Tired of those monthly student loan payments already? We understand. College is expensive and those loans will haunt you for years. Don’t despair — whether you make monthly payments or you’re planning to make a lump sum payment, there are ways to generate more money to help. The secret is finding a side hustle, something you can do in your spare time to generate extra income solely dedicated to demolishing your student loan debt. Also, the sooner you start paying, the less you will have to pay interest on.
In this blog post, we’re introducing 5 of the best side hustles for paying off student loans. These gigs are flexible, don’t require any special skills, and can generate hundreds or even thousands of extra dollars each month to throw at your student loan servicer. Ready to speed up repayment and become debt-free sooner? Let’s dive in and find the perfect side hustle for you.
Tutoring Online to Supplement Your Income
Luckily — student loans typically have good loan forgiveness when it comes to time. So you have some wiggle room to work with. However, it’s important to make use of that time by starting a side hustle, such as online tutoring! Tutoring online is a great way to earn some extra money to pay off your student loans. With some schools still running remotely, the demand for online tutors has skyrocketed.
Whether it’s helping elementary kids with math, high schoolers with Spanish, or college students with programming, online tutoring covers a range of topics and age groups.
Getting Started as a Tutor
To get started as a tutor, sign up with an online tutoring platform like Chegg or Wyzant. These sites handle the logistics like payments and scheduling so you can focus on what you do best: teaching. Choose your own hours and rates, which typically range from $15 to $40 an hour for most topics.
Build your profile and specialize
Start highlighting your degrees, certifications, and areas of expertise. The more specific you can be, the higher you can charge. For example, advertise yourself as an “IB Math HL Tutor” or “AP Spanish Language and Culture Specialist.” Even offer a free intro session so students and parents can get to know your teaching style.
Develop engaging lessons
Of course, the important thing when teaching is delivering value to your students. Create visually interesting lessons with lots of examples. Use interactive platforms where you can share documents or presentations. Provide additional resources for students to practice after sessions.
Marketing
Promote your tutoring on websites like NextDoor or Facebook. Offer discounts and promotions to get your first couple of students in the door. Once you have some reviews and referrals, finding more students gets much easier.
With time and dedication, online tutoring can become a lucrative side hustle. The flexibility and convenience it provides are perfect for chipping away at those student loan balances over the long run. While it may not seem like much at first, a couple hours of tutoring a week can make a sizable dent in your student debt each month.
Driving for Uber or Lyft in Your Free Time
Don’t like to teach? If you can’t get enough time behind the wheel, driving for Uber or Lyft in your spare time is an easy way to make some extra cash to put towards your student loan monthly or biweekly payments.
Flexible hours
The best part about driving for Uber or Lyft is, like with online tutoring, you choose your own schedule. Drive whenever you have free time outside of work or school. Weeknights, weekends, holidays, Mondays – it’s completely up to you.
Decent Income
While the amount you’re paid varies based on the type or length of ride and time of day, drivers typically make between $10 to $15 an hour after accounting for gas and other expenses. The more you drive, the more you’re able to make. Put in 10-15 hours a week and you can bring in an extra $200-$500 or more to put towards your loans.
Easy to get started
Both Uber and Lyft have simple application processes to be approved as a driver. As long as you meet the requirements, like having a 4-door vehicle in good condition, a valid license and insurance, and of course a clean driving record, you could get on the road within a week or two of applying.
Driving for a ridesharing service in your spare time is an straightforward side hustle option for anyone looking to make extra money to pay down debt or save money to reach other financial goals. If you have free time and don’t mind driving and meeting new people, it could be an easy, flexible way to make hundreds of dollars each month for your student loans or other expenses.
Selling Your Skills on Fiverr as a Freelancer
Selling your skills as a freelancer on Fiverr is a great side hustle option for paying off your student loans. Fiverr is an online marketplace where people offer various freelance services for $5. While gigs start at $5, you can also charge more for high-value services. The important part is finding what skills and talents you have that others want.
Focus on Your Strengths
Think about what you’re good at and how you can offer that as a service. Are you great with words? Consider offering copywriting or proofreading services. Tech savvy? Provide video editing or graphic design assistance. Crafty? Sell DIY craft kits, personalized poetry, or songwriting.
Build Your Profile and Offerings
Once you’ve chosen your skill — create an eye-catching profile highlighting your skills, experience, education, and passion for the work. Upload samples of your work to give buyers an idea of your abilities. Start with basic gigs for $5 to $10 to get good reviews, then add higher priced packages with advanced services. Provide tiered offerings at different price points so you have something for every budget.
Promote Services
Once your profile is up, market your services to drive traffic and sales. Offer promotions and discounts to new buyers. Engage with Fiverr’s community by commenting on discussion boards and other gigs. Build your reputation by providing high quality work and amazing customer service. request happy clients to leave reviews and ratings to help you rank higher in search results.
Make It a Real Hustle
If you want to generate real income, shoot for at least 10 to 15 gigs a week, depending on what price you have. Track your time to ensure the money is worth your effort. Raise your prices incrementally based on demand and your reviews. Consider offering gigs that provide recurring revenue with ongoing or repeat freelance work. With consistency, providing Fiverr freelance services could earn you an extra $1000 to $1500 a month towards your student loan balance.
Start Paying off Student Loans FREE With EASY Wireless!
Need more help paying student loans? We’re here to help! Starting an online sidle hustle to pay off debt isn’t exactly free. You’re going to need things like a device and a reliable internet.
Luckily — there’s plenty of help for that. Starting with EASY Wireless’ free phone plans. Thanks to government programs like Lifeline & ACP, you could receive everything you need to start a sidle hustle! Such as:
EASY Wireless Unlimited Plan
- FREE Unlimited Data
- FREE Unlimited Talk
- FREE Unlimited Text
- FREE SIM Card Kit and Activation
- Choose to Keep Your Number or Get a New One
To start with EASY Wireless, apply online by clicking the below:
Start Saving Today!
Start Saving Today!
Or you can come to one of the EASY Wireless’s retail stores, where our customer service agent will help you apply for your benefits.
