11 Ways to Make $5,000 Fast (When You’re Desperate)

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Despite what we’ve been told by infomercials and billboards, it’s not easy to make a quick $5,000. In fact, I put in many dedicated hours to earn my first $5k outside of a 9-to-5 job, and I nearly gave up because of the effort it took. Over time, I was able to find ways of streamlining the process, which resulted in my spending less time working, while charging more money. If you have a $5,000 goal to meet in a short amount of time, I am here to teach you how to do it.

We’ve all been in a monetary pinch at one time or another, and it can be a very scary feeling to have to come up with $5,000 fast. It can take weeks or even months to make that kind of money.

Reasons may vary as to why you might need to make $5,000 in a day. Maybe your debt is piling up way too high. Or your car unexpectedly broke down. Or maybe you just really want to go on that dream vacation, and you need a little extra cash to pay for it.

A few years ago, I made the last-minute decision to go to college. Although I was excited, all I could think about was how much I would have to pay upfront in order to avoid taking out a loan that semester.

It’s terrifying to be low on money. While saying, “I need $5,000 now” out loud may sound intimidating and almost silly, it is possible to come up with this amount of cash.

You will have to put in the work to earn $5,000 fast. Keep reading to learn new ideas to get to your monetary goal if not overnight, then at least by the end of the month. Here’s to your success!

11 Ways to Make $5,000 Fast

If trying to earn $3,000 fast sounds crazy, a $5,000 goal could seem nothing short of extreme. But if you’re willing to put in the time and effort to accomplish something that will actually earn you that kind of money in a short amount of time, here are 11 ways to make it happen.

1. Become a Jewelry Welder

We’ve all been there: an unexpected bill has arrived, and you have no way of covering it. You need to make some extra money – and fast. At a loss for unique ways to quickly make $5K, you frantically consider traditional methods like getting another job, working overtime, or borrowing from friends. But you don’t need to do any of those things, because there is a way to actually earn $5,000 fast when you’re desperate: starting a permanent jewelry business.

Permanent jewelry is booming in popularity. Influencers in the fashion and beauty industries are turning heads with their statement pieces, increasing the demand for certified permanent jewelry welders. Hop on this bandwagon to meet your $5,000 goal much faster than you ever could by working a second job or picking up overtime hours.

LINKED Permanent Jewelry Training can help you kick-start a successful, lucrative career as a permanent jewelry artist. Current permanent jewelers often make at least $2,100 in as little as 2 1/2 hours of work, so you could earn the $5,000 you need in just one day. Read this in-depth review of LINKED to understand how permanent jewelry works, how to get started, and how to make permanent jewelry a successful business venture.

2. Deliver Groceries

It’s relatively simple to earn an extra $1,000-plus per month by delivering groceries, and if you’re willing to put in the time, that amount could rise to as much as $5,000. Grocery shopping is a dreaded chore that many busy, overwhelmed people will gladly pay someone else to do for them.

Choose one of the many delivery driver apps on the market and get to work in order to keep the money flowing in.

Instacart is, on average, the highest-paying delivery app, with a reported average of $17.84 per hour, according to Payscale.com. Drivers get paid to shop for and deliver groceries to customers, using their own vehicles.

Pick up shopping jobs in your spare time to help you reach your goal of earning $5,000 fast. Check out this Instacart review for all of the details. 

Apply to Drive for Instacart

3. Set Up a GoFundMe Account for $5,000

It’s sometimes just not possible to raise $5,000 quickly enough to cover that looming bill or costly purchase. But if you have an upcoming deadline that you just can’t push off, set up a GoFundMe account and share it on social media.

Generous donors contribute to thousands of GoFundMe drives every single day. For example, when my in-laws’ house burned down, the people of their community stepped in and donated more than $5,000 overnight to help alleviate the costs that followed such a tragedy.

Everyone has their own struggles, and I’ve seen neighbors band together to support many people going through a variety of difficult situations. If you have a compelling story that you’re willing to share with others, you could raise the funds you need through a GoFundMe account.

Related: Best Side Hustles for Dads

4. Get a Loan for $5,000

Loans are sometimes the perfect answer to your money woes. But only you can decide if this is the right avenue for you to take. You could always take out a $5,000 loan and then give yourself a reasonable amount of time to pay it back. That way, you can eliminate the stress of trying to make $5,000 fast when you need it now.

Upgrade can help you find an affordable $5,000 loan. It’s free to apply and view competitive rates, and there’s never an obligation to accept a loan offer.

Online Businesses That Make $5,000 a Month

It’s overwhelming to think about earning $5,000 within just 30 days. Thankfully, these home business ideas have the potential to earn that and more, but it can take years to build them up to reach that potential.

5. Teach on Autopilot

If teaching online sounds intriguing, but you don’t have the time to show up in person day after day, consider recording an online course that you can sell over and over again. Instead of waiting for you to be available live and in person, your students could watch your online class at any time of day, earning you that potential $5,000 within the month.

Samcart provides free training for beginners who want to learn more about the process of creating online courses. This program also provides a user-friendly platform on which to promote and sell your course.

You don’t need to have a degree or prior teaching experience to create an online course, but you will need to have some knowledge and experience about the topic you wish to teach. Choose whatever interests you the most – and you don’t have to pick something that’s never been covered before. Just invoke your personality and unique teaching style to make your class one-of-a-kind.

To ensure that your course will reach the right audience, Samcart offers affiliate tools that will allow you to offer online marketers a commission for recommending your class to their followers. This is a great way to make $5,000 fast when you don’t have your own online presence.

Learn more about Samcart in my full review.

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6. Set Up “Pay Now Work Later” Service Contracts

It can be intimidating to think about earning $5,000 from just one gig, but making $1,000 each from five opportunities is much more realistic. Consider offering a service that allows you to bill your clientele upfront.

Online freelancers commonly charge ahead of time for their contract services. Most of my clients pay me upfront for my freelance writing and proofreading work.

If you need to get paid $5,000 fast, provide a service (online or offline), and require either a partial down payment or the full amount upfront. To remain in good standing with your clients (and leave the door open for additional opportunities), you must deliver work that is flawless and done on time.

My personal favorite way to earn up to $5,000 fast is to complete online jobs that pay daily, like proofreading or freelance writing assignments.

FlexJobs is a great resource for high-paying freelance work. Access to the site comes with a small monthly fee, because the company vets each job before extending it to freelancers, ensuring clients pay as promised and no one gets scammed out of their time or money.

If you prefer to work offline, some of the best ways to make quick money in a day include heavy outdoor cleanup, landscaping, lawn care, organizing, or indoor deep cleaning services. Search for local businesses that require contract services, or look for opportunities with potential clients in high-income areas.

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Related: How to Start a Cleaning Business

7. Start a Niche Site

When you type a question into Google, you’re hit with a long list of niche sites that offer the exact answer you need. If you search for a recipe on Pinterest, you’ll find content marketers there, too. Many of these niche site owners earn up to $5,000 per month by answering questions and recommending solutions for a commission.

Affiliate marketing is a popular method niche site creators use to build a solid online income. Stores like Amazon, Target, and Walmart pay content creators any time a customer makes a purchase through their unique links. This process doesn’t cost the customers any additional money, and the niche site owners earn a nice income for helping their readers find what they need.

Because each article can take a few hours to research, write, and publish, it can take niche site owners years to reach that $5,000 per -month threshold. When websites get to the point where they’re generating that much money every month, it can generally be passive for the blogger, and it’s well worth the wait.

Join the Free Niche Site Training

More Ways to Make Money Fast

Feeling ambitious? Amp up your earnings to a quick $5,000 or more with the following ideas. It’ll take more than one job to get to this level of income, but if I can do it, so can you!

8. Flip Second Hand Items for $5,000 Fast

Flea market flipping is one of the best ways to turn used items into cash. You won’t find an item worth $5,000 selling for pennies on the dollar every time you visit your local flea market, but this scenario does sometimes happen.

Flipping isn’t for everyone, since it requires such a unique skill set (finding, valuing, in some cases fixing, reselling, and shipping items). The best way to get started is to specialize in a single line of items, like shoes or books.

ZenArbitrage, a complete business-in-a-box system, helps book flippers scale their income to $5,000 fast. This tool will nearly automate the process for you, from finding highly profitable books, to reselling them for a profit. The best part is, you can do the whole job right from the comfort of your couch.

Try ZenArbitrage for Free

Related: Best Things to Flip for Profit

9. Pick Up Quick Respondent Jobs

As a respondent, get paid to answer questions or complete simple tasks like ordering through the drive-through of a local fast-food restaurant or purchasing a specific brand of toilet paper. Respondents have access to hundreds of opportunities that are constantly being updated.

Sign up with a site like Respondent.io to earn money by completing tasks like the ones listed above, which are easy and pay well. According to Respondent, its participants earn an average of $140-plus per hour. While a single respondent probably won’t be able to take on enough jobs to earn $5,000 fast, this is still a great way to add some extra money to your bottom line.

Related: Need Money to Pay Rent Tomorrow?

10. Rent Out Your Belongings

If you own valuable items that you don’t want to sell, rent them out instead. Check out Fat Llama, where you can list photography equipment, drones, tools, and more for people in your area to rent.

Check out these additional options:

• Neighbor.com to rent out extra storage space
• RVshare to rent out your RV by the night
• HyreCar to rent out your car to local Uber and Lyft Drivers
• Airbnb to rent out your home or a room in your house

Related: Best Things to Buy to Make Money

11. Sell Your Car, RV, Snowmobile, or Boat for $5,000 in Cash

Selling an item that you already own for $5,000 in cash now can be the quickest way to get the money you need. Walk through your garage, taking inventory of belongings you no longer need. If you resell large pieces, you could make up to $5,000 right away.

Cars and RVs sell quickly, so list those on local sites like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Depending on the season, you could earn a fair amount by selling your snowmobile or boat.

It’s not easy to quickly earn $5,000, but if you’re willing to let go of extra furniture, clothes and shoes, large appliances, or your second lawnmower, you could reach that monetary goal as soon as today.

Don’t underestimate the value of those pieces that are just sitting in the corner, gathering dust. List them online and watch the cash flow in!

Related: How to Make $50,000 Fast

It’s Possible to Make $5,000 in a Day (with Determination and Hard Work)

I’ve never needed to earn $5,000 in one day, but I have made $10,000 in a single week, and while it’s not an easy thing to do, it’s definitely possible to succeed. Just set clear goals and have a plan in place.

Whether you offer a pay-up-front service, sell your belongings, or flip flea market finds, there will always be a way to make money fast when you need it now.

It’s true that $5,000 is a lot, but if you can give yourself some legroom and start by earning $500 a day, you could have the full amount in hand in just 10 days. It’s time to get to work!

Related: How to Make $300 Fast

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