Hello! Today, I have a great debt payoff story from a reader, Ashlee Binderim. This is how she paid off $162,000 in debt. Enjoy! When you get married, you’re supposed to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after, right? Well, not for us. That “honeymoon phase” came to a screeching halt when…
Hello! Today, I have a great debt payoff story from a reader, Ashlee Binderim. This is how she paid off $162,000 in debt. Enjoy!
When you get married, you’re supposed to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after, right?
Well, not for us. That “honeymoon phase” came to a screeching halt when we quickly realized our financial situation wasn’t ideal (to say the least).
Let me set the stage for you – we were in our early twenties, still going to college full-time, and working part-time jobs when we said “I do”.
We were barely making ends meet and money was really tight.
We knew that we were walking into this marriage with debt, but we didn’t actually know how that would impact our financial future.
My husband was in that sweet spot where his parents made too little money to send him to college but too much money to qualify for financial aid. This resulted in him taking out $150,000 in student loans.
During his time in college his student loans accrued $15,000 in interest. Bringing his grand total to $175,000 in student loans.
I put myself through college and was able to qualify for financial aid and I also received some scholarships but it didn’t cover everything. I took out $11,000 in private loans and $20,000 in student loans. I worked part-time and was able to pay back about $10,000 while in college, leaving $21,000 that I brought into our marriage.
Finally, we decided to purchase a brand new car at $29,000.
Bringing the grand total to: $225,000 in debt.
We were barely old enough to legally drink and had $225,000 in debt.
With an income of less than $3,100 a month starting out, our debt felt like we were chipping away at Mount Everest with a pickaxe.
These loans were holding us back in just about every area of life. We were already paying a mortgage payment for a student loan, so we knew that we couldn’t afford to purchase a house.
We were trying to pay off debt as quickly as possible which meant investing took a backseat.
We had to say no to just about everything that we wanted to do or buy. Especially during the first year of our marriage because we could barely afford to eat.
So, how did we pay off $162,000 in debt in 6 years? I’m going to walk you through year-by-year our income and approximately how much we put towards debt each year.
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How we paid off $162,000 in debt in 6 years
2016 – I made around $25,000 that year and my husband made $35,000. We brought in $3,100 a month – collectively. With rent on a small one bedroom apartment at $1,050 which is the cheapest place that we could find. That left us with $2,050 for the rest of our basic necessities. My husband and I were still in college so we didn’t have a student loan payment yet. We knew that we wanted to pay off debt as quickly as possible so we put all of our extra income (which wasn’t much) towards debt. That first year, we were able to pay off $13,800 in student loans.
2017 – I graduated college and got a full-time job as an Instructional Designer where I made $51,000 a year. My husband worked part-time and attended college full-time. He made about $35,000 a year. Which brought our collective income to $86,000 a year or $5,100 take home a month.
In 2017, we also moved from our apartment to a larger apartment. Well, apartment may not be the right word, it was the converted hayloft of a barn. We had an agreement with our landlord that we would do things around the property, like yard work, maintenance, and other miscellaneous things. This agreement meant that we only paid $760 for rent and utilities.
We had to pause our financial goals for a couple months during 2017 because my husband was experiencing loss of vision which resulted in dozens of doctors appointments and specialists to diagnose a rare medical condition. Luckily, we had insurance with a low deductible so we only had to pay a very small amount out of pocket and any travel expenses.
That year we put $22,100 towards paying off debt and saving to pay off my husband’s student loans.
2018 – My husband graduated college and was hired full-time as a Project Manager for a construction company with a starting salary of $71,000. With my $51,000, we made a combined income of $122,000. After medical insurance, taxes, and retirement our monthly take home was around $7,500.
We refinanced my husband’s student loans from his parents name to his, because that was the verbal agreement that they had upon him entering college.
Quick note from Michelle: Companies, such as Credible, help you to refinance your student loans. With refinancing, the average person can save thousands of dollars on their loan, and that’s incredible! You can save a lot of money with student loan refinancing, such as with Credible, especially if you have high interest federal or private loans.
The best interest rate we could get was 6.5% on $175,000 – which meant that over half of the monthly payment of $1,315 went towards interest. According to our student loan provider, we should’ve been in debt for 15 years but knew that we needed to get out of debt as quickly as possible. After doing the math, we were looking at paying over $135,000 in interest alone over the lifetime of the loans.This would’ve brought the total amount of the loan to $310,000 – which as you can imagine, we weren’t ok with.
So, in 2019 we really buckled down and linked arms to make major changes to our finances and put everything we had towards paying off debt which also meant making some hard decisions.
We put $24,229 extra towards debt in 2018 on top of our monthly payments of $1,315 bringing the total towards debt to $40,009 (but remember, only half of our payment was actually going towards the principal).
2019 – This year we got really serious about paying off debt. We were making the most money that we had ever made and we were honestly really tired of saying no to everything. We knew that it was going to take some hard decisions and we needed to refocus our priorities but we knew that it was going to be worth it in the end.
My husband and I both received a raise and were now making a collective $139,000 a year. Monthly take home was around $7,900.
We cut back much of our spending in many areas including insurances, monthly streaming services, and we made one of the hardest financial decisions – we sold our car back to the dealership.
It was a really humbling experience. The car salesman was pretty surprised that we wanted to sell our brand new car back but in just a couple of hours we paid off $21,393 and walked out of the dealership with a paid for car that ran just fine for $1,500. It didn’t have all the fancy bells and whistles but it drove and meant we were able to achieve our financial goals faster. I still drive this car around today and love it!
Again, we experienced another financial setback due to health issues. I received a diagnosis that required several specialized treatments that our insurance didn’t cover. Despite this setback, we were still able to knock down our debt.
We put $57,820 in debt in 2019 alone (a big portion of that was the car that we sold back to the dealership).
Through our debt journey I learned that I really have a passion for helping other people reach their financial goals and decided to pursue a financial coaching certificate and started to build a financial coaching business.
Because we were paying off debt left and right our credit score dramatically increased and we decided to refinance our student loans for a lower interest rate of 4% but kept our monthly payments the same.
Refinancing for an interest rate just 2% smaller drastically changed how much money was going towards the principle. We went from paying about $600 a month in interest to $250 from a 20 minute phone call with our student loan provider.
2020 – I quit my job in February to pursue working full-time on my financial coaching business – our income took a huge hit as world events hit the U.S. in March of 2020 and I focused on helping people for free during this tumultuous time. Although we didn’t pay off as much debt as we wanted to, I knew I was helping people gain some semblance of security during an unprecedented time and that was worth our financial goals taking a small backseat.
By November we were under $100,000 in debt and for the first time our debt finally felt more tangible and like we were making serious headway in becoming debt free!
That year we brought in $106,000 and our monthly take home was around $6,000. We received several stimulus checks that we also put towards debt which really helped and my husband also received a company car which cut down on our monthly insurance payments and gas budget almost completely.
In 2020, we put about $33,488 towards debt during such an unprecedented time which we were very grateful for making any progress towards our goals because we knew that wasn’t the case for a lot of families out there.
2021 – As of today, our income is around $112,000 with a monthly take home pay of $6,400. Now that we’re in the home stretch – we’re doing everything that we can to pay off the remainder of debt. This year we’ve sold a travel trailer, small fishing boat, extra vehicle, and many other miscellaneous things around the house. I also started a fine art painting business to sell some paintings that I’ve done over the years.
We just refinanced our student loan again to get an all time low interest rate of 2.25% which will save us about $1,500 a year that will go directly to the principal instead of interest!
Literally anything and everything we can do to pay off this debt – we’re doing it!
By the end of this year, we’re looking at approximately $42,000 in debt and we have a goal of becoming debt free by September 2022!
As you can see, there were a lot of things that came up during paying off debt. But I wanted to give you a really clear and honest picture of what our payoff story looked like!
I feel like there’s a lot of stories out there that don’t show you the hard parts of paying off debt – which for us, there were several moments where we felt like we were stalled out and not gaining any forward momentum.
But, each and every month that we put money towards debt we feel just lighter, more secure in our future, and that much closer to hitting our goals. Despite the setbacks, it’s still worth it.
Let’s dive into the three specific things that we did to pay off $162,000 in debt in 6 years and not lose sight of our goals.
1. Get on the same page
This is one of the most important steps that you can take if you’re married or in a committed relationship.
If you’re not on the same page with finances, you’re going to pull in opposite directions and make little progress.
But, when you both agree on working together and in the same direction, you’ll gain momentum faster and also hold each other accountable to achieving your financial goals.
In order to get on the same page, I recommend that you sit down at the beginning of the month to create a budget and have that budget readily available to look at.
Hang it on the fridge if you need to.
This way it’s a constant reminder of what you’re working towards and will keep you moving forward together with momentum.
2. Set priorities
You can’t accomplish everything in a year, so set your top 3 financial priorities that you want to focus on in that given year and only focus on those three things.
For example, let’s say you make $65,000 a year and your priorities are paying off $15,000 in debt, taking a $4,000 vacation, and saving $3,000 in an emergency fund.
You can’t, however, max out your retirement, Roth IRA, take 3 luxurious vacations, save $100,000 for a down payment on a house, and do everything else that I mentioned above.
It’s just not feasible.
Not only that, but you would be setting yourself up for failure because your goals are not realistic and probably would feel very overwhelming and limit you from taking any steps forward.
By focusing on our top three priorities, it helped us to say no to things that didn’t fit into our priorities and kept us on track to hitting our financial goals.
3. Still have fun
As a financial coach, I’ve done a ton of research on human psychology around money. I’ve learned that your brain’s sole job is to keep you safe – to your brain, that means the same.
Because anything different from what you’re doing is scary, uncomfortable, and maybe even a little painful and your brain will do anything to make sure you don’t feel those feelings to keep you safe.
So, let’s say that you have a goal to pay off $50,000 in the next 2 years.
In order to do that, you will likely have to do a couple of things: ask for a raise, cut your spending back, sell things around the house you don’t use anymore, or pick up a side job.
All of these things are outside of your normal routine which means the brain goes on high alert and you might feel stressed out.
When you feel stress over something, your brain will try and keep you from feeling those uncomfortable emotions so it’ll have you focus on something else instead.
When you feel stress, your brain will get you to do something else that brings you happiness or at least procrastinating from the feelings that you’re feeling – like scrolling on social media, binging Netflix, eating that pint of ice cream, etc. Then you feel stress that you didn’t make any forward progress and you rinse and repeat.
Achieving your financial goals doesn’t have to be so difficult when you help your brain understand the benefits to achieving that goal.
To circumnavigate human psychology, it’s important that you still have fun while you’re going after your financial goals. I’m not talking about taking a luxurious vacation every month.
But I am saying that you need to set aside a little money to have fun! This will actually help your brain adapt to new habits and help you achieve that financial goal faster because you’re not fighting against your brain.
It also helps to know that it’s going to be a marathon, not a sprint.
Financial goals, especially large ones, are going to take some time. Unless you win the lotto (that you likely don’t even play), it’s going to take an extended amount of time to accomplish your goals and that’s a good thing!
Long-term financial goals can teach us the importance of patience, delayed gratification, and finding joy in the little things.
This can be translated to everyday life. You learn to say no to the little things because you’re so focused on the long term goal.
Because my husband and I have paid off over $162,000 in debt we know that we can tackle any financial goal that we set for ourselves and we’re actually stronger and a better team because of it!
There are several areas where we saved money that might help you as well –
Car insurance – We were able to lower car insurance by shopping around regularly. If we felt like our car insurance was too expensive or when they raised the prices after a year, we would shop around for a better quote. On average we save $700 a year by shopping around.
Phone bill – We switched from Verizon to PureTalk to cut our phone bill by $120 a month! Now, I only pay $31 a month for the same service.
Sold stuff – We sold many many things over these 6 years. We sold a total of 4 cars, a travel trailer, small fishing boat, furniture, vegetables from our garden, old artwork from college, and many other things that I’m sure I’m forgetting!
Get creative with housing – The housing market is insane right now so I know how hard it can be to find affordable housing. When you think outside the box and find creative solutions you’ll be surprised with how much money you can actually save. You can live in a mother-in-law suite, buy a trailer and rent someone’s backyard to park it on, live in a van, or do a work-trade for discounted housing like we did.
Refinance student loans – A fun fact about student loans is that you can refinance them as much as you want to. We refinanced our student loans 3 times to get a better interest rate and it’s usually pretty painless.
When we first refinanced our student loans the best interest rate that we could get was 6.5% meaning that about $600 a month was only going towards interest and not even touching the principle. When we refinanced our student loan again a year or so later we were able to save about $350 a month!
As you can see our journey in paying off $162,000 in debt wasn’t a clear path.
It had bumps in the road, things came up that we couldn’t foresee and that’s okay. That’s life! But, you shouldn’t let those bumps completely halt your progress.
We never exceeded $140,000 a year in our income and were still able to pay off our debt in half the time. I’m not saying that it’s easy, but it’s possible. We got on the same page, focused on our main priorities and still had fun in the process.
We’ve traveled to Texas, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, and California while paying off debt.
I hope that reading through our journey to paying off $162,000 in debt has been inspiring and given you hope.
If you want to watch our journey to become financially free by September 2022 and pay off $63,000 in debt, you can follow us over on Instagram where we’ll be giving regular updates!
Author bio: Ashlee and her husband started their marriage with over $225,000 in debt. They were both working part time, going to college full time, and barely making ends meet. After years of struggling they finally figured out how to link arms and tackle financial goals together. Current debt payoff: $162,000 to date! Now, she’s a certified financial coach and on a mission to help other couples reach their goals by getting on the same page with their finances so they can set up a secure future. You can find her on her website Beyond Millions as well as on Instagram.
Freelancers are people who own their own business and contract out their services to other business owners or clients. They are considered independent contractors for tax purposes.
According to Upwork’s Freelance Forward Study, there were over 60 million freelancers in America in 2022, representing 39% of the entire U.S. workforce.
As a freelancer, a business may hire you for one-time gigs or you may get a long-term contract job with a company.
These days, the best freelance jobs allow you to work remotely, so you are able to work from home, while traveling, or wherever you have a good internet connection. Occasionally, companies hire you to do on-site work.
But like I said, many freelancers are able to travel full-time or whenever they like, and that’s because you most likely won’t be bound to one place. Many freelancers travel all over the world and work right from their laptop!
The ability to work wherever you like is one of the biggest perks of freelancing. It means you can live the way you want — traveling, working while you’re at home with kids, and more.
Another thing you may like about being a freelancer is that you will most likely be able to create your own hours and have a flexible schedule.
You will still have to keep up with the work the company has contracted you for, but the best freelance jobs allow you to create your own schedule. Because of this flexibility, freelancing can be a great side job if you’re already working full time, going to school, staying at home with kids, etc.
If you are looking for the kind of location and time freedom that comes with freelancing, I’m sharing the best freelance jobs with you today.
Related content:
16 Best Freelance Jobs
1. Virtual assistant
Virtual assistants (VAs) are in high demand.
I know working as a virtual assistant is one of the best freelance jobs from home because I used to be a virtual assistant, and I now have one of my own. I also know many, many people who have virtual assistants.
Not only does the internet allow us to complete more daily tasks online, but more and more people are also working stay-at-home jobs, such as running websites, social media, real estate, advertising, etc. That’s why virtual assistant jobs are one of the most in-demand freelance gigs right now.
As a virtual assistant, you may be helping with social media management, formatting and editing content (such as blog posts or social media posts), scheduling appointments or travel for the person you work for, managing someone’s email inbox, and so on. There are many, many different types of freelance virtual assistant work.
My friend Kayla is a full-time blogger, virtual assistant, and project manager who earns over $10,000 per month while working from home. She is also the founder of $10K VA, a course where she teaches you exactly how to regularly earn $10,000 per month as a virtual assistant!
I interviewed her at How Kayla Earns $10K/Month From Home as a Virtual Assistant, and we talk about:
How much money you can earn as a virtual assistant
How you can find your first virtual assistant freelance gig
How to become a virtual assistant
2. Bookkeeper
A bookkeeper is someone who tracks the finances of a business.
Now, before you skip this one because you think you’re not qualified, you might be surprised to learn that you don’t need to be an accountant, have any previous experience, or even have a college degree. This is a freelance skill that you can learn starting today.
I have an article where you can learn why bookkeeping is one of the best freelance jobs, and it answers questions such as:
What a bookkeeper does
How much a bookkeeper can earn
What’s the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?
How to find a bookkeeping job
Can I become a bookkeeper with no degree? How do I become a virtual bookkeeper with no experience?
You can learn more at Online Bookkeeping Jobs: Learn How To Get Started Today.
If you are interested in finding a freelance bookkeeping job, I recommend signing up for a free workshop all about finding a virtual bookkeeping job. Here, you will learn how to start a freelance bookkeeping business. You can sign up for free here.
3. Freelance writer
A freelance writer is someone who writes for a number of different clients, such as websites, blogs, magazines, advertising, books, and more.
And you can easily work from home as a freelance writer.
I was an online freelance writer for many years, and I enjoyed it a lot. I wrote for a variety of websites and companies, and I earned a great income doing so.
As a freelance writer, you may be writing a blog post, writing content for a company’s sales page, press releases, SEO content for a business (writing content for search engines, such as Google), ebooks, essays, and more.
You may be creating newsletters, a technical writer, a copywriter, a staff writer, a journalist, doing academic writing, writing emails, and more.
You can learn more at 14 Places To Find Freelance Writing Jobs – (Start With No Experience!).
4. Book reviewer
As a freelance book reviewer, you can get paid review books. Now, this may not always be a full-time freelancing gig, but it can be a great part-time option if that’s what you are looking for.
There are websites that will pay you to review books, or you could even start your own book review blog. Each site varies, but you are typically paid cash via PayPal or bank transfer, or you may receive a free book in exchange for your review.
Here are some websites that will pay for you to review books:
Online Book Club – With Online Book Club, the first review you complete is only paid via a free book. After the first book review, you are eligible for paid book review opportunities, plus the books that you review are given to you at no cost. With this website, you can get paid around $5 to $60 for each book review that you submit.
Kirkus – This platform is looking for book reviewers of English and Spanish language books. They need reviews that are about 350 words long, and they are due two weeks after you are assigned to read the book.
Upwork – With Upwork, you would need to create your own profile and make a listing as a book reviewer. This way, clients and authors can find you and hire you directly to read their book and review it. Plus, on Upwork, you can set your own pricing and decide which clients you want to work with.
The US Review of Books – This website uses freelance writers to review books and write reviews that are around 250-300 words long.
Reedsy – Here, you can review hundreds of different books before they are published and earn money at the same time. Authors submit their books to Reedsy, specifically to be reviewed by book reviewers. You then get paid by readers (those who buy a book) as a tip for the review. These tips can be $1, $3, or $5.
Booklist – This website pays for book reviews that are around 150 to 175 words long that describe the plot and suggest an ideal audience. This website pays $15 for each published book review.
Related content: 7 Best Ways To Get Paid To Read Books
5. Transcriptionist
A freelance transcription job is when you turn audio or video content into a text document.
There are many businesses looking for transcriptionists too – since transcriptionists convert audio and video to text for virtually any industry, there are many clients in many different industries.
You may be working for digital marketers, authors, filmmakers, academics, speakers, and conferences of all types.
New transcriptionists can expect to make around $15 an hour to start.
If you’re interested in learning more, read Make Money At Home By Becoming A Transcriptionist. Here, you will learn things such as:
What kind of work a transcriptionist does
The type of training you need to become a transcriptionist
How to find the best freelance jobs for transcriptionists
6. Proofreader
Proofreading is one of the best freelance jobs for good reason!
Proofreading is a flexible and detail-oriented job that only requires a laptop or tablet, an internet connection, and a good eye for finding grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes.
Proofreaders are responsible for putting the finishing touches on written content, from blog posts, web copy, marketing materials, resumes and cover letters to academic articles, legal briefs, and much more.
You can learn more about how to become a proofreader at How To Start A Proofreading Business And Make $4,000+ Monthly.
7. Business consultant
A consultant is someone who helps improve your business, and consultants can focus on many different aspects of your business.
They have an outside view on how to solve challenges and issues that you may be dealing with so that you can improve your revenues and profit, as well as other areas of your business that you are hoping to improve on.
As a business consultant, your salary and income can be quite high. Many consultants earn a six-figure income.
8. Digital marketer
As a freelance digital marketer, your goal would be to help companies improve their reach and find new customers.
This means that you may be helping a company get traffic and/or customers to their website, social media platform, their email list, through search engine optimization, advertising, and more.
Important skills as a freelance digital marketer would be marketing skills, technology skills (because you may be using different platforms in order to improve the company’s reach), and creativity.
9. Translator
If you are fluent in another language, then you may be able to find a freelance translating job where you translate articles, books, text, and more.
Your expertise is important here, and this is probably one of the harder freelance jobs because you need to be fluent in another language, and that can take a long time to learn!
Here are some sites where you can find the best freelance jobs for translators:
Upwork – Freelance professionals can simply create a free profile and apply for translation jobs on this website.
Babelcube – This is a website that sends freelance translation projects to you. You select which books you translate, translate them to one of more than 15 different languages, and partner with published authors.
Guru – Guru is a website that lists freelance writing and translation jobs.
Indeed – Indeed lists translation jobs that they find from job boards, staffing firms, company websites, and more.
Today Translations – This is a website that is looking for translators to freelance for them.
Fiverr – Fiverr is an online marketplace where you can find freelance jobs all over the world. You can list your translation services and have clients find you.
Ulatus – This is a website that provides translation services. Due to that, they frequently hire translators.
10. Voice over actor
A voice over actor is the person you hear but don’t usually see on radio advertising, YouTube videos, explainer videos, corporate narration, documentaries, e-learning courses, audiobooks, commercials, movies, cartoons, and more.
No, you don’t need to be a famous person to become a voice over actor – most aren’t!
This is one of the best freelance jobs because it doesn’t require previous experience or special skills – you just need to have the voice the company is looking for.
And before you think that this isn’t for you – you should give it another change! I actually know a few people who work as voice over actors, and it’s a very interesting and fun field to get into.
If you have questions, such as:
What does a voice over actor do?
How much money can a new voice over actor make?
How can a person find their first freelance voice acting job?
Please head to How To Become A Voice Over Actor And Work From Anywhere to read further.
11. Facebook ads manager
By running Facebook ads for local businesses, you can help small businesses reach new customers.
Facebook is one of the largest advertising spaces that exists, so this is an area that will just continue to grow and be popular. Many, many businesses run Facebook advertising in order to reach new customers, and they use a Facebook ads manager to do so!
If you have questions, such as:
Why small businesses need Facebook advertising to find new customers
How you can find your first Facebook ads client
How much you can make doing this type of work – the average is around $1,000 extra a month per client
You can head to How To Make $1,000 Extra With Facebook Each Month to learn more about why this is one of the best freelance jobs.
12. Scopist
As a scopist, you are editing legal documents for court reporters.
Scopists who are working with a court reporter tend to earn around $30,000 to $45,000 each year working full-time hours.
If you are wondering what a scopist does or more information on how much money they can earn, please head to How To Become A Scopist And Make $40,000 Per Year Working From Home to learn more.
13. Food photographer
You can make money from home by becoming a freelance food photographer, such as for food blogs, magazines, advertising materials, and more.
Bloggers hire freelance photographers to recreate recipes and take pictures of the recipes so that the professional photography can be shared on their blog.
Many food photographers are making $50,000 a year – even over $100,000 each year – working for bloggers.
You can learn more at How To Become a Food Blog Photographer And Earn Over $50,000 Each Year.
14. Social media manager
With a social media management business, you would be managing the social media accounts for a business.
You may be working directly for the business as an employee, or you may be a freelance social media manager and managing several different company’s social media platforms at once.
As a social media manager, you may be managing a company’s TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and so on. You may specialize in one platform (such as TikTok), or you may help a company in more than one area.
Social media marketing is one of the best freelance jobs because it’s a fun and fast-paced industry, and social media is a great great way to bring new customers to a business, and helping a business grow can be very rewarding.
14. Graphic designer
Graphic designers are responsible for creating logos and other visual elements that are used by a business.
This is one of the best freelance jobs if you are artistic or have a background in design. You definitely don’t need a degree to work as a graphic designer because most clients are only concerned about your ability to create the elements they need for their business.
15. Web designer
Working as a web designer is one of the best freelance jobs for people who are both creative and tech savvy.
Web design is similar to graphic design, except that you are creating visual elements that appear on websites and apps. You may be responsible for the overall visual look of a website and choose things like fonts, colors, and images.
You can make in the range of $30 to $80/hour+ working as a freelance web designer.
16. Web developer
This is one of the best paying freelance jobs, and web developers can make in the range of $40 to $100/hour.
You can work as a front-end, back-end, or full-stack developer. You may choose to work with one coding language or multiple, and because more and more people are using the internet and technology, there’s a high demand for web developers.
Years ago, you used to need a degree in computer science to work as a web developer, but now many are self taught or attend months-long coding bootcamp to learn the basics.
Common questions about the best freelance jobs
Here are answers to common questions that you may have about finding the best freelance job.
How much does a beginner freelancer earn?
The amount of money new freelancers make varies because the type of freelance work varies widely, so of course, the pay will vary widely as well.
I have listed some average incomes above, but it can range widely still. This is also because as a freelancer, you can determine your own hours, schedule, the clients and work you do, and more. So, salaries are all over the place.
What is the highest-paying freelance job?
As you gain experience and improve your skills, the above freelance jobs may all have the ability to be high paying. If you stick to one and provide high-quality work, your income potential can be high.
What freelance jobs are most in demand?
The freelance jobs above are all in demand currently, and I believe most of them will continue to grow well into the future.
Which skill is best for freelancing?
The best freelance skill depends on what type of freelance job that you want.
For example, as a virtual assistant, the most basic skills are knowing how to use a computer. Depending on your client’s needs, you may need to know how to manage social media accounts, create slideshow presentations, how to create spreadsheets, and so on.
However, as a proofreader, the basic skills you need are to be able to find spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes.
For the best freelance jobs, other important skills may include:
Good communication
Organizational skills (because you are probably working on your own and need to stay on task and on schedule)
Being reliable (the company or person is paying you to complete your tasks, after all, and to make their life easier)
What is the easiest freelance job?
The easiest freelance job will be the one that you are most interested in and already have skills related to the industry. This is because you will have a little less to learn as you start out.
Can I freelance without experience?
Yes! Everyone has to start somewhere. I started as a freelancer with absolutely no experience, and I simply learned as I went.
You can think about the skills you have and how you can translate them into finding your first freelance gigs. It’s all about marketing yourself.
Then, I recommend looking at platforms like Fiverr or Upwork. You can also reach out to business owners you know and see if you can build referrals that way.
You may find that taking courses will help you a lot if you are starting with no experience. This is because a course will teach you what you need to do, common mistakes to avoid, and anything you may not have thought of.
Below is a list of free freelance job courses and resources that you may be interested in.
Build A Voiceover Action Plan From Scratch Minicourse
Start A Facebook Advertising Business From Scratch
Start Your Virtual Bookkeeping Business
General Transcription Mini-Course
Become a Proofreader 76-Minute Webinar
Court Transcript Proofreading Mini Course
Pinterest Virtual Assistant Training Workshop
Intro to Scoping Mini-Course
5 Steps To Become a Virtual Assistant
You can also learn more at 20 Best Entry Level Work From Home Jobs.
How do I become a freelancer?
There are many other ways to start freelancing, and below is an idea of how to get started. Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But here’s what I recommend:
Ask friends who already have freelance jobs if they recommend what they do. Chances are that you probably know someone who is freelancing, especially in today’s world. If that is the case, see if they know of have any recommendations to get started.
Creating a quick website of your own that details your work experience. Having a website of your own allows companies and employers to find you, and you can also display a sample portfolio so that potential clients can learn more about you. You’ll most likely have to share your website with others so that it can be seen, but this can be an easy way to get the word out there that you have experience in a certain field. Plus, it’s not hard to create. You can learn how to make a website of your own here.
Start an online business of your own. You can start your own freelance business and work remotely as an independent contractor. There are lots of different types of freelance work online, such as writing, editing, graphic design, transcription, web development, virtual assistance, bookkeeping, and more.
Find freelance jobs on a freelance website (more on this below).
Which freelancing website is best?
There are many different freelancing websites that may list freelance jobs that you can apply for. Some of the below also may allow you to post your services so that people and companies can find you.
Fiverr – For freelance jobs, Fiverr.com can be a place to start looking at entry-level freelance jobs.
FlexJobs – FlexJobs has many freelance jobs from virtual assisting, proofreading, writing, bookkeeping, data entry, transcription, and more
Upwork – With Upwork, you can find freelance jobs online for beginners.
Freelance Writers Den – This website has a job board where you can find freelance writing jobs. They post new writing job listings twice a week.
ProBlogger Job Board – This is a job board where you can find various positions, such as (and mainly) freelance writing jobs.
Freelance Writing – This website started in 1997 and they have a job board which lists freelance writing jobs, including those in journalism, copywriting, blogging, and more.
Scribendi – Scribendi is a website that provides editing and proofreading services, which means that they are pretty much always looking for proofreaders.
Freelancer – Freelancer.com posts freelance jobs, similar to how UpWork does.
Scribbr – Scribbr.com is always looking for proofreaders and editors, and they have an application process that tests your language and editing skills. Once you pass that, you will be able to fill out the Scribbr application, join the Scribbr Academy, and more.
Craigslist – By searching available jobs and gigs, you may find local freelance jobs. Local businesses need freelancers too!
Intuit – Intuit (Quickbooks) hires Quickbooks Live Bookkeepers to help small businesses manage their finances. The jobs they offer are typically around 20 to 40 hours each week.
The Best Freelance Jobs – Summary
I hope you enjoyed today’s article on the best freelance jobs.
As you can see, there are many different freelance gigs that you may want to try out. Plus, the list definitely does not end here. There are many, many different types of freelance jobs that exist out there and many people all over the world are freelancers!
After all, there are so many great benefits of being a freelancer. Flexibility, being your own boss, the potential to earn a high pay, and more may be why you want to pursue a freelance job.
The best freelance jobs that we discussed today include:
Virtual assistant
Bookkeeper
Freelance writer
Book reviewer
Transcriptionist
Proofreader
Consultant
Translator
Voice over actor
Facebook ads manager
Scopist
Food photographer
Social media manager
Graphic designer
Web designer
Web developer
Remember, as a freelancer, even if you work from home, you still have a job! So I wanted to share some tips so that you can start a successful freelancing career:
Set working hours for yourself. This means having a start time, lunch break, end time, and so on. You can still have a flexible schedule, but you may want to have at least some kind of idea of what your hours are.
Have a dedicated work area. This may mean a separate office, a desk in your bedroom, or something else. You will want a place where you can keep your work-life organized.
Try to cut out distractions. Working from home can be hard due to the amount of distractions that you may have. Do what you can to cut down on distractions, such as noise, social media, TV, and so on, so that you can have a productive work day and produce high-quality work.
You can learn more at 15 Of My Best Working From Home Tips So You Can Succeed.
You’ve pulled yourself out of debt, are saving a reasonable amount of income for your retirement, have built an emergency fund, and your daily needs are easily met with your income. Congratulations! Now what?
That’s exactly where I was in 2007. I sold my business and generated a huge windfall — over a million dollars. I paid off all my debt. And then I looked around and said, “Oh, crap.”
I had absolutely no idea what to do with my money. Previously, any extra money I’d earned was immediately stuffed back into my business, and I had been running deficits nearly everywhere. This was the first time in my adult life I’d ever had my head above water, financially speaking.
Over the next three months, I proceeded to blow over $50,000. Oh, don’t get me wrong — it was fun! I bought a new car (that I still drive), some really beautiful artwork from artists I loved (that looks great on my walls), and thousands of dollars in clothes, new furniture, and other indulgences, such as $4,000 custom hand-made stereo speakers (that I’m listening to right now.)
It was fun…for a couple months. Then it got boring.
My Spiral Into Depression
Like many lottery winners, I spiraled into depression. The business I had spent six years of my life building was gone. I felt adrift — like I had no purpose. Despite having been “successful”, no one knew who I was. I had marginalized most of my personal relationships in favor of growing my business and working myself to death. And money wasn’t going to buy me out of the situation.
Slowly, I pulled myself out of my depression. I realized I had the opportunity to make myself into anyone I wanted to be. I could do anything I wanted. I had complete freedom. The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying.
I bought a shelf full of self-help books and read them all, relentlessly seeking to answer the many questions I had. Some of them were philosophical, like “What made me successful when so many others have failed?” Some were practical, like “How do I invest my money?” But all of them led back to one deeper question: “What should I do to be happy?” I soon realized the latter question was incorrect. The better question was, “Who should I be to be happy?”
In December 2007, I started blogging. I exposed a significant amount of my business life and thoughts. I wrote about my successes and my mistakes and failures. I enjoyed writing, doing videos, and interacting with my readers. Helping others figure out their purpose, their businesses, and their websites and blogs was a fantastic experience.
Spending With a Purpose
I made a point of trying to achieve greater states of happiness on a daily basis. Instead of being merely content — or even apathetic — with my current state of being, I realized I could be happier daily. And suddenly it hit me: I understood what I wanted to do with my money. I wanted to outsource pretty much everything I hated doing.
In order to live a simpler, calmer, but more effective life, I had to drop the shackles of wanting to do everything myself. To allow time to meditate, think, write, and create, I had to get rid of the drudgery of daily tasks. I realized my money could serve a fantastic dual purpose: To allow others, whose passion is cooking, cleaning, or assisting in various ways to help me — while I supported them by giving them income to do what they loved.
My life fundamentally changed that day. I started hiring people to do everything I didn’t want to do. The first step was to hire a cleaning service. Then I hired a personal assistant to work out of my house, filing papers, doing laundry, and organizing. I hired virtual assistants to do all the menial tasks I hated doing: bookkeeping; video editing; audio editing; even setting up my Facebook fan page. (Lisa, my VA who set up the Facebook page for me, said happily: “I can’t believe I get paid to do this!” And I realized…we’re both lucky.)
My Daily Routine
I wake up in the morning and my VAs have sent me their updates. I am building a business where I create how-to videos for small business owners and bloggers who want to drive more traffic to their sites and get more customers.
I learned meditation, and currently spend about 40 minutes a day relaxing. I also spend a few hours a day doing the parts of my business I love, from creating videos to writing to programming. When I walk down to the kitchen, it’s clean; Elia, my housekeeper, comes in every week to make sure it’s spotless. She spends 2 hours cleaning our kitchen; total cost to me: $30.
My VA in the Philippines edits my videos and does a fantastic job for $3.33/hour.
Whenever I do an interview with another entrepreneur, I send it to another VA in the Philippines, who, for $9/hour, edits it perfectly, getting rid of all the strange pauses and “um”s. I send the edited interview off to a transcriptionist. For less than $30, I get back an excellent transcription, often 12-16 pages long.
Lisa, my VA here in the U.S., has set up an entire website and integrated it with a shopping cart for my customers to order products and access them once they have ordered. She charges $30/hour (my most expensive staff member) and she’s worth every penny.
I treat my staff members well, and they love the fact that they can work from home and get paid great wages ($3/hour in in the Philippines is equal to about a $65,000/year wage here in the U.S.) They are happy — I can see it in their emails and text chat messages.
My partner Richard and I fight less. There’s no scrapping over who will do a certain task. If no one wants to do it, we work together to figure out how to hire someone.
A Disease Opens My Eyes
I was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease. The management of the disease may sound simple, but it’s not: eliminate wheat, oats, barley and rye from your diet. Most restaurants have very few gluten-free items; I’m lucky if I can order one non-salad item from a typical menu. Some restaurants are impossible to eat at; soy sauce, for instance, has wheat in it. I’ve gotten sick from things as odd as bacon, cake frosting, and ranch dressing.
After a few weeks of eating mostly hot dogs and tuna fish, I grew tired of my limited options. I thought about learning to cook, but it wasn’t something that excited me. So we hired a personal chef to cook our meals — one who understands the challenge of cooking gluten-free. We pay her $10/hour, including travel time to deliver the food to us, and she gets a fun side job.
In a randomly-chosen week before I hired a personal chef, I ate out four times and went to the grocery store twice. I spent a total of $179.91 on restaurants and groceries. Last week, I spent $215.49, including groceries, for eating out and paying my personal chef. My “eating out” expenses dropped from $86.14 to just $32.28 — over 60% less! My total spent was $35.58 more, but to me, that’s a small price to pay for gourmet food of my choice delivered to my door. Another remarkable and unexpected side effect was that I no longer have an urge to go out and spend money at fancy restaurants — I simply ask my chef to make what I want and deliver it to me.
It has been more than two years since I sold my business, and I am happier than I have ever been. I made different choices than most: We rent a house instead of owning (a savings of nearly $4,000/month in our neighborhood — more than our monthly rent payment!); we only have basic cable; we don’t have a landline, credit card debt, car payments, or student loans.
I chose, instead of buying more Stuff, to live a more fulfilled life. For me, even more important than holding onto my money tightly was to learn to let it go — to give it to others in exchange for work well done, and to trust that they could do tasks well. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Welcome to NerdWallet’s Smart Money podcast, where we answer your real-world money questions.
This week’s episode starts with a discussion about new scams, including Google Voice and AI scams.
Then we pivot to this week’s money question from Jaime, who left us a voicemail:
“Hi, Nerds. Wanted to call in and ask a question. I’m looking for just an opportunity to supplement my income, and I came across one opportunity that’s called tradelines, and I was wanting your advice, your opinion, on tradelines, if it’s something worth doing. From my understanding, tradelines is when you sell your authorized user accounts on your credit card to people who need to boost their credit, for a certain amount of money a month. So, I thought it may be a good way to supplement my income, as well as that I do have a 815 credit score, and so, I was curious as to your guys’ opinion on the matter. So, thank you for answering it. Have a great day.”
Check out this episode on either of these platforms:
Episode transcript
Sean Pyles: Your credit report can help you borrow money, but what if you could use your credit report to earn money? Would you do it even if it was a little sketchy?
Liz Weston: Welcome to NerdWallet’s Smart Money podcast, where you send us your money questions and we answer them with the help of our genius Nerds. I’m Liz Weston.
Sean Pyles: And I’m Sean Pyles. Listener, I have a question for you. What are you thinking about — money-wise, I mean? Are you wondering how to buy a house in a still expensive market, or do you want to get serious about saving for retirement but aren’t sure how?
Liz Weston: Whatever your money question, the Nerds have your back. You can leave us a voicemail or text us on the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373. That’s 901-730-NERD. You can also email us at [email protected].
Sean Pyles: This episode, Liz, Sara and I answer a listener’s question about making money from your credit report. But first, in our This Week in Your Money segment, Liz and I are talking about the scams you need to watch out for now.
Liz Weston: Yes, because scammers work hard, but the Nerds work harder. So, we’re going to give you the scoop on how fraudsters are attempting to strip you and your loved ones of your money and your personal information.
Sean Pyles: Indeed. So, Liz, what scams should our listeners be aware of?
Liz Weston: OK. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, the top scam in 2022 was the Google Voice scam. And how it works is typically somebody will contact you on social media in response to a post, whether you’re selling something, trying to find a lost pet, something like that. But then the person will say they’re concerned about scammers, so they want you to confirm your identity through a text. You then get a text with a Google Voice verification code. And if you give it to them, poof, you’ve been scammed.
Sean Pyles: OK. So, you have been scammed through a text code. What’s going on there?
Liz Weston: When you give the scammer that verification code, they’re able to create a Google Voice account that’s connected to your phone number. The scammer can then use that voice account to scam other people or even get more information about you to try to get into your accounts.
Sean Pyles: Yikes.
Liz Weston: So, the bottom line is, yes, yikes is right. Don’t give strangers any verification code that you get through text. If it’s dealing with your bank accounts, your financial accounts, Google Voice, whatever it is, if the text comes through and a stranger wants it, ignore them.
Sean Pyles: And maybe avoid giving internet randos your phone number in general.
Liz Weston: Yeah, that’s a good idea.
Sean Pyles: Whenever I’m communicating with folks on apps, whether I’m trying to buy or sell something, I like to keep communication within that app. When someone’s trying to get you to communicate on a different platform, that to me is a red flag that they’re up to no good.
Liz Weston: Oh, yeah, that’s a really good point. And Sean, that wasn’t the only scary scam we learned about recently. Can you talk about artificial intelligence scams?
Sean Pyles: Yes. Artificial intelligence is being used by scammers now in a terrifying way. There is a growing number of AI voice spoofing scams, and here’s how it works. You might get a call from a sibling, a parent, friend, and they’re absolutely hysterical. They’ll be sobbing and saying that they’ve been kidnapped and they need you to wire money to them ASAP to free them. And of course, you want to do that because you want to free your loved one, but the truth is that they were never in danger. That wasn’t even your loved one calling you. It was a scammer using an AI-generated version of their voice and potentially a call spoofer to make it look like they were calling you directly.
Liz Weston: Oh, my God, that’s horrifying.
Sean Pyles: Yes. And what’s really scary is that in general, across the board, AI is developing faster than we can keep track of, and scammers are taking advantage of that. They’re using the content that you post online, things like videos on TikTok or audio that you’re recording on a podcast, for example, and they’re able to make a model of your voice, inflection and all. So, the example that I just gave shows how AI is being used in what’s called imposter scams, but AI is also being used in other types of scams, too.
Liz Weston: I’m having a moment here, Sean, it’s like, how much of our voice is out there, yours and mine?
Sean Pyles: A tremendous amount. Actually, I hope that no scammers are listening to this because it would be very easy for them to use our voice to do exactly what I just described there.
But there are some ways that we can protect ourselves, Liz, and anyone else listening. So, for AI voice spoofing, imposter scams specifically, one suggestion that sounds awfully dystopian and it kind of is, is that you need to make a safe word or phrase for yourself and your loved ones. This is a word or phrase that in an emergency your loved one could tell you or you could tell a loved one to confirm that it’s actually them and not a scammer calling. Ideally, this would be a few words that you can use in a conversation that wouldn’t be super obvious.
You might say something along the lines of, “Oh, my wallet is on the dresser.” Instead of saying like, “Banana, banana, banana.” That might throw people off and sound a little bit awkward on a phone call. But in general, folks should know that scammers are always going to be leveraging new technologies to rip you off, so it’s important to stay up to date on the latest scams.
Liz Weston: And I just want to drop in: We actually came up with a safe phrase when my daughter was a teenager and she wanted to leave a party or leave a friend’s house without alerting them that there was a problem. So, this isn’t something that’s way out of line. I think a lot of families do this anyway, but it’s something to talk about and make sure everybody remembers what that phrase is so that you can use it in case of emergency.
Sean Pyles: Absolutely. And now I want to zoom out a little bit and discuss the underlying technique that many scammers use to take advantage of you. This is something called social engineering. And it is essentially scammers attempting to manipulate you through social interactions. This can happen many different ways. It could be someone posing as your boss sending you a text message where they urgently need you to go buy them a bunch of gift cards. Or it could be that stranger messaging you online trying to get you to give a Google Voice verification code, like Liz mentioned earlier. The goal of the scammer is to manipulate your emotions through social interactions, to earn your trust or create a sense of panic that makes you reveal your personal information or send them money.
Liz Weston: And that sense of panic or that sense of urgency is key to the scam. So, anytime somebody is pushing you, pushing your buttons, trying to make you do something quickly, that’s a good time to step back or try to step back and take a breath and go, “Hey, this might be a problem.” And of course, if gift cards are involved, you know it’s a scam.
Sean Pyles: Yes.
Liz Weston: So, Sean, what can we do?
Sean Pyles: All right. I think folks should recognize that everyone is vulnerable to this. And that even you, our smart, savvy listener, could potentially fall victim to some social engineering. But owning your susceptibility and knowing how scammers will try to dupe you, can help you spot a scam before you give someone your personal information or money or both.
Liz Weston: And if you’re looking for a resource to help educate you about scams, I recommend AARP’s Fraud Watch. You don’t actually have to be retired to take advantage of this, but they do a really good job of keeping track of scams that are on the rise and educating you about your options. Also, if you are the victim of a scam, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission and the Identity Theft Resource Center.
All right, now let’s get onto this episode’s money question.
Sean Pyles: Sounds good. This episode’s money question comes from Jaime, who left us a voicemail. Here it is.
Jaime: Hi, Nerds. Wanted to call in and ask a question. I’m looking for just an opportunity to supplement my income, and I came across one opportunity that’s called tradelines, and I was wanting your advice, your opinion, on tradelines, if it’s something worth doing. From my understanding, tradelines is when you sell your authorized user accounts on your credit card to people who need to boost their credit, for a certain amount of money a month. So, I thought it may be a good way to supplement my income, as well as that I do have a 815 credit score, and so, I was curious as to your guys’ opinion on the matter. So, thank you for answering it. Have a great day.
Liz Weston: To help us answer Jaime’s question on this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by our dear Smart Money pal and regular host of the show, Sara Rathner. Hey, Sara.
Sara Rathner: Hey, everybody. Glad to be here.
Sean Pyles: Great to chat with you, Sara. So, the practice of selling authorized user slots on your credit cards to strangers is not new, but it is sketchy for a number of reasons.
Liz Weston: Yeah. First, we should back up and explain what an authorized user slot actually is. It’s basically the place where you add an authorized user, which is typically someone who you’ve added to your credit card who’s allowed to use your account to make charges but who isn’t responsible for making payments.
Sara Rathner: Becoming an authorized user on somebody else’s account can help your credit, assuming that primary user — that’s the person who holds the account originally — is responsible in their use of the card. And it’s a fairly common practice among people who actually know each other.
You see this a lot with parents and their children. Parents will add children as authorized users on their accounts until the child is old enough to get their own credit card account. That’s usually between the ages of 18 and 21. You might also add a relative or a close friend to your credit card this way, both to give them access to the card if they need it, and you have that agreement, and also to help them build credit.
And credit card issuers and credit scoring companies are basically cool with this. This is a feature that’s built into cards. And you can always opt to not give the authorized user an actual card. So, they are added to your account, but they don’t have a physical card with which to make any purchases. So, you’re building their credit without letting them spend your money.
Sean Pyles: And what’s most relevant to our listener’s question is that some companies have decided to turn this into a business. They sign up folks who are willing to rent out their authorized user slots and charge people who are trying to build their credit.
Sara Rathner: Right. And the thing is, the companies that do this typically keep the vast majority of the “rent.” They could charge up to $1,000 for one of your authorized user slots, but you only get $50 to $300, and they pocket the rest. But you have to do the work of contacting your issuer, adding the person as an authorized user, and then removing them when the rental period is done. And you can add an authorized user online pretty easily for the most part, but you may have to call and wait on hold to remove them. So, now we’re talking about a fairly decent amount of your time and effort for $50 to $300. Not great.
Tradeline sellers promise their users don’t get access to your credit card information and won’t make purchases, but you’re going to want to keep an eye on your transactions to make sure. And credit card issuers, even though they allow for authorized users, they’re not fans of this, obviously. If your issuer figures out what you’re doing, they could close your account, and that could hurt your credit score.
Sean Pyles: And again, you have a stranger attached to your tradeline, which just feels weird and gross to me.
Sara Rathner: Yeah, honestly, I wouldn’t even want most people I know to be attached to my tradeline, let alone complete strangers. No offense to literally everyone I know, but no, don’t touch my money.
Sean Pyles: There are also some ethical concerns around selling your tradelines. First, you are perpetuating and profiting off a system that makes people who are in a vulnerable position pay for access to better credit, at least on a short-term basis. Meanwhile, the person renting your tradeline may not be getting a long-term solution to their credit woes because after they are done renting your tradeline, that account comes off their credit reports and their credit could go right back to where it was originally. And then there are also the ethics of potentially violating the terms of your agreement with your credit card issuer.
Sara Rathner: Yeah. Tradeline sellers like to tout themselves as providing more equitable access to credit, which is complete bollocks, essentially. Can I say that word on this podcast? I know we’re a clean podcast, but I was trying to think of alternatives to the word I have in my mind. So, listeners, just envision what you think I was about to say and you’re probably right. There’s nothing equitable about charging a person $1,000 to build their credit, point blank. That is absolute nonsense. Another nice way to put that.
You can improve your credit score over time without buying a tradeline from a stranger. It’s not necessarily going to be free, I will get into that, but it’ll be a significantly lower cost, and you can often get that money back.
So, let me explain how. One way is to utilize what’s called a secured credit card. That’s a credit card where there’s typically no credit check required. You don’t have to have an established credit history. You could have bad credit as well. You put down a cash deposit, oftentimes it’s around $200, but there are some cards that have lower deposits. And if you have the money and you require a higher credit limit, then you can also put down more.
That cash deposit becomes your credit limit. That’s the amount that you can charge every billing cycle on your card. And then you use your card carefully and responsibly for a couple of months. Don’t charge more than maybe 30% of that total credit limit. Put one recurring charge on there, like a streaming service or your cell phone bill or something like that. Pay it off on time in full every month. And you’ll start to see within several months, you’re beginning to establish that credit history.
And when you reach a point where you’re ready to graduate to a more traditional unsecured credit card that doesn’t require that security deposit, you’ll actually get that money back. So, you’re essentially just fronting the money for yourself, rather than paying this separate entity money that you’ll never get back to supposedly build your credit.
Another option is something called a credit builder loan — that’s essentially a really small personal loan that you do pay interest on — and then you make regular payments, and then the loan is paid off. You do have to make interest payments on this. But it is, again, a more legitimate way to build your credit. So, that’s option two.
Option three is being added as an authorized user of a card held by somebody you actually know personally, a friend or a family member that you trust. So, those are three other options for you that will not cost you this outsized amount of money.
Sean Pyles: Yeah. And the impact of using a secured credit card or a credit builder loan will remain on your credit profile for years to come, unlike simply renting the tradeline, where it is again gone after you’re done paying for it.
Well, now let’s get to another part of our listener’s question, which was really just about how to supplement your income. And there are lots of ways to do it that are not as sketchy as the tradeline option that we have just gone deep into. Sara, I’m wondering if you have any thoughts about this or if you have had any success maybe working on a side hustle and supplementing your income in the past?
Sara Rathner: Yeah. I mean, so listen, here’s the thing, it’s really hard to make money for nothing. So, oftentimes, the most sustainable side hustles that can be the most lucrative actually utilize a skill that you already have. I am a writer. I have worked as a freelancer, so that’s been my side hustle. I even got into ghostwriting. And I got into ghostwriting for financial planners, which was how I learned so much about personal finance. That’s how I got my start. And so, if you have a skill that is something you can monetize, preferably not something that’s like a fun hobby, because when you monetize a hobby, it becomes a real drag.
But if it’s just a skill that you have, maybe you are good at home repairs and you can do little home repair jobs for friends and neighbors, dog walking, cat sitting, obviously, babysitting. There are lots of things that you can do that you can charge money for. So, start doing that. I mean, even helping friends clean out their basement and then charging them by the hour for that. If you’re a really organized person, that’s a great way to make money.
Sean Pyles: Yeah. I will say I’m wary of any sort of side hustle that markets itself as first and foremost being easy, because there’s usually some kind of catch, like they’re just a straight-up scam or a little weird, like you’re selling photos of your feet or something on the internet. So, some people are totally fine with that, that’s up to them. But you have to think about the trade-off. If something is easy, you’ll be doing something else a little bit different elsewhere.
And like you said, Sara, there are a lot of videos that I see in my TikTok feed that are like, oh, if you are a painter or if you’re into photography, you can just monetize that and set up an Etsy shop.
But when you turn your creative outlet into a source of income, it can really suck all the joy from it. So, even if that is a skill and it’s something you like to spend your time on — it’s nice to have some things that aren’t about making money and to have it be distinctly your own personal hobby. So, I would caution against trying to make money off of that if you have such a creative hobby.
Sara Rathner: Yeah. And sometimes creative hobbies like crafting, photography, things like that, there’s a fair amount of investment at the outset of buying equipment and materials that you need. So, it takes a long time to become a profitable professional photographer, for example. If you’re looking for a quick way to make money from a side hustle, you want to think about the initial investment. For me, side hustling as a writer meant using the laptop I already owned. So, that wasn’t too high of a lift for me. But if I decided to sell hand-knit sweaters on Etsy, then I would have to invest in the equipment, the yarn, which is expensive. And also, the time building up inventory and then selling it online. And probably, paying fees to whatever site I was using to make those sales. So, that’s what you want to think.
You want to think about that cost-benefit analysis of that side hustle, how much do you have to buy in to get started? Which brings us to another thing, multilevel marketing schemes. You know when you have to buy $10,000 worth of ugly leggings to keep in your garage, and then you try to sell them to all your neighbors, and all of your neighbors secretly hate you and talk about you behind your back? Don’t do that. We don’t like it. We’re not going to buy your ugly leggings.
Sean Pyles: And I have some other considerations for our listener or anyone else that’s really interested in supplementing their income, maybe starting a side hustle. And I think that’s important for them to determine if there’s a specific amount of money they want to earn monthly. Knowing that could help them narrow down their options in terms of what sort of side hustle they want to focus on. I’m just wondering, also, what’s driving their push for this. Is there some sort of budget shortfall that they have, too? And if so, could they maybe make up for that by cutting expenses?
But in terms of other side hustles, there are a few other parameters to think about besides how much they might want to earn monthly, like how much time do they want to spend on a side gig, how much effort do they really want to exert? These are things that come to mind for me because I’m someone who has done some side work in the past, and I kind of resented it. Because when I’m not working my 9-to-5 job, I want to have that time for myself. And having to then pick up another job after I’ve worked all day long, it just isn’t appealing for me personally. So I think it’s important for anyone who’s getting into this to just know what they do and don’t want to do around a side hustle.
Sara Rathner: That is absolutely valid. When I was doing the side hustle on top of a full-time job thing, I mean my life outside of work really took a hit. It was a substantial amount of time. And I was at a point in my life where I could dedicate the time to do it, but you get real tired. I mean, I’m not going to lie. So, that’s something to think about, how much additional working hours per week are you going to be adding on your plate? And if it’s the kind of thing where you tutor two kids for two hours a week, maybe that feels sustainable for you on top of your normal full-time job. But if you’re talking about an extra 10 to 20 hours a week of work or more, I mean that’s like taking on another full-time job, and everything else in your life is going to suffer.
Liz Weston: Well, speaking of jobs, you might have the opportunity to, if you do hourly work, you may be able to volunteer for another shift, or work more hours, or simply put more effort into getting a promotion at work so you can earn more money. Sometimes that’s a much more efficient way to go about increasing your income than picking up a side hustle.
Sara Rathner: Yeah. Or even job hunting and negotiating a higher salary in a new position, too.
Liz Weston: There you go.
Sean Pyles: I think there are some creative ways where you can get some, maybe, extra benefit from a side job that you pick up. One thing that I’ve considered in the past is actually picking up a part-time job at my local nursery, maybe working one day a week for a few hours. And as someone who’s really into gardening, if I could get a discount on their plants in addition to making a little bit more money, and getting to know more about these plants, and connect with people who are really into gardening in my community, that has a lot of benefits for me. And it would make the time I would spend working worth it if I were to do that.
Liz Weston: Oh, you’re reminding me. A friend of mine picked up a job with an airline largely for the travel benefits. So, she works I think about 20 hours a week. She has a lot of flexibility, and she can fly either for free or — get this — pay 60 bucks and go first class.
Sean Pyles: That’s pretty sweet.
Liz Weston: I would shift some luggage for that. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
Sean Pyles: That also raises the idea again of what are you getting besides the money from a side gig, that there are so many other things to weigh beyond just the time that you spend. How can you really make any sort of side gig worth it for you truly?
Sara Rathner: Yeah. And then you talk about supplementing your income, what are you going to do with that money? What’s your plan? Maybe you have some debts you need to pay off. Or if you’re bringing in an extra $100, $200 a month, is that money going into your debt, or is it easy to just justify spending more because you have a little extra money in your pocket? So, what has to come after all that extra work is the discipline to actually apply that money into a specific goal or a specific problem you’re trying to solve in your life with that extra money. So, definitely be really diligent about, “OK, this is how much extra money I’m earning every month. I’m putting it right into my credit card debt. I’m putting it right into my student loan. I’m putting it right into this savings goal that I have or an investing goal that I have. And I’m not just putting it into my checking account and then spending more money.”
Sean Pyles: All right. Well, Sara, thank you for talking with us.
Sara Rathner: Thanks for having me.
Sean Pyles: And with that, let’s get on to our takeaway tips, and I will start us off. Be skeptical of anyone promising “easy money.” Tradeline sellers make most of the profit and take none of the risk of adding strangers to your credit card’s authorized user slots.
Liz Weston: Next, beware of sacrificing your good credit for profit. If your credit card issuer shuts down your accounts, that could hurt your credit scores.
Sean Pyles: Finally, consider other options. There are many other side hustles that can supplement your income that are 100% aboveboard.
Liz Weston: And that’s all we have for this episode. Do you have a money question of your own? Turn to the Nerds and call or text us your questions at 901-730-6373. That’s 901-730-NERD. You can also email us at [email protected]. And visit nerdwallet.com/podcast for more information on this episode. Remember to follow, rate and review us wherever you’re getting this podcast.
Sean Pyles: And here’s our brief disclaimer. We are not financial or investment advisors. This nerdy info is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes and may not apply to your specific circumstances.
Liz Weston: This episode was produced by Sean Pyles and myself with the help of Tess Vigeland. Kaely Monahan mixed our audio. And a big thank-you to the thoughtful folks on the NerdWallet copy desk for all their help.
And with that said, until next time, turn to the Nerds.
The Dave app is a personal finance service including a bank account with no fees for overdrafts. It doesn’t require a minimum balance, and users can access a short-term $500 advance if necessary.
Users can withdraw from ATMs, and the app sends updates on side-hustle opportunities. It provides notifications to help users manage their money sensibly.
Life has a habit of throwing curveballs, and if you’re like most of us, you’ve found yourself with unexpected expenses when your bank account is running low, putting you in danger of overdraft fees.
Cash advances can be your lifeline in the last week or so before your pay comes in. But many payday lenders charge interest that pulls you deeper into debt.
Dave claims to provide the advance you need until your next paycheck is paid without exorbitant fees. At present, around millions of people are registered with Dave..
Here’s our Dave app review.
What’s Ahead:
What is Dave app?
Three friends were dissatisfied with certain aspects of traditional banking, especially overdraft fees, due to difficulty monitoring monthly expenses and their remaining bank balance.
Backed by celebrity investor Mark Cuban, they developed the Dave cash app as a “David vs. Goliath” solution for the majority of Americans to avoid overdraft fees and exorbitant payday loans.
With Americans paying as much as $12.4 billion in overdraft fees in 2020, such an innovation addressed a real consumer pain point.
Dave app is an entirely mobile platform available for iPhones running iOS (download from Apple App Store) and Android phones (download from Google Play Store). It isn’t available on computers.
Get Dave app here.
Pros and cons
Pros
No credit check to qualify
ExtraCash™ advances up to $500
Easy sign-upprocess and instant access to advances
No overdraft fee (settlement cheaper than overdraft fees)
No low balance fees
Potentially low fee/zero-fee way of borrowing money
Very useful for occasional emergency expenses
Early direct deposit funds
Round-the-clock support from trained financial professionals
Dave Spending Account and Dave Debit Card may not be used for internet gambling
Cons
Problems with transfers or deposits into your account can result in it becoming overdrawn (this must be rectified within 60 calendar days)
$1/month Dave membership fee (although compared to most monthly fees, this is low).
Tips are optional, however they are effectively interest on the advance if you choose to leave a tip
Instant access to cash advances in your Dave account or another account requires you to pay express fees
Dave requires bank account access (if you use it in addition to your existing bank account) You must share your Social Security number or Tax Identification Number
Using Dave may encourage people to borrow money against future earnings rather than accumulating emergency savings
Short repayment terms
How the Dave app works
The Dave app is a fully mobile interface for banking products provided by the financial institution Evolve Bank & Trust, partnering with Dave Inc.
It has two main products: a spending account and Extra Cash. The spending account functions as a checking account and you can get your direct deposit up to two days early if you choose to have your direct deposit sent there.
ExtraCash allows you to get an advance of up to $500 that is paid back automatically on your next payday. For a small fee, you can spend it out of your spending account with your Dave debit card or transfer it to another checking account for free.
Learn more at the Dave app website.
The Dave account: Setting up a bank account
Download the Dave App and link your bank account to determine whether you qualify for an ExtraCash advance.
Dave spending account
This account is Dave’s primary product. Calling it a spending account emphasizes that it is similar to a checking account, without checking. Evolve charges no overdraft fee or low-balance fees.
You can use this account alone or with a linked bank account. The linked account may be a checking account or another type of bank account, such as a savings account.
The Dave Debit Card, backed by Mastercard®, is linked with this account, and you can make debit card purchases with it like with any other debit card and withdraw from MoneyPass® ATMs.
You can use your Dave Debit Card in Canada, Mexico, and the UK to pay or withdraw cash from ATMs; foreign transaction fees apply for both uses as specified in the deposit account agreement.
The app provides you with a Virtual Dave Debit Card on your phone.
The Dave Rewards program, linked to the Dave Debit Card, offers cashback opportunities for spending ExtraCash advances via this card.
Learn more at the Dave app website.
Set up an ExtraCash account
Within the Dave app, will answer some verification questions and then you can set up an ExtraCash Account.
Qualification requirements for an ExtraCash advance
Dave uses a proprietary underwriting model to analyze your bank account for markers of financial health so as not to plunge you into a worse financial position.
This model determines your monthly income, account balance, and typical spending habits and uses this information to decide whether or not you qualify for a advance and how much. It does not do a credit check with the credit bureaus.
Your bank account must be at least 60 days old, have a minimum of three recurring deposits, and monthly deposits must total at least $1,000.
You must also verify your identity.
You may use the money for rent, gas, buying a Black Friday special, attending a friend’s wedding, and other personal and household expenses that can’t wait till the next payday.
However, you may not cover business or educational expenses with this money.
Does Dave app give you money instantly?
When requesting a advance from Dave’s ExtraCash account, you can elect to send money to any account you wish at no charge (but a two to three business day period to clear), or you can access funds instantly.
With express delivery, you can send it to your Dave Account, where it is available within minutes, or to an external bank account and external debit card, within an hour.
However, this instant access to cash requires you to pay an express fee that depends on the amount of the transfer money, with transfers to external bank accounts costing more than those to a Dave Spending Account.
How much eoes Dave let you advance?
The service has gradually increased the advance amount. Although a maximum of $75 is often quoted online, this amount is outdated, and the current maximum advance Dave offers is $500.
The average cash advance offered as of October 10, 2022, was $120. Eligibility on your account resets at midnight.
Learn more at the Dave app website.
How long do you have to pay Dave back?
When you take an advance, your ExtraCash Account balance goes into the negative; the agreement between you and Dave is that you will return the balance in this account to $0 (settle the account).
If you have a fixed pay period, you will be required to settle on your paydays; should you have no fixed pay period, you must usually settle on the nearest Friday after you take the advance. Users who cannot settle at these times incur no late fees for settling later; the platform may take partial payments to cover the amount advanced.
Once your settlement has reflected, bringing the balance back to $0, you could beeligible for another advance. You can have a positive balance in your ExtraCash account, up to a maximum of $500.
How much must you pay back to Dave?
On your settlement date, or as soon as possible afterward, you must repay the advance, any express fee for immediate access to cash, and a tip (the app defaults to 10%; you can set it to anything between 0% and 25%).
This tip allows you to reward Dave for helping you while remaining in control of your expenses. A portion of your tip goes to Feeding America, which feeds the hungry via a network of community food banks.
In addition, Dave charges a monthly fee of $1. As a result, these are not entirely free advances, but they are still more affordable advances than traditional payday loans.
Dave app features
The app has several useful features for savers. Let’s take a look.
Insights
Insights provide automatic account monitoring that analyzes your paycheck or wages, monthly debits for rent, utilities, and other services, and your monthly average spend on things like gas and food.
You can also manually add expenses to the tool. The budgeting tools let you view your budget and see how much you can still spend before your next paycheck is paid into your savings account.
Dave’s notification services can send you a warning text if a bill could put you in danger of an overdraft fee.
Learn more at the Dave app website.
Side hustle
If you regularly find yourself anxiously waiting for the next payday to come, why not take on a side job to earn a bit more money?
Dave has partnered with scores of partner businesses that offer flexible, local jobs in your area through Dave’s Side Hustle feature. You can also fill out Dave Surveys and get paid for each survey completed.
Early direct deposit
Depending on your employer’s specific payroll policies, Dave may be able to get you access to your paycheck up to two days early via an early direct deposit.
Dave app fees
For a $1 monthly membership fee, Dave analyzes your spending patterns to predict whether you’re in danger of becoming overdrawn and avoid an overdraft fee by giving you a advance of up to $5o0.
The app itself has no minimum balance requirement, late fees, or overdraft fees (although it is possible for your account to become overdrawn).
You can withdraw money at 37 thousand MoneyPass ATMs nationwide, with no ATM fees. When repaying advances (a process referred to by Dave as settlement), you are encouraged to leave a tip (between 1% and 25% of the advance amount).
Learn more at the Dave app website.
What people are saying about Dave app: Customer reviews
The Dave app has 575.8k ratings on Apple App Store, with an average rating of five stars. On Google Play Store, 426k people have rated this app, with an average rating of four-and-a-half stars.
Is Dave right for you?
Being a Dave member can be very useful if you have occasional small emergency expenses; you can use the advances instead of personal loans that would take longer to apply for and access.
It is also a money-saver when you use it to avoid overdraft fees that would otherwise gobble up an appreciable chunk of your pay.
However, using it as an adjunct to an emergency savings account is best.
Ensure that your next paycheck will cover the settlement and your monthly expenses and that you have a checking account that receives recurring direct deposits.
Get started with the Dave app.
Who the Dave app isn’t right for
The Dave app isn’t right for everyone. If you know you have a habit of spending more money than you earn, you should know that the app isn’t a quick fix for these habits. Dave’s advance feature is also not ideal if you need same-day cash with low repayments (due to the express fees Dave charges). Same-day personal loans are probably a better solution in this case.
If you need a longer repayment term than the service offers, personal loans or a credit card are a better option.
Some people prefer not to share their bank account details, Tax Identification Number, or Social Security number with Dave.
Is Dave a trustworthy app?
Dave uses various banking-level security measures, such as 2048-bit encryption, to protect data transmission (including your SSN and password). Banking credentials are used once for authentication purposes.
The data center housing the Dave servers is monitored by security personnel around the clock. Independent security experts are engaged to assess and test site security.
FDIC insures every account up to $250,000.
Get started with the Dave app.
Dave vs. other cash advance apps
Here’s a quick comparison of the app versus similar services.
Dave vs. Earnin
Earnin gives cash advances up to $500/month, but its fees are not transparent.
Earnin also requires users to provide an electronic timesheet or geographic location data to confirm that they’ve been working.
Here’s our full Earnin review.
Dave vs. Brigit
Brigit also offers budgeting tools and cash advances up to $250. However, its monthly fee is $9.99, and its encryption is only 256-bit.
Learn more at Brigit.
Dave vs. Branch
Branch offers advances up to $150/day or a maximum of $500 of your paycheck, but you may not work remotely.
Learn more at Branch.
Summary
The Dave app provides a basic yet effective debit account with a low monthly fee, an associated debit card, an insightful budgeting tool, and advances that help you pay for an emergency or avoid overdraft fees.
Download the app and sign up today!
*ExtraCash™ is a DDA account with overdraft utility, advances are subject to eligibility requirements and identity verification. Taking an ExtraCash™ advance will make your account balance negative. Express delivery fees apply to instant transfers. Average approved advance is $120 as of October 10, 2022. See the Extra Cash Account Agreement for more details.
**Early access to direct deposit funds depends on timing and availability of the payroll files sent from your employer. These funds can be made available up to 2 days in advance.
After spending months working 60 or 70 hours per week, realizing that life is all too short, and preparing for our kids to come home, it’s time for a new financial paradigm of my own: I’m semi-retiring.
I had always been perplexed by those who, say, retired early to travel to exotic locations. I like working and don’t really like traveling, so my dreams involved some sort of fulfilling employment until I couldn’t work anymore. I’m the life of the party, I know.
But then two or three years ago, I read about a guy who took a year off from full-time employment and I thought, what if?
What if I (or my husband) could take a year or two off from full-time employment? Or work part-time for a few years? Or work six months out of the year? Is that possible and would we want to?
Maybe and probably.
So over the last 2.5 years, my husband and I crafted a plan to send at least one of us, if not both of us, into temporary, semi-retirement once our kids arrived. Ideally, we would be financially independent with no need for earning monthly income, but… yeah, we knew that wouldn’t happen. So what we needed was a job (or jobs) with very flexible and part-time hours, jobs that would allow us to help our kids transition to a new culture, and jobs that paid enough to keep the lights on.
The First Laps
Before you dive into semi-retirement, take care of the basics.
1. Decrease debt load. The more debt you have, the more money you will need to have in semi-retirement. By now, any non-mortgage debt is a distant memory. Our monthly mortgage payment is significant, so our semi-retirement income needed to be at least four times our housing costs.
2. Increase savings. Because you’re taking a break from full-time employment (and perhaps from IRA or 401(k) contributions), you need to be creative with retirement savings. On the other hand, if you get used to living on less, maybe you don’t need as much in full retirement. We’ve been contributing to Roth and traditional IRAs for over a decade. Plus, we have an emergency fund. If we didn’t have those things, decreasing our income would require more radical sacrifices.
3. Increase income. Before you semi-retire, earning more can help you decrease your debt and increase your savings. Earning more is not always possible for everyone, but this is the reason we are able to semi-retire.
The Middle of the Race
The next step is to calculate how much money you’ll really need in semi-retirement. Some expenses (like transportation costs and work clothes) will decrease. Others (utilities and health insurance) will increase. Once we knew how much money we needed, we started looking for the money to replace our full-time income.
We don’t have real estate and with very little investment income, we knew that money must come from part-time employment.
I first sought opportunities as a subject matter expert so I could maximize my income-earning potential. But I also wanted jobs that matched our new lifestyle goals: something that could be done mostly at home with very flexible hours. Fortunately, I found a side job that fit all those criteria.
While we still had some lifestyle inflation with our increased income, having a goal kept us mostly on track. As I mentioned, our goal was to stop full-time employment when our kids come home. (We are still waiting on paperwork approval. Hopefully soon!)
The Finish Line
As of today, we are making enough “semi-retirement” income to pay our bills, not counting our full-time incomes. It does mean that our 2014 income will be closer to our 2005 levels, but we are okay with that for a couple of years or more. We are confident that we can do this because we’re already living close to the semi-retirement income level.
Even though this means we’ll have to be very careful with our spending, we’re still excited. The best thing is this opportunity allows us more flexibility to spend time with our kids. We’ve missed out on too many years of their lives already. We should also have more time to do DIY projects on our little farm and start that business I have always wanted.
I’ll be honest with you, though. The last couple of years have been stressful in many ways. I’ve spent a lot of time with my laptop and not as much time with my husband — and I know it’s time that I can’t get back. Our lives felt out of balance, and there were times when I wondered if our goal was worth it.
And I had other questions, too. Did I want to quit my job? I have never had a job I loved more. Were we creating more stress by cutting our salaries… even though we would have more time to spend with our kids? What would an indefinite break do to my career? We would be leaving behind company-provided benefits like a retirement plan and health insurance. The real question? Are we crazy?
The Next Race
Maybe we are crazy, but if we don’t enjoy semi-retirement, we have options. I’m leaving my job on good terms, and it’s possible there may be a similar job opening there in a couple of years. Or, because I’m a specialist, I should be able to find a similar job at another institution if necessary.
Semi-retirement isn’t for everyone. But having your financial ducks in a row gives you options. Maybe you can cut your schedule to four days a week. Maybe you can take six months off to travel. Or take a job that pays less but you love more.
In the meantime, I’ll test the semi-retirement water for you.
Inside: The summer months are a great time to cash in while teachers get paid. Here are some tips to maximize your income as a teacher.
The school year is almost over, and soon students will be heading off to summer vacation. But how about teachers?
Teachers are expected to start getting paid in the summer too- or at least that’s what we’ve been told. However, some believe there may not be enough money for this extra pay out of pocket if all schools do it by themselves.
So now I want you to think back on your child’s teacher from last school year – did they get paid in the summer?
Summer is here, and it’s time for teachers to ask “do I get paid in the summer?”
The answer depends on your state. The following are guidelines for what teachers should expect from their employer during the summer break as well as tips to maximize their paychecks.
What is the average salary for a teacher?
The average salary for a teacher varies depending on the country, level of education, and years of experience. However, a teacher’s salary is typically lower than other professions with similar levels of education and experience.
This is the unfortunate truth for the teaching profession. Truly I believe teachers deserve to be paid higher as they are guiding our future generations.
On average, the national classroom teacher salary was $65,090 for the 2021-21 school year, according to the National Education Association.
This varies depending on the factors mentioned above, such as degree attained and experience level.
average salary for a teacher Examples
Using the same data from NEA, let’s look at some examples.
For example, the average teacher salary in California is $84,531 per year, which California ranks 2nd highest for average teacher pay among 50 states. Illinois starting salary is $68,083 and ranks #12 in the nation.
Whereas, Arizona’s teachers survive on a starting salary of $50,782 ranking #26 in the nation. In Colorado, the average starting salary for teachers is a pitiful $35,292 ranking #48 in the nation.
Do teachers get paid in the summer?
There is no one answer to this question because teacher salaries can vary depending on the state or country in which they work. In some cases, teachers may get paid during the summer months, while in other cases they may not.
Most teachers in the United States are paid over a 12-month period.
During that time, they work 10 months and receive a paycheck for those 10 months. For the other two months, they do not get paid since they’re on summer vacation. However, there is an option to have a 12-month pay cycle where teachers are paid all year long.
Alternatively, some teachers choose to have a 10-month pay cycle where they only receive paychecks during school hours. This can be difficult because budgeting is hard when you’re only getting paid during certain times of the year. You’ll likely spend more money than you make during those eight weeks of summer vacation!
The 12-month pay structure is an option for any teacher that wants to collect their salary all year long. It is important to note that this alternative might come with less money per month, but it spreads out the income evenly throughout the year. Teachers should schedule their pay dates around the year so they make a consistent amount of money throughout – more on that shortly.
Teachers need to be careful when structuring their pay dates during the summer because they’ll likely spend more in that time period. It is important to understand how your pay is structured so you can plan accordingly.
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How many weeks do teachers get off?
Teachers in the United States typically get a total of around 13 weeks off over the course of the entire school year. The summer break is typically six to eight weeks long, and most teachers use their winter break and spring break to take some time off as well.
What do teachers do during the summer?
During the summer, teachers have a lot of time on their hands compared to the school year. They can take up new hobbies or just relax and enjoy the break!
Teachers often take a summer break to do things they enjoy. They might go traveling, spend time with their family and friends, or just relax by the pool.
Find 17 more ideas on what teachers do in the summer.
What do teachers do in the summer for money?
Teachers typically either work in the summer or take a break without working.
Depending on their profession and geographical location, some teachers will find jobs during the summer while others will not. Some may also teach for a summer school or choose from one of the ideas below.
What are some ways to maximize income during the summer months?
There are a few different ways to make the most of your income during the summer months.
First of all, many teachers find that this is the best time to enjoy a getaway from the school system. They want to have their downtime, decompress, and relax.
Financially speaking, you must be prepared with your budget to make the most of your paychecks.
Plan ahead
Depending on how you opt to get paid during the summers is important. If you choose the larger paychecks over 10 months, then you need a plan for money when your checks stop for the break. If you keep your pay consistent throughout the year, then you may want to work on cutting back on certain expenses since you have more time over the summer.
Teachers can have the same schedule as their children. This gives them a chance to spend more time with them and see them in a different environment than at school.
Many times, teachers are not going to complain about a summer schedule that has flexibility and is similar to those of their kids. They know that they need to arrange ahead and structure their schedule correctly in order to take advantage of the time they have outside of work.
Most teachers put in a lot of hours, but it’s worth what they get out of it because they enjoy teaching and being with children.
Have a money saving goal in place
This is especially true if you do not receive paychecks during the summer. You need to have money saved up to cover any summer expenses.
A great idea is to create a summer savings account to accrue funds for when school breaks for the session. This choice allows teachers to save money that will be automatically deducted from their checks throughout the year and deposited into a different account, which will earn interest.
In order to make this work, it is important that teachers choose banks that are not convenient and do not offer online access as the temptation may be too great and cause unwanted withdrawals from the fund.
Understand your work life balance
Teachers work long hours throughout the week. The statistics vary on exactly how many hours. However, there is a consensus the number of hours has increased since 2020 (source).
For a teacher, their working hours include school-related activities like conferences and staff meetings, which can include teaching extracurricular programs like club soccer or lesson planning for new teachers. Oh, and don’t forget their main focus is to teach our children.
While it is important to maximize income during the summer months, it is also important to find a job that does not require so much time and energy. A summer job can be more of a lifestyle choice than just an employment opportunity. A summer job can be physically draining and require you to work long hours and to live with the same mindset year-round. Some jobs are easier during the school year due to shorter days, fewer students, or less paperwork.
For others, their time freedom is more important than living on a tight budget.
How can teachers make extra money during the summer?
Teaching jobs are plentiful during the summer months when kids are home from school.
Also, this may be a great time to invest in furthering your education, garner new skills to change industries, or start a side hustle.
Many teachers take on a side job during the summer to make some extra money. This is especially true for newer teachers looking to pay off student loan debt. The most common option is to become a private tutor, but there are plenty of other ideas.
There are many different ways for teachers to make extra cash during the summer. So, let’s get you some extra cash ideas!
Idea #1 – Get paid to tutor students over the summer
Private tutors are the most common side job for teachers. If you’re already a great teacher, you’ll have no trouble getting referrals and growing those classes.
You can also look into online tutoring, which has exploded in popularity recently. Tutoring is a flexible summer job for teachers who want to keep their skills sharp.
Here are some places you can find work as a teacher: Skooli, TutorMe, Aim-for-A Tutoring, and more.
You could make up to $50 an hour tutoring students. There are also plenty of summer job opportunities for teachers who want to stay connected with their students during the summer.
Tutoring is a great way to make extra money for teachers year-round.
Idea #2 – Take on a part-time job
If you’re looking for ways to make extra cash during the summer, consider taking on a part-time job. There are many opportunities available, and the pay is usually good.
As an example, a teacher who has been teaching for 14 years, every summer he takes on an additional job to make up for the low pay he receives during the school year. He has money taken out of his summer pay every week to supplement it during the school year months.
There are many opportunities in retail, restaurants, construction, and other fields. There is a great need for part-time people making wages over $17 an hour.
Idea #3 – Teach summer classes
Another popular option for teachers who want to make extra money is teaching summer classes.
Many parents are worried about their kids losing previously learned information and practice the entire summer to improve retention rates. In addition, many school districts offer summer classes to help students retain information.
Check with your local school district to see options.
Idea #4 – Search for seasonal work
As the school year comes to a close, many teachers are looking for ways to make money during the summer. Fortunately, there are a number of options available with seasonal jobs starting to come available. In addition, many are outdoors and you can enjoy the sun and some fresh air!
Teachers can also look into manual labor-type jobs or summer camps for income in the summertime.
Most of these types of jobs start hiring during the slow winter months. So, make sure to apply early and have something set up before the school term ends.
This is great for someone who wants an early morning job!
Idea # 5 – Professional Development
The concept of being willing to learn is important for teachers. It’s one reason why taking on professional development courses during the summer can be so valuable. Working through professional development courses during the summer can also give you an edge when it comes time to look for a new teaching job.
However, this is how you earn a higher salary year-round.
Teachers can increase their earnings by holding a master’s or doctoral degree. Some states pay teachers with master’s and doctoral degrees higher wages than others. This is how you increase your hourly wage.
Idea #6 – Sell Lesson Plans
Yep, this one is becoming even more and more popular!
Why should you let all of your great lesson plans just sit aside during the summer? Start hustling and sell your lesson plans for the cash.
Etsy is a great place to start.
Idea #7 – Start a Side Hustle
What is a side hustle? It’s something that you can do to supplement or replace the income from your main job, like running an eBay shop during the summer when you’re not teaching. Or even your own blog?
Think about the hobbies you enjoy and see if you can make money by doing something you enjoy. That is a great place to start!
Here are great ways to make money on the side:
It is possible to make more money on your business than you make more money in your current job or career.
Idea # 8 – Learn to Make Money From Stocks
If you’re interested in learning how to trade stocks, this is the perfect place to start.
One former assistant principal, Teri Ijeoma, changed her life when she left her job as an educator and become an active trader.
What is a day trader or swing trader? It’s someone who trades stocks on the stock market but knows when to get out.
You can also make money as a swing trader by taking advantage of fluctuations in stocks. For example, you can make money as a swing trader by buying stocks at the low point and selling them at the high point.
If you are interested in swing trading stocks, you must get an investing education. Most of my fellow traders are former teachers after taking the Trade and Travel investing course.
Idea #9 – Work at a Summer Camp or other Child Care Jobs
There are many ways for teachers to make extra money during the summer and have fun by working as camp counselors.
There are also many child-related jobs that need great employees when kids are home from school due to summer break. Some parents will keep their children busy throughout the summer, but others are worried about what they have learned in school and may soon forget.
Also, many families are looking for nannies while their children are out of school. Parents want teachers to play a role in helping them with school retention throughout the summer, and not be behind in August or September.
Most of these jobs will pay higher because they prefer a licensed teacher.
Idea #10 – Offer to give people rides or any personal assistant help
You can make money by giving people rides in your car. For example, you could offer to pick up strangers at the airport and take them to their hotel or host a taxi service.
You could be a personal assistant and help with chores or errands around the house.
People are always looking to outsource things and you could easily make some extra side money.
This is a good list of ideas for teachers to make money during the summer.
What are some tips for budgeting during the summer months?
Summertime is a great opportunity to relax and take a break from work, but it can also be a time to save money and prepare for the next school year. Many educators receive a paycheck during the school year but don’t have regular income over the summer. This makes it important to budget throughout the year, so you can have enough money saved up when school starts again.
Budgeting can be a stressful process.
However, budgeting should not be about cutting corners or reducing spending, but rather about creating financial freedom for the long term. The tips in this article are actionable and will help attain financial independence for the future.
Some tips for budgeting during the summer months include setting a budget for the summer months, creating a savings goal, and cutting back on expenses.
It is important to remember that many people are traveling and spending money during the summer months, so it’s important to be smart with your budgeting decisions. By following these tips, you can make sure that you have enough money saved up when school starts again!
Tip #1 – Create a budget for the summer months
Budgeting during the summer months can be difficult for those without consistent pay. However, it is possible to do with some creativity and planning. Here are a few tips:
Create a budget for $500 less a month than your paycheck. This may seem challenging, but it is possible if you make cuts in specific areas.
Save that $500 for your current saving goals.
Look at expenses that you don’t care to spend money on and cut them out.
House hack your vacation spots by house-sitting for someone else!
Be more realistic about how much you spend during the summer.
Make sure you are reaching your long-term goals.
Budgeting can be made easier with the help of planning ahead and keeping a buffer of money available.
Tip #2 – Save money during your summer break
There are many ways to save money during your summer break.
Saving money can be difficult, especially during the summer when you may have more free time.
It is important to organize your finances and set a budget before spending so that you are not surprised.
It is important to allocate the money saved into long-term goals or savings accounts so that you can reach them one day!
You can start by taking advantage of many of our popular money saving challenges:
Tip #3 – Find Ways to Make Extra Cash
There are many different ways to make extra cash during the summer months. In fact, we detailed many options above.
This is the perfect time to make extra money. As we outlined already, many teachers are severely underpaid for the work and dedication they put in. So, you might as well find a way to make extra money now and then get back to what you love during the winter months.
Many teachers find other ways to make extra money during the summer. Some work in summer school, while others take on private students. Still, others find work in professional development courses. Whatever route you decide to take, be sure to keep learning and growing as a teacher. That’s the best way to maintain your edge in the competitive job market.
Tip #4 – Find free fun!
Another tip is to make a list of summer activities that are affordable and fun.
Here is a little secret… you do not need to spend a fortune in order to have fun. In fact, there are plenty of things to do with no money!
Stretch your budget by picking a few higher ticket items and supplement the rest with free fun!
How do you spend summer break?
Most teachers would agree that the summer break is necessary to avoid burnout during the first six weeks of school. The summer break also gives students and teachers a chance to recharge their batteries and start the new school year fresh.
The teachers I know usually spend their summer break going on trips with my family and friends or relaxing at home. As well as catching up on home projects or reading books and watching movies during free time.
With Your Teacher Pay Structure, What are Your Next Steps?
There are a lot of different ways to spend summer break! Some people choose to travel, others stay home and relax. Still, others take on summer jobs for teachers or side hustles to make some extra money.
And then there are the teachers – they often use their summer break to catch up on work or prepare for the upcoming school year.
No matter how you choose to spend your summer break, it’s important to enjoy it! Take some time to relax and recharge, but also make sure to stay productive and get things done.
That way, you’ll be ready for whatever comes your way when fall arrives.
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
Here on Making Sense of Cents, I talk a lot about different ways to make money on the side and the many great side hustle ideas. I do this because I truly believe that making money on the side can change a person’s life.
After all, learning about different ways to make money on the side changed my life.
My main side hustle a few years ago mainly consisted of me blogging here on Making Sense of Cents. Then, it quickly grew, my income matched and then exceeded my day job income, and I actually made the decision to leave my day job in order to pursue my side hustle full-time.
As you can probably tell, starting a side hustle significantly improved my life and it’s something I will ALWAYS be extremely happy about. My side hustle income allowed me to pay off my debt quickly, leave the job I disliked, start working towards my passion, and travel extensively.
Taking part in the many different ways to make money on the side can allow you to:
Pay off your debt;
Save for things such as a vacation;
Stop living paycheck to paycheck;
Reach retirement sooner;
Not feel as stuck at your job;
Become more diversified.
Many others believe in the amazing power of side hustle income as well. I recently interviewed many side hustlers, freelancers, business owners, and more about the different ways they’ve made money on the side and compiled them into one extremely informative blog post to help all of you. Plus, they share their tips on how to manage side jobs better so that you can make money on the side while not going crazy.
Below are over 40 different side hustle ideas and tips from the experts. There are many different ways to make money on the side and I’m sure you’ll find one below.
Related articles on side hustle ideas:
Here are over 40 ways to make money on the side:
Start a blog.
Blogging is how I make a living and just a few years ago I never thought it would be possible. I now make a great living online, I travel full-time, and I enjoy the work I do.
I made over $300,000 last year by blogging and will make more than that in 2016 (I’m hoping to double my income this year).
There are many ways to make money on the side and one of the top ways I recommend is to start a blog. You can create your own blog here with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.
Become a Brand Ambassador.
“A side hustle that I absolutely love is being a Brand Ambassador. A Brand Ambassador quite simply shares talking points and usually free swag with the public in order to build brand awareness. Brand Ambassadors typically work on the weekends at different events so the trick is to manage family time if you have a family. For more information on how to become a brand ambassador check out the following post: How To Become a Brand Ambassador.” – Michelle Jackson
“Love meeting new people? Many cities have active brand ambassador Facebook groups that are constantly looking for product demonstrators, trade show spokespeople, tour managers, and more! And brand ambassadors can expect to earn $15-20 per hour.” – Kate Dore
Related: Become A Brand Ambassador And Make Extra Money
Write a book.
“Self-publish a book on Amazon that focuses on a topic at the intersection of 3 things: 1. your passion; 2. your expertise; 3. a need in the marketplace How much a person could make would be based on how much they want to charge for the book, but I would say you could make anywhere from $50 – $300 / month, depending on your book content / audience.” – John Lee Dumas
“Anyone can be a self-published author now and it is one of my favorite side hustles. Whether you want to share tips on how to do something or want to write a fictional story, any topic can be published. How much you make depends a lot on how much competition there is for the same type of book. I make between $300 and $500 a month for a crowdfunding book I wrote last year while my investing books make between $100 and $250 a month. The best thing is that, once published, they will keep making money year after year.” – Joseph Hogue
“Publish a book. It is easier than it used to be. You can self publish or if you have a platform such as a blog with associated social media you can pitch to publishers and generate interest there. Publishing a book increases credibility and leads to other opportunities such as speaking, course, freelance writing, judging, presenting awards, launching events and a lot of media exposure. Depending on how you do, what niche it is, how well you market it you can make anywhere from nothing right through to millions. Personally, getting asked to publish a book back in 2010 changed everything and was a pivotal turning point for me. Quite a few friends of mine earn a few hundred thousand a year from their books and associated content, others a couple of million. Most authors only make a few thousand if they are lucky though. It is all in how you market and how much of a following/community or tribe you have.” – Kylie Travers
Become a virtual assistant.
There are many ways to make money on the side online, and one of them is by becoming a virtual assistant.
“My favorite way for someone to make extra money from home (and what I would personally do if I needed extra money FAST is to be a virtual assistant. Specifically, I would be a VA to bloggers. There are so many ways to do this, including assistant with social media, creating images, writing content, etc. There are lots of Facebook groups set up specifically for people to sell content to bloggers. Really your income is only limited to the time you want to invest in it. Some VAs charge per hour and some charge per project/post. With a few hours per day, I’d say you could easily make $50-$100 extra per day.” – Lena Gott
“I’ve made most of my money by working as a VA and blog manager for busy blog owners. I fit my side hustle in alongside my full-time job by reminding myself that I was making a temporary sacrifice of sleep and free time in order to build my business to the point I could quit my job. I now make over $5,000/month online with my business.” – Kayla Sloan
A virtual assistant helps a business run more smoothly. You can be contracted for one project (such as collecting data for research) or it can be a continuing job such as replying to e-mails and comments. Virtual assistant work can range widely. There are many, many tasks that people hire virtual assistants for.
Related: How To Become a Virtual Assistant and What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?
Become a coach.
“Coaching is a great way to make side income. It needs practically no monetary investment… just time. Just be mindful of what you charge per hour, as almost everyone starts way smaller than they really should. When pricing your coaching services, if in doubt, double it!” – Chris Ducker – ChrisDucker.com
“One on One coaching is a really simple and fast way to start earning income fast for yourself. While people who’ve been doing this for a while will typically earn around $300, $500 an hour, someone just getting started could expect to earn $50 a $100 an hour. The benefit with this side business is that you can earn more per hour starting out which means you won’t have to work as much to earn as much. Also, consider offering package deals, this will allow you to sell at a higher price point and this gives a definite start and end date to things.” – Chris Holdheide
Sell on eBay or Craigslist.
“I go through twice each year and pick up items I’m not using to sell on craigslist or ebay. I make about $3-400 each time I do it. That’s an extra $800 for something cool!” – Lauren Bowling
“One of my favorite ways to make extra money is to go around my house and find one thing to sell on Craigslist every week (particularly on Fridays right before the weekend when everyone loves to get rid of their money ;)). It not only helps you de-clutter and get rid of stuff that’s no longer important to you, but also make some good side money that you can then bank towards something you do care about! I made over $1,200 doing this last year and it helped fund a Roth IRA. Give it a shot!” – J. Money, BudgetsAreSexy.com / RockstarFinance.com
“One way that a person can make side income is by selling items on eBay. The amount of money varies. It depends on how many items you are selling and also the type of items. I’ve had months where I’ve made $300 (part-time), but I’ve also had months where I’ve only made $50.” – Jason Butler
Whether you have old clothes you want to sell, a car, electronics, or something else, eBay or Craigslist can be a great way to sell many different types of items.
Related: How To Sell On Ebay
Edit for others.
“One way a person can make a side income is to provide edits to authors. The amount they can make depends on the type of edits they provide and the number of projects they take on. I primarily take on larger projects that involve either developmental edits or line edits (or both!) but short story projects can also be a good way to work on brief projects while making a side hustle and break up the monotony of projects that are the same length. How much a person can make can also vary based on how they charge; for example, I charge per word in order to provide a better estimate, but some people charge per page. ” – Megan Harris
Get paid to search online.
Did you know that you can take paid online surveys to make extra money?
Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded points called SB for the things you do through their website. You can also earn points by taking surveys, watching videos, and shopping. Then, when you have enough points called SB, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. You’ll receive a free $5 bonus just for signing up through my link!
InboxDollars is another online rewards website I recommend. You can earn cash by taking surveys, playing games, shopping online, searching the web, redeeming grocery coupons, and more. Also, by signing up through my link, you will receive $5 for free just for signing up!
Another one you may be interested in related to this one is Nielsen Digital Voice. Digital Voice is a part of Nielsen, which I’m sure you’ve heard of. All you have to do is surf the web and you may be able to start earning money.
Become a proofreader for court reporters.
In 2014, Caitlin made slightly over $43,000 by being a freelance proofreader, while also going on several fun vacations. If you are looking for a way to make money on the side, this may be something you want to look into.
“Court reporters use digital stenography machines in combination with computer-aided transcription software to write verbatim records of various legal proceedings. They report depositions, trials, hearings, arbitrations, case management conferences, compulsory medical examinations, examinations under oath, and pretty much any other type of legal proceeding. Because of the sensitive nature of legal proceedings, it’s imperative that as many errors as possible be eliminated from transcripts — an especially major error could ruin an entire trial! A fresh set of eyes will 99% of the time catch more errors than the same eyes who saw the text from start to finish, too. An excellent proofreader is a huge asset to a court reporter — especially a court reporter who wants to make more money.” – Caitlin Pyle – Make Money Proofreading By Becoming A Freelance Proofreader
Answer surveys.
You can get paid to answer surveys and to test products all from the comfort of your home. Due to this, I think it’s one of the easy ways to make money on the side as you don’t need any experience, skill, inventory, or anything like that.
Survey companies I recommend include VIP Voice, American Consumer Opinion, Survey Junkie, Clear Voice Surveys, Pinecone Research, Opinion Outpost, Survey Spot, Prize Rebel, and Harris Poll Online. They’re free to join and free to use! It’s best to sign up for as many as you can as that way you can receive the most surveys and make the most money.
Clean homes.
“One great way for a person to start making some side hustle income is to clean houses. It’s a chore that’s always in demand (I personally hate having to clean), and it’s pretty easy to get into. You can make anywhere from $100 a job and up, all depending on the time and level of cleaning you do.” – Glen Craig
Find a part-time job.
There are many, many part-time jobs out there that may be able to work along with your schedule at your full-time job. You can find a job on sites such as Snagajob, Craigslist (yes, I’ve found a legitimate job through there before), Monster, and so on.
Start an e-commerce store.
“A great way to make a side income is with an e-commerce store. Unlike a blog or an info site which does not actually sell anything, an online store allows you to quickly scale and generate revenue immediately after launch. My wife and I made over 100K in profit in our first year with our shop.” – Steve Chou
Drive a taxi or become an Uber driver.
“Drive a taxi at night. I’m reliably told that on Friday and Saturday a taxi driver who owns his/her car can make up to $300 per night. Nothing to be sniffed at! But what you decide to do as ‘side hustle’ depends on what you like to do and what you are really good at. If you like dogs, start a dog walking/sitting hustle.” – Maria Nedeva
“I’m always looking for new ways to make a few bucks so that I can then share the results with my readers. I wanted to test out Uber so that I could see if it was worth it. I drove part-time (weekends and evenings). The first week of driving generated me $651.60. Since the article went live, many of my readers have started driving on the side. You won’t get rich, but the extra money adds up. The other positive is that you save money by not going out. This side hustle will help you pay off debt and save up for your major goals. Good luck on the road and cheers to your new friendships that you’re going to create.” – Martin Dasko
Related: How To Become An Uber Driver
Write online.
“Freelance writing is an excellent side hustle because you can commit your time “per article,” and work at any time of the day or night. Most people can expect to make $50 per article and up. However, a lot of people – including myself – make considerably more as a professional freelancer.” – Holly Johnson
Test websites.
“One cool way to earn money on the side is by testing websites. There are a number of sites out there, but UserTesting.com is the best. You get paid $10 for testing websites and apps and following their instructions. It’s simple, easy, and you can earn about $30/hour with this. The work is not guaranteed, but it’s a great way to maximize any of your downtime with earning extra cash.” – Grayson Bell
Prepare taxes.
“One great side hustle most people can easily learn is preparing taxes. If you start your own tax preparation firm, your potential is unlimited. However, if you’re just learning, try getting a part time job at a place like Liberty Tax or H&R Block or a local CPA firm. At the big brands, like Liberty Tax or H&R block, you can probably expect to make between $10 to $15 per hour depending on your location and experience. This job is generally only seasonal, so it allows you to have summers and the holidays off from your side hustle.” – Lance Cothern
Become a photographer.
“Photography! Most people only think to hire a photographer for big events like weddings and baby announcements because photographers are expensive. Charge $100-$200 for an hour package at a local park, and in one weekend by booking your friends and family, you can easily make $2k with just family portraits. With the popularity of photo cards from sites like Shutterfly, you can be a saving grace for families on a budget and you’d be surprised at how many folks you know who would hire a photographer in budget!” – Shannyn Allan
Create a website.
“I’ve created several simple websites about apps and websites that I like and use. I write about how the apps work, pros/cons, other similar apps, etc. Some of the apps or websites give me credits or money when I get new users to sign up or use their service. I’ve made about $4,500 over the last three years, and I haven’t spent more than a few hours working on the sites during the last two years. I’d say overall I only put in 20-30 hours.” – Louis DeNicola at Saveful.com
Become an online tutor.
Online tutoring has become an open market place for the gig economy. This is a great option to make money on the side, or even convert it to full-time. Studypool provides a great platform for tutors to simply answer student’s question and get paid (no video chat required). You can earn up to $500/week tutoring part time or potentially up to $60,000 a year tutoring.
Take part in research studies.
“If you live in a city, or near a university or teaching hospital, you can make money participating in research studies that need human subjects. Just go to craigslist, click on “volunteers”, and type in “research”. There are a wide variety of studies out there: some are medical (if you’re generally healthy, you can often be a control subject), and some are more about psychology or other related disciplines. You can make anywhere from $10-$20 for a short, one-time study to hundreds or even thousands of dollars for longer, more involved studies. Another benefit is that you get to learn about the research that’s being done, which is often fascinating.” – Sarah from The Yachtless
Make money online.
“The best way that I know how to make side income is online. Specifically, by freelance writing and blogging. The amount of make you can make online is unlimited. If you’re just starting, maybe you’ll make $500/month. But over time, you can increase your earnings to $5,000/month and before long even more than that. I don’t know another side gig where the income growth potential is so high.” – Natalie Bacon
Film weddings.
“One way that my wife and I made $5,000 in the past year on side income has been filming weddings. A year and a half ago we had no video experience. Once we bought a camera and posting videos, we’ve had friends and friends of friends start asking us to film their weddings. Most everything we learned about video came from asking other film peeps to show us the ropes or looking up “how-to” videos on Youtube. Since weddings are typically on the weekends, they really are an ideal side hustle. They don’t get in the way of our typical work week at all and they pay high margin. Once you have some film experience under your belt, you can charge $3-5k per wedding film, easily. If you’re interested in getting started filming weddings, I would recommend tagging along with an experienced shooter. From my experience, they are always looking for good help if you’ve got an eye for good shots and can work well under a little stress (there will be brides after all). This past fall we apprenticed and was well worth the long weekend shoots. We learned so much about shooting good wedding film and made a good amount of money in the process.” – Heath Padgett
Create a product to sell.
“I’m biased, but I think creating an online product and selling it is one of the best side hustles a person can do. But people shouldn’t be scared for the term “product”. A product can be anything – an idea or content, a course, a widget, a downloadable printout, anything! And there are so many different avenues to sell today: create a blog, start an Etsy shop, sell on eBay or Amazon. The great thing about the Internet is that there is somebody out there that is looking for something and everything. If you’re a teacher, sell your classroom notes. If you’re an engineer, share your though processes. Anything can be turned into content, and anything can be packaged and sold.” – Robert Farrington
“The ways to make a side income are really endless. I’ve encountered so many ways entrepreneurs are able to make a side income. Although blogging has been the most lucrative way for me to make a side income, my favorite way is creating courses. Creating a piece of content showcasing your expertise in a specific are and people paying you for it is a great and rewarding feeling.” – Jeff Rose
Manage databases, apps, and more.
“Managing, designing or configuring cloud-based apps- ranging from social media and content management systems (like WordPress) to databases. I learned to administer salesforce.com databases for nonprofits and last year made $6,000-$15,000/month pretty consistently working from home. (The going rate for these services is $50-$200/hour) What helped me was going through a self-study course on the platform, getting a couple of certifications, doing some spec work, then going out and asking clients if they needed my services. I call it “Learn, Slay It, Sell It.” Find out about growing trends, get up to speed then see if people will pay you to do it. If you become enough of an expert at it, they will! The nice thing is that it doesn’t have to be anything you studied in school, just something you studied on your own and mastered enough to be marketable.” – Aja McClanahan
Build websites.
“One way to make side income is to build websites for people and for businesses. The first website I ever built I charged $1200. Even if you dont know programming, it is easy to learn by watching free tutorials on Youtube. I think it would be very realistic to make $2,000 – $3,000 on the side building websites.” – Deacon Hayes
Become an alcohol demonstrator.
“Back in college, I made extra money on side side pouring alcohol samples for people in grocery stores. It was easy and paid well, considering how I don’t even know how to open a wine bottle (If I wasn’t using a product in a bottle that had a twist top, I asked someone else to help open it). The job paid $20 to $25 per hour and I could choose when I’d like to work and what job opportunities I’d like to accept. If you like to talk to people and prefer a laid back and good paying side job, being an alcohol demonstrator is definitely worth looking into.” – Chonce at My Debt Epiphany
Become a consultant.
“Become a consultant in your spare time doing some of the same work you might do in your full time gig. This works best with white collar office type roles where you can do your work at home at your computer. Just make sure you don’t compete with your current employer.” – Jim Wang
Tips from the experts on ways to make money on the side.
Along with the many different ways to make money on the side above, I also asked experts for their top tips when it comes to managing a side hustle.
“One of the best ways to think about how to make extra money is to identify what people are already paying for. I, for example, recently hired someone to manage my Pinterest account. That’s a great hustle you can master through a course or ebook, then execute from anywhere on your own time. Make someone else’s overwhelm your opportunity.” – Stefanie O’Connell
“Set boundaries. If you don’t you will get pulled in every direction and your health, personal life, finances, everything will suffer. Set boundaries for times you will work on your side hustle, what you are willing to do and stick to it. Don’t let checking social media creep into time you are watching your kids play sport or time you were going to work out. No money makes up for lost relationships or lost health. ” – Kylie Travers
“To accommodate a side hustle that makes a serious second income one ought to re-organise their life. I’d say that keeping a time/task diary helps. For a week write down all you do and how long you do it for. Analyse it and decide to stop doing anything that is: a) not productive; and/or b) doesn’t give you a lot of pleasure. You’d carve up a lot of time. You can also start looking for activities that you can combine to save time; e.g. running and commuting to work.”- Maria Nedeva
“My favorite (and least-favorite at the same time) way to manage everything (four kids & four blogs) is to work when our kids go to sleep. I will do some things during the day, but nothing that will require my attention for more than just a few minutes. My husband and I work from home, on our blogs, so we spend around 4 or more hours every night working side by side on them. We also try to squeeze in two hours during the preschool hours. This allows us to spend our time with our kids during the day and work together at night. While we might be a little more tired than usual right now (haha!) we figure that we can make up this time when our kids are older and in school. 😉 It is all about balance and finding time when we can. We can’t give 100% of ourselves to everything at the exact same time, so setting aside time for family and time for working is what works best for us – so we can give 100% to our family during the day and then 100% to our blogs in the evenings.” – Becky Mansfield
“My best tip for finding time to make extra money on the side is to give up watching tv. I used to watch one or two shows each evening, and now I spend that time working on my blog. I also stay up a little later than usual some evenings to get work done so I can spend my days with my kids. I’ve found that if you make it a priority, you will find time.” – Lena Gott
“You can make extra income in many ways – the only real limit is the limit you put on yourself. If you’re technically inclined, you can monetize that in your “off” hours. If you’re knowledgable about a certain topic you can freelance write in that area. Even if you have no skills, which I don’t believe, you can do something as simple as work around your neighborhood to walking/sitting for dogs while people are away from home. The opportunities really are endless to make extra income, you just need to want it and think outside the box.” – John Schmoll
“As someone who works full time and runs a blog on the side, I am a master at time management and planning. The best advice I have to managing both a job and a side hustle is to prioritize. If your job is number one and your side hustle is number two, then you may have to say no to anything that interferes with these two priorities (e.g. events with friends or family). Personally, prioritizing my goals and creating a plan to achieve them, have been the two most important factors to succeeding with a job and a side hustle.” – Natalie Bacon
“Organization of your time. I work a 9-5 job, I come home and walk my dog, then cook dinner. As you can imagine that doesn’t leave a ton of time for your side hustle. It means organizing your time for your side hustle. After I finish eating dinner, I budget an hour to my side hustle. Now that doesn’t seem like a lot, but if you do it every weekday that adds up to 5 hours you spent on your side hustle. You might have missed “Making a Murderer” but you added $100 to your pocket.” – Even Steven Money
“Because I was writing for my full-time job and also freelance writing/blogging as a side hustle, the last thing I wanted to do after an 8-hour day was come home and grind out more copy. Because of this, I leaned heavily on my weekends and my evenings became sacred. Every Sunday evening from 4-8 I’d work on my blog or any projects I had in the pipeline. Writing on Sunday evenings became so routine I find myself doing it now even though I work for myself full time and can write whenever I want! So that’s my advice: pick out a chunk of time that’s just for you and keep the date with yourself religiously. No one ever likes to hear it, but the truth of the matter is that it takes sacrificing in other areas of your life to truly side hustle and make it worth your time.” – Lauren Bowling
“Top tip: manage your time smarter. Managing your time has everything to do with FOCUS. Tasks will expand to the time you allot them, so schedule the things that are important to you, and stick to that schedule. It’s not about finding more time, it’s about leveraging the same 24 hours we all have in a day, and focusing on ONE goal at a time for your side income will help you accomplish that goal. Better yet, The Freedom Journal will guide you through setting and accomplishing your #1 goal in 100 days, so my top tip would be to grab The Freedom Journal and start taking action! :)” – John Lee Dumas
“The best way to find more time for side hustles is to eliminate things you thoughtlessly do that add no value. Consider how often you look at the same news feed updates on Facebook over and over again. If you just check Facebook once per day, you’ll get the same info and save a bunch of time.” – Lance Cothern
“My top tip for managing a side hustle is to be very organized. Every week, I have a “planning night” where I put actionable items on my calendar and then I follow through with them. I also use Trello to manage projects and outline what “steps” they are in and keep checklists in Trello so I make sure I don’t miss anything. A person can find more time for side income pretty easily – devote half an hour over lunch, or take time away from your favorite TV show to look for ideas, and then do them!” – Megan Harris
“The number one thing you can do to manage your life and your side hustle is to simply schedule time for it and have your family hold you accountable to it. You can make time for anything you set your mind to. You somehow manage to watch your favorite show each week, make dinner as a family, etc. Well, if making extra money is important, you’ll find the time. Maybe it’s before work or after the kids are asleep? There’s always time. The trick is, set a designated time, ask your spouse and tell your kids that this is what the time is for, and then use that time to make things happen!” – Robert Farrington
“Managing a side hustle is like any other aspect of your life. If you want to succeed at it, you need to prioritize it. So, allot the time, work through the time, make your side income and then get back to the other aspects of your life.” – Chris Ducker – ChrisDucker.com
“I’d suggest starting small with just a few hours a week. It’s easy to look at your free time outside of your job and think you can easily add 20+ hours of work per week. This can easily lead to burnout, and which might kill any motivation you had for side gigs.” – Jeffrey Trull
“One of the best things you can do for your goals is to wake up an hour early and *only* spend time working on what’s truly important to you. Sure you can watch less TV at night or hustle on your lunch breaks, but I find a single hour in the morning when everyone else is sleeping to be much more productive. And then you’ve started the day off with a major accomplishment no matter what else happens the rest of the day! It’s a beautiful thing!” – J. Money, BudgetsAreSexy.com / RockstarFinance.com
“Find something you enjoy doing that you don’t normally get to do otherwise. Turning it into a side hustle will offer incentive to make time for it. For instance, if you love pets and aren’t currently a pet owner, you can sign up with Rover and dogsit, or maybe work as a dog walker. That way you’re killing two birds with one stone.” – Jackie Lam
“The best way to make time for a side hustle is to learn to manage your time better. If you’re watching three hours of television each night, for example, you may need to give that up to work on your side hustle instead. If you’re still too busy, consider getting up at 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. I did that for over a year before I was able to quit my 9-5 job to pursue my side hustle full-time.” – Holly Johnson
“You need to make time for your side hustle. I would work on it during lunch, at morning before I went to work. Sometimes I would do it when on nights and weekends. I think most people could find 1 – 3 hours per day to work on a side gig.” – Deacon Hayes
“First, make a weekly calendar of all the events in your life. On that same calendar, enter in the blocks of time you plan on working on your side hustle. Treat those times like anything else that is important on your calendar. If you schedule time from 8-9pmon Wednesday and you forgot your favorite show is on, no excuses! Commit to these times and don’t let anything interfere that isn’t a family emergency.” – Jeff Rose
“My top tip for managing a side hustle is work at a scheduled pace. Set aside a certain number of hours every week and make sure that you make consistent progress. To find more time, I’ve replaced television and YouTube surfing for more productive activities.” – Steve Chou
“I used to struggle with finding extra time outside of my work and family life. The one tip I recommend is use your down-time more effectively. Instead of watching an hour of TV, take that hour and work on a side hustle. If you’re a night owl, use that when everyone else is asleep to create a business or develop a product. We don’t use all time effectively, but just taking chunks here and there and building a side hustle can change your life.” – Grayson Bell
“Choose your side hustle wisely. Choose to market your skills and talents instead of just looking at it from a financial standpoint. Earning a lot of extra money sounds nice, but if you don’t enjoy what you are doing, you will start to dread it quickly and it will take up more of your time. I’m able to work quickly and efficiently on side projects I enjoy so I can make the most of my time. I also try to cut out mindless tasks that take up time like binge watching television or browsing aimlessly through social media.” – Chonce
“The opportunities to earn extra money are endless. But your time and energy are finite. Prioritize a health diet, exercise, socializing, and relaxation. You will be rewarded with extra energy for a side hustle on top of your day job.” – Kate Dore
“You don’t have to make it a part-time job. Make it a hobby first and don’t stress out about getting it done immediately. Find five hours a week to work on the book. Spend a couple of months learning everything you can about the subject or developing the characters/idea. Books can be as short as 40 or 50 pages or as long as you want to write them.” – Joseph Hogue
“If you really see a future in what you are doing, invest in your “side-hustle” by creating systems and ways to duplicate yourself i.e. subcontracting work when possible. Since we are a debt free family, our “personal burn rate” was low enough where I didn’t have to pocket all the business revenue. I eventually began to subcontract workers to fulfill client requests. It was a huge time saver for me and kept it a part-time gig for me that was relatively stress-free.” – Aja McClanahan
“Choose a side hustle that you also get some sort of personal benefit out of, in addition to the extra cash. For example, you might choose a side hustle that helps you get more exercise, or that gives you the chance to earn a new skill, or that allows you to meet new people, or just something you find really interesting. You’ll be more likely to stick with it if there are multiple benefits.” – Sarah Noelle
“You need to make it a priority. The best way to make it a priority is to understand why you need this extra income – pay off debt? Save more for retirement? That goal will drive you. Then make sure you list all the non-essential tasks you do and rank them, your side hustle will be above some tasks… make sure you hustle before you do those tasks.” – Jim Wang
Hope you enjoyed this expert roundup on different ways to make money on the side. Do you want to make side hustle income? Why or why not?
Inside: Learn how much your 80k salary is hourly. Plus find tips to make more money and live the lifestyle you want.
Retirement can be a scary word to those who are not wealthy or afraid of having too much time on their hands.
People in the workforce often don’t know what they will do when their retirement comes around, but it doesn’t have to be that way after all.
For most retirees, there are many reasons they want to work after retirement. And that is 100% okay!
Low stress jobs after retirement make for great part-time careers while still providing enough flexibility to enjoy your personal life. Plus a little extra money is always helpful!
While there is no one “right” answer on which job for you, we compiled a list of 30 great options to consider. All of these jobs offer relatively low stress levels and plenty of opportunities for relaxation and enjoyment.
But before you jump on the first one that comes along, you want to consider which will work best and help ease your transition into the world of retirement.
When you retire, you want to find a job that is low stress and enjoyable. That’s why finding a good retirement job is so important!
The benefits of having a low stress job after retirement
After years of hard work, retirement is a time to relax and enjoy life.
However, for some retirees, working part-time or as a side job can provide additional earnings and a sense of purpose. The following jobs are perfect for seniors over 55, or those post-retirement. They have lower stress levels than the average job and offer many opportunities for growth.
Many retirees below starting a second career after retirement would be difficult and are looking for a job that has fewer strings attached. This may be due to the fact that many retirees feel they have reached the pinnacle of their careers and want more time freedom.
This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.
Fortunately, there are many available jobs with increasing demand and most even have lower stress levels than average.
Retirement is a good time to consider additional earnings. This can provide a stream of money for people who want to enjoy life longer and need an additional income. In addition, working can help retirees stay mentally and physically healthy.
Jobs to Do after Retirement
The list is composed of jobs that are perfect for seniors over 55, or even post-retirement. They have lower stress levels than the average job and offer many opportunities for growth.
Some retirees prefer to work part time or as a side job; others want to find a full-time position that will keep them busy and engaged in their community. Whatever your preference, know that there are plenty of great options out there!
Retiring means starting a new life, so it is important to consider this change as the beginning of a new life and not the end of an old one.
So go ahead and take the plunge into retirement! It’s a new beginning full of endless possibilities.
There are plenty of good jobs for retirees!
What are fun jobs after retirement?
There are many fun retirement jobs that pay a small fortune! And what your personality prefers!
Some people choose to continue working in the same field, but in a more relaxed or part-time capacity. Other people choose to use their retirement to try something new and exciting, such as starting their own business, traveling, or taking up a new hobby.
What can I do after retirement to make money?
Now that you’re retired, you may be looking for ways to make some extra money. Luckily, there are plenty of options to make money in retirement available to you!
You could start a business, become a consultant, or tutor students. In addition, you could also look into working from home opportunities or start a blog.
Maybe you want one of the best part time jobs in retirement.
Whatever you choose, make sure you do your research and find something you enjoy so you don’t get bored!
Tips to Making Money in Retirement
The best fun jobs after retirement include working at a theme park, house sitting permanently on a beach or something crazy you never dreamed yourself to do!
One great way to make some money is by selling your skills and experience. For example, interior decorating is a low-stress field that often requires past experience. Alternatively, you could become a real estate agent. Both of these opportunities allow you to use the skills and knowledge you’ve acquired over the years.
Another great option for retirees is to take advantage of the growing gig economy. There are a host of jobs available through online platforms like Uber or Lyft that don’t require a lot of physical activity or travel time. Plus, they typically offer higher pay rates than traditional employment opportunities.
If you’re looking for something a little more relaxing, consider joining one of the many survey sites out there. These sites reward you with a small amount of money for each survey you complete. It may not be much, but it can add up over time!
Finally, if you’re looking for an easy way to make some money, consider something easy like greeting people. This is a great option because it’s so easy and doesn’t require any special skills or knowledge.
Which job is stress free and high paying?
There is no such job that is stress free and high paying. All jobs have their own unique stressors and rewards. It is important to find a job that is rewarding to you and that you find manageable levels of stress.
There are many jobs that are considered “stress free” after retirement.
For example, many seniors are now looking into jobs such as being a consultant or working in customer service. These positions offer a more relaxed work schedule and usually don’t require extensive training.
In addition, the amount of money one earns from a job is directly related to how much work one put into it. If you’re willing to put in the extra effort, you can make significantly more money than those who don’t.
Really Focused on less stress?
Many seniors are also looking for jobs that don’t involve stress or concern. Proofreading is one such position that meets these qualifications. The job requires native-level English proficiency and an excellent understanding of grammar to succeed. In order to be successful in this field, you have to proofread documents that contain no grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, or syntactic flubs.
You need to find a job that feeds your soul and doesn’t seem like work.
Plus it is fun to tell others what do you do for a living.
Best low stress jobs after retirement
Some people want to use their retirement as a vehicle to start their side hustle and be more relaxed than they were during work hours. This is a great way to spend your retirement! Most cool retirement jobs require little-to-no experience, but some do.
At the end of the day, you must decide if you want to work for yourself and start your own company with a higher earning potential. Or work for someone else with less strings attached and lower pay.
In many cases, you might be stuck working because you didn’t save for retirement, so here are a few jobs that are perfect for seniors over 55 years old, or even after retirement:
1. Freelance writing
Freelance writing can be a good source of income when one has the skills and experience to do so. The best part? You get to set your own hours and take on as much or as little work as you want!
This may not sound like a low-stress job at first, but it’s actually an excellent low-stress job! Being your own boss offers incredible benefits. Best of all, you can do it in a completely stress-free environment by deciding in advance exactly how many hours you want to work.
In fact, my friend over at More Time to Travel does freelance writing for Forbes.
Freelance writing is a great way to make money from home. Be sure to have a strong portfolio and excellent writing skills to land quality freelance writing jobs. Here is a great freelance writing course.
2. Tour guide
This is perfect for someone who loves people and to discuss their worldly knowledge.
A tour guide is someone who accompanies tourists and provides information about the areas they are visiting. They are usually seniors because no special certifications or degrees are required. However, it can be a fun job for anyone who loves meeting people and has a lot of knowledge about their area. Some tour guide jobs offer tips and the opportunity to travel.
A good tour guide will have a deep knowledge of the areas they are touring and will be able to answer any questions the tourists may have. Plus cash tips are always a perk!
3. House Sitter
You can house sit for someone you know, or use a site like Mind My House to find paying gigs. Rates vary depending on the city, but typically you can expect to earn $25-50/day as a house sitter.
It allows you to live in new places without having to commit to long-term leases, and it gives you an opportunity to meet new people and explore new neighborhoods. Plus, it’s a great way to make some extra money on the side as well as lowering your monthly expenses!
If this is something you are seriously considering, then check out this book to learn how to housesit from an expert.
4. Librarian
Librarians are responsible for organizing and managing library collections, helping patrons find information and materials, and providing instruction on how to use library resources. They typically work regular hours in a library setting, and their work is relatively active.
They also need excellent research skills and the ability to stay up-to-date on new technologies.
However, job prospects are good to work in this quiet environment.
5. Customer Service Representative
Jobs in customer service usually don’t require a lot of experience or special training, so they can be a great way to ease into retirement. And since most customer service positions are in the service industry, you’ll likely get to meet new people and help them solve problems every day.
They may work in call centers, retail stores, banks, or insurance companies. In some cases, they may also work remotely from their homes. Customer service reps typically need strong communication and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to stay calm under pressure.
6. Craft seller
Many people don’t have time for their crafts like they wanted when working full-time and raising kids. So, retirement is a perfect time to become an artisans who make and sell their own products.
You can set your own hours, work from home and sell whatever you like. There are many online marketplaces that cater to craft sellers, so you can find a platform that fits your style and interests. In addition, you can attend craft fairs and other events to sell their work in person.
Make sure to price your items competitively and take the time to create an attractive product listing. Plus ship quickly and provide excellent customer service to keep buyers coming back for more!
7. Crossing Guard
It only requires a few hours of work per day, and the pay is decent around $15 an hour.
The job does not require any special skills or training, so it is an ideal way to spend your golden years. Plus you can keep youthful by staying around all of the school-aged children.
8. Blogging
This is a form of expression for most retirees or those thinking about retiring.
It can be a low stress job after retirement, as you can do it from the comfort of your own home and set your own schedule. You don’t need any special qualifications or training to start blogging – all you need is a computer, an internet connection, and something to write about.
Blogging is a great way to create fresh, new content on a regular basis for your website. In fact, my friend over at Tuppennys Fireplace uses blogging to drive extra money to their retirement budget each month.
You can sell advertising space on your blog, use affiliate marketing to promote products and services, or even launch your own product or service. The sky’s the limit when it comes to making money from blogging – so if you have something interesting to say, go for it!
9. Elder Care Services
Services can range from in-home help to full-time nursing care, and each has its own benefits and drawbacks.
While this may seem odd as a low stress job in retirement, it is a good reminder that you are still youthful in others’ eyes.
These may be simple jobs such as picking up groceries, light cleaning, cooking meals, or companionship during the day. Given the cost of nursing homes and certified nursing assistance, this is an affordable option for families who want extra eyes on their loved ones.
10. Private Island Caretaker
Okay, this is the one I want!
If you are reading this and need a caretaker, I am happy to be the right person for your estate.
A lot of caretaker jobs are in private areas, such as private islands, ski resorts, large estates, and other remote or private areas. This is often because employers need someone they can trust to be on-site full time and take care of things.1) Private Island Caretaker
Caretaker jobs are a great way for retirees to stay engaged and active in their golden years. They can provide a sense of purpose and routine, as well as an opportunity to explore new places and meet new people.
11. Docent or Usher
One low-stress job that retirees can consider is becoming an usher at their local theater or sporting area. This job does not require much training and typically pays minimum wage, but it can be a great way to meet people and see new shows and watch sports.
A docent is someone who has expert knowledge about a certain subject and can teach people about it through guided tours and lectures. They are often found in museums, art galleries, and other places where people can learn about the arts.
For many retirees, these are the perfect jobs to get paid for enjoying their hobbies and events they didn’t have time to see when working full-time.
12. Work at Disney
Jobs at Disney parks can be both fun and challenging, with plenty of opportunities to make new friends and help guests have a great time. You’ll need to be able to work hard and stay cheerful under pressure, but the rewards are many.
If you’re interested in working at one of the happiest places on earth, visit the Walt Disney Company website to learn more about current openings and how to apply.
Perfect for the retiree to stay youthful!
13. Invest in Various Intiatvies through Crowdfunding
When it comes to investments, there are many options to choose from that can fit any personality type.
Crowdfunding was created to help more people invest in various businesses by pooling resources together. This makes it more affordable and less risky for everyone involved.
For many retirees, this is a great way to impact start-up businesses and maybe even have a great ROI on their money.
14. Tutoring
Tutoring can help students learn in a one-on-one environment, and help them to focus on the material. Tutoring can also help build a student’s confidence, and help them to ask questions they may be too embarrassed to ask in a classroom setting.
It’s a great way to help students who are struggling and give them the support they need to succeed. You also get the satisfaction of knowing that you’re helping young people achieve their goals. Tutoring can be done in person or online, so it’s a flexible job that you can fit around your schedule.
In today’s society, there are plenty of opportunities to help students achieve faster with tutoring. Most tutors are paid at least $30 an hour.
15. Virtual assistant
There are many low stress jobs that can be found online and Virtual Assistants are one of those jobs.
A virtual assistant is a professional who provides administrative, technical, or creative assistance to clients from a remote location. Often, virtual assistants work for multiple clients simultaneously, providing a wide range of services including social media management, email management, bookkeeping, and more.
They provide a service to their client through the internet and This is a great way for someone with retirement to start making money fast because most VAs make between $35 and $50 an hour.
Take free training for becoming a virtual assistant!
16. Personal shopper
A personal shopper may work in a store, helping customers find what they need, or they may work remotely for a customer who gives them a list of items to purchase. Either way, personal shoppers usually charge by the hour.
It also pays well, especially if you work for a high-end retailer. And since you’re working with customers one-on-one, this is a great job for someone who enjoys helping others. Perfect for a retiree to get out and about.
17. Personal organizer
They may work with individuals or groups, in both business and personal settings. Personal organizers usually have excellent time management skills, as well as a thorough understanding of the principles of organization.
This type of position is great to keep you moving as well as help others.
18. Animal shelter worker
They may feed, groom, and exercise the animals, as well as administer medication and vaccinations. They also clean cages and kennels, and may handle adoptions. The work can be physically demanding, but it is also very rewarding to help homeless animals find new homes.
For someone who loves animals, this is a perfect opportunity to make money and help neglected animals.
19. Book store assistant
The work is relatively easy, and there are usually no major deadlines to worry about. Plus, bookstores are typically quiet and calming environments, which can be a nice break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
If you’re looking for a relaxed job after retirement, this could be it!
20. Photographer
Some people take up photography as a hobby, some as an art form, and some as a profession. The beauty of photography is that it can be whatever you want it to be. There are so many different types of photography, based on your taste and choice you can choose which area to focus on first.
In addition, photography is a great low stress job after retirement!
It can be done freelance to supplement your income or on a full-time basis. There are many opportunities for photographers, and the work is generally enjoyable.
21. Life coach
After retirement, there are many low stress jobs that a person can take on. One such option is becoming a life coach.
This job involves helping people work through their problems and achieve their goals.
By becoming a mentor for the next generation, you are able to have a lasting impact and legacy. This allows you to share your wisdom and knowledge while also helping someone else in their career path.
As a life coach, it’s important to be a good listener and have strong communication skills. Additionally, new graduates might be able to offer you fresh perspectives on life that you may not have considered before. It’s easy to become a mentor to coworkers or people in your field; all it takes is some time and effort.
22. Consultant
Consulting is a broad term used to describe an area of work. It encompasses a wide range of activities and can be done by anyone with the appropriate skills and experience.
Many retirees choose to focus on the areas they enjoyed at work and avoid stressful parts, becoming consultants in those fields.
Often, retirees are a great resource for companies looking for short-term or project-based work. If you let your network know that you are available for consulting opportunities, they may be more likely to reach out to you when they have a need. Additionally, the average consultant salary is between $50 and $150 per hour, depending on experience level.
23. Walmart Greeter
Greeters welcome customers, help them find what they need, and provide general information about the store. They may also monitor security cameras and alarms in the store. The position requires little training, and most Walmart greeters are given on-the-job training.
However, greeters must be able to handle stress well, as they are often the first point of contact for customers who are angry or upset. The position also requires being able to work weekends and holidays.
24. Dog walker
Dog walking is a great job for people who love dogs and want to make a difference in the lives of animals. It is also perfect for retirees who want to stay busy and have flexible hours. The work can be enjoyable and rewarding, and it is a low-stress profession.
Dog walkers are typically paid by how many dogs they are watching at any given time, rather than by the hour. There are specific websites where you can find work as a dog walker like Rover and the average pay is $14 an hour.
25. Pet sitter
A pet sitter is a professional who is hired to take care of pets while their owners are away. Pet sitters typically visit the home of the pet owner to feed, water, and exercise the pet. They may also provide additional services such as grooming and medication administration.
For example, many retirees enjoy pet sitting because it allows them to form close relationships with animals while also providing a service to their community.
Find plenty of pet sitting gigs on Rover.
26. Camp Host
After retirement, many people are looking for a low stress job that will allow them to travel, get outside, and see new places. Campground jobs are perfect for this because you can work during the day and explore at night.
Camp hosts are people who work at a campground to provide information and assistance to guests.
Campsites allow for some flexibility in terms of location – you may be able to choose the state or national park you’d like to work in, as well as the dates of your stay. Additionally, many camp hosts have a good deal of control over their schedules, which can be a perk.
They usually work for minimum wage, but can often receive tips from guests.
27. Adjunct Professor
Many retirees take on part-time work as adjunct professors. The position offers a high level of flexibility, good pay, and opportunities for professional development. In addition, adjunct professors often have the opportunity to work with students from diverse backgrounds and help them grow academically.
This can be a great way to share your knowledge and expertise with the next generation of students. Contact your local college and see if they have any openings. Adjunct professors typically earn around $3,000 per class taught.
28. Author
Becoming an author can be a great way to enjoy your retirement years while still earning some extra money on the side. The job doesn’t involve a lot of pressure, and you get to set your own deadlines.
There are a few different ways to get your book published. One option is to work with an agent. However, this may not always be possible, especially if you are writing a non-fiction book. Another option is to self-publish your book. This can be a great way to get your book out there without having to go through a publishing house.
You will finally have time to tell your story from your perspective.
29. Focus group participant
Focus groups are gatherings of people who are brought together to discuss a certain topic. The participants can range from 6 to 12 people, and they are typically held in local hotels or conference centers. During the focus group, the participants will discuss upcoming products, services, trends, and issues.
Focus group participants are typically reimbursed for their time and participation in the discussion. This can be done in a variety of ways but is usually either through cash or gift cards.
30. Furniture flipper
Furniture flipping is a great business for those who want to make some extra money with little stress and no formal education needed. You can do it from the comfort of your own home, as long as you have the necessary tools and space. With a bit of hard work, you could be on your way to making some serious cash.
Furniture flippers are people who buy furniture at a low price and resell it for a profit. They usually start as furniture buyers who love hunting for deals at garage sales or estate auctions. This is a low-stress job that’s also profitable.
For many retirees, it may have been a hobby turned profitable.
31. Delivery driver
Delivery driver is a great job for retirees because it keeps them active and socially engaged. It can be difficult to sit at home all day, so this job is perfect for those who want to be out in the world meeting new people.
Delivering food is a great way to make some extra money in your spare time. It’s a low-stress job because you’re only out of the car for deliveries, and many companies offer drivers up to $20 per hour.
I love Doordash because their sign-up process is so easy–you can be up and running in minutes!
32. Rideshare driver
Ridesharing is a great way for seniors to make some extra money on the side while still having plenty of time for themselves. It’s very flexible, so they can work as much or as little as they want, and it doesn’t require them to take too much time out of their day.
Both Uber and Lyft require relatively little startup capital, and retirees can often make money driving for these companies.
Just make sure you have the proper auto insurance for ridesharing.
33. Taxi Driver
Taxis are in high demand in most cities, so there is always work to be found. In addition, the hours are flexible, so drivers can work as much or as little as they want.
And since driving a taxi is not very demanding physically, it is a good job for those who are no longer able to do strenuous work.
Many people who move to a foreign country find being a taxi driver a highly rewarding and lucrative way to make money.
34. School Bus Driver
There is a severe shortage of school bus drivers across the country.
This may not be a low stress job to many, but you can have a long lasting impact on the students. Right now, our students need positive influences in their lives.
What does the job entail? You must have a valid commercial driver’s license (or find someone who will provide the training) and be clear from moving violations in the last 3 years. In addition, you must pass a background check to work with students.
Many districts are desperate for school bus drivers and providing a signing bonus.
35. Chat moderator
Chat moderators are responsible for monitoring chat rooms and helping to ensure that the conversation remains on topic and respectful. They also work to resolve any disputes that may arise.
They work in a variety of settings, from social media to online gaming platforms.
But for the most part, the job is relatively low-stress, thanks to the ability to take breaks and work flexible hours. Chat moderators also often have the opportunity to learn new technologies and hone their customer service skills.
36. Babysitter & Nanny
Babysitting and nannying is a great way to make some extra money in your spare time. It’s perfect for people who love kids and have a few hours in the afternoon after school lets out. You can help out your neighbors by babysitting their kids or finding families near you who are looking for a nanny.
They offer a lot of flexibility, they’re relatively low stress, and they often come with a set schedule so you know what you’re doing each week. Plus, you can usually work from home, which is a big perk if you want to stay active in your golden years.
The average babysitter in the United States earns a bit less than $15 per hour, but some earn at least $20 an hour. It is easy to find work.
37. Event Staff
Event planning can be a very stressful job, but it can also be a very rewarding one. After retirement, many people look for a flexible job that they can do mostly on the weekends and in the evening. Event staff is a great option for those people.
They may work in a variety of industries, including entertainment, hospitality, marketing or nonprofit organizations.
Event staff often have to wear many hats during an event, handling duties such as coordinating with vendors, setting up event spaces, managing attendees, and serving as liaisons between organizers and other staffers.
This may not be the situation for everyone, but great for someone who likes to be in the action.
38. Research Assistant
After retirement, many people feel lost and without a sense of purpose. A research assistant helps others find information and discover problems to solve. They work with teams or individuals to locate the best information possible and help them use it effectively.
Research assistants are in high demand because they help other people find information and solve problems. They work on a variety of tasks, such as conducting research, organizing data, and writing reports. Their skills are in high demand by companies, governments, and individuals who need help conducting research.
The job is relatively low stress and pays between $18 and $22 per hour. It requires patience, communication skills, and a range of computer skills.
39. Substitute Teacher
A substitute teacher is someone who fills in for a permanent teacher when they are absent. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as paid vacation, maternity leave, or sick leave. It is a great option for retirees because it is one of the most respected and low-stress jobs after retirement.
This is one of the best retirement jobs because you can substitute teach any position within a school.
Substitute teaching can be extremely rewarding, as you are able to help students in need and fill in for teachers who are absent. You may also have the opportunity to work with different age groups and learn new things.
It is now possible to earn around $20 per hour on average as a substitute teacher. In order to become a substitute teacher, you need to have a bachelor’s degree in any academic discipline from an accredited college or university. With the right qualifications, you can enjoy a great deal of flexibility and earning potential while working with children.
40. Airbnb Host
You can earn up to $1,000 per month by listing your home on the site.
It’s also a low-stress job since you don’t have to worry about meeting deadlines or dealing with customers. And, since you’re working from home, you can easily take care of any last-minute changes or emergencies.
If you’re interested in becoming an Airbnb host, check out this guide on how to get started.
41. Proofreading
In this career, you would be reading documents or manuscripts and looking for mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax. You would then mark the errors with a correction symbol and provide a note to the author about the mistake. Proofreading can be done independently or as part of a team.
It is also important to be able to meet deadlines because many publishers require that manuscripts be returned within a certain timeframe.
42. Park Ranger
They enforce park rules, help visitors enjoy their visit, and provide information about the areas they patrol. Park rangers may also conduct educational programs, research projects, and archaeological surveys.
The growing popularity of outdoor recreational activities will lead to more demand for these workers.
Rangers must be able to hike long distances in difficult terrain, often carrying heavy equipment. They also may need to work extended hours, including weekends and holidays, during peak visitor seasons.
43. Voiceover artist
Voiceover artists are people who provide the voice for a character or commercial. They must be able to understand and interpret the script, and then deliver the lines in a way that sounds natural and believable.
Voiceover artists are in high demand for their unique ability to provide a voice for various multimedia productions that requires no formal training. This work can be done from anywhere with a good internet connection, making it an ideal job for retirees or those with flexible hours.
44. Real Estate Agent
The work is often exciting, and you can set your own hours. However, it can also be demanding and require long hours during busy times.
They must be knowledgeable about the current market conditions and have strong negotiating skills. In order to succeed in this career, you’ll need to be able to work well independently and be comfortable networking with potential clients.
You’ll also need to develop a strong marketing strategy to attract new clients.
45. Sports Coach
They may also instruct athletes on the rules and regulations of a sport. Sports coaches typically have a college degree in physical education, kinesiology, or a related field.
Coaches often work long hours during the season and must be able to handle criticism from players and parents. However, for those who love sports and enjoy working with people, sports coaching can be an enjoyable and low-stress job after retirement.
46. Artist
Being an artist is a great job to have after retirement because it doesn’t require a lot of stress and you’re free to create whatever you like. The only requirement for the job is that you have some artistic ability, which most people do.
Working as an artist can be perfect for people who are looking to have more flexibility with their hours and want to work on the go. There are many different types of artist jobs that one can find, and the best way to find out what’s available is to do some research online or talk to other artists in your area.
47. Translator
Translation is a great option for those who want to use their second or third language skills in a professional setting.
Many retirees find themselves with time on their hands after retirement and may enjoy doing something that they are good at and can be successful at. Speaking another language can lead to many opportunities, including working as a translator or in a translation services company, or becoming a consultant in foreign affairs.
Translators must be able to understand the source material fully and then accurately convert it into the target language.
48. Interior decorator
Interior decorators are in high demand because they have an eye for design and can help people make their homes look beautiful. This is a low-stress career choice that allows retirees to work anywhere, which is why it is becoming increasingly popular.
Interior decorators are often retirees who have a wealth of knowledge and experience in interior design. They must build up a portfolio of their clients’ homes before they can become an interior designer and be able to charge more for their services.
Interior decorating is a creative line of work that can earn great money, and it’s often a side hustle for people who want to make more money while still having free time. Satisfying customers is another perk of this career!
49. Handyman Services
If you’re looking for a way to make some money after retirement, and enjoy doing hands-on home repair projects, consider working as a handyman. Handyman work can be done on your own schedule, so it’s a great option if you want more flexibility in your life.
Handyman services are becoming more popular because they allow you to set your own rates and work on your own schedule.
This is beneficial for both the worker and the customer, as it allows the worker to charge a fair price for their services and customers can get work done on their time. Additionally, handymen have a variety of skills and can fix many problems around the home, which makes them a valuable asset.
50. Professional cuddler
Cuddling has become a popular service in recent years. Companies like Cuddle Comfort offer professional cuddlers that will come to your house and provide you with a compassionate, understanding listening ear as well as some quality cuddle time.
Some people make a living from professional cuddling. These cuddlers can earn approximately $40 per hour for just being themselves and giving bear hugs. This is a growing industry with many people finding comfort and satisfaction in human touch.
51. Mediator
To become a mediator, you need to have either legal training or a bachelor’s degree in mediation. This gives you the skills needed to mediate and resolve disputes between two or more parties. Mediators usually have a low-stress job because of their flexibility and freedom to work from anywhere.
Mediators come from a variety of professional backgrounds, but the majority have some form of legal background. More than half of certified mediators work as general mediators, charging $100 to $250 per hour.
52. Data entry specialist
A data entry specialist is somebody who enters data into a computer system. This can be a very low stress job, especially if you have basic computer skills and typing speed and accuracy. The work is relatively easy to find and usually does not require any specific qualifications.
Data entry specialists are paid a modest wage for their work, but the pay is reliable and predictable. The job is also relatively easy to find, making it a great option for people who are looking for additional work during retirement or in their spare time.
Being able to type quickly and accurately in order to be successful in this role.
53. Waiter/ Waitress
If you have a gift of gab and service, then this might be the perfect industry for you. Especially as a bar back!
The work hours are flexible, the tips are usually good, and you get to meet new people all the time. Plus this type of job is fun, as it’s not high-stress and it allows someone who just retired or wants a job with flexible hours to stay active socially while they make money.
If you’re looking for an alternative after retirement, waiter or waitress work is definitely a good option.
54. Cook
Many families are looking for healthy options for dinner. What is better than a home-cooked meal?
While working as a cook for a restaurant, you may often work long hours in a hot, noisy kitchen. However, cooking for local families on a small scale may be the perfect scenario.
55. Become a Transcriber
Transcription is a great way to make some money after retirement. You can typically make around $18-$25/hour, depending on your skill level and experience.
The work is relatively low stress, so it’s a great option for those looking for a relaxing way to make some extra income.
56. Retirement planner
Some retirement planners offer training and certification for their employees. The employer might pay for your training and certificate if they feel confident enough in hiring you as an employee after seeing how well you do these tasks.
This may not be the ideal situation for many, but it pays well.
57. Flip Items
Flipping items for profit is a great way to make some extra cash. You can find deals at garage sales and online, and then turn around and sell them for more.
Be sure to look out for scams, however, as there are many people who try to take advantage of those looking to flip items.
To learn how to flip for a side hustle, check out Flea Market Flippers.
58. Professional Volunteer
Charity work is a great way to give back to the community and help those in need. There are many charities that need help, and by donating your time or money, you can make a big difference in someone’s life.
It can also be a great way to ease into retirement. Many charities are always in need of volunteers, and you can often find opportunities that fit your schedule. You may also be able to find paid positions with certain charities.
You will have the opportunity to help others and make a real difference in their lives. You may also find new friendships and learn new skills.
It keeps you social and busy, and it lets you help out in your community. Plus, many organizations offer volunteer opportunities tailored to retirees’ skills and interests.
In fact, many volunteer opportunities turn into paid jobs.
How to find a job that is low stress and matches your skills?
Which best jobs for retirees do you want?
When you’re looking for a job that is low stress and matches your skills, it’s important to consider a variety of factors. For example, employers want employees who can work independently and are well-organized. They also want employees who can communicate clearly. You should have a basic understanding of the job duties as well.
If you have specific skills, you may not need these things as much.
However, employers still want employees who can complete tasks without any help from others. There are a variety of ways to find out about such jobs, including using search engines or social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn.
Also, whoever says you have to wait for retirement?? Find low-stress jobs that pay well without a degree now.
It’s also important to be aware of the pay structure. Often, employers want employees who will be able to work for them on a long-term basis. The pay structure is often predictable and employers know exactly how much work there will be available for each project. This makes it easier for both parties involved.
One way to find a job that is low stress and matches your skills is by using online platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr. These platforms offer many data entry jobs that are perfect for those looking for an easy way to make some money after retirement. In order to take advantage of these jobs, you’ll have to learn how to type fast.
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
Are you looking for a way to earn some extra money? Did you do well in school, or on standardized tests? Offering tutoring services may be a good bet for you.
I’ve been a private tutor for the better part of seven years now. It kept me in spending money as a part-time job in college, and it has turned into a full-time gig for me over the last few years. The best part about it, though, is that it’s an easy concern to keep going whether you have three or thirty hours a week to devote to it.
What to Tutor
I’ve taught everything from high school writing to college calculus to professional certification exams for public school teachers. That’s just the tip of the iceberg: there’s a market for tutors for every standardized test in existence, and probably every academic subject at every level, too. Heck, much of this article probably applies to things like music lessons, as well.
If you have a strong academic background, but aren’t comfortable opening for business without some kind of certification, it might be worth taking a job with a tutoring service, particularly one of the big-name test prep companies such as Kaplan or The Princeton Review. They’ll train you, you’ll get valuable in-class experience, and after a few months you may feel better about setting off on your own.
Finding Students
The standard advice for would-be tutors is to post flyers at strategic locations such as universities. In my experience, though, that doesn’t work.
Ideally, your business would come via word of mouth. Every time you work with a student, make sure they have your contact information, and encourage them to tell their friends about you. The less effort it takes to get business, the better!
Starting out, though, referrals will be hard to come by. (That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try: family and friends may be able to help out early on by spreading the word.) The easiest way to reach prospective students is through Craigslist. Better yet, set up a simple website in addition to your Craiglist ads so that you appear to be more than some guy or gal with an e-mail address.
Ultimately, though, Craigslist is just the 21st-century version of flyering the local university. The best way to find students is to go to the source. If you’d like to help elementary school children with reading, introduce yourself at the local elementary school. Teachers and counselors are the absolute best source of referrals for K-12 students.
Nuts and Bolts
The most important operational question you’ll face is how to set your rates. At the high end, you’ll find SAT, LSAT, and GMAT tutors in New York City charging several hundred dollars per hour. The range is huge: Even in New York, for the same services, you’ll find other tutors for as little as $20 or $25 per hour.
As with most services, acceptable rates are tied to the level to expertise you bring to the table.If you’re offering math tutoring for junior high students, don’t expect to command $50 per hour: High school students can do the same thing, and they’d probably do it for a whole lot less. This is one reason to consider becoming a test-prep tutor through a major company: As soon as you finish training, you’ll have skills that set you apart from the vast majority of would-be instructors.
While it’s important to consider what the market will bear, it’s also crucial that you consider your time investment. One of the drawbacks of tutoring, compared to other part-time jobs, is that it can be difficult to string together more than an hour or two at a time. If you’re charging $20 per hour and driving across town to meet with a student for one hour, is it worth it?
One partial solution to that problem, at least once you’re working with multiple students, is to have people come to you. (Perhaps even for a discounted rate.) Before I found a shared office solution, I would set up shop at a Starbucks in Midtown Manhattan. It was convenient for my students, and on some weekends, I would tutor four students for two hours each, straight through from 9-5. One commute is much better than four!
Final Words
As I mentioned in the beginning, one of the benefits of tutoring as a side job is that there are no real minimum time requirements. It can turn into a full-time job, as well, but don’t count on that happening in short order. Be especially careful about the actual number of hours you’re spending: if you have a dozen students and you’re traveling to them, an 8-10 hour per week job can suck up quite a bit of time and expenses.
Warnings aside, there are plenty of benefits I haven’t mentioned. You’ll meet all sorts of people you never would otherwise, and you’ll help students meet goals they may not have reached without you. You’ll be your own boss, and hey — you might even have some fun!