Four Quick Ways to Make Cash

Everyone has been in a position where they needed to make some quick cash. Between paychecks and need a pack of cigarettes? Just lost your job and have to pay your cell phone bill? Looking for a little easy money to go to the movies? You can probably come up with a hundred scenarios where you need just a little bit of money and don’t have a lot of time to earn it.

Before you run off to beg your family or your friends for yet-another loan, consider these four quick ways to make cash. Each one has its pros and cons, some take a little longer than others, but all four of these methods can help put money in your pocket when you need it in a hurry.

Sell Gold

The price of gold happens to be high, as of this writing, and the value of gold is still increasing. You may have noticed a ton of new advertisements for businesses that buy gold and other precious metals; that’s because the value of gold and other metals and precious stones is going through the roof.

If you need an infusion of cash and you have anything gold lying around the house, you have an instant way of adding bills to your wallet. Most people have some kind of old gold jewelry they’re not wearing anymore or can live without. Others have investment gold given to them as wedding or anniversary gifts. Any gold will do. Businesses and individuals that buy gold are in a frenzy right now to get their hands on your gold.

As of this writing, an ounce of gold is worth $1,715 on the open market. When you take your unwanted gold in to exchange it for cash, the gold dealer you’re selling it to will work out a price with you ahead of time based on whatever the current value of an ounce of gold is. The market changes rapidly, and remember that the gold dealer has to make a profit as well, so don’t expect market value for your gold.

In fact, you’ll probably feel a little ripped off if you’re looking for quick cash and want to exchange gold. Most of the time, pawnshops and jewelry dealers offer a fraction of the actual value of your gold, since they know you probably need the money bad enough to sell yourself short. Still, if you really need a quick $100 to pay a bill, selling some old gold is a fast way to get it done.

Sell Plasma

Anyone who lives in a college town knows all about selling plasma. College students line up to sell their plasma by the truckload. Obviously, you don’t need to be in college to trade your plasma for cash. As long as you meet certain requirements, you can earn a little bit of spending money for the plasma you’re carrying around in your body right now.

Locate a blood donation and plasma center nearby and give them a call. They’ll be happy to tell you how you can qualify to sell your plasma. Generally, there is an age and body weight limit. In most places, you have to be 18 and weigh at least 110 pounds to sell your plasma. There are a few other rules and regulations as well. You’ll undergo a basic physical, a medical history questionnaire, and some blood screening to make sure your plasma is safe to use. Once you pass all these tests, you’re ready to become a plasma salesman.

Your first visit to sell plasma will take a couple of hours, thanks to the extra screening required. After that, if your plasma passes muster, you’ll spend about an hour donating. You can donate twice every seven days, with at least 48 hours in between each donation. How much can you earn? Each center is different, but my local blood donation center says they pay two rates back and forth: $20 one visit and $45 the next. Since you can earn each payment once a week, you can make $260 a month selling your plasma, and you’re helping out a good cause along the way, too.

Recycle Cans

Aluminum cans are worth money. When you see someone throw an aluminum can in the trash, think of that can as a wad of money going out with old banana peels and eggshells. Recycling cans takes a little bit of leg work, but it is an easy way to turn something you throw away into something that pays you cold hard cash.

Recycling cans isn’t going to turn you into a millionaire. It takes an average of 35 aluminum cans to make a pound, and (at my local recycling center) a pound of aluminum cans is worth just forty cents. If you need to make a quick $20 to take a girl to the movies, you’ll need to collect, crush, and properly bag 1,750 cans. Recycling cans isn’t the most lucrative work, but if you have a little time or a ton of cans left over from a party, your local recycling center can help you turn them into real money.

Do Temp Work

A world away from collecting cans or selling unwanted jewelry, doing temp work is an honest way of quickly making a few bucks. Temp agencies exist in even the smallest towns, providing local businesses with everything from custodians and day laborers to fill-in secretaries and even substitute teachers.

Find a temp agency in your town and call ahead to see what you will need to get some work. You’ll probably need some proof of address, a legal ID (like a driver’s license), and they may have a few other particulars to bring with you. The temp agency will match your work history with the jobs they have available, and they may be able to offer you work on the spot.

When you’re in a pinch for cash, you don’t have to resort to begging or borrowing. Any number of fundraising options are out there for you to choose from. Get creative, and remember that a little hard work never killed anyone.