Tips like these helped us pay off $127K in debt. You can read our story in Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.
Welcome to 31 Debt Free Missions! This year on Queen of Free, during each day in January, we will provide 31 concrete debt free missions or challenges for you to take on to #SlayDebt and take charge of your finances this year. Each mission will take you less than an hour (some will only require 15 minutes). Whereas, 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth (which I’m reworking this year and reposting in January, too) focused on some of the philosophical changes you need to make in order to be successful with money, 31 Debt Free Missions are action steps to put into place after you have your thinking straight. Even better, during the month of January, we’re revisiting each of these challenges in order to sharpen our money saving and debt slaying skills.
The King of Free is back here at the end of the month, sharing some wisdom with you.
Are you ready? Your mission is as follows:
Day #30: Earn Extra Income
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Thomas A. Edison
One of our first notes to self when paying off debt was: seek out new sources of income. This sounds simple enough, right? When you make a commitment to earn extra income and you move forward with intensity, opportunities begin to appear from seemingly nowhere. But, you have to be ready for the opportunities and you have to notice the opportunities. Here’s how:
LEAN INTO YOUR GIFT
Whatever you are gifted in, whatever you can do on the side, be thinking about such things. And then figure out how to do that. For money.
NETWORK
Admittedly, I’m not a fan of the word “network” or the stupid cliche “Network or not work.” But, I digress. If you have close friends in community, let them know you are seeking out new and additional opportunities. Your friends will want to help (if not, you should get new friends). Midway through our debt slaying journey, a friend of mine sent me a job opportunity because he knew I’d be interested in the extra income. Side story: In the interview, I stated that I was interested in the gig because, “I dunno, it sounded kinda cool.” By the grace of God, I still got the position.
THINK DIFFERENTLY
You might be surprised as to what you can do for new and additional sources of income on the weekends or on the evenings. Sure, you could deliver pizzas, newspapers, or work a late night shift at a part-time job. For lots of folks, this is not an option because they are already working as much as they possibly can. If you are in a position where you are able to work more or differently, I highly recommend it. I once heard about a guy who cleaned out septic tanks and sprayed the contents into a field to help his family get out of debt. Do you want it that bad?
AVOID INVENTORY
If you are trying to slay a Dragon, now is not a good time to get into a multi-level marketing plan that involves purchasing inventory. Money goes toward debt, not a closet full of knick knacks or paddiwacks.
WIN BIG
The gig I landed because my friend referred me to it turned out to be a huge weapon against the dragon. More importantly, it’s awesome. Sometimes a fight against the dragon pushes you in a direction you would not have gone otherwise. Maybe those side jobs referenced above turn into a rewarding side business. Maybe that part-time job opens doors to an entirely new career path that you would not have considered otherwise. Go win.
READ THIS: The Monk and The Merchant by Terry Ferber
Did you see the previous Debt Free Missions? Knock them all out this month!
- 1. 31 Debt Free Missions: Take the Restaurant Challenge
- 2. 31 Debt Free Missions: Run Your Credit Report
- 3. 31 Debt Free Missions: Set Up a Tax Box
- 4. 31 Debt Free Missions: 5 Memberships to Ditch
- 5. 31 Debt Free Missions: Adjust Your Withholdings
- 6. 31 Debt Free Missions: Quit Using Credit Cards
- 7. 31 Debt Free Missions: Go to the Library
- 8. 31 Debt Free Missions: Eliminate Cable
- 9. 31 Debt Free Missions: Pantry Prep
- 10. 31 Debt Free Missions: 3 Phone Calls to Pay Off Debt
- 11. 31 Debt Free Missions: The Bank Field Trip
- 12. 31 Debt Free Missions: Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
- 13. 31 Debt Free Missions: Hit Unsubscribe
- 14. 31 Debt Free Missions: Stop Money Leaks
- 15. 31 Debt Free Missions: Maintain Your Car
- 16. 31 Debt Free Missions: Save Money on Prescriptions
- 17. 31 Debt Free Missions: Kill the Fees
- 18. 31 Debt Free Missions: Change Car Insurance
- 19. 31 Debt Free Missions: Reorganize the Game Closet
- 20. 31 Debt Free Missions: Build your Budget
- 21. 31 Debt Free Missions: Appliance Maintenance
- 22. 31 Debt Free Missions: Saving Money on Gasoline
- 23. 31 Debt Free Missions: Start 5 Savings Accounts Today
- 24. 31 Debt Free Missions: Sell Something (NOW)
- 25. 31 Debt Free Missions: Organize Receipts
- 26. 31 Debt Free Missions: Switch Phone Service
- 27. 31 Debt Free Missions: Start a Cash System
- 28. 31 Debt Free Missions: Find a Group
- 29. 31 Debt Free Missions: Organize Coupons
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free
This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal or maybe even something for free, you also help our family pay off our mortgage early. And for that, we royally thank you!
