How to Make $30 Fast: 15 Easy Ways That Actually Work

There are many reasons people want or need to make money quickly. Luckily there are a few options for doing so. I can’t tell you how much my life has changed since I found the blessed world of side hustling.

Side hustling is often the key to making money fast – and you can make $30 fast once you learn the ropes.

My primary source of side hustle income has been freelance writing, and I earn more per hour at it than my husband earns per hour in his job as an engineering technician.

However, side hustling is just one option for making money quickly.

These seven ways to make a small amount of money in a short amount of time will give you a taste of what the side hustling world is all about. If you use several of the ideas, you could make $30 or more in a single day.

How to Make $30 Fast

But for now, here are ways you can make $30 quickly.

1. Start Earning InboxDollars

InboxDollars is a site that will pay you for many tasks including taking surveys. Right now they have a $5 cash bonus just for signing up.

Some tasks that they pay for include:

• Taking Surveys
• Watching videos
• Playing games
• Searching the web
• Downloading apps

As you complete the offers that appeal to you, your cash balances grows and you can cash out via PayPal (or a gift card to your favorite store).

Also, when you share your referral code with friends, and those friends sign up for their own InboxDollars account, InboxDollars will pay you a 10% bonus on all of your friends’ earnings!

So, if your friend earns $100 in qualified earnings, you’ll get an automatic $10 deposited into your InboxDollars account.

InboxDollars

• Get paid to take surveys and watch videos
• Has paid out over $80 million to members
• $5 sign up bonus

Visit InboxDollars

2. Sign Up for Ibotta

Ibotta is relatively new to me. I signed up for it as a way to do research for an article I wrote. I’m not always a fan of some of these types of rewards programs as I often find them time-consuming.

Ibotta helps you earn money by finding money-saving offers on things you buy. As your savings accumulate, you can ask for your balance to be transferred to your PayPal or similar account, getting you cash on the spot.

Luckily, Ibotta has several things going for it. First, the Ibotta smartphone app is super easy to use. When you sign up, you’ll be asked to choose the stores you shop at most often.

Ibotta’s list of over 300 different stores (and over 500,000 store locations) means you’ll likely find at least some of your favorite stores on their list.

As you choose your favorite stores, offers for cash rebates on different purchases start pouring in.

My Personal Experience With Ibotta

When I made my first browse through the offers there were coupons for chips, ice cream and crackers, all things which I’d planned on buying for our New Year’s celebration.

My first shopping trip using Ibotta found me saving over $8 on groceries alone, and I had a super small shopping list.

But what really got me excited about Ibotta was the $10 sign up bonus they were promoting when I signed up. To add fuel to the fire, Ibotta frequently gives out $2, $3 and higher “just because” bonus boosts.

Want to earn even more with Ibotta in a super short period of time? Ibotta will give you $5 for each person you get to sign up with your referral code.

The $5 bonus gets credited to your account as soon as your referred person makes a qualified purchase using Ibotta.

Between the sign-up bonuses, your own personal cash savings and referral earnings you could easily make $30 or more in just one day.

Ibotta

• Make money scanning receipts
• Cash out quickly to PayPal
• Get $5 bonus

Visit Ibotta

3. Make $30 Fast Taking Surveys

There are several companies that will also pay you to take surveys. The nice thing about these types of money-making opportunities is that you can earn money even when you only have a few minutes to spare.

Because most surveys are relatively short, you can earn money for a few minutes, go on to do other things and come back again and earn more cash.

Not all survey companies are the same. It’s important to do your research to find out which companies have the highest payout rate and the best reputation. One of our favorite survey companies is Survey Junkie.

Survey Junkie has high reviews on many review websites and a reputation for being one of the higher paying survey sites out there.

Know that you will have to put in some serious time and effort to make $30 or more taking surveys, but if you’re committed to putting in the work, the cash can add up somewhat quickly.

Survey Junkie

Share your opinion from any device and earn points that can be traded in for gift cards or cash.

Start earning now

4. Use Rakuten When You Shop

Rakuten helps you make money by giving you cash back rebates when you make purchases at your favorite stores. Here’s how it works.

You start by signing up for an Rakuten account. Don’t worry, it’s free to join.

As of this writing, Rakuten is currently offering a $10 sign up bonus. To qualify, you need to make a minimum shopping purchase of $25 or more within your first year of signing up.

The key to earning your cash back rebates through Rakuten is to be sure you access the stores you want to shop online at through the Rakuten portal. As you shop, you get a rebate from Rakuten.

They give you a certain cashback percentage depending on which store you’re shopping at.

For instance, if you shop at Walmart you’ll earn a 1% cash back bonus. If you shop at Kohl’s you’ll earn a 3% cash back bonus.

Specialty stores can have even higher rebate amounts. Your Macy’s purchases qualify for a 6% cash back rebate, and Barnes and Noble is currently offering a 10% cash back rebate through Rakuten.

I’ve seen rebates as high as 40% on the site, which features cash back offers from over 1,800 stores. But with most of the popular stores (Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.) you’ll get rebates of between 1% and 10%.

Cashback rebates are sent quarterly as long as you’ve earned at least $5 in rebates. Rakuten will send your earnings via PayPal or they’ll mail a check to your home; whichever method you wish.

Bonus: you can also earn money from Rakuten by referring others who make a qualified purchase.

Rakuten

• Reward program that gives up to 40% cash back
• Free and easy to use
• Thousands of cashback opportunities

Visit Rakuten

5. Make $30 Fast Selling Your Stuff

If you’re like most people, you can easily find stuff laying around your house or apartment you no longer need or want.

Got some designer clothes or accessories? Kid or baby items your little ones have grown out of? Are there unused electronics sitting around the house? Sell them on eBay, Facebook or Craigslist.

Want to get rid of some electronic games, DVDs or CDs? See what you can get on sites such as Decluttr or bring them into Half Priced Books for instant cash back.

The more stuff you sell and the more valuable that stuff is, the more money you’ll make. You can easily earn $30, $50 or more if you do a thorough search of your stuff and amass a group of several things you can sell.

Electronics such as old smartphones, gaming systems, accessories, tablets and more tend to sell especially well. Check out our article on 18 Sites to Easily Sell Used Electronics for more information on that.

Depending on the types of used electronics you have, you may be able to make $100 or more in a single day.

Decluttr

• Great for selling bulk items
• Free shipping
• Sell items like phones, DVDs, and more.

Visit Decluttr

6. Do Some Cleaning Jobs

There is no shortage of people who need to have their house, garage, basement, small business or other space cleaned.

Today’s busy world leaves little time for cleaning and organization. And you can make $30 in an hour or less with just one cleaning job.

Advertise your services on local Facebook community pages or on Craigslist. Or simply send out a note to family, friends and neighbors asking them if they have any cleaning jobs they need help with.

Before you start looking for work, decide what your specialty is, and line it up with your talents.

Will you specialize in deep cleaning? Organization? Weekly maintenance cleaning? Do what best suits your talents and skills so the customers keep coming back.

7. Sign Up to Be a Rideshare Driver

Another favorite side hustle in the money-making world is driving with Uber or Lyft. I know several people who’ve started making cash driving others around.

One of their favorite parts about the gig is that they can earn money when they drive, and can also earn more with tips.

Getting cleared to drive with Uber can take a couple of weeks or longer. Once you start driving, you can get your money fast by signing up with Instant Pay.

You can cash out your earnings up to five times a day with your debit card.

Friends, there are SO many side hustle choices you have for earning money fast. Start researching this cash-earning opportunity and find out which avenues are best for you.

And I’m working when I want from the comfort of my own home during the hours that I choose to work.

Making a small amount of money fast is great, but creating a regular income from non-traditional gigs can be fantastic.

Uber Eats

• Make money on your own time making deliveries
• Optional daily payout
• Promotional options available

Visit Uber Eats

8. Do a Gig or Event on Craigslist

Craigslist has a section devoted solely to one-time gigs and day/weekend events. People might advertise needing help packing or moving, doing some sort of landscaping, or doing a home repair.

Craigslist also has an “events” section under their “gigs” umbrella. Companies often hire workers for a day or weekend.

These people help with events such as concerts, public events where brand ambassadors are needed, one or two-day jobs as extras for a movie filming, or tasks tied to a one-time event such as the Superbowl.

Many of these gigs are paid for by reputable companies who just need help for a day or two. This is because it’s more cost effective to hire someone off the street than to pay for permanent staff.

A word of caution: there are unscrupulous people advertising on these types of sites (as with any public forum). Use safety precautions to ensure you’re dealing with reputable companies before taking a gig.

Related article: 32 Ways to Make 10 Dollars in a Day Online

9. Help People Care for Pets

Pet care is another area where you can make $30 fast. People need help with their pets all the time.

You could offer to walk dogs, sit for pets while owners are away or pick up dog doo-doo from yards.

Or you could start a mobile dog washing business. All of these pet-related gigs are in high demand and can help you earn $30 quickly.

Advertise your services on a site such as Rover, or create a listing on Facebook or Craigslist.

Reach out on local Facebook community pages before creating a listing on Facebook Marketplace.

10. Babysit Kids

Babysitters are also in high demand these days, and parents often pay handsomely for a few hours of babysitting.

If you like kids, are responsible and know how to relate to kids, you could make $30 fast as a babysitter.

You can find jobs by creating a profile on Care.com. Or you can simply put the word out to family, friends or in your community that you offer babysitting services.

Check on profiles such as Care.com to find out what other babysitters in your area are charging so you know how much to charge for your services.

11. Look for Work on Upwork or Fiverr

Upwork is a site that matches people looking for gig work with people who need both small and large tasks done.

You create your profile and then look for work, applying for jobs that fit your skillsets.

Fiverr is a site that works similarly to Upwork. The main difference between the two is that Fiverr specializes in super short jobs that often pay just $5.

Use the site to find quick gigs that fit your talents, and make $30 in a short amount of time. As with Upwork, you’ll need to create a profile on Fiverr.

12. Work With TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit is a site that helps people find workers for handyperson-type gigs.

When you create a profile on TaskRabbit, you might find work that ranges from fixing leaky faucets to putting together furniture.

Or you might work as a delivery driver or a one-person moving service. Mounting TVs and setting up electronics are also jobs you might find on TaskRabbit.

You get to decide what types of work you do and how much you’ll get paid.

13. Have a Car Wash

Having a car wash is another way to make $30 fast. Charge $10 or so per car, and get the cars done in 10-20 minutes and you’ll make at least $30 in just an hour.

All you need is a hose, a bucket, some soap, a sponge and some towels. You can host the car wash at your home, or work as a mobile car washer using your clients’ hose and water.

Add an extra few bucks to your fees when you bring a mobile hand vacuum with you and give the inside of each car a quick vacuum.

14. Become a Server

Working as a server at a restaurant is a fast way to make money too. You’ll likely get tips on the very first day you start.

And many restaurants are hiring servers on the spot. Maximize your tip earning potential by providing super good service, being quick and paying attention to customer needs.

Most of all, smile!! Customers love having happy servers when they go out to eat.

15. Freelance Your Skills

Do you have skills you can freelance at the drop of a hat? If so, why not start using those skills to make some money?

Some of the skills you might be able to make quick money with can include:

• Freelance writing or artwork
• Tutoring
• Singing or playing an instrument
• Working as a virtual assistant
• Tech work such as computer repair
• Lawn mowing or landscaping

Or just about any skill you have. Look for work online by using the best job search sites.

Or search on Craigslist or other sites that advertise a need for freelancers. FlexJobs is another site that can help you find quick freelance work.

Summary

Whether you need $30 fast or even more, there are many options for earning cash quickly. We’ve shared some basic ideas here (with more options shared in the links) but the complete list of money-making possibilities is endless.

Don’t pass by these many opportunities to make cash if you have a financial need or want that you are struggling to meet.

There’s no limit to the amount of cash you can make – the limit lies only within your willingness to educate yourself on what income sources will best fit your skills, your time schedule and your lifestyle.