The way to make quick money: work, invest, and side hustle all at once

Wealth Anxiety in the Era of Inflation

Since 2020, global central banks have maintained an easy monetary policy, leading to increasing inflationary pressures. Against this backdrop, relying solely on fixed wages can no longer keep pace with rising prices. Many are asking: How can I earn money effectively and quickly rather than having my assets eroded by inflation?

The answer to this question is not unique. Some choose to leverage financial instruments to make big gains, while others steadily accumulate wealth through diversified side jobs. The key is understanding the advantages and risks of each approach to find what suits you best.

How Much Capital Determines Strategy Choice

If you want to make quick money, the first question to ask yourself is: how much starting capital do I have?

For those with less capital, rapid growth can actually be easier. Whether trying leveraged investments or taking on multiple side jobs, there is ample room for asset growth, and the risks are relatively lower—after all, limited capital means even losses won’t be devastating.

For those who have already accumulated a certain amount of capital, the situation becomes more complex. Simple part-time jobs yield limited growth, and achieving significant asset appreciation in a short period requires taking on higher risks. A wrong decision could lead to astronomical losses, making short-term quick gains more challenging for this group.

Increasing Income and Cutting Expenses: The Basic Framework

Regardless of how much capital you have, the most prudent approach is a combination of increasing income and reducing expenses.

Reducing expenses is relatively straightforward—develop a habit of budgeting, identify unnecessary expenditures, and gradually lower your spending ratio.

Increasing income is the key focus, mainly through two directions:

1. Maximize Work Income

Choosing high-paying industries is the first step. In Taiwan, electrical and electronics-related industries generally offer higher average salaries than business fields, which in turn pay more than liberal arts. This reflects the profitability of the industry itself. Therefore, selecting the right major gives you an advantage from the moment you graduate.

But don’t stop once you start working. Building good relationships with headhunters, accumulating a solid resume and portfolio, and switching jobs when appropriate are the fastest ways to get a salary increase. While typical annual salary increases are only 3~5%, changing jobs can often yield 10~20% raises, with a much more noticeable effect.

Additionally, making good use of your spare time for side gigs is an efficient way to boost income:

• No professional background: engage in labor-intensive work like delivery or gig platforms
• With professional skills: take on projects via freelancing websites, build a portfolio and network
• With talents: create channels, produce content, or offer online services
• Knowledge of products: earn through purchasing代理 or opening online stores to profit from price differences

All these methods help you quickly accumulate your first pot of gold.

2. Accelerate Investment Income

Investing is another pathway to rapid wealth growth. Through stocks, forex, cryptocurrencies, futures, and other financial instruments, recognizing market patterns can significantly accelerate wealth accumulation beyond what work income can achieve.

Many of these tools are inherently leveraged, allowing investors to make big gains with small capital—this is the secret to fast capital accumulation.

How Do Successful Cases Achieve It?

Case 1: Work + Diversified Side Jobs

A content creator and engineer in North America quickly accumulated assets through multiple channels:

• Stable high salary from primary job
• Running a YouTube channel to attract followers with professional knowledge
• Part-time work on freelancing platforms to expand network
• Utilizing emerging services (like car rentals) to generate passive income

This model’s advantage is risk diversification, multiple income sources, and strong stability.

Case 2: Leveraged Investment + Trading Strategy

The recent surge in stock and cryptocurrency markets over the past two years has produced many “teenage stock gods.” For example, a student from National Taiwan University’s Economics Department used two years to grow 150,000 TWD into over ten million TWD. The key steps were:

Stage 1—Strategy Validation: Use simulated trading to test your trading logic and strategies without risking real money.

Stage 2—Low-Risk Accumulation: Gradually build capital to around 500,000 TWD using warrants and similar products.

Stage 3—Increase Turnover: Switch to day trading strategies to boost profit frequency.

Stage 4—Adjust Strategies: Once assets reach 2–3 million TWD, shift to swing trading for more stable returns.

This approach is applicable not only to stocks but also to cryptocurrencies, forex, commodities, and other markets.

Risks of Making Money Quickly

Leverage: A Double-Edged Sword

Leverage is a tool for quick gains but also the easiest trap for losses.

Suppose you have 100,000 TWD and buy assets worth 1 million TWD using leverage. If the asset price rises by 1%, you earn 10,000 TWD (a 10% return on your capital); if it falls by 1%, you lose 10,000 TWD. The higher the expected return, the greater the risk of loss—that’s the iron law of leveraged investing.

Day trading may seem like a way to increase returns through high turnover, but in practice, many traders unknowingly trade amounts exceeding their own funds. This is essentially another form of leverage, and the risks are equally significant.

Other Risks of Quick Money

• Live streaming, opening stores, content entrepreneurship: may involve large advertising expenses, purchasing popularity, or inventory costs before generating any revenue. This is also leverage. If results fall short of expectations, all investments become sunk costs.

• Investing without a strategy: many losses stem from unverified trading strategies. The moment you press buy or sell is not the decisive factor; the real key lies in data analysis and simulation validation behind your decisions.

• Impulsive mentality: “Good wine needs no bush,” but first, you need good wine. Blindly pouring money into promotion without a competitive product will only attract customers who leave quickly.

Practical Recommendations

Pre-investment Preparation

If you plan to use financial instruments for investing:

1. Fully understand the product—master basic trading rules, risk features, leverage multiples, etc.
2. Test with simulated trading—use virtual funds to identify issues and refine strategies.
3. Start small with real money—avoid large initial investments; get familiar with actual trading conditions.
4. Strictly adhere to your strategy—overcome human weaknesses and avoid changing plans due to short-term fluctuations.
5. Continuously review and optimize—regularly evaluate your strategy’s effectiveness and make adjustments as needed.

The Most Reliable Approach

In reality, quick wealth does not have to be a choice between two extremes. The most effective method is a dual approach:

• Increase income through work and side jobs
• Grow wealth through investments

Walking on two legs will naturally accelerate asset growth. The key is to choose a path aligned with your strengths, verify your strategies thoroughly, and only then commit real capital, always maintaining respect for risks.