Make Money Without Winning the Lottery

If you need to make money quickly, playing the lottery is certainly not your best bet. The odds of winning the lottery are incredibly long, so why not try other ways to earn money quickly that will have more guaranteed returns.

Steps

Selling Things for Quick Cash

  1. List items for sale online. One of the easiest ways to make some quick cash is to sell unwanted items online. There are a large number of well-known sites that provide a platform for this. You may decide to list items on sites that have a large number of visitors, or choose a more niche site where your items will stand out from the crowd.
    • You could consider posting listings across multiple sites, but remember that as soon as an item is sold you will have to quickly remove the listings from any other sites.
    • To price your items, do some research on how much similar things are being listed and sold for.
    • Always be accurate and truthful in descriptions of the goods you are selling, and always try to include a picture when appropriate. A good picture can really help your items sell.[1]
    • You can sell of old CDs and DVDs very quickly online, but the return for each item will be relatively small.[2]
  2. Sell expensive items for quick cash. If you have decided to try and sell some things to make some quick cash, perhaps the best way to get a good and fast return is to sell expensive items first. Look through your room and house and see what you don’t need, and what might fetch a good price. High-end electronic goods may maintain their value, but things such as old text books can also bring in a significant windfall.
    • If you are selling old books, do some research and think about using specialist book selling websites as well as the more mainstream online stores and auction sites.
    • One big ticket item that can bring in significant cash is a wedding dress. You may not want to part with it, but it can bring in hundreds of dollars in a pinch.[2]
  3. Sell to local second hand stores. There are alternatives to selling your old stuff online. It takes a bit more work, but if you have some good second hand stores nearby you can take in some of your stuff and see if the store owner is interested. Often second hand stores both buy and sell items, and going there in person means you can talk about a price face-to-face.
    • If you have items such as vintage clothing or furniture, you should be able to get a good price in a vintage or second hand store.
    • It’s a good idea to visit a few stores first to look around and see what kind of prices they are charging for items similar to what you are selling.
    • Specialist second hand book stores also buy books, but will generally be quite selective about what they buy.[3]
    • You can either consign your old things or sell them outright. Consignment means that you get an agreed percentage of the price they are re-sold for, whereas selling out-right gives you money up front.
    • Consigning is usually a higher risk, because you may not get anything at all if it isn’t sold, but if it sells well you may get more than from selling out-right.[4]
  4. Flip items from garage sales. Another way to make money by selling on old things, is to scour local garage sales from items that are being sold off cheaply, which you think you will be able to sell on at a higher price. Try to play it safe at the start and only buy things you are very confident you can turn a profit on.
    • Don’t forget to include the costs of listing and shipping items you intend to sell on.
    • Look for yard sale and garage sales in your local newspaper.[5]
  5. Try recycling. Similar to selling things, recycling can be another way to make quick cash. There are all sorts of things which you may be able to recycle, so take a good look around your house for things that may have a value. Old electronic items, such as mobile phones can be recycled to earn you some cash. There are a number of websites that will offer you money to recycle your old phone. Search online and then enter the details of your phone. You will be made an offer, and then be asked to mail your phone before the money is transferred to you.[6]
    • Old phones will be stripped for parts, whereas newer phones may be refurbished and sold on.
    • Other things you can get paid to recycle include everything from printing cartridges, to old tires.
    • You can also recycle aluminium cans. This is a tried and trusted method, but you will need to gather an awful lot of cans to make much cash.
    • For aluminium cans you might get 40-50 cents per pound from your local recycling centre.[7]

Renting Things Out For Cash

  1. Rent your room. You can make quick cash by renting out your room for a short period, such as over the summer or Christmas vacations. Of course you will need another place to stay, and if you are renting the room yourself you will need agreement to sublet the room to someone else. For example, you may be able to rent your room to a visiting student who is only in town for a few weeks.
    • Advertise on notice boards around campus and online to draw attention to the room you are offering out.
    • If you work away, and are always out of town for a few days of the week, you could consider renting your room on this basis.
    • Some people will rent a room from Tuesday to Thursday, or regularly over the weekend.[3]
  2. Rent space in your house. Sites that offer spares rooms or whole apartments to rent for short periods, to tourists amongst others, are becoming increasingly popular and prominent. If you need to make some quick cash, renting out space in your house can be a great way to do this. You could rent out a spare room, or, if you have somewhere to stay, you could even rent out the whole place.
    • AirBnB has become a huge business and gives you access to countless people online.
    • If you do decide to rent out your apartment, be a little cautious and be sure you understand the terms, conditions, and liabilities you are undertaking.
    • Try to vet your potential tenants as best you can.[3]
    • The success of Uber means you can rent out your services driving people around too.
  3. Rent your parking space. In some big cities parking spaces are very precious commodities, and renting your parking space can earn you quick and ongoing cash. Your chances will depend entirely on where you are and what the situation is like there. If, for example, you live near a big commercial or business district where workers struggle to find parking you could be in luck.[2]
    • Similarly, if you live near a transport hub, such as a train station, your parking space may be highly valuable.
    • Make sure you are not violating any terms and conditions connected to your right to rent out your parking space, and then advertise it online.
  4. Offer your body to science. It’s not exactly renting it out, but you can offer your body to science in exchange for quick cash. The possibilities and options near you will depend on where you live and what facilities are nearby. In the US you can sell blood plasma for around $35 for an hour or 90 minutes of your time, but you cannot in the UK.[7]
    • Clinical trials take place in facilities and hospitals in cities across the world, and these can be very lucrative.
    • There is an inherent risk with any kind of clinical trial so ensure you read all the literature you are provided with and think carefully about getting involved.
    • You will be vetted and tested in order to ensure you are healthy enough to undergo the trial.
    • You can find clinical trials near you by searching online.[3]

Make Money Online

  1. Do small tasks advertised online. People are increasing using the internet to look for and advertise their services. It is possible to find many relatively minor tasks that you will be paid to complete. This could be anything from testing a website, to doing some data entry or transcription services. You can test websites online and earn around $10 a time.[8]
    • Bear in mind that these kind of tasks will typically pay you just a few dollars, but the work is generally quick and easy to complete.
    • There is a huge variety of these websites, and it’s important you stay alert to potential scams.
    • Investigate websites and look for ones that are trusted and well-regarded.
  2. Try online surveys. Making money by completing online surveys is a well-known way to make easy money on the internet, but is not a way to make a lot of money quickly. If you just want to make a few dollars, then signing up and completing some surveys is an easy way to do it. To help you navigate your way through the vast number of online survey companies, look at some reliable independent information that compares and rates them.[9]
    • You shouldn’t expect to get more than a few dollars per 5-10 minute survey.
    • Some survey sites might only pay you with vouchers, so be sure you know all the details before committing. However sometimes vouchers can be sold.
  3. Investigate work at home options. There are a number of other ways to make money at home by using the internet, which can be more lucrative but will require significantly more work. Some of the options include freelance writing work and teaching English or tutoring online. These options are not really for those who want to make some quick cash, but are more relevant for those who are interested in being able to get regular income from working at home.
    • If you are interested in freelance writing, be aware that is highly competitive.
    • You will often have to bid for work hosted on a website, and will be in competition with people from all over the world.[2]
    • To make freelance work pay, you will need to be committed and put time into finding work.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/how-to-take-product-photos/tips.html
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/make-money
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 http://www.moneytalksnews.com/50-ways-make-fast-50-2/
  4. ↑ http://howtoconsign.com/journalconsignorsell.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Saving-Money/2015/0618/How-to-find-items-at-yard-sales-to-flip
  6. ↑ http://www.savethestudent.org/make-money/10-quick-cash-injections.html
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2013/11/14/5-ways-to-make-money-faster-than-fast
  8. ↑ http://www.usertesting.com/be-a-user-tester
  9. ↑ http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/make-money-surveys
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