# I need money fast! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 12, 2006, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486 "2006-05-12T07:09:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Andrew\_Bug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andrew\_Bug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andrew_Bug)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/1 "2006-05-12T07:09:01Z")
Ok so I’m flat broke,unemployed(but looking for work),I overdrew my bank account,I owe back rent, and I also owe both my utility companies. I’m not even going to get into the money I owe my family. What happened was I moved to a new city and it did not work out as well as I had hoped. In fact I may be getting evicted next week. So I need to know if there is any way to get between 1-5000 dollars in a hurry. Does any kind of emergency loan exist? Is there any legit way to get cash fast? ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/2 "2006-05-12T07:16:34Z")
well, you could always appeal to the SD community. I saw a guy do this to pull funds together to pull a HILARIOUS prank. So,If I REALLY needed some cash, I’d post a link to gift a paypal account. here on the SD. Ask if everyone could donate like 1 dollar. I know I would. I bet alot of people would, in fact. Its fairly easy to set up in paypal. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/3 "2006-05-12T07:20:36Z")
> [@Surbey](#): > > Ask if everyone could donate like 1 dollar. I know I would. I bet alot of people would, in fact. So would I. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/4 "2006-05-12T08:03:28Z")
> [@Surbey](#): > > So,If I REALLY needed some cash, I’d post a link to gift a paypal account. here on the SD. Erm, no. Not according to the [Registration Agreement](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/rules.php?) . > [@](#): > > This message board is intended as a medium for public discussion. Do not post spam, including but not limited to advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, solicitations, offers to trade or barter, charitable appeals, or other messages primarily intended to promote a cause, venture, organization, event (except Straight Dope-related events), website, or other entity or activity, whether or not money is involved. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/5 "2006-05-12T08:52:37Z")
> [@Surbey](#): > > well, you could always appeal to the SD community. > > I saw a guy do this to pull funds together to pull a HILARIOUS prank. So,If I REALLY needed some cash, I’d post a link to gift a paypal account. here on the SD. Ask if everyone could donate like 1 dollar. I know I would. I bet alot of people would, in fact. > > Its fairly easy to set up in paypal. This will get the poster banned, and the post hidden, just as soon as any mod or admin sees it. So don’t do it. In fact, it’s better to not even suggest it. Lynn Administrator For the Straight Dope ---
**Author:** ![bob\_loblaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@bob\_loblaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_loblaw)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/6 "2006-05-12T09:04:18Z")
can you tend a bar? cause if you can, you can make a grand, cash, in a weekend without sweating - at least in any major city. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_loblaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@bob\_loblaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_loblaw)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/7 "2006-05-12T09:10:54Z")
and hey, even if you can’t tend a bar, if you can back a couple, you’ll make a grand in under a fortnight, assuming you work a club that operates at least 3 nights per week. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/8 "2006-05-12T09:17:26Z")
Sell something, hock something, get a temp. job, sell your blood, panhandle, dumpser dive for salable items, have a yard sale, etc., etc.! ---
**Author:** ![Twotwofive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Twotwofive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twotwofive)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/9 "2006-05-12T09:25:30Z")
Unless you’re in an internet café right now, can I suggest selling your computer? It seems like a rather superfluous luxury given your circumstances, and it won’t last long when you’re homeless. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/10 "2006-05-12T10:02:04Z")
Do you sing and play an instrument (preferably not piano)? Go and sing in a mall somewhere, you’ll get a little money. Or you could donate sperm. In New Zealand, where I used to live, they’d pay a fee for sperm. ---
**Author:** ![Twotwofive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Twotwofive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twotwofive)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/11 "2006-05-12T10:09:00Z")
In Russia, they pay a fee for blood. If you’re lucky, they’ll sometimes even turn a blind eye to you showing up twice in the same day, offering a different arm each time. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/12 "2006-05-12T10:17:49Z")
You don’t say where you live, but in the states I know people who have donated sperm (although it is kind of a lengthy process, with tests and waiting before the payoff), served as human test subjects for drugs (check in the classifies of the newspaper of the nearest big city), as others said tending bar and waiting tables are good ways to earn money. I’ve been broke before and it doesn’t get fixed overnight. It took me a couple of years of really chipping away at it before I got completely out of debt, but I did and so will you. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/13 "2006-05-12T11:09:21Z")
Emergency loans do exist, but without a job, you’re not getting one. I took out a 20K unsecured loan from MBNA two years back. Then, a year later, I was bankrupt. If you actually qualified for a loan, you could follow in my footsteps… I’m skeptical of you raising the kind of money you’re looking for in a week, although I’ll concede some people could do it. As far as avoiding homelessness, I’d suggest trying to move in with friends or family, getting a job, setting up a payment plan with your creditors, then getting a place of your own again. Are you under 30 with good health and a clean criminal record? Could just join the Navy? You could put your mind at ease… Good luck. Seriously. I’ve been on the verge of homeless a couple of times, and it was scary as all hell. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/14 "2006-05-12T16:39:05Z")
I’m not going to lie to you. Making $5000 in a week’s time is pretty much impossible, unless you’re a high-level corporate CEO or something. Even selling your car (assuming you have one) wouldn’t get you that kind of money. Like **Mr. Slant** said, probably your best bet is to try to move in with friends or relatives until you can land a job. ---
**Author:** ![liberty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/958977/32.png) [@liberty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liberty)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/15 "2006-05-12T17:14:30Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > This will get the poster banned, and the post hidden, just as soon as any mod or admin sees it. So don’t do it. In fact, it’s better to not even suggest it. > > Lynn > Administrator > For the Straight Dope I am probably wrong here, but I think I remember hearing that was illegal now. But like I said, I’m probably wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/16 "2006-05-12T17:46:28Z")
> [@liberty](#): > > I am probably wrong here, but I think I remember hearing that was illegal now. But like I said, I’m probably wrong. Banning a request for money, or requesting money? I’m thinking both are legal, though one is bannable… ---
**Author:** ![liberty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/958977/32.png) [@liberty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liberty)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/17 "2006-05-12T18:10:09Z")
> [@Mr. Slant](#): > > Banning a request for money, or requesting money? > > I’m thinking both are legal, though one is bannable… Requesting Money. I just heard that someone did it, but the government stepped in after that. It’s amazing how your memory distorts things and remembers just bits and pieces. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/18 "2006-05-14T10:40:23Z")
> [@liberty](#): > > Requesting Money. I just heard that someone did it, but the government stepped in after that. It’s amazing how your memory distorts things and remembers just bits and pieces. Well, the booze helps. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/19 "2006-05-14T12:04:13Z")
> [@bob\_loblaw](#): > > can you tend a bar? cause if you can, you can make a grand, cash, in a weekend without sweating - at least in any major city. If that’s true then why don’t we see more fabulously rich bartenders? Why aren’t kids falling over one another trying to get into bartending school? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486/20 "2006-05-14T16:13:43Z")
i don’t know about making that kind of money that quickly, but in the town where I went to University, a decent sum could be quickly obtained by working at the recycling centre. In this town, residents separated trash into 2 groups, “Wet” and “Dry” and then it would go to the recycling centre and be further sorted. My understanding is this was, to an extent, done manually. Dirty, nasty, smelly job, but apparently the hourly pay was quite good. Perhaps you could look into something like that? If it’s a job nobody else wants, it will probably pay a little better than jobs people would rather do. Even if you got hired now as a bartender unless you have considerable experience in that job you likely won’t be getting the Thurs-Sat night shifts until you’ve had some training and the boss has seen you work a few shifts. It won’t pay off in a week, tip-wise. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-money-fast/356486.md?page=2)