To make $60 fast, do one thing that pays for your time today: a few hours of food delivery, a single odd job, or selling something you own. Apps and surveys can add a few bucks on top, but they won’t get you to $60 in a day.
Life happens. Sometimes you’re $60 short on a bill, and sometimes you just want $60 more going at your loans this month. Either way, here’s what works in one day and what’s a waste of time.
The short answer
- One evening of delivery or one TaskRabbit job is the most direct route to $60 in a day.
- Selling one item can beat hours of app work.
- Survey and reward apps are a top-up. Their bonuses are small and some come with strings.
- $60 a month extra on a $20,000 loan at 6.5% saves about $2,073 in interest.
How to make $60 fast
1. Do a delivery shift
With DoorDash, you choose when and where you work, and you can accept or decline each offer. You need to be at least 18 (19 in several states, 21 in California), with a car, scooter or bike in select cities, plus a smartphone. You’ll also give your Social Security number for a background check, so sign up before the day you need the money.
Pay per order is base pay plus promotions and tips, and it swings a lot by city and hour. Dinner rush on a weekend is your best shot at $60 in one go.
More: how to drive for DoorDash step by step.
2. Take one odd job
TaskRabbit lists jobs like furniture assembly and moving help. One decent task can cover $60 by itself. Plan ahead, though: you need to pass a background and ID check, and there’s a one-time $25 registration fee, so it’s not a same-day start.
No time for sign-ups? Ask neighbors and friends directly. Yard work, help with a move or a garage cleanout are easy to say yes to.
3. Sell something you already own
This is usually the fastest. Old electronics, a bike, a piece of furniture, sports gear you don’t use. List it on Facebook Marketplace with clear photos and a fair price, and meet in a public place. Sometimes one listing gets you all $60 in an afternoon.
4. Walk dogs or pet sit
Pet owners need help on evenings and weekends, which is when you’re free if you work a day job. A couple of walks or one overnight sit can add up quickly. Ask around, or set up a profile on a pet care app ahead of time.
5. Top it up with apps
These are slow, but they’re free and they fill dead time. Survey Junkie pays for surveys, and you can cash out at $5. InboxDollars shows a $5 bonus when you join. Swagbucks has a $10 bonus too, but only after you spend at least $25 through its shopping portal within 30 days.
You won’t hit $60 in a day this way. Use them to cover the last few dollars.
What to skip
Anything that asks you to deposit money to win money. Cash game apps and paid contests can lose you more than $60 just as fast. Same for anything that promises $60 for “just signing up” with no terms you can read.
Bottom line: if you have to pay to play, it’s not a way to make $60.
What to do with an extra $60
If the $60 is for rent or a bill, that’s where it goes. Keep the lights on first.
If it’s extra, put it on your student loan the same day. Here’s what $60 a month does.
Example: $60 a month on a $20,000 loan
- Balance and rate
- $20,000 at 6.5%
- Regular 10-year payment
- $227.10/mo
- With $60 extra each month
- paid off in 88 months, not 120
- Interest saved
- about $2,073
These are our numbers, not a lender quote: a fixed 6.5% rate, interest figured once a month, and every extra $60 going straight to principal. Your servicer counts interest daily, so expect small differences.
That’s more than two and a half years sooner from one good day a month. When you pay, ask your servicer to put the extra toward principal on your highest-rate loan, not toward next month’s payment.
Next stepRun your own numbers in the student loan payoff calculator.
Short on more than $60, or behind on a payment? Read what to do when you need money now first. For steadier income, see how to make money to pay off student loans and the rest of Side Income.
Sources (5)
We use primary sources wherever we can: Federal Student Aid, the U.S. Department of Education, the IRS, federal regulations and each company’s own site.
- DoorDash. Become a Dasher. doordash.com. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Taskrabbit. What’s required to become a Tasker?. taskrabbit.com. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Survey Junkie. Survey Junkie. surveyjunkie.com. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Swagbucks. Swagbucks sign-up bonus terms. swagbucks.com. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- InboxDollars. InboxDollars. inboxdollars.com. Accessed October 22, 2026.
