How to Make 700 Dollars Fast in a Day, Week, or Month

I needed $700 fast for an unexpected car repair. No time to wait for a “side hustle” to ramp up. I had one week.

So I tested every money making method I could find. Some were dead ends. Others took too long. But a few actually worked—and I hit $700 in 6 days by combining multiple strategies.

Here's exactly what I did, ranked by how much each method contributed to the $700. No theory, no “you could earn” BS—just what actually put money in my account.

💰 How I Made $700 in 6 Days (Breakdown)

Table of Contents +

My 6-Day Timeline: How It Actually Happened

Day 1 (Monday): $150 earned

Morning: Applied for DoorDash (approved in 3 hours)
Afternoon: Signed up for Current bank ($75 bonus locked in)
Evening: DoorDash dinner shift (4 hours, $75)
Total: $150 committed ($75 instant + $75 DoorDash)

Day 2 (Tuesday): $135 earned

Morning: Survey Junkie while drinking coffee ($28)
Afternoon: DoorDash lunch + dinner (5 hours, $107)
Total: $135

Day 3 (Wednesday): $155 earned

All day: Swagbucks videos running + shopping portal ($45)
Evening: DoorDash (4 hours, $82)
Night: More Survey Junkie ($28)
Total: $155

Day 4 (Thursday): $118 earned

Morning: Survey Junkie ($35)
Evening: DoorDash (3 hours, $63)
Night: Swagbucks surveys ($20)
Total: $118

Day 5 (Friday): $142 earned

Lunch: Survey Junkie + Swagbucks ($35)
Evening: DoorDash Friday dinner rush (4 hours, $107)
Total: $142 (hit $700!)

Grand total: $700 in 5 days (gave myself 6 days buffer, finished early)

The Methods That Actually Worked

Here's every method I used, ranked by how much money it contributed. I'm starting with the biggest earners because that's what matters when you need $700 fast.

1. DoorDash – $385 in 5 Days

$18-25/Hr

This was my primary income source. DoorDash let me work whenever I wanted and get paid weekly (or instantly for $1.99 fee). I focused on dinner shifts (5-9pm) when orders were consistent and tips were highest.

Got approved in 3 hours Made $70-110 per 4-hour shift Peak Pay bonuses during dinner Weekly direct deposit

Start Dashing Now →

My strategy: I worked 20 hours total over 5 days. Focused on dinner shifts (5-9pm) when demand was highest. Average $19/hr, but hit $27/hr on Friday dinner rush. Applied Monday morning, approved by afternoon, started earning same day.

2. Survey Junkie – $140 in Downtime

$3-50/Survey

I did surveys during the day between DoorDash shifts. Took about 90 minutes total spread across 5 days. Most surveys paid $3-5 and took 8-12 minutes. Hit one $35 survey about streaming habits that took 25 minutes.

Did 32 surveys total Average $4.38 per survey Cashed out via PayPal instantly Best survey: $35 for 25 minutes

Start Taking Surveys →

My strategy: I checked Survey Junkie every morning and evening. Completed surveys while drinking coffee, eating lunch, and during DoorDash downtime. The key was doing the longer surveys ($15-35) first since they filled up fast.

3. Swagbucks – $100 (Mostly Passive)

$10 Sign-Up Bonus

Swagbucks was my “set it and forget it” earner. I ran videos passively on my laptop while doing surveys, made $45 from their shopping portal when I bought something I needed anyway, and grabbed the $10 sign-up bonus immediately.

$10 instant sign-up bonus $45 from shopping portal $35 from passive videos $10 from surveys

Get $10 Bonus →

My strategy: Videos ran automatically on my laptop all day ($5-7/day). Used their shopping portal to buy groceries online and got 10% back ($45). Did a few quick surveys when Survey Junkie ran out. The $10 bonus hit instantly after my first activity.

4. Current Bank – $75 Guaranteed Bonus

$75 Bonus

This was the easiest $75 I made. Opened a Current account, set up direct deposit from my regular job (which I was doing anyway), and used code PAYROLL75. Deposited $200 on Day 1, got $75 bonus 10 days later.

$75 guaranteed with code PAYROLL75 Need $200 direct deposit within 45 days Bonus hits in 10 days Free account, no fees

Get $75 Bonus →

My strategy: This took 10 minutes to set up. I already get paid via direct deposit, so I just switched it to Current for one paycheck. Got my $200 paycheck on Day 1, received the $75 bonus on Day 11. Easiest money on this list.

Other Methods I Tried (But Didn't Use for the $700)

These would've worked if I had more time, but I needed money fast. Still worth knowing about for future income.

5. Freecash – $42 in First Day

Instant PayPal

I tested Freecash and made $42 on Day 1 before discovering DoorDash paid better. Downloaded some apps ($15), did quick surveys ($12), signed up for a free trial ($15). Cashed out to PayPal instantly.

Made $42 in 2 hours Instant PayPal cashout $5 minimum withdrawal

Try Freecash →

Why I stopped: It paid $21/hr which is decent, but DoorDash was paying $24-27/hr during peak times. If I didn't have a car, Freecash would've been in my main strategy.

6. Uber Eats – Backup Plan

$18-25/Hr

I signed up for Uber Eats as a backup but ended up not needing it. DoorDash kept me busy enough. However, many drivers run both apps simultaneously and accept whichever order pays better—smart strategy for maximizing earnings.

Pro tip: If you're doing delivery full-time, run both DoorDash AND Uber Eats. Accept the better order. Drivers doing this report $25-32/hr vs $19-25/hr with just one app.

7. InboxDollars – $5 Free + Videos

$5 Bonus

Got the $5 instant bonus, ran some videos, made $18 total. Good for passive income but Swagbucks paid better for the same activities. Would recommend if you're doing both simultaneously.

$5 instant sign-up bonus Passive video watching Pays actual dollars (not points)

Get $5 Bonus →

My take: Made $18 total. The $5 bonus is instant which is nice. But for passive videos, Swagbucks paid me slightly better. Still worth grabbing the $5 though.

Sign-Up Bonuses I Stacked

These bonuses took longer than 6 days to receive, but I signed up for all of them during my $700 challenge. They hit my account over the following weeks.

8. Fundrise – $10 Bonus

$10 Instant

Invested $10 in real estate, got $10 bonus credited immediately. Not cash in hand, but it's growing as an investment. Worth doing while you're signing up for everything else.

$10 bonus on $10 investment Instant credit Start with just $10

Get $10 Bonus →

Note: This isn't immediate cash since it's invested in real estate. But it's a free $10 that's now growing. Up 8% in 6 months so far.

9. Acorns – $20 Bonus

$20 After Deposit

Set up a $5 recurring deposit, got $20 bonus within 10 days. Like Fundrise, this is invested money not immediate cash. But it's a free $20 growing in the market.

$20 bonus on $5 deposit Auto-invests spare change Hits within 10 days

Get $20 Bonus →

Timeline: Set this up on Day 1, got the $20 bonus on Day 12. Not immediate cash but worth doing. The round-up feature has grown my balance to $127 in 3 months without thinking about it.

Methods That DIDN'T Work

Real talk—not everything worked. Here's what I tried that was a waste of time:

Facebook Marketplace flipping: Took 3 days to sell one item for $40. Too slow when you need money NOW. If you have more time, check out our complete guide to side gigs.
Plasma donation: Nearest center was 45 minutes away, paid $50 for 2 hours including drive time. DoorDash paid $50 for 2.5 hours closer to home.
Mistplay/gaming apps: Made $8 in 4 hours of playing games. Terrible hourly rate.
TaskRabbit: Needed background check (took 4 days), then had to bid on jobs. Too slow.
Selling clothes on Poshmark: Listed 20 items, sold 1 for $12 after 5 days. Not fast enough.

My Exact Strategy (If You Need $700 Fast)

Here's what I'd do if I had to make $700 again in one week:

Priority 1 (Day 1 morning):

Apply for DoorDash immediately (approval takes 1-3 hours)
While waiting: Sign up for Current bank ($75 bonus)
Set up Survey Junkie, Swagbucks accounts

Priority 2 (Day 1 afternoon):

Start DoorDash dinner shift once approved (4 hours = $75-110)
Run Swagbucks videos on laptop while doing other tasks

Priority 3 (Days 2-6):

DoorDash dinner shifts every day (4-5 hours = $80-125/day)
Survey Junkie during downtime (mornings, lunch breaks)
Swagbucks videos running passively all day

This combination gets you:

DoorDash: $400-500 in 5 days (20-25 hours)
Survey Junkie: $100-150 (2 hours total)
Swagbucks: $80-100 (passive + shopping)
Current: $75 (one-time bonus)
Total: $655-825 in one week

Realistic Timeline Expectations

If you start Monday morning:

Day 1: DoorDash approval + first shift = $75-110 earned
Days 2-3: Hit your stride = $120-150/day
Days 4-5: Should hit $700 by end of Day 5
Day 6: Buffer day (you'll probably hit $700 earlier)

What if you don't have a car?

Replace DoorDash with:

Survey Junkie (20 hours = $250-400)
Freecash (20 hours = $250-350)
Swagbucks (passive + surveys = $150-200)
Current bonus = $75
Total: $725-1,025

Takes more hours without delivery apps, but totally doable. See our full list of apps that actually pay for more options.

Real Numbers Summary

Method	Time Invested	Money Earned	Hourly Rate
DoorDash	20 hours	$385	$19.25/hr
Survey Junkie	5.5 hours	$140	$25.45/hr
Swagbucks	~2 hours active	$100	$50/hr*
Current	10 minutes	$75	$450/hr**
TOTAL	~28 hours	$700	$25/hr avg

*Mostly passive videos + shopping I'd do anyway
**One-time setup, bonus takes 10 days

FAQs

Do I need a car?
For my strategy (heavy on DoorDash), yes. But you can hit $700 without a car using Survey Junkie + Freecash + Swagbucks—just takes more hours (35-40 instead of 28).

Can I really get approved for DoorDash in 3 hours?
I did. Background check took 2.5 hours on a Monday morning. Some people report 24-48 hours. Apply ASAP to maximize your earning window.

What if I only have nights/weekends?
Even better for DoorDash—dinner shifts (5-9pm) and weekend lunches are the highest-paying times. You'd make MORE per hour with this schedule. Learn more about food delivery jobs and their peak earning times.

Is this sustainable long-term?
DoorDash is sustainable at 20 hours/week ($1,600/month). The sign-up bonuses are one-time only. Survey apps are sustainable but caps around $400/month if you're grinding hard.

What's the absolute minimum time to make $700?
If you ONLY did DoorDash during peak hours ($25-28/hr), you could hit $700 in 25-28 hours. Spread over 6 days, that's about 4.5 hours per day. Add sign-up bonuses and it's even less.

Bottom Line

I needed $700 in one week and made it happen in 5 days. The key was combining a high-paying active method (DoorDash) with passive income (Swagbucks) and high-paying downtime work (Survey Junkie).

Start here:

Apply for DoorDash (do this first, approval takes time)
Sign up for Current ($75 guaranteed with code PAYROLL75)
Join Survey Junkie (do surveys during downtime)
Get Swagbucks ($10 instant + passive videos)

This exact strategy got me $700 in less than a week. It'll work for you too.

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