Top Side Hustles to Pay Off Debt

Sarah Edwards | October 19, 2022

Legal Expert
Sarah Edwards, BS

Sarah Edwards is a professional researcher and writer specializing in legal content. An Emerson College alumna, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the prestigious Boston institution.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

When you pay off your debts with your side hustle job^^

Summary: If you feel like you're drowning in debt, SoloSuit created this guide on side hustles to help you know how to pay off your debt and gain financial freedom. Here's how.

If you find yourself in a never ending, hamster wheel cycle of earning money, only to spend it on essentials such as rent, food, and transportation, you may be wondering when you'll ever have enough to pay off your debt.

With housing prices soaring, inflation through the roof, and gas prices at new highs, any extra funds that you may have banked on putting towards your debt could be going to meeting your regular bills.

However, if you have some extra time and the willingness to stick with it, you can earn money to pay off debt through various side hustles. The rise of the gig economy and remote work has led to less traditional outlets that offer a variety of part-time and contract options that can allow you to make money on your own schedule.

In this article, we'll look at the top side hustles that you can use to pay down your debt.

1. Try out freelancing

The chances are that you've gained some skills over time that companies and individuals may appreciate. You can offer yourself as a freelancer through online platforms or to people you know using these skills.

Web platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork allow you to offer your services to anyone who may need them. By simply setting up a profile—which can usually be done within a few minutes—you can advertise your abilities to anyone. Common freelance services include:

Writing and editing
Accounting and bookkeeping services
Graphic design
Video or sound editing
Digital marketing services

While these are just a few examples, there are thousands of ways to earn extra money as a freelancer. Do a little research and think about the skills you have that others may need help with.

2. Offer out a room in your home

If you own your own home and have the space to spare, offering a room to someone willing to rent it can help you earn extra money to pay off debt.

Of course, before doing so, you'll want to make sure that you are comfortable with the individual and wouldn't mind having them in shared spaces, such as your kitchen and den. Like a regular apartment rental agency, you'll want to conduct some type of background and credit check.

For those who'd prefer not to have a regular tenant, you can also consider Airbnb. Airbnb allows owners to rent their entire place or a private room for short periods.

Using Airbnb allows you to put the room up for rent when you like and take it down when you don't wish to have tenants around. You can completely customize the periods when you choose to open the space.

3. Start a blog

Blogging takes time, and the initial time investment that you make probably won't result in significant returns. However, if you put the effort in and regularly blog on subjects that attract an audience, you can increase your chances of earning extra money.

Regular blogging is also a great creative outlet for those who want to improve their writing skills or write about issues they are interested in. Over time, as your blogging gains more views and attracts more people, you'll have opportunities to earn cash through your website.

You could include ads that pay you a certain amount if a visitor clicks on them, and you can also expand your blog to include products or services you charge for. The only limit is your creativity and willingness to put in the time.

4. Teach English through online classes

If you're reading this blog, you're likely a proficient or native English speaker. You can develop the skills to teach English to students who want or need to learn the language.

Millions of children and adults live abroad and want to improve their English skills to gain better access to education and work opportunities. You can sign up to teach English classes online, according to your own schedule.

Most companies that hire English teachers support them to get started in their teaching endeavors. If you've never taught before, this support can be very helpful. There's very little required for those who are ready to get started teaching.

You may need to pass a few screenings and conduct a mock class before getting started. Hallo is a great option for people who want to earn extra money in their spare time by teaching English courses.

5. Sell refurbished furniture

If you're handy and have a good eye for furniture that can be refurbished and sold for a profit, you may consider reconditioning items for sale. Frequently, this works best if you seek out furniture that is being donated or thrown out as part of a move.

Those who know how to sand, apply finishes, and paint furniture may be able to turn what was a dumpy-looking dresser into something someone would appreciate having in their home. Once you've refurbished your pieces, you can offer them for sale online through the Facebook marketplace or sites such as Etsy.

6. Make the most out of your vehicle

If you own a car, truck, or SUV, you may be able to use it for taxi services on your own time. Apps such as Uber and Lyft are regularly seeking drivers in numerous cities and towns across the United States.

Driving for these companies doesn't require a whole lot of effort. Generally, you'll just need to go through a basic background check and vehicle inspection before you can get started.

Commercial driving can be an excellent, non-stressful way to earn extra money on the side during the hours that you are available. If you'd prefer not to cart people from one location to another, there are also services such as UberEats and Instacart that allow you to deliver food or groceries to people's homes.

Have you received a notice that you're being sued for a debt?

Debt can be an especially frustrating experience, and if you find out that you're being sued for an aged account, you may be wondering what to do.

SoloSuit offers a free web app that allows you to respond to a lawsuit by answering several basic questions. Once you've finished, you'll be provided with a PDF document that you can use to file as an Answer within your local court. If you prefer an attorney's review, SoloSuit offers a paid solution as well.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to respond to a debt collection lawsuit.

How it works: SoloSuit is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your answer. Upon completion, you can either print the completed forms and mail in the hard copies to the courts or you can pay SoloSuit to file it for you and to have an attorney review the document.

Respond with SoloSuit

"First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across SoloSuit, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! SoloSuit sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!" – James

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>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate