How to Make $500 a Day | 10 Practical Money Making Ideas

Earning $500 per day might seem like a distant dream, but with the right approach and dedication, it’s a highly achievable goal. 

It’s no secret that online money making methods can be the quickest way to make $500 fast, but it’s not the only path.

These next methods range from applying your professional skills to exploring different gig economy services, passive income strategies and more.

If you’re ready to learn how to make $500 a day, then this article with practical money making ideas is worth checking out! 

How to Make $500 a Day

These 10 money making ideas include many side hustles that have helped me earn 500 dollars in a day. Still, it’s not going to be an easy feat. 

You may find that it’s way easier to make $100 a day and stop there. But if you’re up for the challenge, then I highly recommend these next methods.

1. Start a Blog

This is something I do now that I wish I would have started sooner. 

Blogging can be a lucrative option if you have a passion for writing and sharing your knowledge. When I first started this site, I was making $500 in passive income a month from simply sharing my side hustles.

Now, this site earns closer to $500 a day online!

It’s crazy when I think about it, especially when you consider that it costs less than $100 to start a site. 

Obviously, there’ll be more investments to make the bigger your site grows, but it balances out with the higher amounts of money you start to earn.

To make money through your blog:

• Select a niche: Write about topics related to a specific field or industry

• Create high-quality content: Provide informative and engaging articles to attract readers

• Monetize with ads: Use platforms like Google AdSense and Mediavine to display advertisements on your blog

• Insert affiliate links: Partner with brands to promote their products in blog articles and earn a commission on each sale

Regularly posting relevant content and optimizing your blog for search engines can help you generate passive income. 

There’s even AI tools that help you write high-quality content 10x faster than when I first got started. (I use KoalaWriter AI now to help me write articles!)

Ultimately, boosting your site traffic with more content can mean more money in your pocket!

2. Become an Influencer

Programs such as Amazon Influencer and other influencer affiliate programs have enabled everyday people to make money from their social media following.

Some of these methods include getting paid for brand sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and selling merchandise and digital products. 

You don’t need to have a large following to start either.

In fact, the Pinterest Creator Inclusion fund specifically seeks out smaller creators with a following of 500 – 10,000 to help monetize their audience. 

Creators admitted into the program receive expert content creation assistance, gain brand access, and occasionally receive stipends for equipment purchases.

Here’s how these influencers make money on social media:

• Grace Ciao (Fashion Illustrator): Grace became a social media influencer accidentally. She created a fashion illustration using the petals of a dying flower and posted it on Instagram, which quickly gained popularity. Now, she earns a living as a full-time illustrator and uses her social media platform to book engagements for events.

• Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York): Brandon started by taking candid photographs of people on the streets of New York and posting them to Facebook. His project, Humans of New York (HONY), quickly gained traction and now has over 12 million Facebook likes. It has launched a speaking, photography, philanthropic, and media career for him. He earns from the royalties of book sales and new freelancing opportunities.

Whichever platform you choose, dedicate yourself to that ONE thing and you’ll soon be on your way to making 500 dollars everyday!

3. Start a YouTube Automation Channel

YouTube automation channels provide the YouTube channel owner with passive income by automating all aspects of the video making and optimization process.

The widespread use of tools like video editing software, text-to-speech technology, and freelance platforms for outsourcing tasks contributed to the growth of this side hustle.

The best part is you don’t even need to get on camera to do this! You can create faceless YouTube videos and get paid via various monetization methods.

How to make money with a YouTube automation business: 

• Niche Selection: Choose a profitable niche channel idea that aligns with your interests and has a wide audience, such as technology, finance, or lifestyle.

• Content Creation: Use YouTube automation tools like AI video editing software and vidIQ to create high-quality, engaging SEO-based content.

• Monetization Strategy: Enable monetization on your channel through YouTube’s Partner Program, which includes ad revenue, channel memberships, and Super Chat.

• Diversify Income Streams: Besides ad revenue, incorporate affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and merchandise sales to diversify income sources.

Once you have your process down, you can systemize it and hire a YouTube automation team to take over for you.

Earning $500 a day with a YouTube automation business requires consistent effort, quality content, and financial investment.

4. Leverage the Gig Economy 

The gig economy offers a wide range of opportunities for you to make $500 a day. For example, Uber and Lyft are two popular ridesharing services that offer flexible working hours for drivers. 

You can set your schedule and accept ride requests when it’s most convenient for you. The more rides you complete, the more money you can make. 

Plus, there are ways to maximize your earnings, such as:

• Set your hours during peak times (rush hour, weekends, holidays)

• Take advantage of driver promotions and bonuses (Swagbucks often runs a $100 – $350 new Uber driver sign up bonus offer!)

• Maintain a high driver rating and provide excellent customer service

With a similar concept, DoorDash and Instacart are delivery services that allow you to earn extra income through shopping and delivering groceries or food from local restaurants. 

Just like a Lyft driver or Uber driver, you’re in control of your schedule and working hours. You may need to do a combination of these jobs and use other gig apps in order to make 500 dollars in a day.

It’s a viable option if you find yourself low on cash and need $500 fast.

5. Work Jobs that Pay Cash

Side hustles that pay cash on the spot are a lucrative way to earn lots of money fast. The immediate cash payment and instant gratification may even help you get more creative on how to make $500 a day faster.

Thankfully, side hustle jobs are plentiful, offering a wide range of opportunities to apply and monetize your skills. 

Although in this instance, we’re strictly focused on jobs that pay you cold hard cash on the spot.

I’ll help you brainstorm ideas:

Snow removal in the Winter	Leaf blower in the Fall
Lawn mower in the Spring + Summer	Offer cooking lessons
Home cleaning services	Conduct city tours for tourists
Pet sitter	Car detailing

Not long ago, my friend and I were traveling through Colombia on a 4-week trip. While there, we booked a free 4 hour walking tour that was being advertised around town. 

We couldn’t have asked for a more welcoming and knowledgeable tour guide. She was awesome!

Although, I have a sneaking suspicion she must have read the book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

Because by the end of the tour she didn’t ask that we pay her, instead she suggested we could leave her a voluntary tip if we enjoyed the tour. She even hinted at the amount of money people normally tip her! Ha!

It was genius marketing and it worked! Almost everyone on the tour tipped her.

So get creative here. You can upsell people on other services, hint to them about leaving you a tip, and quickly get to making $500 daily! 

6. Flip Stuff

One easy way to make money online is by selling used items on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Poshmark, OfferUp, Depop, and Mercari. 

These platforms allow you to list items for sale, making it easy for potential buyers to find them. So gather all those items lying around the house collecting dust, and get ready to list them for sale! 

Here are some tips for getting started:

• Research the item’s value: Look up similar items on the platform to determine the average selling price. This will help you set a reasonable price for your item.

• Take clear photos: A picture is worth a thousand words, and having good quality photos will increase the chance of selling your item.

• Write a detailed description: Include information about the item’s condition, size, and other relevant details to help potential buyers make an informed decision.

• Respond to inquiries and negotiate: Be prompt in answering any questions and be open to negotiating the price with potential buyers.

It’s also good to be aware of the pros and cons of each marketplace you plan to sell on. Some sites may be better for selling vintage items, while another site may be best for household items.

Platform	Pros	Cons
Facebook Marketplace	Large user base; No listing fees	Potentially more competition
Craigslist	Free to list items; Local sales	Less structured than other platforms
Poshmark	Focus on fashion items; Shipping label provided	20% commission fee
OfferUp	Listings are local; In-app messaging for questions	12.9% fee on shipped items
Depop	Unique and vintage items; Active community	10% fee on final sale
Mercari	Simple selling process; Wide variety of items	10% fee on final sale

If you want to take it a step further, and you have a good eye for finding profitable items to resell, you can also do garage sale arbitrage. This is where you buy cheap and sell high. 

Gary Vaynerchuk is well known for this and has some great tips on how to profitably do garage sale arbitrage on his site. 

7. Rent Out Spaces

Another way to profit from online platforms is by renting out spaces or assets, such as your home, room, car, or even an RV.

Here are some popular platforms for renting out spaces:

• Airbnb: Rent out your home or a room in your house to travelers looking for a place to stay. Airbnb allows you to set your own price and provides insurance coverage for hosts. Make sure to keep your space clean and be responsive to guests to maintain positive reviews and attract more reservations.

• Turo: Rent out your car when you’re not using it, allowing others to use it for a fee. Turo provides insurance coverage, but make sure to screen potential renters and establish clear guidelines for your car’s usage.

• RVshare: If you have an RV, you can rent it out through RVshare. Like Airbnb and Turo, the platform provides insurance coverage for your asset. Keep your RV well-maintained and be clear about how you expect renters to treat your property.

Based on the type of RV you own, you could make anywhere between $100 – $275 per night on rental income. 

Add that amount to renting out a room in your house or empty garage space you have, and you could be looking at $500 per day in earnings.

8. Amazon FBA

Selling on Amazon FBA is something I successfully did for 14 years. It was a side hustle I used to do after work and on the weekends to make extra money.

Once I figured out how to effectively sell on Amazon and began to make more than $500 per day, I quit my job. That was the best day of my life! 

After another year of working on my business, I started making $30k in profit and upwards of $50k profit per month.

Starting an e-commerce business can be lucrative, especially with the growth of platforms like Amazon FBA and Shopify. 

To find success in this path, follow these steps:

• Identify a profitable niche: Research and choose products in high demand with low competition

• Set up an online store: Use platforms such as Shopify or WordPress with WooCommerce to build your store

• Market your products: Employ various marketing strategies to reach potential customers.

There are also ways for you to connect your Amazon seller central FBA storefront with your WordPress site.

This allows you to simultaneously sell on Amazon’s site and your site, while Amazon Fulfillment takes care of all your shipping and warehousing needs.

9. Sell Digital Products

In today’s digital landscape, there are so many opportunities that exist to generate $500 a day selling digital downloads. 

For instance, e-books, audiobooks, or even stock photography can be profitable endeavors when marketed effectively through platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or Shutterstock.

Check out these examples of digital products that you can create and sell online:

• Printable Products: This includes items like planners, checklists, party invitations, or educational worksheets that customers can print at home. Etsy is a popular platform for selling these products.

• Online Courses: If you have an expertise in a specific area, you can create and sell digital courses on platforms like Udemy, Teachable, or via paid ads with a webinar funnel.

• Stock Photography and Art: Photographers and artists can sell their photographs and AI-generated digital artwork on platforms like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or Etsy.

• Membership Sites or Subscription Services: Creators can also offer exclusive content, resources, or services through a membership or subscription model. This could include things like a premium newsletter, access to a private community, or ongoing educational content.

During my days as an Amazon seller, I created and sold an Amazon FBA course. 

I had no website at the time, yet I was still able to generate countless $1,000 sales of my digital course with only a sales funnel.

These days, you don’t even need to create your own digital product to sell. Savvy marketers are selling PLR digital products that they tweak and sell as their own!

10. Consulting

Lastly, consider consulting as a way to capitalize on your expertise. 

If you’re knowledgeable in a specific field or industry, you can advise others for a fee. Businesses and individuals will happily pay you for your valuable insights, guidance, and strategies that provide real solutions to their problems.

This is exactly what I did prior to creating my Amazon FBA course.

I would gain clients naturally by simply being an active member in many Amazon seller Facebook groups. People would see my helpful posts and tips, and they would contact me to book one-on-one consulting sessions.

You can also intentionally attract clients by leveraging high ticket marketing skills and free social media channels. Once you start getting clients, create a portfolio of testimonials.

These testimonials will have the biggest impact when it comes to growing your new consulting business! 

Final Tip on How to Make $500 a Day

Finding multiple income streams can make it easier to reach your $500 per day goal. So instead of trying to figure out how to make $500 a day with one method, you can implement multiple strategies mentioned on this list.

Ultimately, diversification is key to earning $500 per day or more! 

Ready to start earning $500 in passive income with an affiliate blog? Take the free Authority Hacker training to get started today!