We’ve all been in that situation when an unexpected expense crops up. You need to make money fast. Maybe you need to pay for the dentist, an unexpected bill, or maybe your car has broken down.
Or perhaps you’ve just found yourself with a little too much month left at the end of your money- there are a ton of reasons why any one of us can need to make a little extra money quickly. Use these tips on what to do if you need money.
Unexpected expenses can absolutely shatter your budget plan and your bank account in a matter of seconds, so if you do need to make money fast, these are some ideas that can help you make a quick buck to get you back on track.
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Sign up offers for free cash
There really is such a thing as free money.
Sign up offers can really help generate some extra cash when you need it. If you sign up to all 3 of the below, you will get a total of £15 in referral bonuses. Keep referring your friends and make even more cash!
Monzo– sign up to Monzo using this referral link and receive £5 when you make your first purchase. Again, this could be anything from a tube journey to a newspaper.
Curve– sign up to Curve using my referral code THRIFTY1 and receive £5 when you make your first purchase.
The sign up process for these app based banks is quick and easy- you should be up and running with the free cash in your account within a week or two.
You might also be interested in: 20 ways to make extra money in London
Oh My Dosh- Lightning Deals
Oh My Dosh is a site which pays you for signing up to free trials, survey sites and subscription schemes. There is a dedicated section of ‘Lightning Deals’ which will pay out within 3 days- perfect if you need to make money fast.
Sign up here to get a £2 welcome bonus, once you get to £10 you can cash out. It should take you about an hour to get to the £10 cash out point, and after that you should be able to transfer the money into PayPal within 3 days. At the time of writing there are £21.95 worth of Lightning Deals to sign up to, so this is a great way to make extra money quickly.
Switching bank accounts
Switching your current account to a different provider is perhaps one of the best ways to make money fast as banks often offer in excess of £100 free cash to switch your current account over to them.
Switching your bank accounts seems daunting, but really, it doesn’t take up much time at all when you consider the free money that you can make from them. My brother (who is probably the biggest financial whizz I know in real life) is a huge fan of switching around his bank accounts to receive bonuses. He reckons that he has earned around £1000 in switching bonuses over the last few years, and that the time taken for him to complete the switches has only been about an hour in total. Not bad!
When you have multiple accounts it’s a good idea to track all of the accounts you have opened, the switching bonuses that you will receive/have received, and any fees you have incurred on an Excel spreadsheet.
It’s important not to get overwhelmed with what you’ve signed up to, so tracking everything will mean that you can go back and check any information in the future if you need to. Some accounts stipulate that you need to pay a certain amount into them every month to get the bonus, so make sure that you set up a standing order or a reminder on your phone to ensure that you are meeting the requirements to receive the switching bonus. This is another important detail that can be added to your spreadsheet.
As of November 2019, these are the fantastic switching deals that are available currently:
HSBC
If you switch to HSBC’s Advance account, you can get an upfront bonus of £175– to get the bonus you must complete the switch within 30 days. Two direct debits or standing orders per month must also be put into place to receive the bonus.
You must pay in a minimum of £1,750 per month to keep the account open.
The bonus is paid within 30 days of switching.
NatWest
Receive £150 if you switch to the NatWest Select account by 6th December 2019. You can either apply for a new account, or switch your current account to receive the bonus.
You will need to pay £1,500 into the account, and log into online or mobile banking by 24th January 2020. The £150 switching bonus will then be paid into your account by 21st February 2020.
The NatWest bonus takes a little longer to appear in your account than the HSBC bonus, but if you already have an HSBC Advance account, this NatWest offer might appeal to you.
Matched Betting
Matched betting isn’t for everyone, and if you have addictive tendencies or have struggled with a gambling addiction in the past- please steer clear as matched betting can be triggering.
But for those who don’t, even those who don’t have the foggiest clue about sports or horse racing (like me!), matched betting is a way to make money fast, without having to put in hours of your time. Matched Betting isn’t gambling, because if you do it correctly, you can’t lose.
I have written this post which goes into greater detail about how to get started with matched betting.
I started matched betting using a website called Profit Accumulator, it walks you through everything you need to know about the exact process of matched betting with clear step-by-step videos, matched betting calculators and a breakdown of the terminology used.
Profit Accumulator offer a free trial where you can test out matched betting and earn up to £45 with the introductory offers. From then on, the monthly membership is £29.99. Some people have gone on to make thousands from matched betting. Read this post to find out more.
Sell your unwanted possessions
Most people have unwanted ‘junk’ lying around the house which remains unused. In fact, research earlier this year found that Brits have a combined estimated total of £81.6 billion worth of unwanted possessions in their homes.
Have a look around your house and see if there is any furniture, books, clothing or electronics which you could sell to make money fast.
eBay is a great place to sell your unwanted clothing, knick knacks and accessories. To get the best price for your unwanted clothes, check out my top tips for selling on eBay.
If your clothes are particularly sought after (perhaps recent season, a limited edition piece, or an unusual piece of vintage clothing) then you could make some money through Depop which is marketed more towards the under 25s. Check out my post on how to sell on Depop with success to find out how to get started.
Gumtree is the perfect place to sell unwanted furniture, vehicles, and even your skills. Not only can you sell your possessions on this site, but you can also sell your services such as cleaning, babysitting and tutoring. Check out my post on how to sell on Gumtree with success to get started with placing your ads. The best thing about Gumtree is that there are no listing fees, so any profit you make is 100% yours.
It’s important to note that the money that you make from each of these ideas will come into your account in different time frames. Some will take a matter of a few days, a week, a month, and some (like selling your unwanted items) are impossible to predict- although it is absolutely possible to optimise your listings for a quick sale.
By taking action today, you can eventually change your financial situation. Some of these quick-fix money making ideas could well become a longer term side hustle and ultimately help you to improve your financial wellbeing. I truly believe that when a profitable side hustle and a great budget plan are paired together- amazing things can happen!
We are fortunate to live in a time where all you need is a laptop (or even a phone) and an internet connection to make money on the side. We can make money anywhere- on our commute, on our sofas, even whilst we wait for the kettle to boil. We’ve never been in a better position to help make our financial goals happen without solely relying on an employer who can dictate how much we can earn and how we earn it.
Needing to make money fast, whatever your reasons are for needing that money, can make you feel anxious and put you in a vulnerable position. Please get in touch with charities such as Step Change or Samaritans if you need help to conquer your debt or you need to talk to someone.