This is a guest post from Jeff Kosola, author of the awesome personal finance blog Deliver Away Debt. Jeff has a very compelling story–he is accelerating his debt-repayment plan by taking on a second job as a pizza delivery man. You can follow Jeff on Twitter to get his pizza delivery adventures live!
When Jeff’s not delivering or working at his day job, he gives us some gems on his blog. Today, he shares his story and thoughts on why you should get a second job if you want to pay off your debt. Enjoy!
Are you debt? Do your paychecks only provide enough money to pay your bills and feed your family? Do you want to make a change to blast away your debt? Good, but something has to change in life to gain some debt busting traction. You need more money coming in.
A Budget
You can only squeeze so much money from your budget. Cutting back on the movie channels, stopping the Netflix and gym memberships, and not eating out will only get you a couple hundred more dollars a month. I’m guessing that little bit of money isn’t going to make a dent on those balances.
If you don’t mind being in debt from many years, this plan will work great. If you want a much quicker way out of debt, you’ll have to put some work into it.
Extra Income Sources
- Get a part time job
- Start doing Freelance work
- Start a lawn mowing/snow removal side hustle
- Start a Pooper Scooper service
- Tutor
It doesn’t matter what you do, just do something to bring in extra money. Since I’m sure most of you have day jobs, you need to find a side hustle that is going to fit into your schedule.
If you are a motivated writer, then freelance writing might be a great way to bring in some extra bucks. You can write when the kids are in bed, or you can get up extra early in the morning to crank out content. You can usually make $15-$70 per article depending on the client.
A mowing business is great if you can schedule the jobs in the evening after your first job. You will probably miss dinner with the family, but at least you can apply your earnings toward your debt. Mowing lawns will net you $20-$40 per house.
A part-time job is another option for many people. It doesn’t require you to have any special skills, and you don’t have to market yourself as with the other options listed. The pay can range quite a bit with part time jobs, from $7.45 to over $20 per hour.
Sacrifice
Getting out of debt quickly will require a lot of sacrifice in your life. You will miss some dinners with the family. You will miss family events. You will miss out on kid’s school and/or sporting events. You will not be able to spend time with friends anymore.
Getting out of debt is not a fun adventure. Remember, you have to pay for all the fun you had getting INTO debt.
But don’t let the sacrifices stop you. Everyone who has worked to get out of debt can tell you it was well worth the effort. Imagine opening your pay check and knowing all that money is yours. Imagine being able to sleep at night with no worries. Imagine how much simpler life will be without the burden of debt.
Just Do It
You know you can’t pay off debt quickly without having to earn extra income. You also know that you’ll need to make some sacrifices along the way. Remember nothing in life is free.
Visa and MasterCard only want you to think they are your friends, helping to fund a lifestyle that you simply can’t afford. It’s time to pay those cards off and take your life back.
Part Time Job Example
Let’s take a closer look at a part time job. We’ll look at Pizza Delivery. I have firsthand knowledge in the field; the example is real and works great for my family.
I am a Pizza Delivery Driver. For 22 hours a week I work a second job; Fridays 5-1a, Saturdays 5-1a, and Sundays 5-11p.
Duties
Working in the restaurant business will open your eyes to many tasks you’ve probably never done before.
Depending on the company, the tasks will vary. You’ll be cutting pizzas, folding boxes, answering phones, cutting veggies, rolling dough, sweeping and mopping floors, and delivering the pizzas. The job is very simple.
One great perk of a part time job is some else is making all the decisions. I make the decisions and take on the stress at job number one, so following orders becomes a nice change of pace at that pizza parlor.
When you leave your second job, nothing follows you home. No TPS report to think about. No unfinished projects to lose sleep over, nothing. Just the satisfaction of a job well done.
The Pay
Here’s the main reason to work as pizza delivery driver, the pay.
You will get an hourly rate, delivery rate, and tips. That’s a tri-fecta of debt reduction right there.
All rates will vary by employer as well as neighborhood. My current hourly rate is $6, I get $1.50 per delivery, and people actually tip me (most of the time). I usually make at least $1,500 per month.
All that money goes directly to pay down my debt. Do not use the extra money to fund your current lifestyle. The reason you are working a second job is to get out of debt so you don’t have to work a second job in the future. I’ve made that mistake, don’t do it.
If you want to get out of debt bad enough you will do whatever it takes. I wish you the best of luck in your adventure.
Remember that there are plenty of people in the same spot as you are. Some of us are so sick of it we are doing everything we can to make a better life for our families. Debt or no debt, family is our most precious asset. Harness the power of future rewards to help you make the best decisions today.
Photo by tamakisono
Wojo’s note: How is your family making sacrifices or extra efforts to pay down your debt? Share your thoughts!
Fiscal Fizzle 
$1500 extra a month isn’t bad at all – kudos to you for sacrificing your weekends for your family. I was in the Air National Guard for 15 years to bring in a little extra income plus there were some additional benefits that came with being a reservist, like low cost life insurance and dental insurance, annual medical physicals, tuition reimbursement, etc.
.-= David @ MBA briefs´s last post: How long are you going to live? =-.
Low cost insurance is at a premium these days! 🙂 I echo Jeff’s comment and thank you for serving.
As for $1,500, my eyes about shot out of my head when I saw that. That is absolutely AWESOME for a part-time job, in my opinion. Jeff has an hourly rate tracker on his website–if I recall correctly Jeff, you’re averaging somewhere around $20/hr. Very respectable!
Great, great post. I think this is the crucial point:
“Do not use the extra money to fund your current lifestyle. The reason you are working a second job is to get out of debt so you don’t have to work a second job in the future.”
It’s so easy to see extra money coming in and feel tempted to spend it. But it’s there to get you out of debt, or to save for a big purchase — you can’t touch it. Easier said than done, but if you do it, you’ll succeed easily.
.-= Jason´s last post: What’s More Important: An Emergency Fund or Being Debt Free? =-.
One strategy that has worked for me in the past is to pull out old statements and pay off specific purchases. It reminds you that you’re paying off ACTUAL stuff you did/bought, not just throwing money into the wind.
@Jason You are picked up on the best point of the article. When I started working the 2nd job I did not have a financial plan to get out of debt. It wasn’t until I meet with a financial coach that I was able to put a plan together. I wasted a ton of money and time working the second job while still living the high life. It was a major screw up and Brian over at MyNextBuck posted my Friday Financial Foul-up. The total amount wasted was in the neighborhood of $13,000.
Without a plan for the money the temptation can become too great. Thanks for your thoughts.
.-= Jeff @ DeliverAwayDebt´s last post: Credit Relief Act =-.
I think your service in our armed services is a much bigger sacrifice than delivering pizzas. Thank-you for serving. Those benefits do sound really good. The pizza biz doesn’t exactly have benefits, ok free pizza is a great benefit 🙂
.-= Jeff @ DeliverAwayDebt´s last post: Credit Relief Act =-.
I would be very concerned about working at any type of food establishment. My semi-ADD and sweet tooth make me an addictive eater. 🙂
haha I will second that. When I was in high school I worked at an all you can eat buffet as a server and I was trying to gain weight at the time while I was lifting weights so I was always take a “smoke break” to dive around the corner and grab a plate of food off of the buffet. 🙂
.-= Credit Card Chaser´s last post: Warren Buffett’s $50 Million GEICO Credit Card Business Loss =-.
polish power thanks for advice
Woj, great idea to take out old credit card statements & pay off specific items! Maybe since my credit cards are paid off, I should take my school transcripts & pay off my student loans class by class. Of course that may make me physically ill to constantly remind myself how much it is costing me!
Jeff, great article – kudos to you for taking the temporary sacrifice of another job and time away from your family to knock the debt out. Just curious, how much debt are you working on? What’s your day job? Do they know you deliver pizzas on the weekends?
.-= Jason @ MyMoneyMinute´s last post: Tax Refunds: Does Size Matter? =-.
Thanks Jason,
I started with over $101,000 in debt. The debt includes everything except my first mortgage. I have student loans, credit cards, 401K loans, and my 2nd mortgage included in my total. I could cheat and not count some of the loans, but they are debts aren’t they? Oh yeah, after Friday I’ll be down to under $72,000.
My first job is with General Motors. Everyone knows that I deliver on the weekends. I have one boss who wants to invest in the business and knows about my plans to franchise once I’m out of debt. My crew loves when I work at GM on Saturdays because I always bring pizza for the team from the night before.
My wife is a stay at home mom. Missing out on her income is one of the driving forces behind the 2nd job. We made the choice to raise our kids with at least one parent at home, besides the cost of daycare is so high that it only made since for us to have her stay at home.
.-= Jeff @ DeliverAwayDebt´s last post: Credit Relief Act =-.
You’re making awesome progress Jeff! Sounds like everything in life is really clicking for you.
What are your plans when you finally get rid of all this debt? 🙂
Love it Jeff! Great attitude! I knew choosing you as the “Honorary Yakezie Member” was a good decision!
.-= Financial Samurai´s last post: The Government Is Sexist And Nobody Seems To Care =-.
Haha thanks alot Samurai. A bad attitude isn’t going to help a person change a thing. A good attitude will only get a person so far. An focused attitude will being all the money in the world 🙂
Yakezie Member DeliverAwayDebt
.-= Jeff @ DeliverAwayDebt´s last post: Credit Relief Act =-.
Awesome post, Jeff! I can’t believe how far your family has progressed getting out of debt. How does your family plan on celebrating once you get out of debt?
BTW, I bet that $72K mark taste pretty sweet right now. 😉
.-= Money Funk´s last post: New Credit Card Protections Take Effect =-.
Thanks Money Funk,
We haven’t thought about celebrating yet. We just want this to be over. I think the best celebration will be not having to work two jobs and being able to be with my family more. Oh yeah, I might take a whole day and just sleep. As I write this I’m sitting at my desk at job, it’s 2:29am. Working OT like this really helps the bottom line, only 12 more hours to go today 🙂
.-= Jeff @ DeliverAwayDebt´s last post: Credit Relief Act =-.
I don’t know how you do it man! I would burn out after 2 weeks. I’m so glad that your family is as supportive as they are and they understand the common goal you guys are going after!
It does wear on the family, but my wife wants this to end as soon as possible so we’ve pulled out all the stops.
Thanks for posting this article Wojo, and thanks to all the readers/commenters. Just remember that If I hear anyone whining, you can bet I’ll let you know 🙂
Yours in the bond of debt,
Jeff
.-= Jeff @ DeliverAwayDebt´s last post: Credit Relief Act =-.
I think it was from the movie “The Rock” where Sean Connery talks about people whining about doing their best (I’ll leave out the unsavory reference he makes as well). But I agree, shutup and do it. I had a former co-worker that used to spend the better part of his day walking the halls whining about how much work he had, while the rest of us busted it on through to the next project. You’ll notice I said former. There is no better celebration than just knowing you’re free. Great post Jeff!
.-= Paul @ FiscalGeek´s last post: What is a Good Credit Score? Should you Care? =-.
I love that movie and that quote. Talk will only get people so far, our actions are what make the difference. Look at you, you paid down a mountain of debt in less than a year. You and your wife busted your butts to do it, you didn’t just sit around waiting for someone to help you. You guys helped yourselves. That’s the whole message. Shut up and do it.
Thank you for the encouragement Paul
.-= Jeff @DeliverAwayDebtg´s last post: How to Adjust Tax Withholdings =-.
Wow I admire you. If I get less than 6 hours of sleep at night I feel sluggish at work!
@David – I am currently in the Navy Reserves and enjoy the extra benefits/income from it. It does cut into some much needed ME time, but overall it has been an excellent experience.
I too have been considering a second job, though I’d like to be able to contribute to my career in some way. I have an excellent option, just need one thing to go through first. Nevertheless, your story is something I feel more Americans need to hear and consider!
Also, 22 hours a week- $1500 a month! WOW, now that’s a good part time job!
.-= MyFinancialObjectives´s last post: Student Loan Payoff Progress =-.
Thank you MFO,
I hope your second job option works out. The funny thing about my second job is that I really love the business and want to own a pizza parlor now. I guess that’s just how things work out sometimes. I still like my 1st job but the opportunities are very limited looking at the next 30 years of my work life.
Take care and good luck
.-= Jeff @DeliverAwayDebt´s last post: How to Adjust Tax Withholdings =-.
Interesting. I just had a discussion with our CFO/President today and apparently when he was 20 and in college he owned two pizza huts and made a LOT of money doing it. Granted the guy is a genius, making his first million at 22, but he had a LOT of positive things to say about owning pizza shops. Right now Domino’s is apparently an excellent franchise opportunity.
.-= MyFinancialObjectives´s last post: Student Loan Payoff Progress =-.
You’ve made some great points. Having a part-time job (although not as lucrative as pizza delivery seem to be), it is VERY tempting to use a few extra bucks to just squander on something. Like you, I have to remember I’ve already done that – and that’s why I have debt!
Great blog!
.-= Tracy´s last post: Toronto Hydro makes me happy! =-.
Jeff, with this attitude you’re situation is going to rocket once you break through from paying down debt to saving and investing.
Good luck!
.-= Monevator´s last post: Why does Joe Public love sweatshops? =-.
The main drain for me is the time. I’m also working a part time job (20+ hours a week) on top of my main job. It means that I don’t get to spend nearly as much time with my wife and kids, fixing things around the house, playing the piano, cooking, or exercising as I would like to.
If I can keep it up through August though we’ll pay back $7k more of student loans, save $1,300 in interest and lower our fixed monthly costs by $100. If I can keep it up through December our other student loan will be gone (another $7.5k) and we’ll just have our mortgage to worry about.
Is it worth it? Well, yes and no. Being out of debt will be awesome, but I miss sleeping.
Awesome Job Michael. Working the two jobs is a huge sacrifice and I’m proud of you for doing it. December isn’t that long to wait, so I say just do it. Once the debt is completely gone you’ll never have to do it again. I completely understand missing the family, I have two kids under three. I keep going because I know once the debt is gone I can stop. I miss sleep too 🙂 That’s that thing that normal people do at night right??
Jeff
.-= Jeff @ DeliverAwayDebt´s last post: Can You Be Content While In Debt =-.
I’d love a second job but the 1st job and commute time leave 3 hours before bed most nights and all my crazies on the weekend. Luckily I eBay it up with the little time I have until their fees knock me off their site.
.-= Cheapskate Sandy´s last post: Why I Don’t Have A Will…And Why You Might Need One =-.
Tough situation. You’ve got to decide whether at some point, you would just burn out from taking on a second job. I think I would…I don’t do well past 10 PM. But if push came to shove, I’m sure I would buckle up and do what had to be done.
Wojo is right it is a tough situation. But if you really need the money and really need to pay down debt then you’d do what you can. If you can’t work a second job then streamlining the budget and selling things are a way to get some traction.
Good luck
.-= Jeff @ DeliverAwayDebt´s last post: Can You Be Content While In Debt =-.
I love it! This is the kind of attitude we need a bit more of. Some just don’t want to put in the work. I get complaints all the time about my make money ebook that you have to do something to earn the extra money. Really!?!? 😉
.-= PT´s last post: Question of the Week: Who Does Your Car Service? =-.
Yes sir, nobody I work with can understand that you need to put “WORK” in to get to your goals. Everyone thinks I’m crazy for doing what I do. It’s simple, I choose to work hard now so I can grow my wealth later. They choose to spend now and pay for it the rest of their lives.
I can only imagine some of those comments about the e-book. I’m sure many people downloaded it thinking you solved the magic secret of making money. Too bad they were presented with 52 options FOR work. I will never quite understand the laziness of people.
.-= Jeff @deliverawaydebt´s last post: Frugal Friday Tips – 10 for 10 =-.
Dear Pizza Delivery Guy,
While your tale is interesting, I wonder how you manage Fridays. I assume your first job has hours which are about 7-4, and then you do your pizza job 5 – 1. How do you have the energy to be awake for about 22 hours straight? (I’m assuming you get up at 5 and go to bed at 3.) I also assume you are younger than I am. I also assume that your first job does not require overtime or irregular hours. If your first job were, say, retail, you might have different hours each week and not be able to arrange the schedules at your 2 jobs to be compatible. I work in the computer field and I never know whether I will leave at 4:30 or…8 p.m. Plus I am on-call with a beeper and must respond to work “emergencies,” which I wouldn’t be able to do if I were out delivering pizzas. Fortunately I don’t have debt, but if I did, a second job would be impossible. Good for you that you can do it. I assume you sleep in on Saturday mornings at least, and probably Sunday mornings as well. I hope your kids don’t have events on those mornings (which you will miss).
Thrifty Gal
I wake up between 4:30 and 5:00 in the morning on Fridays. I get to bed at 2am the following morning. My kids are little and are up at 7ish on the weekends so I get up with them. I don’t have a lot a time to spend with them, so I give up sleep to be able to be with them. My first job is in the Automotive industry, and I run a 3 shift maintenance crew so I have to be there by 5:45 to work with my 3rd shifters and say until 5 or so at night to work with my 1st and 2nd shifters (I leave at 4 on Fridays). I’m on call 24 hours/7 days a week. I get calls all the time, but usually can solve them on the phone. I’ve had to leave the pizza job once due to an explosion at my factory, otherwise my bosses and co-workers know that I deliver so they do their best to leave me alone. I work the weekends sometimes too, those are long days!!
When you want something bad enough, the human spirit will do almost anything to get it. I want to be debt free so I can get on with my life, so I’m working hard to get there. My family is very supportive and my wife takes care of everything that I can’t. I don’t know how old you are, but I’m 34. Thanks for your comment.
Jeff
.-= Jeff @deliverawaydebt´s last post: Sunday Morning Clicks – New Header Edition =-.
I lost money delivering catering services in gas and automobile wear and tear and very long commutes. I would not recommend it unless you sit down and figure how much it will cost. I blew 20,000 miles in only 6 months.
I plan to start a business! Now is a great time to not be burdened by the economy or your boss. Think about starting small as a loan is hard to get if you are in debt. People can make money and you may turn it into a full time job later and be rich. An example I see in Alaska (where I live) are little shack portables that sell coffee. Why? When it is -30 you do not want to leave your car for a Starbucks and a portable at a mini-mall can give you hot coffee fresh. This is cheap to start. I plan on making a website to earn some extra money. I have a second job at Taco Bell as a backup at nights and it is grueling but if any of my ideas take off I can quit. 🙂
makes sense, good advise only problem with the recent unemployment rates some people cant even get a job let alone 2
I am 22 and struggling to get out of debt. I really admire the spirit you have to do everything and get what you want. Thank you for sharing
Loved your article. My husband just got a 2nd job to get us out of debt. It is definitely a sacrifice because now he works 7 days a week. I am doing my part by finding ways to cut our budget & only live off what we need. I am happy to say we paid off our Line of Credit yesterday, WOO-HOO!! I can’t wait to shout, DEBT FREE!!!
Congratulations Kelly! I’m always happy to see couples working hard together in their own ways to make the budget work. So many marriages are torn apart by one person doing all the work and the other not really caring.
Like the posts and follow a similar plan. There is a canadian tv show that I watch that deals in your thread… Till Debt Do We Part… or something close. Takes 1/2 hour look at debt in a family and works a plan to resolve. Very interesting to get inside look at people’s knowledge.
Scott