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How to Make Money in One Hour – 40+ Legit Ways! (2024)

Don't Work Another Day is reader-supported. We may receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own.
  By Forrest McCall | Last Updated:  November 19, 2022

Do you need money ASAP?

We've all been there at some point. With 61% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck – making more money is essential to afford rising costs. 

Maybe you have an upcoming bill that’s due, you need quick cash for your next meal, or you need money for the holidays. 

No matter your needs, there are plenty of legit ways to earn money online in less than an hour. Some of them you can even make money instantly!

If you want to make money in one hour or less, give these methods a try!

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Some of the best ways to make money in one hour or less include:

Ready to make money online for free? Create your account with Swagbucks and claim $5 free!

How to Make Money in One Hour or Less

If you need to make extra money in less than an hour, give these ideas a try. By using multiple methods on the list your can starting making money in no time!

Use Survey Sites to Get Paid

If you want to learn how to make money in one hour online, using survey sites can be one of your best options to earn a few bucks.

With these sites you can make money by completing surveys, watching videos, playing games, shopping online, and more.

While the pay is nothing insane, it's one of the easiest ways to make money in a hurry.

Some of the best survey sites include:

  • Rakuten Insight – earn money taking surveys. Cash out directly to PayPal with just $5!
  • Survey Junkie – one of the highest paying survey sites available. Earn up to $150 per focus group you complete!
  • Swagbucks – make money answering surveys, watching videos, playing games, and more. Plus, get $5 free when you join!
  • InboxDollars – earn extra cash by completing paid surveys and more. Get $5 free when you join!
  • Opinion Outpost – easily make money in an hour by completing surveys and more. 

Like I mentioned, you aren't going to make $3000 fast with these apps, but you can certainly make $10 a day

Try Passive Income Apps

Passive income apps can be great ways to get paid to do nothing

What are they, exactly?

These apps will pay you for a variety of things ranging from your internet activity to your investments. 

For example, MobileXpression and the Nielsen Panel apps will pay you to run software in the background of your device that anonymously tracks your browsing activity so they can partner with advertisers. 

You can also use investing apps like LEX Markets or Acorns to start investing and making money in one hour. 

Start a Delivery Side Hustle

Delivery side hustles can be a great way to make money fast (within an hour or less!).

Between Doordash, Instacart, and Amazon Flex – there are plenty of ways to get paid to drive

Average Doordash Pay

While the average Doordash pay is slightly lower, this may not account for any tips you receive!

Whether you're looking to make some quick money or turn this side hustle into a full time gig jobs like Instacart and Doordash can be excellent options to make money in one hour. 

Complete Short Tasks on Amazon Mechanical Turk

Amazon Mechanical Turk is a marketplace for short tasks that need to be completed online like transcribing audio, writing short product descriptions, and more.

There are a wide variety of tasks available, and most of them can be completed in an hour or less.

To get started, create a free account and start completing tasks to start earning money.

Earn Extra Income Selling Things Around Your House

If you need money desperately, selling things around your home is one of the fastest ways to get quick cash.

For example, if you have some old electronics, clothes, or furniture, you could sell them online to get cash quickly.

Here are a few platforms you can use:

  • Craigslist
  • Facebook Marketplace
  • Letgo
  • Poshmark

You can also consider selling your items at a pawn shop for instant cash, but you likely won't make as much. Check out these websites to sell things locally for more info.

The amount of money you can make will depend on the items you sell, but this is a great way to make money in one hour or less.

Donate Plasma

Donating plasma is an easy way to make money in one hour or less, and it's a great option if you're looking for something short-term.

You can make up to $50 per donation, and most people donate a few times each month.

To get started, find a plasma donation center near you and make an appointment.

You'll need to complete some tests to ensure you are a good candidate to donate but other than that, it's an easy way to make some extra cash if you don't mind the prick!

Get Paid to Shop

Did you know you can make money by shopping?

It's true!

With sites like Ibotta or NCPMobile, you can get cash back for shopping online and in person at your favorite stores.

These partnered with hundreds of retailers so there are plenty of opportunities to get cash back when you shop online or in stores.

For example, each trip to the grocery store can earn you money – so why not make some money for something you have to do anyways?

Become a Mystery Shopper

Mystery shopping is a great way to make extra cash if you have some time and a vehicle.

With this side hustle, you'll be tasked with visiting different stores or restaurants and reporting back on your experience.

You can make up to $30 an hour with this gig, making it a great way to earn money quickly.

To get started, sign up for free with a mystery shopping company like Secret Shopper.

Become a Virtual Assistant

Looking for an easy online job that pays a good income?

Working as a virtual assistant can be a great option to make money online in one hour without needing a ton of special skills to get started. 

You'll be tasked with anything from posting on social media to making minor changes to a website, and more.

You can find jobs on freelance sites like Upwork or Fiverr, or you can find clients on your own. 

Depending on your skills, it's possible to make over $30 per hour with this job – which is a good income for most!

Invest to Make Money

Investing is a great way to make money, build wealth with compound interest, and save for your future. 

There are tons of platforms out there to invest, but some of my favorites include:

  • LEX Markets – invest in real estate with as little as $250 (get up to $500 free)
  • Acorns – invest in the stock market with just $5 (get $10 free)
  • CIT Bank – open a high yield savings account 

While you won't reach millionaire status in one hour investing (unless you have billions of dollars), it's a great option to make a little money in 60 minutes.

Work as a Proofreader

If you want to make quick money from home, working as a proofreader can be an excellent option.

In fact, according to research done by CNBC, it's one of the highest paying side hustles you can start. 

High Paying Proofreading Side Hustle

You can make over $25 per hour in many cases, making it a great option for many people. While you don't need to be an expert in grammar, it can be helpful to understand the basics of the English language so you can easily catch and errors or mistakes. 

If you're ready to get started but aren't sure where to start, I recommend taking the Proofread Anywhere course to learn everything you need to know to build a profitable proofreading business from the comfort of your own home!

Use Social Media to Make Money

Another tremendous way to make money in one hour from home is through social media.

While most people will use these platforms to connect with others, there are plenty of ways to earn money with social media platforms

For example, you can use Twitter to build an audience and promote affiliate offers. 

There are plenty of options out there if you're willing to put in the work. Check out the video below for more info!

Search the House for Spare Change

Have you checked the couch cushions yet?

There's a chance you can scrounge up some spare change just by going through your home.

While it likely won't be a ton of money, any bit helps when you need money in one hour and you don't want to leave your home.

Become a Freelance Writer

Freelance writing and be a lucrative side hustle to make extra money, and you don't need to be an expert English major to complete work.

If you have a knack for writing, there are plenty of opportunities to get paid to write articles, create website content, or even ghostwrite books.

Depending on your skills, it's possible to make over $.50 per word written. For a 1,000 word article, that's $500!

To find clients, you can use freelance sites like Upwork or Fiverr or you can network with publishers who might be in need of writers.

Freelance writers can oftentimes make $250 a day or more so it's certainly worth your time!

Register for a New Bank Account

If you need quick cash, opening a new bank account can be a simple way to get some free money.

For example, by opening a new bank account at Albert, you'll get $150 completely free.

Talk about easy money!

Open a New Credit Card

Just like opening a new bank account, opening a new credit card can be another easy way to get quick money.

There's one caveat with this method, however. When you open a new credit card a hard inquiry will be pulled on your credit so it can lower your score a few points.

While this likely won't impact your ability to get approved for new credit cards or loans, it's something to keep in mind if you're trying to maintain a good credit score.

Assuming your credit can handle a hard inquiry, there are plenty of great offers out there where you can claim anywhere from $100 to over $500 in free money.

Consider Pet Sitting

If you love animals and want to make money in your spare time, consider pet sitting.

To get started, create a profile on Rover and start taking on clients in your area.

The amount of money you can make will depend on your location and the number of dogs you're watching, but it's possible to make a few hundred dollars each month.

Rover Weekly Income

Some people consider pet sitting to be passive income because you can do other things while the dog is sleeping, but it's an easy way to make money if you're looking for something flexible.

Create your Rover account below to get started!

Start Pet Sitting!

Tutoring

Tutoring is a good way for people to make money quickly, especially if you have some knowledge in a particular subject.

Online tutors can make $30 an hour or more, and there are plenty of opportunities to get started.

For example, sites like Tutor.com and Varsity Tutors offer opportunities to connect with students all over the world who are in need of help with their education.

If you want to grow your monthly income, consider working as a tutor.

Redeem Credit Card Rewards

If you have a credit card, there's a chance you might have some rewards that haven't been redeemed yet. This can be such an easy way to find money ASAP when you need it.

Complete Paid Focus Groups

Completing paid focus groups with platforms like Survey Junkie can be an excellent way to make up to $150 in just a few hours or less.

You'll need to see which focus groups you qualify for and sign up to participate.

It's important to note that not all focus groups are created equal, some can take less than an hour while others might take longer. Your pay will depend on how many hours the focus group takes to complete and some other factors.

Sign up for Survey Junkie below and confirm your email immediately so you don't miss any opportunities!

Want to Make $150 With Paid Focus Groups? 💵
Survey Junkie is a great option to get paid to take surveys online and complete paid focus groups. You can make over $150 on qualifying focus groups you complete.
Sign Up Now!
Disclosure: This link is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you register through my link.

Refer Friends to Apps

Referring friends to apps is an easy way to make extra money because you don't have to do anything.

Just ask your friends and family to create accounts and watch the money roll in.

There are many referral apps you can use to start making money. Some of my favorites include:

The amount of money you can make will depend on the number of friends and family who create accounts, but this can be an easy way to make money online.

Clean Cars

Looking for a unique side hustle that pays well?

Car cleaning can be an excellent way to make money in as little as one hour.

As you have to do is post your services on the Nextdoor app, wait for customers to contact you, and go to their home and clean their car.

It's possible to earn over $100 per car cleaning making it an awesome way to earn extra cash.

Give it a try and you might be able to turn your side gig into a full time business!

Save Money with Rocket Money

While this isn't necessarily a way to make more money, saving money can free up cash to spend on other things.

If you're looking for ways to save money, consider using Rocket Money to help you stay on top of your finances.

You can use it to cancel subscriptions, find cheaper alternatives to things you're already paying for, and more.

To get started, sign up below!

Truebill (Now RocketMoney) helps you take back control of your finances and start budgeting with ease. Register below to get started!
Register Now!
Disclosure: This link is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Neighbor App

Rent Your Space with Neighbor.com

If you're searching for ways to make passive income, renting out your spare space on Neighbor.com is an excellent option.

You can rent out almost any space including:

  • Garage space
  • Closet space
  • Parking space
  • And more

The amount of money you can make will depend on your location and the type and size of space available.

For many people, this can be an easy way to make $50 a day without any work!

Now, it's probably going to take longer than one hour to get your space approved and listed, but if you can wait a little longer – this is a great way to make some extra money. 

Rent My Space!

Drive for Uber or Lyft

Working for ride hailing services like Uber or Lyft can be another simple way to make money in your free time.

This can be a great part time job because you can work when you want and can easily make an extra $100 a day or more.

While the median salary for Uber drivers in the US is around $38,000 according to Salary.com, this can be a great option if you need to make money in one hour. 

Uber Driver Salary

If you want to work your own schedule with a guaranteed profit, ride hailing services are an excellent option.

Sell Gift Cards for Cash

There are plenty of ways to turn gift cards into cash which can be a great way to get instant cash when you need it.

If you have unwanted gift cards, you can sell them on sites like Cardpool for up to 92% of the card value. If you have unused gift cards you can potentially make even more money.

This is a great way to get rid of unwanted gift cards and get some extra cash while you're at it.

Become a Dog Walker

Dog walking can be a fun way to earn money in an hour or less.

The amount of money you can make will depend on your location and the number of dogs you're walking, but it's possible to make a few hundred dollars each month.

You can register with sites like Rover to find people who are in need of your services or you can work independently and promote your offerings on social media.

UserTesting

Test Websites

Testing websites is a simple way to earn cash online without a ton of effort.

By using sites like UserTesting, you can earn $10 for every 20 minutes of testing you complete.

You won't get rich quick with this method, but you can earn some quick cash.

Start a Blog

With this method, you probably won't make money in an hour, but it's one of the best ways to make money online over time.

A blog is a great platform to share your thoughts and ideas on a variety of topics and can be a great way to earn passive income.

To get started, all you need is a domain name and hosting. I recommend using Namecheap to purchase your domain name and SiteGround for hosting. These are the best and most affordable platforms to get your blog up and running.

Once you have your blog set up, you can start earning money through things like:

  • Affiliate marketing
  • Display advertising
  • Selling products or services
  • Selling online courses
  • And more

While it takes time to build up a blog, it can be one of the best passive income opportunities for people of any age.

SiteGround is my favorite hosting platform to easily start a blog. They have top-notch customer service and prices starting as low as $7 per month. Sign-up below!
Get Started!
Learn How to Start a Blog
Disclosure: This link is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Do Yard Work

Completing yard work for others is one method where you can make great money, if you're willing to work hard.

Because this work can be more strenuous, you can charge more per hour and make a good amount of money in a short period of time.

It's possible to earn over $30 per hour or more for these services.

To get started, you can promote your services on social media or sign up with a site like TaskRabbit.

Complete Odd Jobs

Similar to yard work, completing odd jobs for neighbors or family members can be a great way to earn money in your free time.

Odd jobs can include things like:

  • Mowing lawns
  • Shoveling snow
  • Painting
  • Cleaning
  • And more

These jobs can be completed in an hour or less and can easily earn you $20 or more.

To get started, you can ask people you know if they have any odd jobs that need to be done or you can sign up with a site like TaskRabbit.

Rent Out Your Car

If you own a car, you can make money by renting it out through a site like Turo or Getaround.

With this, you can turn your car into a money-making machine and can easily make an extra $100 a week or more.

Clean Homes

Cleaning homes isn't the most fun side hustle, but it pays good money.

You can easily find people who are in need of your services by promoting your offerings on social media or through word-of-mouth.

It's possible to make a few hundred dollars for each home you clean.

Babysit

If you enjoy being around kids, babysitting can be a great way to make money in an hour or less.

You can find people who are in need of your services by asking people you know or by signing up with a site like Care.com.

It's possible to make a few hundred dollars per week babysitting.

Find Free Money

Did you know there's a chance you could have unclaimed money sitting around that you don't even know about?

You can use a site like Unclaimed Money Search to search for unclaimed money that may be owed to you.

I found that I actually had $28 in money I hadn't claimed when checking. It's completely free to check, so why not give it a try?

How to Make Money in One Hour Online at Home

If you want to make money in one hour online, I recommend taking a few online surveys with InboxDollars, downloading the Nielsen Panel app, and watch videos with Swagbucks.

While you're not going to become a millionaire by doing this, you can get quick cash online.

How to Make Money in Minutes for Free

If you want to make money in minutes for free, I recommend downloading a few apps that give you free money so you can claim you money ASAP.

How to Make Money within 24 Hours

If you need to make money within 24 hours, there are plenty of methods to try including:

  • Delivering food with Doordash
  • Completing odd jobs
  • Freelancing with Upwork or Fiverr

Final Thoughts on How to Make Money in One Hour

Learning how to make money in one hour is easier than you might think.

Between selling stuff online, using paid survey sites, or even selling scrap metal, there are quite a few options to make extra money in one hour when you need it.

There are even ways you can make money in one hour online so you don't have to leave the comfort of your home.

By using a few of the methods listed, you're sure to get the cash you need. Now go get it!

Forrest is a personal finance, entrepreneurship, and investing expert dedicated to helping others obtain life long wealth. He has a Bachelor's degree in business and has been featured in many popular publications including Forbes, Business Insider, Bankrate, CNET Money, and many others. To learn more about Forrest, visit the About Us Page for more info.
Download My FREE Income Ideas Cheat Sheet!
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