When you’re looking to save more money, the obvious choice is to cut back on spending. However, you can also take charge of your earnings. In this article, I’ll review my top tips on how to earn 20 dollars fast. As a money-making and saving expert, the tips I’ll share have saved me thousands of dollars over the course of several years.
Read on to learn about how to earn 20 dollars fast.
Why Learn How to Make $20 Dollars Fast?
Aiming for $20 is an Achievable Goal
Why learn how to make $20 dollars instead of aiming for a higher amount? While aiming for the stars is important, it’s important to be realistic. You have a busy life. Maybe it’s not feasible to take on a second job as your full-time job and family responsibilities already take up a significant portion of your time. Not to worry! There are tons of ways to earn some extra cash online.
Earning Smaller Amounts of Money and Staying Motivated
Additionally, aiming to make an extra $20 here and there will keep you motivated. Trying to earn more money can be overwhelming and daunting, especially if you choose larger jobs or gigs. On the other hand, earning small amounts of money here and there feels good and will keep you on track to keep going.
Learning How to Make Money and Developing New Skills
When you try out new jobs and earn money, you’ll develop a ton of new skills. When I did some online consulting for a nonprofit, I learned many new skills. These new skills included negotiating my rate of pay and managing my time to complete the tasks I was being hired for.
What’s the Best Way for You to Earn 20 Dollars Fast?
When choosing a way (or three!) to make 20 dollars right now or in the near future, you’ll need to keep several things in mind:
- Will this way fit with my schedule?
- Do I enjoy taking part in this task? For example, if you’re looking into tutoring do you enjoy helping others? If you’re looking into freelance writing gigs, do you have the discipline to complete projects on your own time?
- Is the payout worth it? Some survey sites and other money-making sites simply aren’t worth your time. For example, some only pay about $4 per hour for 60 minutes of actively taking surveys. Decide whether or not this amount is worth it for you. Sometimes, it’s better to put a little bit more work in and find higher-paying jobs or clients – even if they take longer to get.
Creating a Side Hustle Plan Before Starting a Gig
Planning Before Trying out New Ways to Earn 20 Dollars Fast
Set Financial Goals and Create a Budget
Saving money is great. However, it’s crucial you have a plan for what you’re going to do with the extra money you make. Take some time to write down the reason – or reasons – why you need to earn more money. Some ideas to get you inspired include:
- Pay down or pay off debt
- Increase savings in an emergency account
- Save for a goal such as a vacation or purchasing a new vehicle
- Saving for continuing education
- Investing in a retirement account
- Investing in quality items to stock a capsule wardrobe with
Before making changes to your saving and investing strategy, be sure to speak with a financial advisor.
Take a Career or Job Personality Test
Taking a job personality test is a fantastic way to determine which types of jobs suit your personality. The most popular test is the Myers-Briggs test (also known as ‘16 Personalities‘). Start with the free personality test. It’ll give you some job suggestions based on your personality using four letters. For example, I’m an ENFJ (extroverted, intuitive, feeling and judging) personality. I tend to enjoy jobs that help me serve a bigger purpose and want to do the right thing.
Choose a Gig That Aligns With Your Schedule
There are so many different side jobs available out there for kids, teens and adults alike. Many can be done in the evening and on weekends such as tutoring, while others can be done whenever (gigs like surveys). Find the best jobs that fit your schedule. If you’re just getting started or have a schedule that changes every week, it’s best to choose a job that can be done 24/7. For example, you can take surveys or do freelance writing jobs on your own time.
Ensure The Gig Isn’t a Scam
There are so many legitimate jobs out there. Unfortunately, there are also many fake gigs as well. With the increase in AI technology and education, scams have gotten a lot more sophisticated. Avoid picking up a scam job by:
- Researching the company on Glassdoor – check the reviews. Have people left decent reviews?
- Never paying to get a job – many scammers will ask for a fee and then disappear into thin air
- Researching company testimonials – oftentimes, scam companies will have fake reviews on their website. Research to check if the person leaving the testimony is real and worked at the company. It’s best to use a third-party website like Glassdoor to check reviews by legitimate people who work or have worked there.
- Errors or fake names on contracts – if the contract has spelling errors or uses a suspicious name, don’t sign up to the job. I was once almost scammed into signing a job. I knew it was completely fake when the person only interviewed me via phone and the interview lasted 5 minutes. Once the scammer sent me the name of my future boss whose name was also the name of the owner of a well-known financial institution, I knew for sure it was fake!
Like This Article? Pin It!
Create a Plan for Managing Your Time
Let’s face it – when you take on a new side job – especially one that’s active income – you’ll need to better manage your time. There are only so many hours in the day!
Personally, I take half an hour out of every Sunday evening to plan out my week. I like to use a method called time-blocking where I set aside a certain amount of hours for every task including:
- Commuting to and from work
- Time spent at work
- Side hustles and additional jobs
- Chores and everyday tasks such as cooking and eating
I like to write my tasks down in a notebook planner. This 52-week time-blocking planner is a perfect way to organize your time!
Start Working
Once you’ve set your goals, chosen a job, checked it for its legitimacy and have created a time for managing your plan, it’s time to start earning an extra $20 or more! After working your side gig for a few weeks, think about whether or not you want to continue working it. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I enjoying this gig?
- Is the money worth my time?
- Are there other jobs I want to try instead?
From there, take a look at your options and decide whether or not you want to add or switch out your side gig.
The Difference Between Active and Passive Income
When choosing a way to earn 20 dollars fast, it’s important to understand the difference between active and passive income. Active income is when you’re working to earn a dollar. For example, when you teach an online class live, you’re paid for the hours you work. On the other hand, passive income happens while you’re doing other things. For example, you make a commission from an affiliate marketing sale while you’re asleep.
While no source of income is truly active (you’ll still need to market yourself to keep passive income flowing in), passive income allows you the potential to increase your income a lot higher than active income does.
The Ultimate List of Ways to Earn 20 Dollars Fast
How to Earn 20 Dollars Fast Online
Take Paid Surveys
Take surveys on platforms where you can give your opinion and earn! My favorite platform is SurveyJunkie. You can filter by approximately how long the survey will take and the payout. Surveys don’t pay a huge amount of money, but if you want to make 20 dollars right now, you sure can! The barrier to entry is very low. Do note that surveys typically don’t pay well, but you can earn $4-6 per hour.
Listen to Music
Earn money on various platforms that will pay you to review songs and artists. Pay ranges from a few dollars to $25 or more per project. For the top platforms where you can review music, check out this article from GoBankingRates.
Do Voiceover Acting
Sign up on a platform such as Voices.com and lend your vocal talent. Companies often need talent for commercials, movie trailers, podcasts, ads and much more. Invest in a quality mic such as the Audio-Technica AT2020 (my personal favorite due to its high quality and reasonable price) or the Rode NT. If you’re on the go or travel a lot like me, invest in the USB version of either the AT2020 or NT model. You’ll also need to fill out your profile and provide a sample so companies will know whether or not you’re a good fit for the job!
Transcribe Audio
Transcription jobs are ideal for those with patience, an eye for detail and strong grammar skills. Sign up on platforms such as FlexJobs, TranscribeMe, Rev and Scribie. Jobs pay anywhere from $5-25 per audio hour. Some jobs pay even more.
Teach Online
If you’re skilled in a niche area, consider teaching online. You can teach anything from English as a Second Language to math, science, coding, or whatever other skill you’re good at. If you have a strong camera presence and decent video editing skills, consider creating an online course. Online courses are a fantastic source of passive income. You can sell them on platforms such as Teachable and Udemy.
Become a Blogger
Blogging is a fun way to earn extra income while writing about what you’re passionate about. Choose a niche you enjoy writing about and create SEO-driven content. Use a tool such as Keysearch to find popular topics in your niche (travel, cooking or another topic) and write content around it. While blogging is difficult to get into, if you drive enough traffic to your website, you can generate income through ads, affiliate marketing, products and sponsored posts.
Work as a Virtual Assistant
Put your administrative, digital marketing and organizational skills to work and become a virtual assistant. Companies all over the world need assistance with day-to-day tasks. If you’re freelancing, you may need to start with a lower rate of pay and slowly raise it as you become more experienced. Advertise your services on platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork.
Earn Rewards While Shopping Online
If you shop online and make a large enough purchase, you can make 20 dollars right now with cashback (or more)! Sign up for Ibotta, MyPoints and Rakuten and earn cash back. Another solid app to use is Honey. I’ve personally used Honey and have gotten over 20% off on some of my purchases. Honey’s browser extension also automatically applies coupons and gives you the best price.
Earn Interest from Investing
Okay, this one isn’t really a job, but if you’re aiming to learn how to learn 20 dollars fast, you can’t miss this one! When you invest your money in stocks, ETFs and other assets, you’ll accumulate compound interest. This is passive income you’ll make while you’re asleep. Withdrawing investment interest from retirement accounts and other long-term savings accounts isn’t ideal for paying for short-term items (learn why here), but it’s another way to earn 20 dollars or more at once.
Sell Digital Prints Online
Create digital art on Canva and sell prints on Etsy. Choose a niche area that isn’t overly saturated. For example, baby shower invitations are a very saturated market. Instead, focus on a specific design – for example, safari-themed baby invitations or invitations for a party for an Indian wedding. Use a tool such as Keysearch to research keywords that aren’t overly competitive (a score under 40) but are still relatively popular (search volume of 1000 or more).
Become a YouTuber
If you’re creative and ambitious, create engaging content in a particular niche on YouTube. YouTube is incredibly competitive, but if you’re successful, you can generate passive income from affiliates, sponsorships and ads.
How to Earn 20 Dollars Fast In Person
Work as a Tour Guide
If you work in a tourist-heavy area, consider becoming a guide. For example, many cities such as Lisbon, Portugal and Edinburgh, Scotland offer free walking tours. Typically, you’ll make money off the suggested tip amount Be sure to get any proper qualifications and become properly licensed. Some cities only allow licensed tour guides to operate!
Sell Your Old Stuff
If you want to make 20 dollars right now, look around your garage and in your closets to see if you have any old items you no longer need and sell them on Facebook Marketplace. Before I moved out of my previous apartment, I made hundreds of dollars selling my gently used furniture, picture frames and office equipment.
Deliver Groceries and Food or Rideshare Drive
Deliver groceries and food on GrubHub or Uber. You can also drive to earn extra money.
Make Items and Sell Them
Are you creative? Consider making cute crafts, candles or other physical products to sell. This side hustle requires a bit more effort on your part than selling digital products as you’ll need to handle shipping and handling.
Take Odd Jobs
Seasonal jobs such as raking leaves, shoveling snow and mowing lawns are an ideal way to earn an extra 20, 40 or 60 dollars fast. Why? You don’t need to make a long-term commitment. These seasonal jobs can be done for a month or two. After the season is done, you can try out a new job.
Rent Your Living Space
If you’re flexible, consider renting out your space. In the meantime, sign up on a platform such as Trusted Housesitters and undertake short-term or long-term housesitting. It’s a great way to earn extra money while living in a variety of fun places. Even if you don’t want to travel but live in a major city, there are often many places you can housesit at.
Babysit
Babysitting is a classic way to earn 20 dollars quickly. You can charge 20 dollars or more per hour for a few hours of work per week.
Take Care of Pets
If you love pets and don’t mind taking care of them, check with family or friends to see if they’re in need of someone to watch their beloved creature while on vacation.
Tips for Maximizing Earnings
I’ve covered my top tips on how to earn 20 dollars fast. How do you take your earnings to the next level? Aside from focusing on passive income streams, here are other ways you can maximize your earnings:
- Go for quality over quantity – when choosing jobs, it’s tempting to go for the quickest-paying job. When freelancing, it’s best to start at a lower rate, slowly build up a good reputation and then start charging more money. Eventually, you’ll be able to charge a higher rate for your services and work less hours!
- Learn how to say no – similar to choosing fewer jobs for higher pay, don’t be afraid to say no or choose not to do a task. As I mentioned earlier in this article, sometimes, a job or taking a survey just isn’t worth it.
- Put your money to work – saving money is important, but put that money to work! Talk with a financial advisor and open an investment account so you can make money on your money via compound interest.
Conclusion – How to Earn 20 Dollars Fast
There are so many different ideas out there on how to earn 20 dollars fast. I hope this guide has been helpful in giving you some ideas on how to earn active and passive income, both in-person and online. Have fun trying out new gigs that fit with your talents and skills. Remember, if one gig or job doesn’t work out, there’s always another one out there. Be sure to put your extra earnings to work – whether saved, invested, or spent on something you love (within reason)!
Like This Article? Pin It!
Janita is a frugal living expert and owner of Frugal Fun Finance. With over five years of personal experience finding and trying out the best ways to make and save more money, she's eager to share her knowledge. Janita's strategies have helped her save thousands of dollars for funding investments and traveling to over 20 countries.
Janita completed training in personal finance at The University of Western Ontario and McGill University, two prestigious Canadian universities. Her expertise has been shared on GoBankingRates, Yahoo Finance, and NASDAQ.com.
