This is day five in a series 30 Days to Start. This week we are focusing on the process of getting out of debt.
I have noticed a trend among my frugal living fiends. It's a common theme that I think ties us all together. It is the side hustle.
I think it is because we all realize that clipping coupons, making all your meals from scratch, living without cable and new cars and magazine subscriptions and vacations will only get you to a certain point.
If you want to accelerate your debt payoff you need to increase your income. This is where that extra job comes into place. Or as I call it, the side hustle.
I started my side hustle in 2012. It really is my heart's desire to be at home, but I also wanted a way to earn extra money to pad our emergency fund and pay for extra things.
It came in really handy to have that emergency cash when our car AC went out when Isaac was just two weeks old... in June... on a day when it was 102!
But the notion of more work doesn't sound appealing to many. I say the notion of no money sounds worse.
Here are some side hustle ideas to get you stared:
1. Freelance: I always recommend this because this is what I do a lot of times. I edit, write, handle social media. The best part about this is that there are so many websites you can use for free to begin working by the weekend.
2.Get rid of your junk. I do this ALL THE TIME. I made $155 in one day selling things on Amazon. I also make a pretty good profit on eBay selling old things and I have even flipped thrift store items.
3. Do the things no one else wants to do.People hate cutting grass and cleaning gutters. Hate it! We hate cutting grass, that's why we pay a nice young man to do it for us. See if someone you know needs their house clean. Or if you live in an area that is known for tourism see if there are condos to be cleaned.
It's not glamorous. But neither is being broke.
4. Babysit. Who says you're too old to babysit? I know a TON of women with children my age who keep other people's kids. They do this to earn extra income and it's cheaper than daycare for the family needing the service.
5. Create an online course.Are you a good speaker and do you have a good working knowledge of a skill? Create an online course!
I did this using Udemy and it was so much fun and I've made a little money off of it. I can think of a TON of topics you could make a course on. Cake decorating, sewing, web design, car repair, finance, learning a new language, playing an instrument, public speaking, job interview skills. The list goes on and on.
6. Write and publish an eBook. I did this and I am so glad I did. This has been one of my biggest income sources and a very rewarding experience. And it wasn't as hard as you might think it is. In fact just Google "publishing to Kindle" and you will find a wealth of information.
7. TaskRabbit.This is great if you live in a metro area, TaskRabbit allows you to post your skills and jobs your wiling to do, your rate and the hours you are available and matches you with people who need help. It might be things as small as being hired to mail someone's wedding invites to something large like cleaning an apartment.
8. Tutoring/teaching. Do you have great piano skills? Are you a math whiz? Why not put those skills to work tutoring or teaching someone? You could charge up to $25 an hour!
9. Haul some things.Are you paying off a truck note?? Why not use that truck to haul furniture for a fee, or haul off limbs for people?
10. Find a seasonal gig. Y'all, it's summer. I tried to count the number of places I saw hiring when I was driving to the supermarket yesterday, I lost count. Sure, it's seasonal employment and yeah, the money isn't great. But it's a job, not a career!
Some times it takes a little thought and creativity when developing a side business or active revenue source. But it can be done. I am living, breathing proof that it can be done.
What about you? What side hustle are you working?
