Only 69% of student loan borrowers have resumed making payments on their student loans, according to a new College Investor survey. This is slightly higher than the first announcement by the Department of Education highlighting 60% of borrowers have resumed making payments.

The student loan payment pause for Covid-19 officially ended on August 31, 2023. Interest resumed on September first, and for most borrowers, their first student loan payment would have be due in October 2023. However, the timeline for student loan repayment restart was skewed for some borrowers as student loan servicers struggled to keep up with the workload - repayment restarts, loan forgiveness changes, and more.

Specifically, student loan servicer errors kept millions of borrowers deferred until payments could be fixed and repayment plan changes processed. This included enrolling borrowers in the new SAVE student loan repayment plan.

Only Two-Thirds Of Borrowers Have Resumed Payments

According to the survey results, 69% of borrowers have resumed their student loan payments. In December 2023, the Department of Education announced that 60% of borrowers have resumed their payments according to their data.

It appears that more borrowers have started making payments on their student loans.

There are several reasons borrowers state they haven't made student loan payments yet. While some are choosing to not make payments intentionally and are leveraging the 12-Month On-Ramp period, most are in administrative forbearance due to loan servicing issues, or didn't know they needed to already. 

Slight Majority Can Feel They Afford Their Student Loan Payment

When it comes to affording their student loan payment, just 53% of borrowers felt they could afford their monthly payment. In our survey before payments resumed, just 45% of borrowers felt financially ready to afford their student loan payment.

The most common reason borrowers say they can't afford their student loan payment is because they are unemployed or underemployed. 

Inflation making other areas of their budget more expensive was also a common concern.

Most Borrowers Are On Their Original Repayment Plan

Given the concerns about affording their student loan payment, we asked if borrowers were changing their repayment plan to the new SAVE plan touted by the Biden Administration. This would help improve the affordability of their loan payments - making some payments legally $0 per month for low income individuals and families.

In January 2024, the Department of Education announced that 6.9 million borrowers were enrolled in the SAVE plan. That's roughly 16% of federal student loan borrowers.

Our survey found that just 12% of borrowers had switched to the SAVE plan, while 60% were in their same repayment plan from before the pandemic. The remaining amount didn't know exactly what payment plan they were repaying their loans under.

How To Get On Track With Student Loan Payments

The 12-month on-ramp period for student loan borrowers to resume payments ends in September 2024. Borrowers who still have no started making student loan payments need to take some time to find the best repayment plan for their loans.

Borrowers can see the options by using the Loan Simulator at StudentAid.gov. For borrowers who don't know where their loans are located, they can sign-up for StudentAid.gov, or check their credit report.

Here's a guide to tracking down your student loans.

Methodology

The College Investor commissioned Pollfish to conduct the survey. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from Pollfish. Total sample size was 600 adults (18 or older), among whom all currently have student loan debt they are responsible for. Fieldwork was undertaken on February 9, 2024. The survey was carried out online and meets rigorous quality standards. 

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Keeper is an app that helps independent contractors, freelancers, and employees file their tax returns while keeping track of work-related expenses.

The app is available for both iOS and Android devices, or you can use a web-based desktop version. 

Keeper could be a good fit if you want to stay organized come tax time. It’s important to consider pricing and features before signing up. Here’s a closer look at Keeper Tax and what you need to know if you’re looking for an app to track expenses and file taxes.

See how Keeper compares with our list of the best tax software here.

What Is Keeper?

Keeper, formerly called Keeper Tax, is an app designed for expense tracking and tax filing for independent contractors and small business owners. Keeper can scan your bank and credit card statements to look for expenses to track and write off, aiming to lower your tax bill. It also handles your tax filing and offers tax professionals to provide answers to questions related to filing.

The company, founded in 2018 by Paul Koullick and David Kang, has rebranded from Keeper Tax to Keeper. The app is highly rated on both the App Store (4.8 out of 5) and Google Play (4.5 out of 5). 

How Does Keeper Work?

Keeper is a mobile-first app that works online and on your phone. Users link bank and credit card accounts to the app to automatically scan purchases to look for potential write-offs.

After signing up with Keeper, you'll be asked a series of questions before you can move on to the next screen. For example, it asks if you’re a freelancer, an employee, or a business owner. It also asks if you use your vehicle or travel for work.

How Much Does Keeper Cost? 

There’s a free seven-day trial with Keeper. Once that ends, here are your pricing options:

• Monthly subscription (expense tracking only): $20
• Annual subscription (expense tracking and taxes): $192

The monthly plan is $20 per month, which includes the expense-tracking features only. Keeper offers a yearly plan, which includes everything on the monthly plan, plus the option to file your taxes at no additional cost.

Notable Keeper Features

Let’s take a look at some key features from Keeper. 

Tax Pro Help

When you use a platform to help you file your taxes, you may not have access to a live expert. Or, if you do, you’re required to upgrade to a higher tier. The nice thing about Keeper is that you have access to a tax expert who can answer questions for you. It may not be over the phone, but at least you can have someone help you with your specific issue. 

Keeper prides itself on being a top educational content producer for those with 1099 taxes, so they may also be able to serve you with a video, article, or provide you with a calculator.

Audit Protection

Beyond an expert to answer your questions, you may want to know what would happen if you were to be audited by the IRS. Keeper provides audit protection, which means their team of tax assistants will help gather any necessary documents to send to the IRS if you’re subject of an audit. They will also provide you with access to CPAs and tax experts who can answer any questions.

Write-Off Detection

Keeper offers write-off detection, which scans your credit card and bank accounts and notifies you of expenses you can write off. Keeper looks at up to 18 months of transactions to automatically show which tax breaks may have been missed. Then, all of the deductions are categorized and automatically added to your tax return. Keeper also double-checks the deductions to make sure they won’t raise red flags with the IRS.

A few steps are involved before you can use this feature, including letting Keeper know what kind of work you do. Then you need to link your accounts to Keeper so it can scan your transactions.

Tax Bill Prediction

No one likes feeling surprised by a huge tax bill, which is why Keeper gives you year-round estimates on how much you will likely owe or lets you know how much your refund will be.

You must input your status, state, W-2, and 1099 income to calculate this number instantly. Their calculations include all federal and state taxes, including deductions and credits.

This is a helpful feature because you know how much to save or how much you’re getting back, so you can budget for taxes ahead of time.

Tax Filing

Since Keeper already scans your tax write-offs and gets you ready for tax season, filing your taxes with Keeper may make sense. It offers automatic tax form uploads and pre-fills documents for you. In general, it’s a very user-friendly experience for filers.

You can file your entire taxes using your smartphone. Keeper says, on average, it takes users 22 minutes to file their taxes. Once you submit, a tax professional reviews your documents before submitting to the IRS.

How Does Keeper Compare?

Even though Keeper is an easy-to-use platform that helps you with bookkeeping and filing, it has limited accounting features. You have to pay $192 for the year to manage your expenses but have no access the in-depth reports and features you get with QuickBooks, Xero, or other bookkeeping apps. It’s also on the pricier side, at $20 a month for expense tracking only. 

For a cheaper option, you could check out Hurdlr, which is a similar accounting, bookkeeping, and income taxes app that is totally free with the option to upgrade to Premium at $8.34 per month (billed annually) or choose to go with their month-to-month option at $10 a month. Hurdlr has a similarly-priced tier, Pro, at $16.67 per month (billed annually). 

Everlance helps freelancers track their business expenses and revenues. The app makes filling out a Schedule C for your taxes easy. Everlance offers a free 10-day Premium trial, but many of the features are available in their free version. Everlance Premium features special customer service access, PDF reports, and automatic trip tracking. Premium costs $8 per month or $12 per month for Premium Plus. 

If your taxes aren’t that complicated, you could file completely for free. Check out our favorite options to file your taxes for free.

Plenty of other less expensive options allow you to export your data without a $39 added cost. TurboTax tops The College Investor’s list as the best and easiest tax software to use (though it’s also a bit expensive). You can import PDFs and spreadsheets directly from your employer, financial institutions, and investment companies to download your tax data. 

If you want a human to help guide you through the process, consider H&R Block, which has robust software with the ability to import most tax PDFs, like Turbotax, but also has the added benefit of thousands of physical locations across the country. Here’s our review of H&R Block.

Visit The College Investor’s Tax Center to learn more about the best tax software, resources, and tools, plus what to understand about your tax return.

To contact customer service, you can email support@keepertax.com. There is no phone number for customer service.

How To Sign Up

You’re asked for an email address and a phone number. Then, you’re given an option of whether you want to link your checking or credit card accounts to find eligible write-offs if you freelance, for example.

After answering the questions and inputting your email address, you’re asked to download the app through a QR code on your computer, or you can go directly to the App Store or Google Play to download the app. 

Free Tax Resources And Customer Service

Keeper is big on educating you on what to know about your taxes to help you save money and reduce your taxable income. They do this through their Free Tax Resources page, which houses knowledge articles, free calculators, tools, articles, and FAQs on their website.

For more specific answers to customers’ questions, visit their help site.

Why Should You Trust Us?

The College Investor team spent years reviewing all of the top tax filing options, and our team has personal experience with the majority of tax software tools. I personally have been the lead tax software reviewer since 2022, and have compared most of the major companies on the marketplace.

Our editor-in-chief Robert Farrington has been trying and testing tax software tools since 2011, and has tested and tried almost every tax filing product. Furthermore, our team has created reviews and video walk-throughs of all of the major tax preparation companies which you can find on our YouTube channel.

We’re tax DIYers and want a good deal, just like you. We work hard to offer informed and honest opinions on every product we test.

Is Keeper Actually A Keeper?

Keeper is an impressive expense tracking plus tax filing combo. If you freelance, have 1099 income, and your finances are relatively straightforward (i.e., you file a Schedule C), you may appreciate the app. Keeper is easy to use, and the expense-tracking features may be worthy of the $20 monthly fee for some individuals. 

However, if you have a more complicated work, income, and financial situation—for example, if you own rental real estate or buy and sell crypto regularly, you may consider a more robust software like TurboTax or H&R Block paired with an adequate bookkeeping software suite.

Keeper Features

Over the last few years, I've really given a lot of thought on how to be rich and grow wealth.

I've spoken with countless millionaires and I've responded to over 20,000 reader comments on this site. In each instance, there are common themes that are either helping the person grow wealth, or preventing the person from getting rich.

Being rich doesn't always mean having money, but 90% of the time it does. However, there are habits, behaviors, and "rules" essentially, that will allow you to get rich and grow wealth. It's not an overnight process. There aren't any get rich quick schemes here.

What you're going to read below are my ten rules for how to get rich and grow wealth - over time.

Rule #1 - You Have To Earn It (Your Money, Your Wealth)

If you want to get rich and grow wealth, you have to earn it. There's no way you're going to get to what you want and where you want to be if you're not trying to get there.

With money, this is pretty darn straightforward. You want money? Get out there and start making it. Get a job. Get a second job. Get a third job. Start side hustling and doing side projects to make more money. Are you in college? Get a side hustle in college to pay for school.

The bottom line is, if you want to grow wealth, you have to earn income. There are potentially thousands of ways to earn income, and you need to find the most that you can do and get to work. There is nobody stopping you. There's nothing in your life preventing you. The only roadblock to you earning more is yourself.

So, stop with the excuses and focus on rule #1 to get started - you have to earn your wealth.

Rule #2 - You Need To Save Until It Hurts

The second rule to getting rich is saving. It's not enough to just earn money - you have to save it as well. Otherwise you'll just end up like any number of famous celebrities who've gone bankrupt. Income alone just doesn't cut it. You have to save.

But the real "rule" to get rich here is saving until it hurts. How much is that? Well, if you're not hurting yet, it's not enough.

For example, last year, I saved roughly 40% of my after-tax income. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? But there are plenty of people out there that are saving more - many over 50% of their income if not more.

The truth is, following Rule #1 makes this rule easier. The more income you have, the easier it is to save more. But even on lower incomes, you can still save. Here are 15 ways to save an additional $500 per month. Boom! 

Rule #3 - You Need To Optimize Your Spending

The third rule to grow wealth is to optimize your spending. I'm not one to judge your spending - spend more or spend less. My personal belief is you should buy whatever you want - just earn more money so you can afford it.

But no matter what, truly wealthy people optimize their spending. This means they find good deals - even if they are going to buy a Ferrari, you can bet they searched around for a deal or negotiated the price.

The trick here is to simply spend wisely - especially on your biggest expenses. For most people, this could be cars, insurance, healthcare, and more. Too many people here just opt for "whatever" or don't think about what the choices really are. Wealthy people stop, think, and elect a choice that maximizes their benefits while minimizing their expenses.

So, if you're ready to grow wealth, start identifying and optimizing your spending.

Rule #4 - You Must Put Your Money To Work For You

The fourth rule is that you have to put your money to work for you. Earning it is your part of the heavy lifting. You need your money and the power of compound interest to work together over time to grow wealth for you.

What does this mean? It means that you need to invest. Why? Because the average inflation-adjusted return for the S&P500 for the last 60 years has been over 7%. 

Have you heard the story about whether it's better to have a penny double everyday or $1 million? Well, it's better to have a penny double everyday - because of the power of compound interest.

You need your money to grow and earn you more money. You need to start building income streams with your money. The goal is that your hard work up front can help you build passive income streams for the future.

Do you want to earn $50,000 per year without working? Here's a simple breakdown of how to make your money work to do it for you. It's all about making your money work for you, not against you.

Related: The Rule Of 72 For Investing

Rule #5 - You Need To Marry Smart

The fifth rule for building wealth is to marry smart. Why? Because a great spouse can be a huge force multiplier when it comes to building wealth, while at the same time the biggest destroyer of wealth is divorce. In fact, a recent study found that divorce destroys 75% of personal net worth.

On the building wealth front, a great duo can earn together, accumulate together, and watch their double-earnings compound over time. That's a huge force multiplier for building wealth. The interest on $2 is always higher than the interest on $1.

However, divorce has the potential to ruin financial lives if you didn't marry smart. Beyond dividing things 50/50, there can be lawyer fees and more. Plus, compound interest now only has a small amount to work with - so it just grows slower.

The fact is, though, that according to the American Psychological Association, 40-50% of marriages end in divorce in the United States. That doesn't mean that divorce has to be a financial disaster. If you married smart to begin with, hopefully your ex-spouse will also be financially savvy when it comes to divorce and you can work things out as amicably as possible.

Rule #6 - You Always Need To Minimize Your Taxes

The sixth rule for getting rich is always be minimizing your tax liability. No matter your income level, you always need to be thinking about how to minimize your taxes. Taxes can prevent you realizing wealth over time because they consistently eat away at your income and investment returns.

For example, the S&P 500 posted an average annual nominal return over the last 30 years of 11.09%. However, after taking into account taxes, fees, and inflation, the real return an investor would have seen would have only been about 7%. That's 46% of your return eliminated by taxes, fees, and inflation.

However, there are many actions you can take to minimize your taxes. First, take advantage of tax deferred investment accounts. Max out your 401k or 403b, take advantage of an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), leverage a Health Spending Account (HSA).

If you don't want to give up your wealth to the government, then taxes should be near the top of your mind when making any money decision.

Rule #7 - Insure Yourself And Protect Your Family

The seventh rule for getting rich and building wealth is that you need to insure yourself to protect your wealth and your family. I'm not even talking about life insurance here - I'm talking about making sure that you have health insurance and disability insurance.

In the last year, I've had two coaching clients that have been impacted by health issues they weren't prepared for, and they've become financially jeopardized by them because they didn't prepare. I've also had another several instances of people becoming disabled to the point they or their family member couldn't work any longer. The result? Financial peril.

The time to insure yourself is when everything is going well. Every person who wants to build wealth and get rich needs to have, at a minimum:

• Health Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Short Term and Long Term Disability

Don't watch all of the money you have accrued go away in a moment.

Related: The Essential Estate Planning Documents Every Family Needs

Rule #8 - You Need To Take Care Of Yourself First

The eighth rule of building wealth is to take care of yourself first. This isn't as much of a money rule as a life rule.

When you fly on an airplane, the flight attendant always does their safety speech where they remind you to put your oxygen mask on first before helping someone else? There's a reason for that - if you're unconscious, you can't help anyone else.

When it comes to building wealth, you have to take care of yourself first - even when dealing with family. This can be really hard for some people, especially those that didn't have much, and now have something that they could share. And others may realize it and ask.

If you want to help others, make sure you've put yourself on solid ground first and have followed all the rules. I've seen it too many times when generosity leads to financial ruin.

Rule #9 - Surround Yourself With People Better Than You

The ninth rule to get rich is to surround yourself with people better than you in all aspects of your life. On the family front - if they are holding you back, distance yourself. Married upward. Don't let family be the reason you aren't achieving your dreams.

Friends? Find ones that are making you a better person. Drop the moochers. Drop the haters. Drop the lazy ones.

Work? Find a mentor that is doing what you want to do and is killing it. If they don't have the bandwidth to meet you, just watch them and see what they do. You can learn a lot from a distance.

Just like Rule #1, you have to earn it. Find people that will help you with that. You don't have to settle for the life you were born into if that's not what you want.

Rule #10 - It's Okay To Go Slow

Finally, the last rule for building wealth is, remember it's okay to go slow. This is especially true for millennials.

I feel like everyone under 30 today wants the next thing, the next job, the next milestone, the next big paycheck. But they haven't even done this thing, learned this job, achieved the current milestone.

Building wealth takes time. It's about earning today, and leveraging time tomorrow. That's how wealth is made. Even if you landed a $150,000 per year job today, you're not any wealthier. Your first paycheck at this great new salary might be $5,000 take home. That's not wealth. That's a starting point. That's something to build on.

According to The Spectrum Group, the average millionaire in the United States is 62 years old. Just 1% of all millionaires are under 35. Keep that in mind on your wealth building journey.

What financial rules do you live by?

The best side hustles for men are geared towards flexible work opportunities that are generally male-focused.

A side hustle can be a great way to earn some money and learn a new skill. Even better if your new side hustle is in an area you already enjoy - such as photography or fixing things.

If you're looking for a side gig to bring in some extra cash you’re not alone. According to a survey conducted by Bankrate, 39% of Americans have a side hustle. But it's important to find a side hustle that aligns with your skills, interest, and time availability. 

Let’s dive into a few of the best side hustles to pursue -  with a focus on the best side hustles for men.

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Physical And Outdoor Activities

A lot of male-focused side hustles involve physical or outdoor activities. Here are some great options to make extra money.

Become a Handyman

How It Works: Enjoy mounting TVs or repairing leaky faucets? If so, becoming a handyman could be a great side hustle for you. There are a lot of needs for handyman services, and if you're able to do small tasks for people, this could be a great option.

Benefits: Depending on the services you can offer, you can expect to make anywhere from $100 to $500 per job. 

Getting Started: To get started, offer your services on a platform like Nextdoor, TaskRabbit, or Thumbtack. Compensation will vary when you’re just starting out. As you become more experienced you can increase your rates.

Once you establish yourself as a reliable handyman, start building a client list through word-of-mouth referrals. Homeowners are constantly looking for help with home projects. The more trusted you are in your community, the easier it’ll be to get high-paying gigs.

Time Commitment: Low Time Commitment

Do Mobile Car Detailing

How It Works: One way to make some serious cash is to offer a service that is too good to pass up. Mobile car detailing is a side hustle that does just that. You can devote as much or little time as you want to this hustle idea in your spare time.

Benefits: You can make anywhere from $50 to $500 per job, but the amount you make is going to be very dependent on the services you offer. The higher-end the service, the more you will make. However, higher-end detailing takes more time, and also more equipment (which you'd have to pay for).

Getting Started: Pitch your car detailing service to apartment complexes or downtown offices. While a customer’s car is parked, get to work detailing it. Not only will you make their day better, but you’ll also be able to charge a premium for bringing your detailing service to them.

Share your detailing side gig on platforms like Nextdoor or Facebook. Work with property managers to negotiate a deal for their tenants. Then start watching the requests come in.

Time Commitment: Medium Time Commitment

Landscaping Services

How It Works: Landscaping is another great side hustle for men. It allows you to put your weed whacker or lawn mower to work by sprucing up other peoples’ properties.

Benefits: How much you can make as a landscaper really depends on what type of services you're offering. Are you thinking about doing one-off jobs like brush clearing? You'll maybe make $200-400 for a day's work. If you're trying to get regular maintenance going, that's going to earn you maybe $100-200 per month, but less workload each time.

Getting Started: You can make even more money as a landscaper by offering year-round services or expanding your offerings. If you live in the north, offer snow removal during the winter months. If that isn’t an option, offer additional services like power washing homes.

This side hustle isn’t exclusive to homeowners. You can offer your services to commercial businesses to increase your earnings potential. In fact, if you can get a piece of specialty equipment, such as a stump grinder, you can subcontract through existing landscaping companies to do jobs that they don't have the right equipment for.

Time Commitment: Medium To High Time Commitment

Moving

How It Works: If you’ve ever moved you know how much of a hassle it is. From packing up boxes to loading and unloading them, the whole process is very time-consuming. Because of that, people are willing to pay someone like you to help them move. Plus, this is a great way to make some quick cash.

Benefits: You'll likely earn anywhere from $20-50 per hour.

Getting Started: To get started, you can either join an existing moving service as a part-time employee or you can offer moving services on your own. Connect with local realtors to let them know you’re offering moving services. Look for opportunities during peak moving times and fill up your schedule with moving gigs.

There are also apps like Dolly that you can find people looking for movers.

Time Commitment: Low Time Commitment

Creative And Artistic Ventures

Are you a creative person looking for ways to make additional income? Here are some creative or artistic side jobs that can help you start to create multiple income streams.

Drone Photography and Videography

How It Works: Another side hustle to start in the events space is offering drone photography or videography services. Skilled photographers are already highly sought after, make yourself stand out by offering aerial images with drones.

There are two different ways you can work this side hustle. One way is to book gigs. Let wedding and event planners know you’re available to offer aerial photography services and begin booking clients.

Another way is to create a library of stock images and b-roll videos. License your content out on sites like Depositphotos. Aerial videos are used in media ranging from Hollywood movies to YouTube videos. Licensing your content is a great way to earn residual income on the side of your 9to5.

Benefits: You can earn several hundred dollars per shoot, but you'll have to spend money on the drone and the permits.

Getting Started: To be a commercial drone photographer, you'll need to get your FAA drone license. You'll also need to connect with various people - whether real estate agents or others - to market yourself.

Time Commitment: Low to Medium Time Commitment 

Freelancing

How It Works: Freelancing is the perfect side hustle in my option. Freelancing is becoming more and more common and it’s unlikely to slow down anytime soon. According to Upwork, 38% of the workforce in the United States has performed some freelance work.

Freelancing includes freelance writing, editing, social media work, and more!

Benefits: With freelancing, you can seriously scale your income. There is also a huge potential for work-life balance because you only do the work you want to do. The income range can be low, or limitless. In fact, I know several freelance writers that earn well past $150,000 per year.

Getting Started: To get started as a freelancer, figure out what your service is. Are you a good writer? Do you have a knack for editing videos? Or, are you really good at running Facebook Ad campaigns?

Once you figure out what you’d like to offer, use a site like Upwork or Fiverr to find clients. Compensation will vary based on what you’re offering and your skill level.

One of the neat benefits of freelancing is that it can help you develop skills to bolster your resume. Who knows, your next client could become your next full-time job. 

There are also some courses you can take to get started depending on what you want to do:

• Freelance Writing: Earn More Writing
• Editing and Proofreading: Proofreading Launch

There's also the Brambila Method, which takes you through 8 days of online training to get you started in a solid path towards freelancing.

Time Commitment: Low To Medium Time Commitment

OnlyFans

How It Works: Roughly 30% of OnlyFans creators are male, and there are a lot of ways that you can earn money on the platform. While we discussed this as a side hustle for women, it can also be a good side hustle for men looking to make extra cash.

Benefits: This is another side hustle where you have the potential to earn very little, or extreme amounts of extra income. It really depends if you're going to keep this as a small fun job, or turn it into a full-time job.

Getting Started: Don’t worry if nudity isn’t your thing - there are other ways to earn. You can make money by posting fitness content, foot pics, cosplay, and live Q&As with your community members. If you’re already a regular content creator on a website or social media, you could utilize OnlyFans as a chance for your followers to get regular behind-the-scenes content about your everyday life.

Time Commitment: Low To Medium Time Commitment

Woodworking And Craftsmanship

How It Works: Turning woodworking into a side job involves creating and selling wood-based products or offering woodworking services. This can range from crafting small decorative items, furniture, and custom pieces to providing repair services for wooden items. The products or services can be marketed to individual customers, local businesses, or online through platforms like Etsy, eBay, or a personal website. Success in this side gig depends on skill level, creativity, the uniqueness of the products, and effective marketing strategies.

Benefits: If you're already into craftsmanship and woodworking, this could be a side hustle of love. You simply enjoy it, and you get paid. The amount you earn can vary widely - from small items like kitchen utensils maybe earning $20 to $100, to furniture in the $1,000s. But don't forget your time commitment involved in this - it may not add up to much on an hourly rate.

Getting Started: Getting started with woodworking as a side hustle requires a lot of skill, along with having the right tools and being able to source good materials. You'll also want to create a portfolio of your work, so that means making sample pieces and showcasing them (likely online). You can start by listing your items on platforms like Etsy, but larger projects are likely to come from word of mouth or proven experience.

Time Commitment: Medium Time Commitment

Entrepreneurship

We call these side hustle ideas entrepreneurship related, but really they are simply wants to earn additional income from something that you have the time for. These are also some of the most popular side hustles.

Delivery Services

How It Works: One of the easiest ways to monetize your free time is to do deliveries on platforms like UberEats, DoorDash, and Amazon Flex.

Delivery platforms allow you to work a schedule that fits around your 9 to5 job. Simply log on to the app and start delivering.

With delivery apps, you can either use your car or make deliveries from a bike or scooter. This makes it easy to not only earn extra cash but get a workout in too.

Benefits: The best thing about delivery service apps is the ability to get paid instantly. These apps aren't going to really help you achieve financial independence, but they will put a little extra money in your pocket instantly.

Getting Started: It's pretty simple to get started. Have a way to deliver (car, bike, scooter), and sign up for the relevant apps in your area. Then you just turn on the apps and drive. Check out our full guide on 10 ways to get paid to drive.

Time Commitment: Low Time Commitment

Drive for a Ridesharing App

How It Works: Ridesharing apps are another way to bring in extra cash during your downtime. Just like delivery apps, log on and start driving whenever it’s convenient for you.

Benefits: The amount you can earn driving for a rideshare app is going to depend on how much you drive, when you drive, and any promotional offers you're currently getting. But this side hustle also requires a vehicle, so there are costs involved.

Getting Started: One benefit of driving with a ridesharing app is that you can use it to bring in leads for another side hustle. If you’re a handyman, for example, keep a deck of business cards in your car. When you converse with riders, let them know you’re also a handyman and offer them your card.

Not only is this an easy way to find new customers this way, but you’ll get paid to do so too.

Time Commitment: Low Time Commitment

Flip Stuff Online

How It Works: One of the best side hustles for men is flipping stuff on sites like eBay or Facebook Marketplace. This is a great side hustle because it allows you to make money around work and family obligations. You can put as much – or as little – time into it as you want.

Benefits: This side hustle has a good potential to earn extra money, but it all depends on what you find, what you sell it for, and can you minimize your shipping or delivery costs.

Getting Started: You can either flip finished goods like vintage toys or find things that need fixing first. To find finished goods, hit up a weekend garage sale or go to your local thrift store. For things that need repairing – like furniture – look on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Spruce up your finds and resell them on those same platforms for a nice profit.

Time Commitment: Low Time Commitment

Professional Services

Repair Services

How It Works: Similar to becoming a handyman, fixing things is another great side hustle for men. It allows you to get paid to solve problems by tinkering with things.

In high school, I knew a kid who worked with his dad repairing small engines, such as lawnmowers and farm equipment. They towed around a small trailer with their repair gear and made house calls whenever someone needed help.

If you already have a garage full of tools, repairing things is a great way to put those tools to work. One thing that’s great about this side hustle is that it isn’t limited to individuals. You can offer your services to businesses and restaurants to be their go-to repair person too.

Here are just a few things you can repair:

• Small engines
• Electronics
• Household appliances
• Office equipment (like copiers and printers)
• Espresso machines

Benefits: How much you can earn really depends on what you're fixing and able to do. Smaller items will have smaller fees, while things like an iPhone could earn you several hundred dollars.

Getting Started: The best way to find these gigs is by offering them on a site like Nextdoor or Craigslist. Consider posting fliers on community bulletin boards at local coffee shops or civic centers too. Once you establish yourself as a reliable repair person, work on building up word-of-mouth referrals.

Time Commitment: Medium Time Commitment

Tech Support Services

How It Works: Turning tech support services into a side job involves offering assistance with software, hardware, or general technology issues to individuals or small businesses. This can include troubleshooting, setting up devices, software installation, and providing guidance on tech-related queries. 

Benefits: Depending on the services, you can earn one-off flat fees of $50 to $100, to several thousand if you're helping a small business setup their network.

Getting Started: To get started, one should assess their tech skills and identify the types of services they can confidently offer. Building a strong online presence through a professional website or profile on freelance platforms can attract clients. Networking with friends, family, and professional contacts is also crucial for gaining initial clients and building a reputation.

Time Commitment: Medium Time Commitment

Service Industry and Events

How It Works: Do you have experience working in food service? Do you enjoy working events? If so, looking for a hospitality side hustle could be a good way to earn extra money in your free time.

Benefits: You'll likely earn around $20 per hour, but rates vary based on your state.

Getting Started: Look for gigs on Craigslist or download an app like Tend. This allows you to find one-time hospitality gigs without being locked into a part-time job. You can also set your own rates to ensure you take jobs that help you meet your financial goals.

Time Commitment: Low Time Commitment

Finding The Right Side Hustle For You

When you’re thinking about starting a side hustle, you probably want one that’s going to pay the most money. Not all side hustles are created equal so it’s important to think about how much you want to earn and the best way to reach your goal. And remember, side hustles are not passive income streams. Passive income comes from doing the work and then receiving the income ongoing. Side hustles require constant work.

Here are a few things to think about to figure out which side hustles for men pay the most money:

Is this something no one else wants to do or can do? The harder something is to do, the more money you’ll be able to make from it. Take landscaping as an example. A lot of people can mow lawns. Not a lot of people can cut down trees. You can get started by mowing lawns but if you want to make serious cash, don’t stay there. Look for the things that need to be done but very few people are offering services to do those things.

What services are in demand? Neighborhood groups on platforms like Nextdoor and Facebook are gold mines for side hustles. Peruse the comments to see what people are constantly asking for referrals for. If you notice a lot of people are looking for recommendations for a reliable handyman to keep on speed dial, choose that as your side hustle. Look for where there’s existing demand and you’ll find no shortage of work.

Do you have equipment that no one else has? Many guys take on hobbies that require expensive equipment. If you already have a tool chest or are skilled at operating drones, put those things to work. You have something others don’t. Leverage what you have to boost your earnings potential.

And don't forget, if you're just looking for ways to earn a little cash and you're bored, there is always the low hanging fruit of paid surveys. Here's some options: 

• Swagbucks - $5 Bonus (read our full Swagbucks review)
• MyPoints - $5 Bonus (read our full MyPoints review)

Final Thoughts

While having a side hustle is a popular way to increase your income, there are other benefits to having one. A side hustle can also be a smart way to hone a new skill. If you’re working on your carpentry skills or enjoy fixing things, a side hustle is a great way to practice a skill while getting paid.

The best side hustles for men can help you make money while growing your skills. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Side Hustles For Men

What is the most profitable side hustle?

The most profitable side hustle is the one that has scalability and aligns with your existing work-life balance. This can be a tough find. For me, it was freelance writing, which turned into other careers. For others, it might be other side hustle ideas. The perfect side hustle will vary from person to person.

How can guys make extra money?

Guys can make extra money in many ways, from outdoor activities and physical activities like moving, to creative ventures, to more risqué ideas like OnlyFans. 

How to make money without a job?

There are a lot of ways to make money without a job, including app-based side jobs like delivery services, ride sharing services, and more.

Do I need an LLC for a side hustle?

No, you do not need an LLC for your side hustle. You can be a sole proprietor. 

FreeTax.com is a tax prep software owned by Liberty Tax, and historically it’s been one of the few companies that could legitimately claim free tax filing for all users.

However, the “Free” part of FreeTax.com is in jeopardy this year. While users can prepare their returns for free, they have to pay for e-filing. Given this wrinkle, most users can find better software at comparable price points.

Here’s what you need to know about FreeTax.com this year. Also, make sure you check our full list of the Best Tax Software.

Editors Note: FreeTax.com is no more. Parent company Liberty Tax has shut down its FreeTax.com brand for the 2023 tax year (2024). FreeTax.com was one of our lowest-rated tax filing solutions, so it won't be missed by many. If you are have used FreeTax.com in the past, we recommend visiting Liberty Tax instead, or even better, check out our list of the best tax software for 2024. 

FreeTax.com- Is It Really Free?

FreeTax.com allows users to prepare and print their taxes for free. However, they charge $19.95 to E-File if you accept your refund on a prepaid debit card. Those who want their refund check another way will have to pay $39.95 to e-file.

What's New In 2023?

Last year, FreeTax.com, a brand owned by Liberty Tax relaunched it as a free tax site. The FreeTax.com site uses the same software as LibertyTax, eSmartTax, and several other major tax sites including 1040.com.

However, unlike past years, free contains an asterisk. The company supports free state and federal tax form preparation. Users can then print out their forms and mail them in. To e-file, users have to pay $19.95 (or $14.95 if they will accept their refund on a prepaid debit card).

Does FreeTax Make Tax Filing Easy In 2023?

FreeTax.com works well for people with basic tax situations. It can easily handle W-2 income, interest, dividends, and major deductions and credits. Even people with basic self-employment can use the software successfully.

However, FreeTax.com is not designed for complex tax situations. Active stock or crypto traders could spend hours keying in each transaction manually.

Landlords have to use the search function to find depreciation worksheets.

As users work through the software, the software offers little feedback that can help users figure out whether they are entering their information correctly. A user who miskeys information could dramatically alter their tax information due to a simple and avoidable mistake.

Overall, FreeTax.com simplifies tax filing for some users, but people with more complex tax situations should avoid it.

FreeTax Features

While FreeTax.com doesn’t have outstanding software, there are a few features that make it compelling.

Prepare Tax Returns For Free

FreeTax.com allows users to prepare and print their state and federal tax returns for free.

Free Multi-State Filing

FreeTax.com allows users to file taxes in multiple states. It is the only free tax software that supports multi-state filing this year. This is a notable drawback from other free software like Cash App Taxes.

Related: Do I Have To File Taxes In Multiple States?

Guided Naviation

FreeTax.com users can easily find their way through the software by answering questions. Based on a user’s answers to the questions, the software leads users to enter information from relevant tax forms. However, users with more complex income (investments, real estate, self-employment) must select their income from the menu before receiving more guidance from the software.

FreeTax Drawbacks

These are a few areas where FreeTax.com fails to impress this year.

No Option To Import Forms

Users cannot import tax forms such as W-2 forms or 1099 forms. All tax information must be manually transferred to the FreeTax.com software. This increases the amount of time that users have to spend on tax prep. However, no bargain software offers import options this year.

Hard To Use For Complex Income Sources

Figuring out how to depreciate expenses is a huge pain in the software. It’s extremely difficult for landlords and self-employed people to use FreeTax.com to prepare their taxes.

No Section Summaries

Several companies offer section summaries that help users figure out whether they’ve entered all the necessary information. Without section summaries, FreeTax.com leaves users guessing about whether they are using the software correctly.

FreeTax.com Price And Plans

While all users can prepare their taxes for free, FreeTax.com charges for e-filing a return. The details of the e-filing costs are laid out below.

How Does FreeTax Compare To The Competition?

FreeTax.com allows users to prepare and print their tax forms for free, but they have to pay for e-filing. The other companies include e-filing with the software.

To fairly compare FreeTax.com, we’ve included a special line to compare the cost of e-filing. We’ve compared it to other bargain software including Cash App Taxes (free) and TaxHawk. We also added 1040.com because it uses the same software under the hood. From a user experience standpoint, we prefer Cash App Taxes and TaxHawk over FreeTax.com

Is It Safe And Secure?

FreeTax.com uses both encryption and multi-factor authentication to keep user information safe. It holds up the industry standards that are standard for tax filing companies.

Although the software is free to use, users can feel confident that FreeTax.com and its parent company, Liberty Tax are likely to keep user information safe. 

However, no company can guarantee information safety. Any information transmitted online could be hacked, so users should carefully evaluate the risks before moving forward with any tax filing company.

Final Thoughts

FreeTax.com is an acceptable software for filers with simple tax returns. It is not ideal for people with complex income such as stock or crypto trades or landlords. However, FreeTax.com isn’t really free in 2023. The cost of E-Filing makes it more expensive than bargain software like FreeTaxUSA or Cash App Taxes. 

If you want to prepare and print your files, FreeTax.com could be a good option, but most others should overlook it this year. Plus, remember, if you print and mail your tax return, you could be waiting months for your tax refund.

FreeTax FAQ

Let's answer a few of the most common questions that people ask about FreeTax.com.

Can FreeTax.com help me file my crypto investments?

While FreeTax.com supports crypto investments, users will find the interface cumbersome. The software requires users to manually enter each transaction separately in a long, cumbersome form.

I didn’t receive the full amount for Advanced Child Tax Credit Payments, can FreeTax.com help me get the rest?

FreeTax.com guides users through questions that help them claim the correct amount for the child tax credit. Parents who didn't receive the advance payments will receive the balance of the credit in their refund.

Can FreeTax.com help me with state filing in multiple states?

FreeTax.com supports multi-state filing on all tiers. Users don’t have to pay extra for filing in multiple states.

Will FreeTax.com keep my information safe?

FreeTax.com has not suffered from security breaches in the past, and it has robust security in place to keep user information safe. However, the company is based online and it cannot guarantee the safety of user information. Users must evaluate their willingness to take on this risk before using the software.

Does FreeTax.com offer refund advance loans?

In 2023, FreeTax.com does not offer refund advance loans.