15 Money Hacks When You Need Some Quick Cash

Everyone can use some spare cash, but if you’re hit with a sudden expense and you’re among the 22% of Americans with no emergency savings, having a few tricks up your sleeve may help you avoid an expensive payday loan.

These won’t make you rich, but with regular use, you can easily make (or save) as much as $200 a month – or even more.

Here are some quick ways to save some extra cash.

Table of Contents

Get Free Food

Does it seem like fast food coupons have almost disappeared? That’s because many restaurants are instead offering free food (or discounts) for ordering through the app. You don’t have to pay delivery fees to claim the free stuff. Simply place your order through the app, then drive to the restaurant, collect your food and eat. McDonald’s now has ordering kiosks so you can claim the discounts even if you want to order at the restaurant.

For example, recent McDonald’s offers have included “Free Fries Friday,” 20% off your total bill or buy one Big Mac, get one free.

Sell Your Plasma

Plasma is the liquid portion of your blood, and though It may sound unpleasant, several companies will pay $800 or more to first-time plasma donors. That money is paid on the spot on a prepaid debit card. The first visit can take up to two hours while you complete the paperwork, but after that, the donation process is relatively quick and should take less than an hour.

On average, regular donors can earn between $50 to $75 per donation, and you can typically donate a couple of times a week.

To be eligible, you must weigh at least 110 pounds and be age 18 or older.

READ MORE: How to donate plasma

Start a Side Hustle

Most side hustles start off small and don’t need to take up a huge amount of time. Sell items you aren’t using. Pick up a few food delivery shifts, shop for Instacart or explore any other option that interests you. If you love pets, try your hand at pet-sitting or pet walking. If you’re a people person, some families seek people who are willing to spend time with elderly family members. Some even sell barbecue, prepared meals or baked goods online through platforms like NextDoor (though be careful, there may be some health code requirements if you decide to try this one.)

Sell Your Unused Items

You can do this the easy way (by taking the items to a pawn shop) or spend a bit more time listing them on resale websites, which will probably earn you a bit more profit. If you’re experienced with a particular item, visit estate sales and yard sales to explore more resale opportunities. Some first editions of hardcover books can sell for $50+, or even more if they’re signed by the author, and some designer shoes and handbags are highly sought after.

READ MORE: How to sell shoes online

Play Games Online for Money

You aren’t going to get rich this way, but if you stick with it, you can earn $100 over a couple of months. Inbox Dollars regularly runs offers for popular online games, and you can earn up to $100 playing the very popular Monopoly Go!. There are offers for slot machine games, bubble-popping games, Solitaire, Candy Crush, Bingo and even strategy games. Just make sure the games you choose don’t require an in-game purchase.

READ MORE: Game apps that pay real money

Use Gas Apps

Prices at the gas pump affect almost everyone, and anytime you can shave as much as $1 a gallon off the price you pay, it’s worth the extra effort. There are a number of different apps and retail programs available to save you money, and depending on the amount of gas you use each month, the savings can really add up.

Scan Your Receipts

You have to buy certain items, particularly groceries. But you can make small amounts of money for scanning your receipts. Companies like Fetch, CoinOut and Pogo will give you points for each receipt you scan, and those points can add up to real cash. Ibotta will reimburse you for purchasing eligible items, and you can collect the money when you reach $20. This can be useful if the offers are for items you already planned to buy.

READ MORE: Best receipt-scanning apps

Use Rebate Websites

If you’re purchasing items online anyway, there are a number of websites that offer cashback rebates. There are even sites like Cashbackholic and Cashbackmonitor, which show you the rebate sites that offer the biggest payout for each retailer. Note that it will take a few weeks for the rebates to post to your account, and redemption methods vary. Ebates, for example, will automatically mail a check four times a year, while others will deposit earnings directly to your PayPal account. Still others let you redeem credit for gift cards (including cash cards).

READ MORE: Best receipt websites

Take Surveys

This can be tedious, but companies who need market research are willing to pay people to complete their surveys. You can find opportunities on Amazon Mturk, Inbox Dollars, Survey Savvy and Swagbucks, among others.

Look for Medical Trials

If you don’t have health insurance, or just need to make a large chunk of cash, medical trials can be an efficient way to get routine physicals and expensive medications. For example, several people on Reddit joined medical trials for various weight loss medications, and are not only getting paid to participate, but they’re also getting thousands of dollars worth of state-of-the-art medication for free. And another trial was offering anyone age 40 or older $400 for scheduling a routine colonoscopy, which should be 100% covered for anyone with health insurance.

However, you’ll have to be able to create enough time to visit a medical facility for occasional checkups.

Sign Up for Grocery Loyalty Programs

Almost every grocery store offers a program that offers exclusive savings to members, including digital coupons and free food items. If you aren’t signed up and you regularly shop at these stores, you’re leaving hundreds of dollars a year on the table.

Shop at Salvage Grocery Stores

Many people avoid shopping at salvage stores because they believe the food is damaged. However, the items they sell are perfectly safe (though maybe look less than perfect) and the cost is significantly lower than what you’d pay at a traditional grocery store.

Salvage stores sell:

Damaged items (dented cans, missing labels, etc.)
Discontinued items
Imperfect fruits and vegetables
Overstock items

Your options will be better if you live near a city, but even if you don’t, places like Ollie’s Bargain Outlet or bakery thrift stores offer some salvage foods.

This map can help you find a salvage store near you.

Time Your Shopping

This hack comes courtesy of billionaire Mark Cuban, who learned during his poorer days that he could save money by shopping just after the store manager lowered prices.

Ask the managers of your local grocery stores what time and days they discount food items that are near expiration. This can be a particularly good time to purchase meat to stock your freezer. Time your shopping to maximize those discounts. Also, try visiting farmer’s markets just before closing. Many sellers are willing to negotiate discounts on unsold items so they don’t have to haul them back home.

Get Paid to Learn

Zogo is an app that pays you for completing tasks to improve your financial literacy and learn how money works in real life, while earning a small amount “pineapples” that can be redeemed for gift cards to places like Amazon or Walmart. It’s available for iOS (iPhone) and Android. You won’t get rich doing this, but you can earn some quick grocery money and learn more about money management.

Does the Government Owe You Money?

Sometimes a utility company still has your security deposit or you move and the apartment rental company doesn’t immediately refund your security deposit. Then, by the time they’re ready to pay you, they can’t find you. When this happens, the money is listed in a database and you need to claim it.

You may even be able to file for unclaimed money that was owed to a deceased relative, as long as you’re their legal heir.

To learn how to check the database and claim money, visit usa.gov.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

If you’re struggling to pay an extra-large electricity bill or bill for natural gas, there are programs that can help you. Start by contacting your utility company and asking whether they have any hardship programs available.

Also, if you’re struggling to pay your monthly bills, call your creditors and explain. Some offer hardship programs and may be willing to waive your monthly payment or reduce your minimum payment amount.

More Tips and Tricks

Stack offers: If you find items on sale through a grocery loyalty program, then find cash-back offers through Ibotta and Fetch, you can claim all three.
Look for manufacturer’s coupons: Check coupon websites to look for discounts on products you’d buy anyway.
Cash out as soon as you hit the redemption minimum: You don’t know when a program could be shut down or a company could decide to close your account
Don’t buy items you wouldn’t ordinarily buy: It’s not savings if you’re spending extra money to save
Do the math: If you can save 20 cents off one brand of toothpaste, but it costs $1 more than the brand you normally buy, it’s not a savings.
Don’t buy more than you can use: No matter how low the price is, you aren’t saving money if the items you buy spoil before you can use them.

The Bottom Line

If you need to build some savings, try some of these tips to build a small nest egg. And cash out quickly. As soon as you hit the minimum, have the money sent directly to your PayPal account. Keep the money in a safe place where you won’t be able to immediately spend it. This way, you’ll have a small nest egg (and won’t need to turn to a payday lender) the next time you get hit with an unexpected expense.