Hello! Today I’m sharing a personal debt story from Samantha about how she paid off dental student loans. Enjoy!
Hi — I’m Samantha. I graduated from dental school at 26 with more than $575,000 in student debt.
That number may sound shocking, but it reflects the typical and rising cost of dental education. Becoming a general dentist requires four years of undergraduate work plus four years of dental school.
Keep in mind this total is for a general dentistry degree; those who specialize can graduate owing close to a million dollars.
On graduation day I realized two important things: first, I’m a creative person who wouldn’t be satisfied with a typical 9-to-5, Monday-to-Friday routine; second, while I enjoyed dentistry, I didn’t love it. I loved other activities far more.
Those two insights led to worries about boredom, regret, and feeling stuck in the daily grind. I brainstormed and decided I wanted to build a lifestyle around my passions and hobbies — but I also had significant loans to repay.
Unlike many who plan to wait 20 years for loan forgiveness, I wanted freedom sooner. I believed the sooner I eliminated my debt, the sooner I could live fully on my own terms.
I created a plan to turn hobbies and passions into income. I consciously reduced my dentistry schedule and filled the rest of my time with work I truly enjoyed. I traded some high, steady income for greater happiness and flexibility. With this creative schedule, I’m excited to start each day; I never feel bored and I’m always learning and growing.
Today I’ll share the side-hustle story that helped me accelerate loan repayment while crafting the life I wanted.
Where My Side-Hustling Began
I’ve known many ways to earn extra income since I started working at 16. Between that first job and now I’ve held around 10 different positions. I juggled multiple jobs to pay for college, and that experience taught me how to balance diverse work.
During undergrad I worked three jobs: dental assistant, design specialist at Banana Republic, and math tutor for high school students — all while graduating in three years as Cum Laude.
Life as an Undergrad
My schedule was tightly organized. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I started shifts at Banana Republic at 6:00 a.m., finished at 10:00 a.m., then went to classes and tutored in the evenings. My days often didn’t end until 9 or 10 p.m.
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays I worked as a dental assistant and also covered weekend shifts at the store. Somehow I balanced all this with volunteering and family time. By 20 I was comfortable with a varied work life and knew I wanted this rhythm to continue.
How I Manage Multiple Side Hustles
I’ve always needed variety. Focusing on a single task for long periods has never suited me. Because I naturally switch between tasks, I’ve practiced organizing my life efficiently. I rely on a physical planner — writing things down helps me remember and visualize my schedule.
Practice and habit help. Finding ways to make extra income became a way of life. I use recurring schedules and simple habits to reduce decision fatigue. One of my favorites is the 5-minute rule: if a task takes under five minutes, I do it immediately and check it off.
Other habits include budgeting, planning the day in advance, writing everything down, and getting eight hours of sleep. I grocery shop once a week, get gas on a set day, and wear a capsule wardrobe for work to simplify mornings. These small routines make a big difference.
I’m also a minimalist who avoids unnecessary physical tasks and delegates when possible. That lets me conserve energy for higher-value work. For example, when I ran a bakery I scheduled production just twice a week and limited order windows. For dog-sitting clients, I had them drop pets at my house to avoid time-consuming pickups. I also choose side hustles that minimize commuting — many of mine are home-based, saving time and energy.
How Side Hustles Speeded My Loan Repayment
I collect occupations like hobbies. My side hustles come from activities I enjoy, and they’ve allowed me to pursue the life I wanted without ignoring my loans. Instead of waiting decades for forgiveness, I’m on track to pay off my debt in about seven years while working as a dentist only three days a week.
I grew up watching immigrant parents work extremely hard. My dad worked a full-time engineering job and took on evening and weekend work, and he showed me the value of effort. My motivation to stay disciplined comes from the life I envision free of debt. The thought of living fully on my terms keeps me moving forward.
Side hustles made it possible to live my dream while aggressively tackling loans. Without them, I wouldn’t have the same balance of fulfillment and progress.
My Side Hustles Today
Here are the side hustles I currently maintain alongside working three days a week as a dentist.
Blogging
My blog started as a personal diary and gained traction after a podcast appearance where I shared my debt-repayment story. After growing my audience and taking a course on affiliate marketing, I began monetizing the blog. Today most income comes from partnerships and product reviews that reduce my everyday expenses and give me content to write about. Affiliate commissions contribute, but they’re not the main source.
Writing for Others
As my reputation grew, I started writing for other blogs and websites. I enjoy reaching different audiences and experimenting with styles. I now take paid writing assignments and typically charge $100 per article I produce for others.
Renting Out a Room
Housing is expensive where I live, so renting a spare room was an easy way to lower living costs. My husband and I rent out a private bedroom and bathroom in our home, which preserves privacy for everyone. Renting a room is one of the simplest side hustles and generates steady passive income. We charged $700 a month to a friend roommate but would have charged around $1,000 to a stranger.
Dog Sitting
I love animals and signed up for Rover to start dog-sitting. It gives us an excuse to explore the outdoors and is a cozy complement to my other work — I often read or write with a dog by my side. We charge $50 per night per dog and over time built repeat clients, earning around an extra $100 per month after app fees. It’s low-effort and enjoyable.
Baking
I fell in love with sourdough and took midnight baking shifts at a local organic bakery to learn. Those shifts paid about $650 a month and taught me valuable experience that led me to open my own small bakery months later.
Opening a Bakery
In 2019 I launched Aero Bakery out of a live-work loft using a Cottage Food license. Working in a compact 250 sq. ft. space near downtown allowed me to place bread with local restaurants and markets within walking distance. With one hired employee, Aero Bakery generated roughly $1,000 per month in profit while requiring about five hours of my time each week.
Wholesale Director
After pausing during the pandemic, I returned to the baking world as a wholesale director. In this role I manage orders, billing, and client relationships. It’s flexible — I choose when and how I work, and I enjoy meeting coffee shop owners and learning about coffee culture. With about eight hours of work per month, I earn more than $1,000 depending on orders and new clients.
Other Side Hustles I’d Like to Try
My roles evolve over time, and I’m always interested in new pursuits. Potential future hustles I’d enjoy include:
- Getting a real estate license
- Becoming a master coffee grader
- Opening a coffee shop
- Teaching yoga classes
- Hosting local travel experiences
- Working as a waitress or bartender
- Writing a book
- Teaching college courses
My Dream Day
My ideal day blends varied, meaningful work on my own schedule. I wake naturally, have coffee and breakfast with my husband, and spend the first hour on personal growth — reading, writing, yoga, or a swim. Then I walk dogs in the neighborhood before a day of dentistry. Evenings might include teaching a yoga class, dinner and wine with my husband, and finishing the day writing by candlelight while checking bakery and wholesale orders. Before bed I read a little more to keep learning.
My Dream Life
Side hustles have helped me build a life I love. I limit dentistry to at most three days per week so I can write, manage occasional dog-sitting, and oversee bakery work at my own pace. I can say no to extra dentistry days, take time off when I want, and balance friends, family, and self-care.
People often focus on how side hustles speeded my repayment of more than half a million in student loans — and they did. But more importantly, side hustles let me live my dream life while handling debt. It’s not one or the other; I get both.
Author bio: My name is Samm. I’m a “debtist” — a dentist who graduated with significant student debt. After four years of undergrad and four years of dental school, I started with debt of over $550,000 and began the repayment journey. You can find my writing on my blog, The Debtist.
Do you have student loans? What are you doing to pay them off?