I’ve explored a number of ways to make money in one hour or less in the hope that there’s some magic fast lane to financial freedom.
There’s not, but there are some good ways to give the bank account a little boost when you’re short on time.
Here are my top 9 ideas to get you a few bucks in under 60 minutes (with pros and cons).
1) Microtasking
Microtasking involves completing small, quick tasks for pay, such as data entry, surveys, or content moderation. The work can be tedious, but there are a variety of jobs to complete to freshen the work up every now and again.
Platforms: Amazon Mechanical Turk, Clickworker
2) Online Surveys
You can get up and running in minutes taking online surveys and earning a few extra dollars. It’s generally a piece of cake to do too, but can become a bit laborious after a while. Good for those with a fair amount of time on their hands or something to dip in and out of.
Platforms: Swagbucks, Survey Junkie
3) Selling unwanted items
A lot of us will have items lying around that we no longer use, why not pass them on to someone else and get some cash in the process. You can do this for expensive items or lower value ones in bulk to make a decent amount. There’s a surprising amount of demand for pretty much most things online.
Platforms: Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Craigslist
4) Focus groups
These can be quite interesting even though they are hard to come by. Most will last about an hour or so and the return can be pretty decent.
Platforms: Respondent, User Interviews
5) Sell Your Photos
If you have some great photos on your phone or you fancy yourself as a budding photographer, this can be a great way to make passive income in minutes by sharing your photos for purchase online.
Platforms: Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, iStock by Getty Images
6) Test websites
With the amount of value brands get from their websites nowadays, there’s a reason they’ll pay decent money for user feedback and error reporting. Website testing can be quite fun, at least I’ve found it to be anyway and the pay isn’t too bad either – you do need a good eye for detail though!
Platforms: UserTesting, TryMyUI
7) Market research
Getting involved in market research involves participating in surveys, focus groups, or product testing for companies seeking consumer feedback. This method provides a way to earn money by sharing your opinions and experiences on various products and services.
Platforms: Pinecone Research, Survey Club
8) Cashback
If you have some purchases coming up, particularly big ones, cashback incentives are an easy way to make money. With these you earn a percentage of your spending back when purchasing through specific apps or websites. You can accumulate cashback rewards by shopping at partnered retailers, which can then be redeemed for cash, gift cards, or other benefits.
9) Playing solitaire
Making money online by playing solitaire involves participating on gaming platforms or apps that offer cash rewards for winning games or tournaments. You earn money by competing against others or achieving high scores.
Platforms: Skillz Platform (Solitaire Cube), Solitaire Cash
With all of these options make sure to remain vigilant and check common job scam signs to avoid signing up to anything you might regret.
If you have a bit more time on your hands that one hour, you might want to check out these posts
Fun From Home Second Job Ideas
9 Ways To Make Money From Home
James Waite
Founder of Remoteopia, James has worked in remote roles for 6 years. After a stint in recruitment, he now works as a director of website strategy in tech.
