Hi! I’m Kate, the face behind KateFi.com—a blog all about making life easier and more affordable.

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5 Online Gigs I’d Tell My Best Friend to Try If She Needed $500 This Week

When your best friend texts you in full panic mode — rent’s due, groceries are low, and payday’s way too far away — what do you say?

If she needed to make $500 fast without driving for Uber or selling her stuff, these are the exact online gigs I’d recommend. No degrees. No weird MLMs. Just real, beginner-friendly side hustles that actually pay.

📱 1. SocialPaid — Get Paid to Manage Pinterest & Other Social Media

This is the first thing I’d send her. SocialPaid connects you with businesses that pay you to post, comment, and engage on their behalf — and Pinterest gigs are HOT right now.

• Manage Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook accounts
• Set your own schedule and work from anywhere
• Many gigs pay $200–$500/week or more

👉 Browse Pinterest gigs on SocialPaid

💬 2. ChatJobs — Get Paid to Text for a Living

If you can answer messages, you can get paid. This is one of the easiest gigs to start from home.

• No phone calls or video chats
• Flexible hours — work anytime
• Many earn $25–$35/hr answering simple messages

👉 Take the ChatJobs quiz here

🎮 3. Freecash — Make Money Playing Games & Testing Apps

If she’s scrolling TikTok anyway, why not get paid? Freecash is easy, fun, and actually works.

• Try games, test apps, and complete surveys
• Payouts as high as $750 per offer
• Instant cashouts via PayPal, crypto, or gift cards

👉 Start earning with Freecash

💳 4. CuraDebt — Free Up Extra Cash by Ditching Credit Card Payments

This isn’t a side hustle — but it’s a major money move. If your bestie is drowning in debt, CuraDebt helps slash those payments fast.

• They negotiate with creditors for you
• Could reduce total debt and monthly payments
• It’s 100% free to get started

👉 Get your free debt consultation

🍏 5. Acorns — Turn $5 into Real Investments (and a $5 Bonus)

This one is for long-term peace of mind. Acorns helps her start investing effortlessly — and gives a $5 stock bonus just for joining.

• Invest spare change from purchases
• Auto-builds a smart portfolio
• Free Apple stock bonus after $5 deposit

👉 Claim your Apple stock bonus

💡 Final Thoughts

If my best friend was freaking out about money, I wouldn’t send her to a job board — I’d send her this list.

Each one of these gigs helped me when I needed money fast. So if you’re reading this with a pit in your stomach — please, try one. Or try all five.

Your $500 week might be one click away.