Make Money Side Hustles

13 Ways To Make $400 Fast: From Side Hustles to Selling Items

Although you may need to use multiple methods, making $400 quickly could be easier than you think.

By Kate Daugherty

Edited by Lauren Graves

Updated Oct. 29, 2025

Have you ever had an unexpected expense or emergency that tore through your emergency fund and left you scratching your head about how to recover? I'm right there with you.

Making a few hundred dollars quickly would help, but it might feel intimidating. Luckily, there are many options to choose from to make quick cash. For instance, you could sign up to drive for a delivery service, walk dogs or pet sit, play online games, or take surveys during your downtime. You might not earn a ton from each side hustle, but together, you can make $400 fast. I've tried many side hustles and can confirm that it's best to combine several smaller gigs, earning a little bit from each.

Here are the top side hustles I recommend to earn $400 as quickly as possible.

Walk dogs or pet sit

As an animal lover, pet sitting is usually one of my go-to methods to earn $400 fast. I find consistent work with friends and family and have built a small client base.

If you're looking to expand or need help finding clients, consider Rover. You get to choose which animals you work with, set your own rates, and Rover offers up to $25,000 in vet care reimbursement if something happens while you're on the job. It's worth noting that Rover charges a 20% booking fee for every job you accept through the platform, plus a one-time profile review fee of $49 to $79. But if you stick with it, those fees are well worth it for this rewarding side hustle.

Deliver food and groceries

Uber Eats and DoorDash are platforms many people think of first when they consider ordering food, and driving for them can be one of the best ways to make quick cash. You can get paid weekly, daily, or almost instantly as a delivery driver. Both of these platforms offer a base rate and tips, and you can make deliveries on your schedule.

If you'd rather try making money by delivering groceries, consider signing up with Instacart or Shipt. Both focus primarily on grocery delivery rather than restaurant orders and food runs.

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Complete surveys and microtasks

I like taking surveys and have found sites that offer reasonable payouts and aren't scammy. Paid survey sites like Survey Junkie and InboxDollars pay you to share your opinions about a brand or company.

Survey Junkie is a very popular platform exclusively for taking paid surveys, and it provides payouts via e-gift card, PayPal, or bank transfer. Most redemptions pay almost instantly.

Inbox Dollars offers more than just surveys. You can complete small microtasks like reading brand emails and downloading games, among others. However, InboxDollars generally takes up to 10 days to process payments, so it's smart to plan ahead if you need to get $400 fast. These are also two of the best sites for earning Amazon gift cards.

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Play games

Playing online games is one of my favorite ways to relax, and I enjoy finding new game apps to make money.

Bingo Cash and Solitaire Cash are two money-making game apps I keep going back to. Both apps are free to download and fun to play with low cash entry fees to compete in tournaments against other players. In my experience, withdrawals typically arrive within a couple of days.

If you prefer to make money by trying out a lot of games rather than getting good at one, consider Freecash. Freecash is one of the best get-paid-to (GPT) apps because it offers a wide range of games, surveys, and other tasks to make money. It's easy to cash out via bank transfer, PayPal, gift cards, or even crypto. Bank transfers typically take three to five days to process, but PayPal transfers are usually instant.

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Take on odd jobs

I'm not great at assembling furniture or general home repairs, but if you're a master with an Allen wrench, signing up with TaskRabbit or creating a profile on Nextdoor can be a way to make $400 fast.

TaskRabbit connects skilled handy people with customers who need help. In some areas, it has a one-time registration fee of $25, but you can set your own rates and schedule. Most payouts arrive within one to three business days.

You can also try Nextdoor, a networking platform that connects people with their neighbors. Nextdoor has a job board called Neighbors for Hire with free business profiles.

Sell handmade crafts on Facebook Marketplace or Etsy

The serious crafters in my life have Etsy storefronts to sell their products, and a couple also use Facebook Marketplace.

It's quick and easy to start an Etsy shop, and setup fees are minimal. Etsy can take 14 to 20 days for your first few payments, but then you can be paid on your selected schedule.

Facebook Marketplace is another easy way to sell items with minimal effort. You can offer local pickup only for quicker payments, via cash or your preferred payment method, or ship items to extend their visibility.

Look for focus groups

Similar to survey sites, many companies offer cash for your opinion via focus groups. User Interviews, in particular, is an excellent option for beginners with a simple sign-up process.

It lets users participate in person, online, or over the phone. However, the availability of in-person or telephone opportunities may be limited depending on where you live. Although each study is different, the average study pays over $45, and payments can take up to 10 days.

Host a garage sale

If you have extra items cluttering your space, consider hosting a garage sale to earn some cash quickly while decluttering.

Ask your neighbors if they'd like to join in, since you may draw bigger crowds if you have more items to browse. Some neighborhoods even host community garage sales, so be on the lookout for notices for these.

Take advantage of sign-up bonuses

Many banks and credit card companies entice new users with large sign-up bonuses for checking accounts or credit cards, sometimes to the tune of several hundred dollars.

But compared to other side hustles and earning opportunities, sign-up bonuses can take a long time to receive, and they often come with restrictions or account requirements, such as setting up direct deposit, enrolling in mobile banking, or maintaining a minimum balance. It may take a month or more to receive a sign-up bonus once you've met the requirements.

Be sure you can meet the criteria for a sign-up bonus before you apply, read the fine print, and resist the temptation to sign up for an account that's not a good fit just for a bonus.

Donate plasma

Donating plasma has helped a couple of people I know make money fast.

Several companies offer cash for plasma donations. Grifols and CSL Plasma are two popular companies near me, with BioLife and Octapharma being others. To donate, you must be over 18, undergo initial screenings, and weigh at least 110 pounds. Many companies pay participants on pre-loaded debit cards as soon as a donation is complete.

Sell stock photos

If you're a photographer, setting up a small business using your skills can be one of the best side hustles around.

Sites like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock purchase stock photos. Shutterstock pays contributors monthly, but Adobe Stock requires you to earn at least $25 in royalties before requesting a payout, and payments can take up to 10 business days. Be sure to read each platform's policies and fee details so you know what you're getting into before signing up.

Rent out your car

When I think of renting out my possessions, I think of my home being on a site like Airbnb or VRBO. However, you can also rent your car through sites like Turo or Getaround, especially if you have a unique or high-end vehicle.

I like this idea because if you have an in-demand vehicle, you can generate passive income with limited extra costs. Both Turo and Getaround make it easy to sign up and include liability insurance to protect your ride. The Getaround app even offers keyless access, so you never have to meet with your renter to trade keys if you don't want to.

Look for unclaimed bank accounts

Finally, take a few minutes to look for any forgotten assets or unclaimed money in your name by checking the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) website, unclaimed.org. You can search by state or multiple states at once on the NAUPA-sponsored MissingMoney.com.

While it's not a guarantee, you never know when you might have some missing money just waiting to be claimed. I recently did this for myself and didn't find anything. But I also completed the search for my mom, and we found a long-forgotten bank account. We filed a claim on our state's found property website, verified her identity, and received a check about a month later.

Tips to make money faster

One of the things I like most about gig economy jobs is how quickly you can get paid. To earn as much money as possible as quickly as possible, consider the following.

Pick the right opportunities: Look for side hustles that offer a fair wage for the work, with opportunities to increase your earnings. Pick something you like doing so you're inclined to do more of it.
Consistency: Many apps offer daily bonuses or rewards for signing in, so you can increase your earnings just by staying disciplined. Working a little bit every day (or most days) can help you dramatically improve your profits.
Be wary of scams: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Read customer reviews before signing up, and pay attention to red flags.
Account for taxes: Most side hustles don't deduct federal or state income tax from your payments like a regular job does. Open a separate bank account to set aside funds, and mark your calendar with reminders to send in your tax payments.

FAQs

How can I get $400 right now?

The quickest way to earn $400 right now is to utilize a combination of methods. For example, try selling plasma, delivering food, and selling unused items. That might help you earn a few hundred right away. By playing games and taking surveys in your downtime, you can edge even closer to $400.

How can I make $400 fast as a kid?

Kids can make money fast by combining smaller side hustles. For instance, a teenager could babysit, walk dogs, and help organize a garage sale. Younger kids might need parental support, but they can do tasks around the house for money, set up a lemonade or hot cocoa stand, or clean their neighbors' trash cans (or other unpleasant but simple tasks) for cash.