Debt. I really hate it. It’s annoying and I won’t bother to reiterate my frustrating relationship with it here. I’ve done so over at Dear Debt, so go there if you’re interested in hearing the twisted-ness.
I gather you’ve made it here because you have a sick relationship with debt too and you’ve been looking for ways to fight back. You’re willing to fight like hell to get out of it because your freedom and sanity depend on it. I get it, trust me, I really do.
There are plenty of things you can do to get out of debt and I’ll tell you that working a 9 to 5 and making minimum payments for 75 years ain’t gonna cut it for me. You have to be willing to go a step further if you don’t want to be subjected to this type of living the rest of your life. If you want to have a life and enjoy it in the process, I recommend hustling to bring in some extra income.
That’s what I’m doing and I’ve shared my intentions with my readers here at LAAB from jump start. Since beginning my amazing journey here at this end of the web-o-sphere, I’ve been fortunate to chat it up and get to know the work of some of my fellow personal finance bloggers.
Hustle Away Debt
One of those bloggers just happens to be David Carlson who released his first book, Hustle Away Debt. I couldn’t pass up the chance to get my long fingers on this book because I love reading and I knew it had the potential to offer something of value to my lovely readers.
Before I even finished reading chapter one, I knew this book was written for people like me. You see, I work a typical 9 to 5 (actually a 6:30 am to 2:30 pm). I have a family and I have a ton of student loan debt. Time is not a luxury I have a lot of, so I knew taking on an outside part-time job wouldn’t work for my family. My salary is what it is, but what I love about my job is I have a perfect telecommuting arrangement that allows me to work from home full-time.
Pursuing other opportunities within my company could mean giving up the flexibility that telecommuting affords my family. Even with another job, I’d still slave away for years before I could ever pay off $80,000 in student loans. So what’s a mama in my situation to do? I started an online side hustle and I be darned if it isn’t actually paying off!
I haven’t done a book review in a while because I don’t believe in reviewing books simply for an Amazon kickback. I was hoping this book wouldn’t be another fail because I really wanted to touch on the topic of side hustling to pay off debt. I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint.
Why should you read Hustle Away Debt?
I like this book for multiple reasons. The main one is not everyone knows what a side hustle is, nor do they understand what it’s like to live in my hustling world. Thankfully, David is a fellow hustler himself and he schools you on exactly what a side hustle is and opens up the pages for you to discover what type of hustle may work for you.
In Hustle Away Debt, he takes it a few steps further and explores online and offline side hustles one can pursue, but more importantly, he discusses the importance of making sure you are choosing a side hustle that suits your lifestyle.
Not everyone is in a position where they can pick up part-time work to pay their debt. I’ll give you a little more background to my situation to explain this concept. My husband works 12-hour night shifts at the department of juvenile corrections. His schedule rotates which gives him every other weekend off. Trying to fit a part-time job into his crazy schedule is not the business because he’s never off on the same days every week.
Writing is the best fit for my personality and it just happens to provide opportunities to earn some extra income. I monetized my skills and chose a side hustle that is convenient for my lifestyle. If you are single and have no other responsibilities, taking a part-time job could work for you. You might also have more time to devote to starting your own business. David explores these details more in depth in Hustle Away Debt.
Let’s wrap this up so you can hustle your way out of debt…
The objective of this book is to encourage those in debt to think outside of their 9 to 5 and go after a hustle that brings in extra income. This extra income is used to chip away at your debt faster. If the side hustle you choose initially doesn’t work that’s okay. In the words of Daniel Tiger, “Keep trying, you’ll get better!”
Speaking from personal experience, not all side-hustles work for the long-term. I used to provide graphic design services to bloggers using the Blogger platform. I hated it, but it brought in income for that season of my life. In the end, I let it go because it wasn’t the right fit.
If you’re in debt and want to hustle your way out, don’t be afraid of trying something. Educate yourself on the opportunities available to you and focus on your strengths. Create your why, then go after it with everything you’ve got. I have $80,000 in student loans and I plan to type away at my keyboard until Navient sends me a letter telling me all my loans are paid in full.
Are you willing to hustle your way out of debt? If so, get your copy of Hustle Away Debt today.
Oh yeah, and I finished this book in 1 day. With a 9-month-old. With a job. With a 6-year-old. And a side-hustle. You have time to read. Find it.
