18 Ways I've Earned Rent Money When I Was Broke

It’s an interesting world out there. In the past five years I’ve gone from being worth millions to being broke to being worth a millions again. There’s been more than one month where I didn’t have enough money to pay rent. There are times you need money, and need it quick.

With a more connected world, there are more opportunities to make money doing micro jobs and taking advantage of constantly evolving opportunities. Plus, globalization has opened the door to add value for people well outside of your immediate proximity.

Here are 18 quick ways I’ve made money to pay rent when money is tight:

1. Teach a skill that you’ve mastered to others.

If you are a talented musician, athlete or you have other desired skills, you could get paid to teach others. You could either become a freelance teacher or look for a service that helps match you with clients. This is an opportunity to make some serious money, improve your teaching ability and help others. Do not underestimate all of the time you spent as a kid playing the piano or learning to do backflips.

I’ve been able to scrounge up $100 teaching math to neighborhood kids. This could turn into a longer gig as well.

2. Drive for Uber and/or Lyft.

There are a few prerequisites you have to meet to become a driver. Assuming you are 21+, have been driving for three years, have a clean record and a nice enough car, though, you can make serious money driving for Uber or Lyft. You can be a driver for both at the same time, and can drive at whatever hours you want.

It took me about a week to be all setup to drive. So it’s not an overnight money situation, but it’s a quick way to make some money for bills. Most of the time money is deposited very quickly, often the same day.

3. Put a room in your house on Airbnb.

There are inconveniences that come with being an Airbnb host, but it is quite easy to do so. As long as you have a room to spare in your house, you can rent it out for extra money. Plus, it could give you an opportunity to meet and connect with interesting people.

It took about three weeks for me to get setup, actually host guests and see money in my bank account. It can happen faster but that’s about the timeframe it took me.

4. Build a social media brand.

Social media is quickly becoming the world’s most powerful platform for generating revenue and reaching an audience. While the ecosystem is becoming more and more competitive, there are a number of tools you can leverage to stand out.

I’ve personally used this Instagram automation service to help me accelerate my growth quickly and gain new followers. It is important to invest in generating high quality content such that you develop loyalty among your fans before you begin to monetize.

I now can earn a few hundred bucks quickly by pushing brands out online. Pro tip: Make sure to always disclose with #ad in the message.

5. Go through your old things and sell them.

You likely have books, clothes and other novelty items lying around that you no longer use. Spending a few days to go through those things and list them on Amazon, eBay or other sites to make some extra cash.

6. Pickup jobs on Fiverr.