16 Best Ways To Make $50 Dollars Fast
Sometimes, we all get into financial pinches where some quick cash could really help. So if you're wondering how to make 50 dollars fast, this is absolutely the post for you. I'm covering some online and in-person side hustle ideas you can use to get $50 fast.
I've personally used many of the methods I'm going to cover to make this amount of money. And all of the other ideas have the potential for earning $50 instantly or in a very short amount of time.
How To Make $50 Fast
1. Answer Paid Surveys
Answering surveys online is a side hustle I've been using for years. And this idea is perfect if you want to earn a bit of side cash while watching TV or in your spare time.
Some leading survey sites you can try include:
- Branded Surveys: Get paid for answering surveys and earn bonus cash the more surveys you answer.
- Swagbucks: Answer surveys, watch ads, shop online, download apps, and play games to earn rewards!
- Ipsos iSay: A leading and global survey panel with a low $5 cash out minimum.
- InboxDollars: Complete short online tasks to get paid and enjoy a $5 sign up bonus.
- Pinecone Research (U.S.): Get $3 for every survey you complete and cash out instantly for PayPal money and gift cards.
- Survey Junkie: Share your opinion and earn PayPal money and free gift cards.
- Kashkick: This U.S. website pays you with PayPal cash for completing surveys and playing games.
These sites aren't going to make anyone rich, so don't get your hopes up. But if you put a lot of time into these get-paid-to websites, you can definitely earn $50 quickly without needing any prior skills.
👉 Get A $1 Bonus From Branded Surveys!
2. Sell Online Services
Selling your skills online is one of my favorite ways to make a quick $50. And this is also how I make most of my income these days.
This is basically what happened to me as I tried making money with freelance writing. I started out with ghostwriting back in college to make grocery money on the side.
Eventually, I increased my rates and found enough clients to make as much as my day job. So, I quit my day job, moved to Colombia, and went all-in on writing and blogging.
This is just my experience, and this is just freelance writing as well. So many other careers are viable for freelancing, including:
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Graphic design
- Editing and proofreading
- Digital marketing
- Online tutoring
- Social media management
- SEO
- Web design
- Video editing
You can use remote job boards, your own network, or look for easy jobs on Upwork or Fiverr, I firmly believe you can scale your freelance income within a few months.
Pro Tip: Find high-paying and flexible remote gigs with FlexJobs!
3. Play Games For Money
The idea of playing video games for money might sound crazy. However, there are actually numerous websites and apps that pay you to play games you can use to make 50 dollars fast.
Some popular gaming reward apps include:
- Cash Giraffe: Another fun Android app with plenty of gift card rewards.
- Bingo Cash: Play Bingo for money with this competitive app.
- Blitz Win Cash: A popular iPhone money game with real cash prizes.
- Mistplay: Play new Android games and earn free gift cards in your spare time.
- Money Well: This Android cash gaming app lets you earn PayPal money for trying different games.
- Freecash: Play PC games and earn rewards like free Steam codes, skins, Google Play credit, gift cards, and more.
- Rewarded Play: This popular app like Mistplay pays you with different gift cards for playing new mobile games.
Overall, gaming reward apps don't pay much. But if you already sink a lot of time into games, you can experiment with some of these programs to at least earn something for your efforts.
Freecash is my favorite option for PC. And you can use Cash Giraffe on Android and Bingo Cash if you have an iPhone.
4. Borrow $50
People borrow money all the time by asking their friends or family to spot them. And if you feel comfortable doing this, $50 is a pretty reasonable amount of money to ask for if you're in a tight spot (as long as you pay it back.)
Some people also turn to $50 cash advance apps that let them take out a cash advance a few days before their upcoming paycheck. EarnIn is one of the most popular examples, and it lets you take an advance up to $750 in $100 daily chunks.
You don't pay interest and there's no credit check, and you don't pay fees other than optional express fees and tips. Overall, it's a very reliable way to get $50 instantly, and you can always try your friends and family first. You can read our EarnIn review to get the full scoop too.
Just make sure you talk to a financial professional if you have questions about your unique situation.
Extra Reading – How To Get $500 By Tomorrow.
5. Deliver Food & Groceries
Grocery and food delivery gigs are super popular these days. And this is one of the easiest ways to boost your weekly income, even if you're brand new to gig work.
Some of my favorite delivery gig apps include:
The best part is that these gigs let you cash out daily. Plus, you keep all of your tips and can earn a pretty high hourly rate on a busy day and in a good market.
Start making money with Uber Eats and DoorDash!
6. Leverage Sign-Up Bonuses
One of the simplest ways to earn 50 dollars instantly is to leverage various sign-up bonuses that pay you with free PayPal money and gift cards for trying out different services.
Some of my favorite sign-up bonuses that I've taken advantage of include:
- Current: Get a $50 sign up bonus when you open a free checking account with Current and use the code WELCOME50.
- Rakuten: Get $30 in free cash when you sign up for this shopping extension and spend at least $30.
- Drop: Get up to $15 in free Drop points which are redeemable for gift cards
- Fetch Rewards: Get 3,000 free Fetch Rewards points when you try out the app and use a Fetch Rewards promo code.
- MyPoints: Get a $10 free Amazon gift card when you sign up and shop through MyPoints and spend at least $20.
Shopping platforms like Rakuten and MyPoints are the easiest way to start if you have some upcoming purchases. And you can read our post on the best $50 sign up bonuses for even more ideas.
7. Complete Odd Jobs
Odd job apps are an amazing way to earn quick cash. Craigslist is one obvious candidate, and a quick search for local cash gigs should bring up loads of different jobs in your area.
You can also use websites like TaskRabbit to offer services to people in your area like:
- Cleaning
- Babysitting
- Errand running
- Handyman help
- Furniture assembly
- Landscaping
- Painting
TaskRabbit lets you set your own rates, and many gigs can pay $15 to $25+ per hour, so it's easy to get 50 bucks quickly.
Handy and Wonolo are two other platforms where you can make money with handyman work and with part-time staffing gigs. Or, you can sign up with Care.com and find high-paying caregiving and errand-running jobs in your area.
And, if all these options fail, don't be afraid to get creative. A good friend of mine has been making a ton of money this past winter just by shoveling and snow blowing people's driveways in Boston.
8. Create Passive Income Sources
Creating passive income streams is one of the best ways to diversify and grow your income. And you also have plenty of ways to start.
For starters, and perhaps most obviously, you can always try investing in dividend-paying stocks with your online brokerage account or through your bank.
You can also explore so many other passive income ideas that pay you like:
- Investing in income-generating real estate with companies like Arrived
- Making money with a YouTube channel
- Investing in bonds or CDs
- Renting out assets for money (like a home on Airbnb or your car on Turo)
- Renting our your spare storage space with companies like Neighbor
- Selling print on demand products on Etsy
- Starting a blog and outsourcing the writing
My favorite strategy is to stack several ideas so you can diversify your income as quickly as possible.
👉 Start investing in income-generating real estate with Arrived!
9. Drive For Amazon Flex
Another popular driving job that pays is to drive for Amazon Flex.
Amazon Flex is actually incredibly lucrative, and drivers earn $18 to $25 per hour. This means you can make $50 dollars fast just by driving for two or three hours as an Amazon Flex driver.
You need a slightly larger vehicle or something like a truck or cargo van to deliver packages, and many cities have a waiting list which is a downside. On top of that, once you're an active driver, getting enough Amazon Flex blocks to drive is competitive since so many drivers are trying to make money.
That said, if you schedule an Amazon Flex block or two per week, that's easily $100+ extra in additional weekly income.
10. Micro Task Websites
Micro task sites pay you for completing short online tasks for people like:
- Data entry work
- Fact checking
- Social media management
- Social media moderation
- Recruiting
- Transcription jobs
- Translation
- Virtual assistant gigs
Companies like Appen are an excellent place to begin your search. Appen hires people from around the world for these sorts of tasks, and many gigs can pay $7 to $14+ per hour. Clickworker is another popular option, and it's available in dozens of countries, so it's very accessible.
Extra Reading – The Best Online Jobs That Pay Daily.
11. Workout For Money
There are actually numerous apps that pay you to workout, letting you turn your sweat and fitness routine into an income stream.
For example, apps like HealthyWage let you place weight loss bets on yourself. You choose an amount of money to bet every month, how much weight you want to lose, and the timeframe.
If you complete your bet on time, you get back your money plus interest, and it's possible to earn thousands of dollars with HealthyWage.
DietBet is another similar app that pays you to lose weight, but there are even more creative apps out there. For example, StepBet lets you make step-based bets on yourself, and you can usually earn $10 to $50 for completing a six-week challenge.
12. Sell Stuff Online
One simple method to get $50 fast is to sell stuff you own for quick cash. This is also easy these days because of how many selling apps and websites are out there.
Some of my favorite online and local selling apps include:
- Depop: One of the more popular marketplaces for selling thrifted and vintage clothing.
- Facebook Marketplace: A great marketplace for selling stuff for in-person cash sales.
- Poshmark: A popular way to sell clothing, jewelry, and shoes online.
- SidelineSwap: Lets you sell new or used sports equipment and apparel.
- Worthy: One of the best online sites for selling designer watches, jewelry, wedding rings, and diamonds.
If you have some valuables laying around or want to do some Spring cleaning, definitely give this idea a try. You can also host a garage sale or sell your valuables at a pawn shop.
13. Go Busking
If you can play an instrument or put on some type of street performance, you can always try busking to make a fast $50 or much more.
Busking occurs in basically every major city, and it's actually a misconception that busking is only for starving artists. I have friends who busked in college, and if you have the skills, why not set up in a busy downtown park or area and play for people to enjoy?
14. Use Passive Income Apps
Passive income apps are one of my favorite side hustles out there, and I used to use so many of them in college to make money on autopilot.
The idea is pretty simple: download some apps, let them run, and earn small amounts of cash and gift cards every month. Some popular passive income apps and websites you can try include:
- Nielsen Panel: Get $50+ per year in free money.
- Pawns: Earn by answering surveys and sharing your internet data.
- Mobile Performance Meter: Earn $0.10 every day with this app.
- MobileXpression: Earn around $5 in free gift cards per month with this app.
- Pogo: Earn PayPal money every time you shop and share your data.
- Cash Magnet: Earn up to $15 per phone.
- S'more: Earn $0.10 per day with this money lockscreen app.
- Honeygain: This platform lets you sell internet bandwidth for easy passive income.
Now, making $50 quickly with these apps isn't too possible. However, with enough apps, you can make this amount of money in 2-3 months, and it's also a pretty quirky and fun side hustle.
15. Walk Dogs With Rover
Rover is a popular gig app that connects pet owners and caretakers. And as a Rover walker or sitter, you can make money in your spare time by taking care of people's pets.
What's nice about Rover is that it lets you choose the types of animals you work with. You also set your hourly rates and availability.
Many Rover gigs pay about $15 to $25 per hour or night. So you can make $50 fast with a few walks or a day or two of doggy daycare.
Overall, it's a flexible, fun side hustle. And if you love working with animals, it's definitely worth considering.
16. Return Cans & Bottles
In my city, cans go for $0.05 and bottles can fetch up to $0.25 depending on the size. We used to collect all the cans and bottles from our parties in college and return them at the end of the semester. Well, my one roommate always made sure we did, so it was his idea.
Anyway, we'd easily have $100 or more in cans and bottles, and you can always collect some from parks or events in your city to make some quick money.
Tips For Getting Started
Now that you know how to get $50 fast, here are a few extra tips to keep in mind while considering all your options.
- Set Specific Goals: How fast do you need the money? Decide on a specific amount of time so you can pick a side gig that makes sense.
- Try Multiple Side Hustles: Mixing up side hustles helps you find which apps or ideas pay the most in your area. So, try out stuff like Uber Eats or Swagbucks, or different online micro task sites, to experiment and learn.
- Work On Saving: Saving more money can be just as powerful as making more. So, take a look at your monthly budget and try to find areas where you can reduce spending.
Extra Reading – The Best Jobs That pay $3,000 Per Month.
Final Thoughts
I hope my guide on how to make 50 dollars fast spells out a few realistic ways for you to make this amount of cash.
As mentioned, don't be afraid to try a few different hustles, and make sure you set a timeframe for yourself! You can honestly make $50 in an hour or two with the right gig, and your online job opportunities are basically endless.
Looking for even more ways to make extra money? Checkout:
- How To Make Money To Pay Rent Tomorrow.
- How To Make $20,000 In One Month.
- Ways To Make 50 Dollars A Day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's The Best Way To Make $50 Fast Online?
In my experience, freelance gigs and microtask websites are the two best ways to make $50 fast online. You can start by looking for freelance gigs on various Reddit communities of freelancers, like r/ForHire. You can also make money with paid survey sites like Branded Surveys very quickly and without any experience and then cash out through PayPal.
How Can I Get $50 Instantly?
The best way to get $50 instantly is to borrow the money from friends and family members or to use platforms like EarnIn or Dave to get the money in advance. Alternatively, you can try selling things you own or pawning things to get the money in a few hours.
Various online side hustles can also pay $50 the same day, but you need to put in enough hours, so it's not an instant payment.