, and at the same time, it has become a source of extra income for the thousands who drive for these companies. Both Uber and Lyft offer sign-up bonuses to entice new drivers. If you're registering with Uber for the first time, you can earn a cash bonus of up to $1,000. Lyft also has a referral program in place, rewarding $3,000. Of course, both come with ride requirements, meaning you'd have to complete a certain number of rides within a specific time frame.
According to Salary.com, Uber drivers make an average of $37,102 a year, equivalent to about $3,100 per month. Glassdoor pegs a Lyft driver's average pay at $18 per hour. But both services take a percentage of your earnings. Uber takes a 25% cut, but Lyft isn't as transparent with its fees. It only mentions platform fees, service fees, and third-party fees on its website, but not a straightforward percentage.
important: Earnings from Uber and Lyft must be reported to the IRS on Schedule C.
Food delivery
Demand for food delivery boomed during the pandemic, and it's showing no sign of abating anytime soon. DoorDash is arguably the most famous food delivery service, and you don't even need a car as a few other services require. With DoorDash, you can use a bike, a motorcycle, a scooter, or even walk to deliver food. DoorDash said its drivers are paid $25 per hour.
If you do have a car, Instacart is worth checking out. You have two ways to earn money. Once an order is placed via Instacart, you can make money as a shopper, which sounds like - you shop for the items in the order. If you're a full-service shopper, you can also deliver the items to make even more money. But the latter requires a car and a driver's license. According to Glassdoor, Instacart delivery drivers earn $30 per hour.
Related: Best Delivery Driver Apps
Each cash back
This is one of the easiest ways to make a quick $50. But to make money, you'll have to spend some from either your debit or credit card. Affiliate marketing platform Rakuten is one of the cash-back apps that give you access to daily deals on items like clothing and electronics. The cash-back aspect depends on what you buy and how often you make these purchases. Once you've purchased a qualifying item, the cash back will appear in your account within a few days. There's also a sign-up bonus for new members. You can cash out via PayPal or check.
Earn Real Money Fast by Filling Out Surveys!
- Sign up for FREE & complete your profile
- Earn points for taking surveys
- Redeem your points for cash or gift cards
- $55k+ Paid to Survey Junkie members daily
- Complete 3+ surveys a day, earn up to $100/mo.
Teach English
English is the world's most spoken language. Yet billions of people do not speak the language, so teaching English online may be a good option. English is in high demand, and more and more people are looking to learn the language. You can sign up as an online tutor at services like VIPKid and begin teaching English. Glassdoor pegs an online English teacher's average salary at $40,099, which comes to $3,341 a month.
If you have a skill that's in high demand, you can also become an instructor on Udemy and upload an online course. Udemy is the largest online course marketplace, and more than 64,000 instructors offer upward of 185,000 courses. It's available in 180 countries. Predicting how much you can make from Udemy isn't easy, but maybe this will help: if you make a sale via a unique referral link to your profile, you make 97% of the sale price. However, you'll take home a paltry 37% of the sale proceeds if someone buys your course without the referral link.
Save money
OK, I concur: this one isn't about making money. But analyzing how you spend money and finding opportunities to save should be among everyone's top priorities. And Trim helps you cut down on bills and optimize your budget. It can negotiate your monthly bills, APR, and bank fees, and it can help you cancel subscriptions you may haven't used in a while. It also hooks you up with a free savings account. Trim takes a 15% cut from the money it helps you save via negotiations, but it doesn't have a monthly fee for its services.
Earn Real Money Fast by Filling Out Surveys!
- Sign up for FREE & complete your profile
- Earn points for taking surveys
- Redeem your points for cash or gift cards
- $55k+ Paid to Survey Junkie members daily
- Complete 3+ surveys a day, earn up to $100/mo.
Pros and cons
Pros
- A lot of these jobs can become a legit side hustle.
- These jobs are flexible where you make your own schedule.
- You can generate passive income through some of these gigs.
Cons
- Some of these jobs don't pay much, and you may have to stack a few to make $50.
- Independent contractors like gig workers have to withhold their taxes themselves.
- A few jobs are labor-intensive.
The bottom line
Side hustles and online jobs help you reach your financial goals and attain financial flexibility. As with all things, do a little research before taking the plunge. A few of the services listed here take a cut from your earnings, so when you're selling your services on freelance platforms, that's something you should keep in mind before quoting a price. Some of the jobs can be done from the comfort of your home, while others require you to be out and about. Regardless of the amount of money you're looking to make, when done right, these apps and services should help you earn considerably more than $50.
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Writer
Jasir Jawaid is Joy Wallet's Assistant Editor. He has more than 13 years of experience as a journalist covering Wall Street, equities, financial policy and regulation, and cryptocurrency and blockchain.
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