Flipping, or buying something and then reselling it for greater value, is one of the oldest money-making methods in the books.
But, a lot of people think you need a lot of money to start this side hustle idea. However, it's possible to start with a relatively small amount of money and to gradually grow that starting fund into a more significant amount.
In fact, you can get started with just $500 or even less in some cases. Let's dive into how to get started!
Looking for other ways to make money? Checkout:
- Arrived: Invest in income-generating real estate with only $100!
- Branded Surveys: Share your opinion to get free PayPal cash and gift cards!
How To Flip 500 Dollars
Some of the top ways to flip $500 include:
- Buy and rent out assets
- Invest in real estate
- Thrift store flipping
- Start a blog
- Sell collectibles
- Flea market flipping
- Dividend stocks
- Domain flipping
- Flip exclusive merchandise
1. Buy & Rent An Asset
A more unorthodox way to flip $500 is to buy an asset with it and then rent it out for profit. But, if you want to earn passive income, this idea definitely beats the traditional flipping model.
There's also a variety of things you can rent out for profit, and marketplaces like Fat Llama let you create a listing for free and find renters in your city.
Examples of things you can rent out include:
- Drones
- Electronics (like DJ or audio equipment)
- Photography and film equipment
- Musical instruments
- Specific types of tools
- Vehicles
Obviously, $500 won't buy you every kind of asset or the most high-end camera. But you'd be amazed at what people are renting out on Fat Llama (and how much they're making.)
For example, this one guy is renting out a jet power washer for around $20, and he has over 790 reviews!
This means this guy is making thousands of dollars by renting this thing out, so it's the perfect example of how you can flip $500 by investing in an asset and then renting it to people.
2. Invest In Real Estate
While it might surprise you, another option to flip your money is to invest in real estate. And thanks to real estate investing platforms, you can now buy fractional shares of income-generating real estate. Plus, platforms like Fundrise let you get started with only $10.
Fundrise invests in multi family homes, apartment buildings, and other large real estate developments. It then generates rental income and distributes profits back to investors. Historically, it's returned about 8-9% annually on average.
You pay 1% in annual management fees. And the fact that Fundrise has a $10 investing minimum is very beginner-friendly.
Ultimately, this is a longer-term investment. But if you want to flip 500 dollars and make money on autopilot, real estate platforms like Fundrise are worth considering.
You can also check out similar platforms like Arrived, which lets you invest in individual rental properties with only $100.
Disclaimer: This is an endorsem*nt in partnership with Fundrise. We earn a commission from partner links. All opinions are my own.
3. Thrift Store Clothing Flipping
Clothing is a very popular category of items to flip because people are always buying clothing and it's typically easy to find apparel on sale, leaving you with more margin potential.
So, if you want to flip $500 and think you have a knack for fashion, you could invest that money into inventory and then list your pieces on clothing resale apps like:
- Poshmark: One of the best platforms for selling clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories.
- Mercari: A popular selling app where you can list almost anything for sale.
- Depop: Another popular app where people flip thrifted clothing all the time.
It might take a while to liquidate your inventory and to get all your money back, but if you like this online money-making idea, you can also put some of your profit back into more inventory.
People even use apps like Poshmark to grow full-on flipping businesses, and there are stories of Poshmark sellers who make thousands of dollars in profit.
4. Start A Blog
Like flipping assets, putting your money into starting a blog is another way to turn that money into much, much more.
The idea is simple: take some or all of your $500, invest in starting a blog, and then work to grow that blog into an income. And I'll share my own story as an example to highlight the potential here.
I started my blog back in college for around $150. Within a few months, it was earning about $100 a month. But after getting into Mediavine, WebMonkey now generates $500 a day in advertisem*nt revenue and earns over $20,000 a month.
Of course, this takes time and work, so it isn't a method to flip 500 dollars fast. But, if you like writing and want to create an income-generating asset, I think blogging is for you.
You can read my 2022 blog income report for a breakdown of how I earned $250,000+ from blogging that year. And if you're ready to start a blog, you can find affordable hosting and domain names with SiteGround.
5. Buy & Sell Collectibles
You can either do this by buying and holding onto various collectibles for a while in hopes that it appreciates. Alternatively, you can try and buy undervalued collectibles from people and then immediately find a new buyer to try and sell to.
Collectibles are another popular flipping category, and there's quite a few examples of collectibles you can flip, including:
- Coins
- Baseball, hockey, and basketball cards
- Board Games
- Dolls and toys (like Beanie Babies, for example)
- Pokemon cards
- Stamps and old postcards
- Yugioh cards
Granted, flipping $500 in collectibles might be hard since $500 won't buy you a lot to start out with. But, people have been flipping things like Pokemon cards very frequently these day, so some of the markets are quite hot.
6. Flea Market Flipping
If you're still wondering how to flip $500, the answer might be waiting at a flea market.
Places like flea markets and garage sales are classic places for sourcing products to flip. This is because you can find some seriously undervalued gems, antiques, collectibles, or other unique pieces someone might be willing to spend a pretty penny on.
My friend Nathan actually runs an eBay flipping business, and he flips all sorts of stuff from various garage sales and flea markets he stumbles across.
Anyway, eBay is just one sales channel you can use to flip goods. You can also consider selling stuff on Amazon, Mercari, or even The Facebook Marketplace if you prefer finding local buyers.
Again, classic flipping like this can tie up your $500 fund for a while, and it's important to reinvest your profit into new inventory so you can gradually scale your flipping income.
Extra Reading – How To Resell Concert Tickets.
7. Dividend Stocks
This idea is simple, but it works: you can make your money work for you by investing in stocks and ETFs that pay dividends.
This is something I do every month. It's an easy way to begin investing for income. Plus, many banks and online brokers let you start without paying commissions which is great news.
The main downside is you need a lot of time and compound interest to make serious gains. But if you're consistent, it's amazing what a small portfolio can turn into over the years.
8. Domain Flipping
Making money with domain flipping is another classic type of flipping, although this is definitely a weird way to make money.
Domain flipping is just like flipping houses, except you're flipping website names, not physical real estate.
People have been flipping domain names ever since the internet started, and if you think an emerging trend will make a domain name you can buy increase in value, you can buy that domain and hold it until it appreciates.
This is averyspeculative type of flipping, and while some people do it full-time, it's definitely not something you should put a lot of money into without any experience.
Domain flipping is pretty exciting however, and I've eyed several domains over the years and thought about getting into it.
My friend who works in digital marketing is sitting on a few names right now. Overall, it's a pretty cool flipping space if you're into things like blogging and ecommerce.
9. Buy Limited-Edition Goods
If you're willing to stand in line all day or get lucky and beat out hordes of online shoppers, buying limited-edition goods on drop day can be another way to flip $500.
Certain brands have cult followings. So, if you can ever get your hands on limited-edition merch, you're probably sitting on the easiest flipping opportunity ever.
Brands like Supreme are a classic example of this, and Supreme resellers have made insane amounts of cash on limited-edition pieces before.
Shoe and sneaker brands and various basketball shoes are another example, and limited-edition sports memorabilia in general is a pretty hot flipping category. Band merch or exclusive vinyl and album drops can also be good candidates.
Really, the trick is being early to buy, which again means potentially standing in line all day or getting lucky at online checkout.
However, if you follow a particular team, band, or brand religiously, keep an eye out for an opportunity to flip some limited-edition merchandise.
Extra Reading – The Best Places To Sell Sports Cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Turn $500 Into $1,000?
If you want to flip $500 into $1,000, I think your best bet is to get into clothing reselling.
Apparel can have high margins if you find pieces from trendy brands at a discount, and there's enough sales volume for your inventory to move quickly here versus something that's more niche.
Plenty of Poshmark sellers make thousands of dollars a month, so it's certainly possible to flip $500 into $1,000 with some hard work.
You can also sell clothing on other channels like Facebook or eBay and Mercari while it's on Poshmark, so you don't have to limit yourself to just one seller marketplace. And, things like shoes and handbags are fair game too; you don't have to stick to just clothing.
Extra Reading – How To Turn $10 Into $100.
How Can I Invest $500 For A Quick Return?
If you want to flip $500 fast, my advice is to put the money into starting a new side hustle.
There'ssomany ways you can do this, and a $500 starting investment is more than enough. For example, you can buy a lawnmower for under $500, or some other type of lawn care equipment, and offer that service to people in your area.
Alternatively, you can buy a bike if you don't have one and sign up to deliver for DoorDash as a bike courier, which is what my friend did when we graduated college.
And, if you want to keep things simple, you can always invest your money into dividend stocks, ETFs, or even real estate with a company like Arrived.
The point is, you can flip $500 fast, just be sure to research your options and to pick what you think has the right level of return and risk tolerance.
Extra Reading – The Best Passive Income Ideas For Young Adults.
Final Thoughts
I hope this post on how to flip $500 gives you some ideas for how to put your money to work.
There's honestly plenty of flipping opportunities out there if you get creative, and you don't need thousands of dollars to get started either. Hopefully, one of the ideas in this list turns into a handsome profit for you!
Looking for other ways to make extra money? Checkout:
- The Best Gig Apps To Start A New Side Hustle.
- 10+ Side Jobs Perfect For Busy People.
- How To Flip A Thousand Dollars.
