25 Side Hustle Ideas to Pay Off Debt Faster

Your regular job pays the bills, but it might not be enough to aggressively pay off debt. That's where side hustles come in. An extra $500-1,000 per month can cut years off your debt payoff timeline. Here are 25 proven side hustle ideas, organized by category.

Online Side Hustles

1. Freelance Writing

Earnings: $50-200+ per article
Time: Flexible, work from home
Best for: Good writers, people who can research and write quickly
Where to start: Upwork, Fiverr, ProBlogger, Contently

2. Virtual Assistant

Earnings: $15-50/hour
Time: Flexible hours, remote
Best for: Organized people, good at email management, scheduling
Where to start: Upwork, Belay, Time Etc., Zirtual

3. Graphic Design

Earnings: $30-150+ per project
Time: Project-based, flexible
Best for: Creative people with design skills
Where to start: 99designs, Dribbble, Behance, Fiverr

4. Web Development

Earnings: $50-150+ per hour
Time: Project-based or hourly
Best for: Programmers, web developers
Where to start: Toptal, Upwork, Codementor, Freelancer

5. Online Tutoring

Earnings: $20-60+ per hour
Time: Flexible schedule, evenings/weekends
Best for: Teachers, subject matter experts, patient people
Where to start: Wyzant, Tutor.com, Chegg, Preply

6. Social Media Management

Earnings: $500-2,000+ per month per client
Time: Flexible, can be done in spare time
Best for: Social media savvy people, content creators
Where to start: Upwork, Fiverr, local businesses

7. Selling Digital Products

Earnings: Passive income, varies
Time: Create once, sell repeatedly
Best for: People who can create templates, courses, ebooks
Where to start: Etsy, Gumroad, Teachable, Udemy

8. Transcription

Earnings: $15-25 per audio hour
Time: Flexible, work from home
Best for: Fast typers, good listeners
Where to start: Rev, TranscribeMe, GoTranscript

In-Person Side Hustles

9. Rideshare Driving

Earnings: $15-30+ per hour (varies by location)
Time: Flexible, evenings/weekends peak times
Best for: People with reliable cars, good drivers
Where to start: Uber, Lyft

10. Food Delivery

Earnings: $15-25+ per hour
Time: Flexible, meal times busiest
Best for: People with cars or bikes, flexible schedule
Where to start: DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, Instacart

11. Pet Sitting/Dog Walking

Earnings: $20-50+ per visit, $30-100+ per night
Time: Flexible, can work around main job
Best for: Animal lovers, responsible people
Where to start: Rover, Wag, Care.com, local referrals

12. House Sitting

Earnings: Free housing + $50-150+ per day
Time: Flexible, can work remotely while house sitting
Best for: People who can travel, responsible individuals
Where to start: TrustedHousesitters, HouseSitter.com, local referrals

13. Tutoring In-Person

Earnings: $30-80+ per hour
Time: Evenings/weekends, flexible
Best for: Teachers, subject experts, patient people
Where to start: Wyzant, local schools, community centers

14. Yard Work/Landscaping

Earnings: $30-60+ per hour
Time: Weekends, flexible
Best for: Physically fit people, enjoy outdoor work
Where to start: Nextdoor, TaskRabbit, local flyers

15. Handyman Services

Earnings: $40-100+ per hour
Time: Evenings/weekends
Best for: People with repair skills, tools
Where to start: TaskRabbit, Thumbtack, local referrals

Selling & Reselling

16. Sell Unused Items

Earnings: Varies, can be $500-2,000+ from decluttering
Time: One-time effort, then ongoing
Best for: Everyone—we all have unused items
Where to start: Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Poshmark, Mercari

17. Thrift Store Flipping

Earnings: $20-200+ per item flipped
Time: Flexible, sourcing and listing
Best for: People with good eye for value, resellers
Where to start: eBay, Poshmark, Depop, local thrift stores

Renting Assets

18. Rent Out Parking Space

Earnings: $50-300+ per month
Time: Passive after setup
Best for: People with unused parking space
Where to start: SpotHero, Neighbor, local listings

19. Rent Out Storage Space

Earnings: $50-200+ per month
Time: Passive after setup
Best for: People with unused garage, basement, or storage
Where to start: Neighbor, StoreAtMyHouse, local listings

20. Rent Out Equipment

Earnings: $20-100+ per rental
Time: Manage rentals, coordinate pickups
Best for: People with tools, equipment, cameras, etc.
Where to start: Fat Llama, local Facebook groups

Creative & Skilled Services

21. Photography

Earnings: $200-1,000+ per event
Time: Weekends, events
Best for: Photographers, people with good cameras
Where to start: Local events, weddings, real estate, Thumbtack

22. Music Lessons

Earnings: $30-80+ per hour
Time: Evenings/weekends
Best for: Musicians, music teachers
Where to start: Local music stores, community centers, TakeLessons

23. Personal Training

Earnings: $40-100+ per hour
Time: Flexible, early mornings/evenings
Best for: Fit people, certified trainers
Where to start: Local gyms, parks, online training, Thumbtack

24. Cleaning Services

Earnings: $25-50+ per hour
Time: Flexible, can work around main job
Best for: Detail-oriented people, reliable workers
Where to start: TaskRabbit, Thumbtack, local referrals

25. Event Planning/Coordination

Earnings: $500-3,000+ per event
Time: Project-based, flexible
Best for: Organized people, good at coordination
Where to start: Local events, weddings, corporate events, Thumbtack

How to Choose the Right Side Hustle

Consider these factors:

• Your skills: What are you good at? Use existing skills to earn faster
• Your schedule: When can you work? Choose hustles that fit your availability
• Earnings potential: How much can you realistically make per hour?
• Startup costs: Some require equipment or investment—start with low-cost options
• Scalability: Can you increase earnings over time?

Maximizing Side Hustle Earnings for Debt Payoff

1. Track all earnings: Use Comeup.ai to track side hustle income separately
2. Apply directly to debt: Don't let side hustle money get absorbed into spending—send it straight to debt
3. Set goals: Aim for a specific monthly side hustle income target
4. Automate payments: Set up automatic transfers from side hustle earnings to debt
5. Track progress: See how side hustle income accelerates your debt payoff timeline

Using Comeup.ai to Track Side Hustle Income

Comeup.ai helps you maximize your side hustle impact:

• Add side hustle as an income source
• Track earnings and see how it affects Safe Spend
• Model different scenarios: "What if I earn $500/month from side hustles?"
• See how side hustle income accelerates debt payoff
• Get job and side hustle suggestions based on your skills

The Bottom Line

Side hustles can be game-changers for debt payoff. An extra $500-1,000 per month can cut years off your debt timeline. The key is choosing hustles that match your skills and schedule, then applying all earnings directly to debt.

Start with one side hustle. Master it. Then consider adding another. Every extra dollar accelerates your path to debt freedom.