15 ways to make $200 quick
I was recently tossing around some ideas to make money quick. I decided to tap the wisdom of the crowds so I asked some of the PF bloggers around to share what they would do if they had to find a way to come up with $200 in two weeks or less.
I noticed some trends…
- Selling stuff on Craigslist.org
- Selling stuff on Ebay
- Get a freelance job
There are many others listed, but the above 3 seem to be the most popular ways of coming up with extra cash.
How I would make $200 quick…
I would probably sell some more stuff on Ebay just like everyone else 
But I would also fill out a few surveys on CashCrate. Together it probably wouldn’t be too difficult to come up with $200. (added 9-1-08, I wouldn’t waste my time with CashCrate - you can find out why in my CashCrate review)
Below is how everyone else would come up with the $200. Feel free to share how you would come up with the money in the comments!!
How to make money quick ($200 in 2 weeks)
If I had to make an extra $200, and it had to be quick I would probably end up selling some things on ebay and/or craigslist. When I’ve had to make money fast in the past I’ve sold old electronics, video games, or other things I don’t need on Ebay.
Peter @ Bible Money Matters
If we needed $200 and only had 2 weeks to do it, we would definitely have a garage sale. Not only can we quickly make some money by selling our things, we can quickly reduce some of the clutter in our home!
Tricia @ Blogging Away Debt
- Pray. We are often given unexpected, small sums of money by friends and family.
- Sell something on Craig’s List or Ebay. We only have a couple of items that are worth that much and that we would be willing to part with, but we could get most of the money in a pinch this way.
- Roll it over to the next month. Use part of our emergency fund to care for the immediate expense and then make sure that we cover it in a future month. Get it today and then figure out how to pay for it later.
- Find a freelance job. I have experience in painting, roofing and wood finishing. I am confident that if I needed to make extra money in the evenings or weekends, that I could pull it off.
- Qualify for a bank bonuses or credit card bonuses. I am trying to avoid this particular revenue stream right now, but this is how we solved our money problem last year.
Josh @ Rocket Finance
I would try to get a few extra hours at my part time job. If that didn’t work (or pay day wasn’t right), I would look for freelance work (cash pay) on craigslist or other sites like that.
Diva @ Saving Diva
I would immediately pick up my local yellow pages and make a list of temporary agencies. I would then find out which of them have weekend and weeknight work, and sign-up with those companies. Those jobs are not guaranteed, so while waiting for a call, I would look around my home to see if I have anything that could be sold on EBay or craigslist to raise some cash. Next I would see if I have any skills that others might pay me for – this could be yard work, sewing, painting, dog walking, cooking, running errands – just about anything. I would then craft an ad outlining my services and hourly rate and post that on craigslist.
Boston Gal @ Boston Gals Open Wallet
I would sell ad space on my sites or permanent links to raise money quickly. I would go to the garage and sell anything worth selling on ebay.
@ Cash The Checks
That’s easy. I’d sell my stuff. Have a garage sale. DVDs, CDs and books can sometimes go for a good price. Some used books, especially up to date statistics or economics textbooks can go for as much as $50 to $75 dollars when they are in good shape.
Another idea would be to sell your body to science. Many local universities and some companies are often hiring subjects to be in research studies. The best way to find these is to look on-line or to check the newspaper. Typically the ads are in the local weekly or neighborhood publications. While you won’t get rich participating in studies, you can definitely bring in a few hundred bucks if you find the right studies.
James @ Dinks Finance
- Sell a bunch of stuff (clothes, furniture, etc..) on CraigsList and at Half Priced Books (books, CDs).
- Return any recently purchased items I had a reciept for.
- Place an ad on CraigsList for Web Development Services ($50 for a small biz website setup, etc..)
- Ask all my neighbors if they needed any hired help for odd jobs (lawn care, handyman, car wash, etc..)
- Place an ad on CraigsList for hired help services.
- Rent my truck out (for movers) on CraigsList and other local community boards.
PT @ Prime Time Money
Ebay immediately comes to mind — selling some unused stuff. Also, I would look at changing my tax withholding for a pay period or two. I might offer to pet sit or baby sit. I would possibly get a second job that paid some tips such as waiting tables. I might consider selling blood plasma to the local blood bank. I might reduce my food expense by eating at the local Sam’s club (samples!)
Ron @ The Wisdom Journal
1. Have a garage sale
2. Take a consulting gig
3. Teach a college course or be a guest lecturer (only applicable if you have the proper credentials)
4. Teach private swimming lessons
5. Tutor
Heidi @ Banker Girl
If I only had 2 weeks to make $200, the first thing I would do would be to gather any and all DVD’s and CD’s and video games that I had in my house and sell them to a local store or on Craiglist. If that didn’t bring in enough money, I honestly would get a part-time job at night to cover the difference, and then quit as soon as I made the money!
David @ My Two Dollars
If I had two weeks to make $200, here’s what I would do:
First, I would clean out my basement and list anything worth more than $5 on Craigslist, eBay or Amazon. Then, I would have a garage sale that weekend for anything that doesn’t sell or isn’t worth more than $5. Of course, for the garage sale, I’d want to put a free ad on Craigslist and post signs around the neighborhood. If I didn’t have a lot of items to sell, or the selling wasn’t going so well, I would head down to the plasma donation center in my neighborhood, where I can make $20 for my first donation and $40 for my second donation in the same week. So, in two weeks, I could make $120 just from donating plasma! However, I’m pretty squeemish, so this would be my second choice.
Also, another idea is to call your local marketing research facility (a place that does focus groups, taste tests, etc.), and see if they have any opportunities for people of your age/gender/etc. to participate in. These studies typically pay between $20-$60 for 1-2 hours.
Finance Girl @ Finance Gets Personal
- Earning $200 extra income in two weeks is not hard, the most obvious way is selling stuff that you no longer use at places like eBay, Craigslist, or at thrift shops.
- Another method is to search for sign-up bonuses
- However, the more challenging task is figuring out how to earn $200 extra income regularly — i.e., monthly. This is not hard either, but it does require more time and commitment. Instead of trying to explain it all here you can read about the 7 Factors to Build Successful Alternative Income Streams
Pinyo @ Moolanomy
My number one way to make $200 in two weeks? My first choice would be to sell anything that I’m not using. My preferred method is to use eBay but a good old fashioned garage sale will work, too. Most of us have some things lying around that still have some value that could be sold. This stuff can easily add up to $200 for a weekend. Just go through your house, attic, garage, miscellaneous storage areas for anything that could be sold. Clean up a little and take a weekend to gather the items. Then the next weekend (Saturday probably works best) get up early and start putting out the stuff. The key to a successful garage sale is marketing. Roads signs always work great even if it’s written with a sharpie on a piece of cardboard. Consider putting in a small classified ad in the paper if it’s a large sale. You could also list it for free on craigslist. Enjoy your new found money and consider giving the unsold items to a local Salvation Army or Goodwill.
Henry @ Christian Finance Blog
Making $200 in 2 weeks can be incredibly easy or difficult, depending on your outlook and situation. If I absolutely needed $200, I would first try to sell some items via Craigslist. I prefer to sell them locally via Craigslist because you can get cash in hand more quickly than an on-line auction like Ebay because you don’t need to wait for the auction to close or to transfer the money. Pawn shops could be another option for selling items.
The other thing I would try is to get a job that would pay me that amount of money. Unfortunately, a lot of jobs only pay out every couple weeks, so you may miss the deadline. So you would need to look for a job that pays either weekly or in cash. Examples could be babysitting, landscaping, washing cars, etc.
Patrick @ Cash Money Life
Sell some books, dvds, baby clothes, etc. on eBay… Have a yard / garage sale…
If it was an emergency I’d drop my cable / cell phone / netflix / other subscriptions…
In a pinch, I’d get a second job or sell my golf clubs…
NCN @ No Credit Needed
If I needed $200 in two weeks, I’d sell some of my stuff. During my years of living on credit, I accumulated a lot of things I do not need or use. I’ve been purging these things gradually, but there’s still a lot of stuff around the house, and some of it is worth some money. If I needed quick cash, I’d get on Craigslist or eBay and sell CDs and comic books and board games. I might also consider a garage sale. Selling stuff serves two purposes: it clears the house of clutter, and it converts unused things into cash.
JD Roth @ Get Rich Slowly
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Comments on 15 ways to make $200 quick »
Great job putting this together. Cool to see all the responses. Funny how most were the same. Thanks for sharing.
Almost everyone wants to sell something. I guess that’s because we have a lot of stuff. I would rather try to earn some money by asking a few neighbors if I could help with something, like cutting their grass or cutting wood or picking up leaves (next month) or babysitting their kids.
Thanks for the compilation and including my suggestions! Great list.
Looks like people have a lot of ’stuff’ sitting around that they’d be willing to part with. To that end, my new mantra is “Simplify.”
@PT
no prob - BTW I saw your video for the FNBO challenge - I loved it!!
@Curt
yep, there are a lot of sellers and I agree with you because you can only sell so much… but I guess the way I posed the question caused those responses…
@Heidi
I agree, I am very intrigued with living a minimalist lifestyle… I am not quite there yet, but making progress!!
@bob - hey, I saw you in there as well. nice job. thanks. i won the $500 and will interview for top 5 next week. here’s hoping i get in. an extra $5k will be nice.
Yeah, great job. This list motivates me to get thinking about all the lovely books I have that I could take to a used place… unfortunately you never get enough back for them, though:)
I would take an options play on a couple of finanical and resource stocks I have been keeping a close eye on. If things go to trend, I could make $200 in about 20 mins with just a couple of clicks to place the buy and sell orders. But like the saying goes, easy come, easy go and I could lose that money just as quickly. For a safer bet the above commenters options are much better (though less fun!)
@PT
I made it to the top 20 as well… that would be great if we both made it to the top 5!!
@MoneyEnergy
yea, I am about to have a massive sell off of a bunch of my junk - clothes, books, CDs, etc on Ebay and perhaps amazon…
@Andys
fun yes, surefire way to get $200 -no, for me anyway… maybe you can give me some lessons
This is excellent. One word of advice (from a Randy Travis song): Never Sell Your Saddle. If you make money by using it, don’t sell it, even if it is an emergency.
I’m a musician, and I’ve had musicians friends who have sold their guitar, piano, recording gear, etc., I can’t play a gig (or play for pleasure) for years afterward.
Sorry, I meant “AND can’t play a gig…” I’ve never done it…and hopefully I never will.
Great list! Now I’m scanning my house looking for things to sell and I can’t believe how much stuff we have.
@Cory
yep, I have yet to sell my saddle, or purchase one for that matter
@Frugalchick
I know me too!
15 Ways to Make $200 in 2 Weeks from Christian PF « Christian Finance Blog @ 9:23 pm
[...] and other personal finance bloggers to write a quick post on how to make $200 in 2 weeks. Check out what I had to say at ChristianPF! There are some great ideas to make some easy money in a short time. Posted by christianfinance [...]
@Bob and @PT
Did FNBO email you guys letting you know if you’re in the top 20?
Hmmm…I don’t have anything to sell, my previo9us landlord threw out/donated everything I had except the clothes I was wearing. I’m signed up with a few temp agencies but since I am unskilled they don’t give me any work assignments.
At one temp agency, I sat around with a bunch of other people several mornings from 6am to noon waiting for nonexistent work - I finally gave up on that one.
I couldn’t afford to keep my landline, so now I have a pre-paid cell phone that costs me 25 cents a minute to use. Actually that costs $5 every 30 days; the airtime is good only for 30 days and you lose unused time unless you add another $5 which adds time and rolls over your unused minutes for 30 more days.
I would have a pretty hard time coming up with $200 in two weeks.
@Christianfinance
yea, they sent me a fedex package
@Broke
yea, I would suggest signing up with a few more temp agencies so you could get work from any of them. I used to work for a few of them and did some unskilled jobs. And just stay on them and tell them (kindly) how much you need the work and if they are anything like the ones I worked for they will help you out…
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[...] Lynnae at Being Frugal writes a very interesting post on the pull of her credit card. She outlines the struggles she’s had with plastic. Bob at Christian Personal Finance polled some bloggers and came up with 15 ways to make a quick $200. [...]
It’s so interesting that we all said to sell stuff. I guess it really is the fastest way to make money!
Weekend Reading: August 10, 2008 | Moolanomy @ 7:26 am
[...] 15 ways to make $200 in 2 weeks at Christian Finance — 15 personal finance bloggers answered the same question — how to make $200 in two weeks. [...]
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[...] 15 Ways to Make $200 Quick An excellent “man on the street” question with a lot of interesting and varied answers. (@ christian pf) [...]
Found this article through The Simple Dollar and realy enjoyed it. I liked the idea of selling ad space in a crunch. Most bloggers/site owners have space for sale, but we sort of market it passively. I bet it you actively marketed the space you could find a buyer pretty quickly, especially a high-traffic site.
I babysit for extra cash. I babysat last Friday night from 6:45 - 1:30 am (kids went to bed at 10 so I could relax and sleep on the couch during the second half) and made $75. I babysat again last night from 6:15 - 11:20 (kids went to bed at 9) and was paid $60. At first I was just paid $10 an hour, but I’ve sat for these families enough that they know I do a great job and always overpay me. A few nights of that a month and that’s an easy $200.
If I had to raise $200 in two weeks, I’d have me and my husband sell plasma. You can do it twice a week. In my poorer days I sold it to have money to eat, so I know what I’m talking about. I received $20 for the first batch of the week and $30 for the second. Therefore, with 2 people, you would have $200 in two weeks.
@Kelly
I didn’t know it paid that much… DOesn’t it hurt? I hate needles 
that is the most interesting one I have heard yet
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[...] 15 Ways to Make $200 Quick An excellent “man on the street” question with a lot of interesting and varied answers. (@ christian pf) [...]
Daily Links: Grocery Shopping, Stuff, and the Value of a College Education ∞ Get Rich Slowly @ 7:25 pm
[...] at Christian Personal Finance recently asked a number of bloggers (including yours truly), “If you needed to make $200 in two weeks, how would you do it?” He was hoping for more varied responses. Most of us said the same thing: sell stuff. A few people [...]
It doesn’t hurt too much. When the needle first goes in it stings a bit, but it doesn’t hurt after that. You lay still for an hour, and they take out the blood, separate the plasma from the rest, and then return it to your body along with some saline. It feels chilly, but it’s not painful. Plus, at the place I used to do it, they had monitors on the walls showing movies to pass the time.
I would ask family or friends for the money. The question is what would you do if you “had to find a way to come up with $200 in two weeks or less”. It doesn’t specifically state “earn” $200. If I was in such a tight bind that I really needed money, I am sure that someone close to me would help me out. Of course I would pay them back when my situation was rectified.
Selling my personal stuff would not be an option for me. My first thought is that I would need to buy whatever I sold at a later date. When I purchased the items, it would almost certainly cost more than what I sold them for in the first place. Maybe I am a minimalist, but I don’t have things laying around that I do not use and could sell them and not miss them.
Getting a freelance job would take up way to much time. Between my primary job and other personal commitments and responsibilities, I don’t think it would be a good decision to take on a freelance job.
Did anyone else think of calling upon family and friends for the money?
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[...] 15 Ways to Make $200 Quick An excellent “man on the street” question with a lot of interesting and varied answers. (@ christian pf) [...]
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[...] 15 Ways to Make $200 Quick An excellent “man on the street” question with a lot of interesting and varied answers. (@ christian pf) [...]
Happy Labor Day! @ 10:13 am
[...] 15 ways to make $200 quick [...]
My post is more about how to free up money in your budget that you might be spending on things you don’t need rather than actually “making” money. Freeing up money will actually allow you to spend more money on things you do need. It is easier to “make” money by cutting out excess stuff.
- sell something or lots of somethings I am not using (ebay, craigslist, yard sale) - the possibilities here are limitless
- cancel Netflix service (I don’t have cable or satellite, for those who do, I would recommend cancelling it.) - I currently pay $25.00 for Netflix.
- cancel other unnecessary services (call waiting, landline phones if you already have cell phones, beepers if you don’t use them)
- stop driving so much (walk, bike, etc. to work or to other places nearby to home) - I have been walking to work about 4 blocks away since July 1st and only have to fill up my vehicles’ tanks about 1 time a month now. I calculate this is saving me at least $50 per month.
- take lunch to work - this saves me at least $30 a week - I also take teabags with me to work to make my own tea. Otherwise, I wind up spending money on Coke. Ick.
- trade services or goods with someone else - if you can provide a good or service to them and they to you, it could save you a lot of money
Happy October! @ 11:28 am
[...] 15 ways to make money quick [...]
Great post. And thanks for taking the time to survey the top people and letting us know your findings. I am really seeing the trend of freelancing picking up more and more. I think it will continue especially with more sites going online and needing these services. Also as more and more people need to make some extra money fast.
I have negligible marketable skills; I’ve been to temp and day labor agencies with no success. I signed up, called repeatedly, and hung around their offices with a bunch of other guys waiting for nonexistent work.
I reply to “gig” postings on Craigslist and rarely get a response. I’ve had a little more success getting replies from Craigslist, but not much. I think there are unemployed people who practically live on CL, waiting to pounce on an opportunity to earn money - if you don’t reply within an hour of a posting, you’re way too late, the opportunity is closed, and you’re not going to hear from them.
Coming up with $200 in two weeks seems practically impossible for me; I haven’t been able to do it and I end up late with rent until the next month begins.
This is why it’s good to have an emergency fund. But, since I don’t have one of those yet -
I would take a little money from my food, gas, entertainment, clothing, and gift budgets and cut back in all of those areas for one month.
I’d go to a temporary agency and be willing to take any job that they offered me.
My husband would look for a part-time remodeling job, return an unused item that he shouldn’t have bought in the first place.
All I know is I’ve tried all of those things and I’m now tapped out…nothing…nada. Nothing to sell,no one will hire me,too much competition in the area to try and do my own thing,even tried selling blood plasma and strangely there’s no place within about 50 miles to do this…if they even accept me. Maybe it’s the city sucking the life out of me. So here I sit,rejected and waiting for either something to come or the end.
My first thought on needing to earn $200 was to call all my friends and family with children and offer to watch the kids that coming Friday or Saturday evening (or over night) while they go out on the town. I know how hard it is to find reliable child care in the evenings, especially out of home. I know my husband and I would love to have an evening at home without the kids once in a while…if for no other reason then to sort their rooms!! I would ask for $25.00 per child from 8 pm - 8 am. That would include bedtime snack and breakfast for that price. If you did this two nights in a row you could easily make more then $200 in a weekend.
Selling things on Ebay and Craigslist are my two favorite ways to make some extra money from things I no longer need.
Sell plasma. You can get up to $250 in a month.