How To Make Money in One Hour (Without Breaking the Law)

With more than half of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, most people could use a little extra cash. So whether your landlord is breathing down your neck or you’re interested in a temporary side hustle, we racked our brains, scoured the internet, and came up with 11 (legal) ways to make money in one hour. Rather than focusing on long-term strategies to make a passive income or work from home, we honed in on easy methods to make extra money fast.

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The most reliable way to get cash in an hour or less is to sell your possessions. If time is of the essence, you can sell the item outright at a pawnshop (we don’t recommend loans). Otherwise, try your luck on sites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay, and OfferUp.

Related: Where to Sell Clothes for Quick Cash

Smash your piggy bank and take the spoils to an exchange machine. Although you technically aren’t making money, your stray coins will be a lot more useful as bills. Keep in mind that some coin kiosks charge a small fee.

Related: One-Third of Americans Don't Think They'll Recover From the Pandemic

Head to Craigslist's gig board and you’ll find plenty of spam and scams, along with the occasional short-term job. Users request house cleaners and maintenance workers, alongside a whole slew of more niche gigs.

Related: Easy Money: Secrets for Selling Stuff on Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook

Whether in marketing or the sciences, researchers need guinea pigs for their experiments. Survey sites like Survey Junkie pay a pittance (a dollar or two an hour) but are easy to sign up for online. For clinical and market research, Craigslist’s volunteer and gigs section might yield a few leads, though users should exercise caution.

Related: The Best At-Home Side Hustles, According to Frugal Redditors

Although it ranks as one of the most unpleasant ways to make quick money in one day, donating plasma can get you $20 to $75 in cash. Redditors who’ve donated report that it can be an unpleasant experience — you’ll lose blood and develop a large bruise — but it has the added bonus of saving lives.

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Be honest: Will you ever use that $15 Cold Stone gift card that’s been stuck in your wallet for three years? If the answer is no, then you might as well sell your balance for cash on a site like CardCash or Raise. While you won’t earn 100% of the gift card’s value, some sites pay upwards of 90%.

While it could put strain on your relationship with your boss, you can ask for a salary advance if you’re in dire financial need. If your employer agrees, you will receive a portion or the entirety of your paycheck before your usual payday. Indeed recommends that you write a detailed, tactful request letter.

Getting a loan from a loved one is far better than relying on a predatory payday or title loan. To make an official family loan agreement, you’ll need to draft the loan’s terms, sign, and have the document notarized.

Uber, Grubhub, TaskRabbit — pick your poison. Gig work requires few (if any) credentials, and it’s an easy solution for quick cash. That said, it often takes more than a day for companies to screen your profile, so you won’t necessarily be able to make money in an hour.

Offer to look after a neighbor’s kids, pet sit, go grocery shopping, or mow their lawn. Unlike some shady craigslist gig, neighbors are (generally) more trustworthy, especially if you’re already friends.

If you want to make money in a day but can’t leave the house, consider earning money via a rewards app. Many — like Rakuten and Drop — reward you for shopping at partners’ sites. It should go without saying, but avoid this method if you’re truly strapped for cash.