Sometimes, life throws emergencies your way that you need to deal with. But, it's not always easy to come up with a large sum of money out of thin air.
So, in this post, I'mcovering how to make $3,000 fast to help you if you're in a financial pinch.
I've personally tested out dozens of these side hustle ideas over the years. Below, you'll find some of the very best that have the potential to make quick money when you need it most.
How To Make $3,000 Fast
These ideas are also a mix of side hustle ideas and ways to make money online, so there's something for everyone! And, I've personally done several of these methods and know people who have found success with the other methods in this article:
Table of Contents
1. Online Freelancing
One of the most straightforward ways to get $3,000 fast is to sell your skills online as a freelancer. And I know this is a realistic method because I've personally made $3,000 in about a week or so from freelancing.
Back in college, I was ghost writing on the side of my day job. But after a while, my writing income started to match my day job. So, I quit, got on a plane, and moved to Colombia to go all-in on freelance writing.
I was making $10,000 a month at the peak of this writing period while working on WebMonkey. But if I really hustled, I could make $3,000 in about 8 to 10 days or serious work.
And, there are plenty of skills and industries that cater to freelancing besides freelance writing. Here are some of the most popular freelancing categories to make extra money:
- Copywriting
- Digital marketing
- Graphic design
- Voice overs
- Video editing
- Photoshop
- Editing and proofreading
- Social media management
- Content management
- Translation
- Transcription
- Data entry
- Programming
- Virtual assistant
The list goes on forever, and many freelancing gigs can easily pay $20 to $50 or more per hour depending on your experience and clients.
To get started, you can look for jobs on Upwork or Fiverr to land your first clients. I've also found success with remote job sites likeFlexJobs.
2. Sell Stuff You Own
Has it been a while since you’ve done a bit of house cleaning? If so, there’s a chance that you have some unused stuff you can sell for some fast cash.
Selling stuff you own is one of the best ways to make $3,000 dollars fast. And, you have a lot of options for each things to sell, including:
- An instrument
- Apparel
- Watches
- Antiques
- Collectibles like coins, sports cards, or even Pokemon cards
- Electronics
- Jewelry (you can use a website like Worthy to sell jewelry, wedding rings, and watches online)
- Furniture
- Toys
- Shoes
- Video games
It might take selling dozens of items to raise $3,000, but this is a viable way to make quick cash. And I've sold things on the Facebook Marketplace or at a garage sale in the past when money was tight.
3. Try Driving Gigs That Pay
Thanks to the rise of gig apps, it's easier than ever before to make extra money on the side while holding down your main job.
Driving gigs are particularly popular since they usually let you set your own hours and earn above minimum wage. I've also used and written about these gigs for years, and some of the most popular ones you can use include:
- Uber Eats: One of the most popular food delivery services to work for.
- Instacart: This gig pays you to shop for groceries and then deliver them to people.
- Amazon Flex: One of the highest paying apps in the delivery space that pays $18 to $25 per hour.
- DoorDash: Another popular food delivery gig like Uber Eats.
- Walmart Spark: This gig pays you to deliver packages and is similar to Amazon Flex.
- Shipt: A grocery delivery gig that pays a minimum of $16 per hour.
You should still account for expenses like gas, repairs, insurance, and taxes. And I suggest using a mileage tracking app like Everlance if you do any gig work so you automatically track all of this info.
Even if you decide to drive more casually, you could still make several hundred dollars per week with DoorDash or Instacart. Plus, you can combine multiple gig economy jobs to maximize your earning potential.
Start making money with DoorDash!
4. Complete Odd Jobs For Cash
If you need $3,000 dollars right now, you can always try using odd job apps and websites to find part-time jobs or quick cash gigs in your area.
For example, apps like JobGet help you find jobs in your area that you can apply to in order to make extra cash.
JobGet has a range of part-time and full-time job opportunities. And the best part is that once you create your profile in the JobGet app, you can apply to jobs quickly, and the app even makes a resume for you.
Plenty of jobs pay $15 to $30+ per hour on the platform as well, so you can find some decent side gigs or new jobs with JobGet.
Steady is another app that helps you make quick money by connecting you with local and remote income opportunities. You answer a side hustle questionnaire with the Steady app. From there, it matches you with side hustles and jobs that suit your skills. Finally, you can use apps like Taskrabbit to find local gig opportunities.
5. Work Overtime
If you're still looking for a way to make $3,000 fast, you can consider working overtime at your current job.
Holidays are also beneficial for increasing your hourly pay since most employees prefer not to work on those days. If you’re okay with it, those holidays can earn you 1.5x or more for your entire shift!
Just be sure to factor in mental effects such as burnout, fatigue, and exhaustion. You still need to sleep even if you want to hustle!
6. Start An Etsy Shop
Etsy is a massive marketplace that's perfect for selling anything vintage or handmade. And, it's also possible tosell print on demand products on Etsy, which completely takes the manufacturing and shipping component off of your plate.
Print on demand providers like Printify is actually how I tried selling POD products on Etsy. Printify lets you upload your designs to dozens of different products you can sell.
The advantage of Etsy print on demand selling is that it can generate some serious passive income if you find the right trend. And again, you don't have to deal with manufacturing or shipping yourself, so you can scale a lot faster.
Granted, figuring out what you're selling and getting traffic to your store are two of the main challenges with ecommerce. But, as mentioned, a single design taking off could be enough to make the money you need.
7. Rent Out Things For Money
Do you have some valuable assets that other people might want? Well, you can actually turn them into an income source and rent them out for money.
Here's just a few examples of some popular assets you can rent:
- A spare room or entire rental with Airbnb
- Your vehicle on Turo or Getaround
- Extra storage space you have with Neighbor
- Electronics with Fat Llama
- Baby gear and toys on BabyQuip
You get the idea; put your assets to work for you instead of letting them collect dust!
8. Make Money Consulting
During school, one of my best friends and I got jobs at marketing agencies, so we learned how to run Facebook and Google Ads. After our internships were over, we started offering paid advertising services to businesses in our area.
One of these businesses was a high-end patio furniture company with two brands. We charged $1,500 for each brand and ran advertisem*nts for them for about two semesters.
Making $3,000 a month from this retainer wasunrealat the time, and that just goes to show the power of a social/search engine marketing agency. I've also made money in the past with advertising and SEO consulting, finding gigs from my network and from Upwork.
The entire point I'm trying to highlight here is that you can make a lot of money in a short period of time if you have a somewhat specialized skill. You just need to sell yourself and look to your network or the Internet for opportunities.
And there aresomany fields where you can make money as a consultant, ranging from marketing to HR and legal. If you're a specialist, don't be afraid to charge a premium for what you know!
9. Borrow The Money
If you need $3,000 now, one solution that could work is to borrow the money and pay it back later.
Now, $3,000 is a lot of money, so you have to tread carefully here and decide if you're comfortable reaching out to friends and family. You could ask several people so it's less money per person, but again, you know your personal circle best and if this is a wise move.
If you’d rather not ask friends for help, there are other personal loan options to take into consideration. For example, companies likeZippyloan offer loans from $100 to $15,000 and give you access to funds as fast as 24 hours.
The loan rates vary on your loan type, loan period, credit score, and a few other factors. However, the average APR is around 12-20%.
You can also try various cash advance apps as well. And our post on how to make $1k in 24 hours has even more fast money ideas you can test out.
10. Take Part In Focus Groups
Market researchers are always in need of participants. So, you can potentially make some nice side cash by taking part in focus groups and studies.
My two favorite ways to get started are to use User Interviews and Respondent. Each platform offer in-person and online focus groups and studies. And you can often earn $100 to $150 an hour!
It can take a bit of time to qualify for a study. But this is one easy side hustle I think everyone should have in their back pocket.
11. Ask For A Raise
While this doesn't technically get money in your hands immediately, asking for a raise is one of the fastest ways to increase your annual income.
It's also funny since many peopleneverask for a raise or wait way too long to ask for one. If your company is doing well and you think you’re deserving of a raise, there's really no harm in asking for one.
Just be sure to come to your employer with a few pieces of information when asking for a raise:
- Previous examples of work events where you went above and beyond
- The knowledge of competitor salaries for the same position
- Picking the right time to ask
- A passionate and serious dedication to the company
With all of these things in place, your employer will heavily consider giving you a raise. The average raise is around 2-5%, which can easily exceed $3,000 on a salary that’s higher than $50,000.
Extra Reading – 20+ Jobs That Pay $5,000 Per Month.
12. Start An Online Business
Starting an online business is one of the main ways I've increased my wealth over the years. And these days, I'm a full-time blogger and affiliate marketer at WebMonkey.
But starting a blog is just one example of an online business you can start. Some other business models with massive income potential include:
- Starting a digital market agency
- Starting a dropshipping business
- Launching a YouTube channel
- Starting your own Shopify store
- Print on demand businesses
- Trying retail arbitrage with Amazon FBA
YouTube is the latest business I've started, and it's actually scaling to $3,000 per month. But the sky really is the limit for earning money online.
13. Pawn Stuff For Cash
Pawning stuff you own means using assets you own to secure loans from a pawn shop.
Pawning is actually quite simple: you basically give the pawn store an item of value in exchange for cash. If you don't pay back the cash by the agreed upon date, they keep the collateral you provided.
An advantage of pawning is that it lets you get fast cash. However, you normally get much less cash than the value of the item you're pawning to help protect the pawn shop.
Here are some of the most common things people pawn:
- Diamonds
- Watches
- Motorcycles
- Riding Lawn Mowers
- Electronics
- Tools
- Jewelry
- Firearms
- Specialty cards like baseball cards or basketball cards
- Antiques
- Gold
- Coins
- Consoles
If you have any of these types of items lying around your house, you could easily pawn them to make $3,000 in 24 hours. Search around for local pawn shops in your city. Some only take specific items while others will take pretty much anything worth a decent value.
Extra Reading – How To Make $400 A Day.
14. Walk Dogs For Money
Do you enjoy spending time with dogs? If you do, why not get paid to walk them and look after them?
This is exactly what gig apps like Rover let you do. You can find pet owners in your city who need help with pet sitting and walking and easily make $15 to $25+ per hour.
A few of my friends make money with Rover. The best part is that you set your availability, rates, and the types of animals you work with. So, you're essentially your own boss and can work as much or as little as you like.
15. Online Tutoring
One last idea for getting 3 grand fast is to become an online tutor.
Plenty of companies hire tutors all the time. ESL tutoring is particularly popular, with companies like VIPKid, Chegg, Palfish, Qkids, and others hiring. You can also start your own tutoring business and try tutoring high school or college students in your area.
Tips For Getting Started
Now that you know how to make 3k fast, here are a few tips you can keep in mind to help make the process much easier.
- Set A Timeframe: Decide just how quickly you need the money so you can pick a side hustle that makes the most sense.
- Try Several Ideas: Trying numerous gigs is the best way to find out which ones you enjoy and which ones pay the most. So, don't be afraid to try making money with DoorDash or Uber Eats, starting an online business, or branching into freelancing.
- Avoid Burning Out: Earning $3k fast is great, but it's important to pace yourself. This means getting enough sleep and not overworking yourself so you burn out.
Extra Reading – How To Make Money On Autopilot.
Final Thoughts
In the end, $3,000 isn’t the easiest amount of money to come by quickly. However, there are definitely things you can do to get that cash when you need it.
Hopefully these ideas showed you how to make $3,000 fast. The best thing about these options is that a lot of them can actually turn into pretty great side hustles or even full-time jobs.
If you can get that ball rolling, you’ll be seeing $3,000 a lot more often than you expect. Who knows, you might start making $3,000 a month or even more if you scale your hustles.
Want to try other ways to make extra cash? Checkout:
- The Best Apps Like TaskRabbit To Start A Side Hustle.
- How To Flip $1,000 To Make More Money!
- How To Turn $100 Into $1,000 – 10 Best Methods.
