Houston is a fantastic city, but an expensive one. The economy can be tough these days, so knowing that you have options to make fast cash whenever possible can help you feel more secure. When rent’s nearly due, and you’re finding your bank account low, here are five ways to make fast cash in Houston, and stay off the streets:
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1. Use Local Rental Assitance Programs
There just isn’t enough time for many families who are having trouble paying their rent to look for additional funding through loans, side employment, or other means. When this occurs, you should get in touch with regional financial aid organizations that can help keep your family off the streets and safe. These support programs are now much more broadly accessible, so looking into local programs can help you receive rental assistance much faster. You can submit an application for reputable financial aid through the Houston government, or through one of the many quality financial assistance programs in Houston. If you need assistance with the application process, it’s highly recommended that you reach out to the program’s staff directly.
2. Download Uber and Lyft (or Other Freelance Gigs)
Real-world freelance jobs abound, especially in 2023. There are practically endless delivery and rideshare gigs you may sign up for, especially if you own a car. You may frequently apply for these positions and begin working there within days. Freelance jobs of this kind frequently allow you to withdraw your money at any time, though typically there is a cap on the number of times you may do so in a certain time frame. These gigs can be a great method to safeguard against failure to pay your rent if done properly. If you’re not able to use a car, there are many other online freelance gigs you can look into as well (so be sure to consider where your professional skillset can guide you).
3. Declutter Your Home and Sell Excess Belongings
When you’re trying to raise a family, it’s easy to find yourself with way more belongings than you can handle. If you’re in this situation and also trying to make rent on time, combine your life efforts to declutter your home, and sell excess belongings. Doing so can help you get cash fast, especially if you live in an area where there are plenty of thrift shops. Houston is known for its vibrant yard sale scene, so it’s a particularly fantastic city to make money in via direct sales. You’ll also be providing a useful service for your community, as many people rely on the lower prices at yard sales to look for essentials!
4. Search for Free Meals
Food is one of the biggest expenses we deal with day-to-day. If you can find convenient and consistent sources of free meals, you can begin setting aside the cash you save for times when you need to make rent fast. Local churches, government programs, community outreach centers, and more are dedicated to helping people who need an extra leg up. Using these programs is often one of the absolute best ways to begin saving money, and is particularly much easier in Houston (when compared to other major cities and towns across the nation).
5. Donate Blood (and More)
Donating blood, plasma, or eggs is one of the more established ways to earn money quickly. If you’re healthy and have a donation center in your area, you can help your fellow human beings out while ensuring that you make rent on time! Each of them can bring in a respectable sum of money for you, especially if you’re willing to give your eggs. Be careful to register as a donor as soon as possible because it is not always simple to do so on short notice. Depending on where you live, this option may be highly realistic, or one that will only be useful for months after you’ve become an officially registered donor.
Monetize Your Hobbies for an Expanded Income!
To fully prepare yourself to put extra money back each month, you need to consider all possible sources of revenue that are available to you. By monetizing your hobbies, you can get yet another leg up on building up your savings. Not only will this help you make rent more consistently and quickly, but it will help you add even more value to your valuable hobby time in the future. Be sure to consider both IRL and online resources you can use to monetize your hobbies, and you’ll be making extra money in no time!
