Other than mindlessly rampaging around, you can't do anything in GTA Online without money. You need cash to buy houses, cars, and weapons. So how do you earn money to buy nice things in GTA Online?

You can use real money to buy shark cards in GTA Online, but there are plenty of ways to avoid that and get money through in-game antics. Note, however, that GTA Online is a stiff. If you want a high-rise apartment, you'll be robbing banks and mugging people for quite some time.

When you are just starting out in GTA Online, the best money-making schemes may not be available. Some require an upfront investment of cash, while others are not available until you reach a certain level and purchase a specific type of property.

Contact missions are standard outings that give new players a chance to earn a little cash with regular missions that are separate from other players on the online server. They can be accessed by popping up randomly during play or by looking at the job menu on your in-game phone. You can also earn more cash by teaming up with higher level friends.

Racing and time trials are also good ways to earn money as soon as you start playing GTA Online.

To commit a heist, you need to be rank 12 and own a luxury apartment, which can be a daunting task when just starting out. You can either complete contact missions and races to improve your rank, or join a friend's heist to earn a lot of money. If you are efficient in your heists, you can earn up to $400,000 per hour. Whether you need to save up to buy a luxury condo, heists are the best way to make money in GTA Online.

Rockstar hosts special in-game events that double your money almost every week. Be sure to check out the current promotions on the GTA Online developer's official website, which can also be accessed from within the game.

To do VIP work, you need to set up your organization as a VIP or CEO; to become a CEO, you need to purchase an executive office from Dynasty 8 Executive of properties in Mobile. That costs at least $1 million; there is no initial fee to become a VIP, but you need at least $50,000 in your bank account to register. Go to the SecuroServ menu on your phone, start your organization as either CEO or VIP and select the "VIP Work" option. Then go wild with the available missions.

Whether it be from gunrunning, owning a nightclub, or running a motorcycle club, there are tons of ways to set up a passive income generator where you make money while doing other things.

There are tons of ways to make money in GTA online, so my advice would be to set up a passive business like the one here and do something you enjoy doing with your time, whether it's robbing or some other specific type of mission.