6 easy ways you can make $300 in the next month

Maybe it’s a last minute plane ticket. Maybe it’s an unexpected hospital bill. Maybe it’s that bridesmaid dress you will 100% never wear again. Whatever your reason, it’s hard to say no to an extra $300 in your pocket.

If you came across this post via Pinterest, you’ve likely come across hundreds of posts promising quick cash online or that you'll get rich working from home doing nothing. It goes without saying to beware of any “get rich quick” schemes, but I said it anyway. There are endless opportunities to make money online — blogging, writing, becoming a virtual assistant, etc. Those are awesome, and I hope to write a post dedicated to online money-making strategies soon. However, in my own personal searches, many of the suggestions aren’t realistic for a quick return.

For example: “Create a profitable blog;” “Teach an online course;” “Write an Ebook” — hold up, did you just tell me that I can write a literal book and turn a profit quickly?

Additionally, many of those “quick” online hustles can take a month or more to see a payout. What about when I need ideas that will put cash in my hand now?!

Here are 6 relatively painless ways to make cash quickly:

1.) Babysit.

You get to play arts and crafts, watch Frozen and eat their snacks. And make a cool $15 per hour. What’s not to love? There are plenty of online resources to find a family, but the best matches typically come from friends of friends and word of mouth. Babysitting may bring flashbacks of high school or these iconic books, but it remains a solid source of extra cash. All you have to sacrifice is a Friday night and, like, 2% of your dignity when you play dress up.

2.) Pet sit.

THIS IS THE BEST ONE CAUSE PUPPIES. And also other animals, but PUPPIES. This could be a one-time weekend endeavor or a weekly hustle — you’d be surprised how many people desire extra help letting the pupper out around lunchtime or feeding the cats during a trip. You can find local dogs and their humans on Care.com or Rover.com. Better yet, skip the middleman and stake up a pretty poster on your neighborhood community board.

3.) House sit.

You get the idea.

4.) Take online surveys.

Want a job where working from the couch is encouraged and pants are optional? Look no further! Sites like UserTesting pay you to browse websites and apps for companies and give feedback on user experience (e.g., how easy the site navigates; if you could find what you were looking for, etc). You can make $10 to $15 per each test, which take about 15-30 minutes to complete.

This isn’t technically fast cash; the site pays via PayPal seven days after you complete the test. Note that most user testing sites record your voice as you navigate, so that they can see the user experience in real time. So in order to make the most of this option, you need updated technology and no paranoia that Big Brother is up in ya bid’ness.

4.) Sell your blood.

Annnnnnnnd we just took a turn toward gruesome. In most states, people aged 18 or older can sell blood after a brief physical exam. There are obviously many limitations and restrictions, including those who have traveled to certain countries (sorry, mates); people who have exchanged money or drugs for sex (sorry, entire cast of “Breaking Bad”); and people who have risk factors for Mad Cow Disease (I feel like at this point you have bigger fish to fry anyway??). But, speaking broadly, if you are a healthy human, you’ll probably make about $30 per donation, although the price can be about $500 depending on what type you are donating. It’s still considered a blood donation, you’re just getting a reward for it. The IRA hasn’t listed it as taxable, thanks for asking, but you can read more about it here.

Look for trustworthy centers like Octapharma Plasma, Biolife Plasma and Biotest Plasma, but use common sense — if anything about the center seems even a little unsanitary or sketchy, run for the hills. (But, don’t be scared by Google reviews. “They had the needle in my arm for so long” is not a valid point. At all. Go home, Linda.)  In fact, you can make money from other *~bodily fluids~*, but you came to the wrong blog to talk about that.

6.) Sell your ex’s stuff on a Facebook swap.

He had it coming.

Hopefully, these ideas help put a little extra cash in your wallet for whatever your little heart desires. Meanwhile, I’ll be over here trying to figure out a way to make money from looking at memes and drinking prosecco.

Did you ever try any of these money-making methods? Have any other go-to schemes? Share them in the comments below!