Saving money is great. But what's even better? Making money.
That may be surprising, but if it's one thing that I wanted to share with you all today is, that making more money pays off in the long run over finding ways to save.
The key to FIRE (financial independence, early retirement) is finding ways to boost your income and finding ways to make money through side gigs (which I'll share here today).
These are some little-known ways to make money that anyone can fit into the busiest of schedules.
If you're strapped for time, I'll go ahead and share the best ways to make $800 fast:
How to Make Money $800 Fast
Wondering how to make $800 fast? You can make 800 dollars fast by renting a spare room, investing money, starting a blog, online surveys, podcasting, and teaching English online just to name a few lucrative methods. If you wanted to see the full list, continue reading.
#1: Start Investing in Real Estate
Want to get into real estate investing without the hassle of buying property or saving up a huge down payment? Fundrise makes it easy.
Fundrise is a great way to dip your toes into real estate investing without needing tons of cash upfront. For as little as $10, you can start building a real estate portfolio, and new users even get a $10 bonus to kick things off.
Whether you're new to investing or looking to diversify, Fundrise offers an easy and flexible way to grow your money while investing in properties nationwide.
#2: Get Paid Up to $100 Per Offer
Want one of the easiest ways to stack quick cash while trying new apps and games? Branded Offers pays you to download, play, and hit simple milestones. Seen on CBS and trusted by millions, it is one of the fastest ways to earn up to one hundred dollars from your phone.
You just pick an offer you like, complete the task, and cash out. No complicated requirements and no waiting around. Branded is perfect if you want fast earnings without surveys or long commitments.
Try Branded Offers and get paid for trying new apps and games today
#3: Start Winning Cash
If you want something fun that can still help you hit your eight-hundred-dollar goal, Blitz Win Cash is one of the most entertaining ways to earn. It is a competitive game app where you play quick matches and win real cash prizes. The more you win, the more you can make.
This is one of my top picks since payouts are fast, players are matched by skill level, and you can withdraw your winnings through secure payment methods. It is simple. Play a few rounds, win, and cash out.
Play Blitz Win Cash here and see if you can score real winnings
#4: Start with Scrambly
Scrambly is a solid way to stack some quick cash by completing simple offers. Whether it’s trying out apps, signing up for services, or completing small tasks, you’ll rack up points fast—and new users get a random bonus just for joining.
The best part? You can cash out via PayPal or gift cards once you hit the minimum threshold of only $1, and some rewards process instantly. If you’re looking for a no-fuss way to earn, Scrambly is definitely worth a shot.
#5: Start with InboxDollars
InboxDollars pays you real cash to do things you already do online—like taking surveys, playing games, watching videos, and trying new offers. Right now, new users can score a $5 sign-up bonus just for creating an account.
Once you're in, you can boost your earnings by completing simple tasks or cashing in on high-paying offers. Payouts are made via PayPal or check, and it’s free to join. If you want a legit way to earn extra money during your downtime, InboxDollars is an easy win.
Join InboxDollars and get a $5 bonus instantly
#6: Online Surveys
Freecash is one of the fastest earning sites on the internet and it is perfect if you want to reach eight hundred dollars as quickly as possible. You can make money by completing simple offers, playing games, answering surveys, or signing up for free trials. Earnings stack fast and many users cash out within minutes.
What makes Freecash stand out is the payout speed. You can withdraw through PayPal, crypto, or gift cards as soon as you hit the low cash out threshold. Daily bonuses and streak rewards help you earn even more.
If you want an easy way to rack up quick money from your phone or laptop, Freecash is one of the best places to start.
Try Freecash here and start earning in minutes
#7: Nielsen
This is an easy way to make money from home. By using the internet as you do every day, Nielsen invites you to make a difference – and you can make money too. You don’t even have to do anything other than registering your computer or phone. Nielsen will pay you $50 a year to keep their app on your favorite internet browsing device and they also give away $10,000 each month. So you can possibly make more than $50 for no effort at all.
#8: Watching Videos
All you need to do to help you learn how to make $800 fast is watch videos. Given how easy it is to lose yourself in a never-ending cycle of YouTube videos, this one couldn’t be easier. The catch here? The videos include ads. While they may annoy you while browsing YouTube, you also don’t get paid to watch them. At InboxDollars, you do. Who wouldn’t watch an ad or two if they were getting paid? You can just leave this playing on your phone and collect money, this is referred to as phone farming.
#9: Investing (With a Free $20 Bonus)
Yup, it’s true! There are several companies out there that will give you free money to invest in stocks. One of the most popular ones is:
Acorns: CNBC calls it “the new millennial investing strategy.” Once you connect the app to a debit or credit card, it rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar and funnels your digital change into an investment account. Sign up to try it risk-free with a $20 sign up bonus.
#10: Get Up To $800 In Free Stocks
We all heard the old saying “make your money work for you” right? Investing can sound tough if you don't have a lot of money lying around. But investing can be for everyone — and you can even get up to $800 in free stocks.
For about 3 minutes of work, you can earn yourself a random stock (anything from Sprint to Apple) whose value is anywhere between $3.00 and $800.
This is possible through an investing app called Robinhood. They are currently running a sign-up bonus through this link which will give you a completely random stock once you sign up. There are no obligations to actually invest your money once you sign up – so it truly is free money.
Click here to get your free stock
#11: Save $800 in Bank Fees
This is one of the most common ways people waste money (even if you’re money savvy). My bank charges me a monthly maintenance fee, out-of-network ATM fees, overdraft fees, and the list goes on. It’s likely your bank does the same unless you’re hip to newer mobile banks like Current. Current is free to apply and only takes two minutes!
I haven’t even mentioned my favorite part – if you set up direct deposit with Current you get paid two days earlier. I usually get paid bi-weekly on Fridays, before using Current, now I get paid every Wednesday.
There are plenty of things in life worth waiting for. Your money isn’t one of them. With Current, you can get paid up to 2 days early when you sign up in less than 2 minutes.
#12: Earn Rewards Online
Scrambly is a solid way to stack some quick cash by completing simple offers. Whether it’s trying out apps, signing up for services, or completing small tasks, you’ll rack up points fast—and new users get a random bonus just for joining.
The best part? You can cash out via PayPal or gift cards once you hit the minimum threshold of only $1, and some rewards process instantly. If you’re looking for a no-fuss way to earn, Scrambly is definitely worth a shot.
#13: Become Debt Free
National Debt Relief offers a free debt relief analysis to see if they can help you lower your payments and get back on track. Figuring ways to make quick cash is fun, but if you’re drowning in debt, a few extra bucks won’t fix the bigger issue.
To make this worthwhile, you’ll need at least $10,000 in unsecured debt (like credit cards, personal loans, or medical bills). If debt is weighing you down, it’s worth seeing what options you have—it costs nothing to check.
Get a free debt analysis from National Debt Relief
#14: Sharing Your Car
Did you know that you can rent out your car when you're not using it? And that you can bring in a lot of extra cash in your wallet by doing so?
Do you plan on heading on a vacation soon while your car sits unused at your home? Do you sometimes not use your car on the weekends? If so, renting out your car while you're not using it could be an easy way to make passive income. Getaround lets you do just that.
It's also really simple to do (and free). Listing your car is quick and easy and takes less than 10 minutes to set up. According to a recent Getaround review, somebody listed their car for 5 days every month and made $3,496 in a year. Sounds pretty good to me. Oh, and they also protect your car against physical damage, so you're fully covered.
#15: Build Your Savings with Cleo
Meet your new pal Cleo. Your AI pal that looks after your money. She will budget, save, and track your spending. You can literally sign up on Facebook Messenger in a few minutes.
Ask Cleo anything from ‘what’s my balance’ to ‘can I afford a coffee’, and she’ll do the calculations instantly. Drill down with personalized updates, graphs, and data-driven insights.
Let Cleo do the work, as she puts your spare change aside automatically, sets you a budget, and helps you stick to it.
Building your savings is simple with Cleo.
Bottom line: If you are at all interested in saving money, you should be using the free Cleo bot.
#16: Podcasting
If you can build an audience for your podcast, then you can make some money through sponsorships, affiliate advertising, and other offerings. Companies regularly pay $250 to $800 for a 30-second advertisement on podcasts. If you wanted to learn how to start a podcast for free, you can start here: how to start a podcast guide (really helpful).
There is money to be made with this side hustle.
#17: Dropshipping
Oberlo allows you to easily import products from AliExpress directly into your store with its Shopify integration and will ship directly to your customers – in only a few clicks. It's very simple to open a shop on Shopify and drop ship items in order to create a business without too much risk.
You can literally start and set up a drop shipping business without any type of product in one afternoon with minimal risk as Shopify has a 3-day free trial and Oberlo is completely free.
#18: Freelancing
Fiverr is one of the best sites in the world. The basic premise is “what would you do for $5?” You’ll find everything from hilariously weird and useless gags to legitimate and genuinely helpful micro-business tasks.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting as a seller on Fiverr, and have found it a pretty successful avenue for selling website optimization services, article writing, and proofreading services.
Fiverr can work for you as both a seller and a buyer. It is a great way to make money and also you can find millions of services. Best $5 I've ever spent was using a Resume Revision service and now I receive way more employer call backs now after the revisions. If you want to know which service I used, leave a comment below. If you want to try Fiverr, sign up through here for 20% off your first order at Fiverr.
#19: Web-Based Freelance Writing
Are you a good writer? You could write an eBook on your topic of choice and sell it on Amazon, Payhip, Lulu, Smashwords, Kobo Writing Life, PubIt! and many other websites that start you out in your side hustle as a published eBook author.
#20: Amazon Store Owner
Do you have old textbooks from college lying around? You should consider selling them on Amazon. In addition to textbooks, you can probably sell old books, DVDs, cell phones, or other electronics you may have lying around. You would be surprised how much you can get for your unwanted items. I also recommend checking out our recent post on how to earn free Amazon gift cards.
#21: Claim Class Action Lawsuits
If you use a product that’s involved in a class-action rebates, a little online legwork could get you a cash payout. The rules of each settlement are different, but in most cases, you’ll have to provide proof of purchase or product use, like a serial number or a receipt. Once you fill out your online claim form, you may have to wait a few weeks or months before receiving your payment.
Psst — I regularly post new class-action settlement information, so check in often to make sure you’re not missing a chance to get paid!
#22: Flipping Items for Profit
Sell your unwanted items around your household on eBay is a good way to declutter and earn side income. I've been using eBay for about 7 years now and it is very easy to sell things around your home that you no longer use or find items that you can purchase for cheap and then flip them on eBay for a profit. Someone made $1,1379.79 in one month by flipping iPhones. Just make sure that you keep the fees into consideration.
#23: On-Demand Apps
With all of the on-demand apps out there today this one is an easy one. All you need to have is a car or bike, in most cases. Apps like DoorDash, Instacart, and PostMates are easy to sign up for and help you make $800 fast. There are always people that are looking for a ride or looking to get something delivered.
Another great part about doing this is that you can pick your hours. If you have 30 minutes between classes you can do a ride or two. If you are only available 8-11 at night then you can work then. It is extremely flexible and you can make good money doing it.
#24: Web-Based Consulting
Becoming an online coach or consultant for others is becoming more valuable as are in the information age. If you are a very savvy at social media or are a fitness expert then selling your time and hopping on a Skype call or Google hangouts is a great hustle. You don't even have to start your own website at first, you can list your services on Fiverr.
#25: Resume Writing Company
What is one thing that every college student will need towards the end of their college career? A kick-ass resume. Resumes are difficult for many people to write. They are, however, very easy once you know how to write a great one.
Spend some time learning how to write a great resume.
There are a ton of great resources online from very reputable sites. I went from having NO CLUE how to write a resume to be awesome at it. How do I know I was awesome at it? Every human resource or hiring manager that saw my resume commented on it. They asked how a college student with no experience could have such a great resume.
Learning to write a resume is not difficult, it just takes a little bit of time to learn. Once you learn it then you can repeat the same process for each individual resume your write. Then you can start charging for your Resume & Cover Letter writing services on Fiverr.
#26: High-Yield Savings Account
CIT Bank – Enjoy an amazing rate of 1.65% APY when you open a new CIT Bank Money Market Savings Account at CIT Bank. That's over 22x the national average savings rate! You can open a new savings account with their low $100 minimum opening deposit requirement and it's as simple as that. CIT Bank provides an outstanding example of what you can receive in an internet bank with their amazingly high APY and their outstanding service, so open an account with them today!
#27: Teaching English from Home
Still wondering, how to make extra money from home? Well, have you considered teaching English online (pick your own hours too)? All that is required is that you are fluent in English, have a bachelor's degree, and have some tutoring experience. You can see some more detailed EF requirements here. This a great way to earn money from home and already 30,000+ use EducationFirst (EF) to teach English from home.
With an opportunity to make $650 a month, just from one hour out of your day, may be worth looking it. You can learn more about teaching English online on EF's website.
#28: Dividend Investing
It’s been said that the average millionaire has seven streams of income. Dividend stocks are usually always in the mix. Dividend stocks are similar to regular shares of stock, but they pay you a small portion of the companies earnings monthly or quarterly. So it’s wise to build a portfolio of dividend paying stocks! If you want to get hip to dividend investing, check out Robinhood. What I like about Robinhood is that they make it really easy to invest in stocks, while still having plenty of features as you get more comfortable with investing.
#29: Affiliate Marketing
If you already have a blog or website you probably have heard about affiliate marketing. You can make money by referring website your visitors and readers to buy products online and earn a small commission on each sale. This can make you rich, as some bloggers make over $5,000 monthly just through affiliate marketing. If you wanted to take a stab at affiliate marketing for your website/blog I would recommend the MaxBounty Affiliate Program and iGain Affiliate Network. I use both for SavingJunkie and it's been great so far! A perfect way to add affiliate links to your blog or website that doesn't look spammy.
#30: Mobile Apps That Pay
You’re not going to get rich by downloading mobile apps that pay you, but you can use these to earn a passive income every month. Money making apps can be a simple way to pad your bank account in your free time.
You probably know these apps aren’t my favorite way to make extra money, but I make an exception for it when you’re just hanging out — e.g. watching T.V., riding the metro, during your break at work, or in the back of an Uber. Might as well click a few buttons and make some money while you’re at it.
Here is our list of the best money making apps if you wanted to give them a shot.
#31: Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses
If you’re serious about saving money to make extra money, then you should know about balance transfers. If you’re paying only monthly minimum each month then you’re subject to paying money in interest alone and not even the principal balance.
An example is: If you have $2,000 on your VISA card, and it has an 18% APR, then you’ll be paying $800/year in interest alone if you only pay off the monthly minimum each month. That’s $800 down the drain.
You can avoid this by signing up for American Express Blue Cash Everyday. AMEX Blue Cash Cash Everyday is a card with no annual fee, and you can transfer your current debt from any type of credit card (all with no fees), and pay 0% interest for 12 months on your current debt amount. With no interest for 12 months, you can steadily pay down your balance with your savings from the other steps, which will save you a great deal of money in most cases
Enjoy your $800!
If you made it through this list then you already have everything you need to make eight hundred dollars fast. You do not need special skills or a huge time commitment. You just need to pick a few methods that fit your lifestyle and take action today.
Whether you start with Fundrise to grow your money, Branded Offers for instant earnings, Blitz Win Cash for quick wins, or one of the many other options above, each step you take puts extra cash in your pocket. Most people stay stuck because they only read about ways to make money and never try any of them. You are already ahead by knowing exactly where to begin.
Choose two or three ideas from this list, get started today, and you can easily hit your eight hundred dollar goal. Keep this page bookmarked because I will continue updating it with the newest and most effective ways to earn.
Go make your eight hundred. You have got this.
