This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Erin Couch, a 30-year-old who does Instacart deliveries in Ohio. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
Almost every weekend, I spend eight to 10 hours delivering groceries through Instacart to pay off my $8,000 in credit card debt. During the week, I work 35 to 40 hours at a sales job — you could say I’m busy, but I don’t really mind it. I love grocery shopping and I love working alone.
I started doing my Instacart side hustle back in February 2023. I became more consistent with my hours in July of that year and in the months since I’ve been able to pay off $1,500 of my debt. I don’t use every single dollar I make toward my debt because my motto is “paying off credit card debt but still having fun.” I’m taking action to get my debt down, but I refuse to adjust or lessen my quality of life while doing so. I don’t believe in that.
I use my Instacart money to pay off my debt once a week, $100 every Sunday — and that’s it for right now. Once I feel more comfortable with my money situation, I’ll start paying more to get it down.
Luckily, I’ve found a way to work down my debt with Instacart. I’ve really gotten the hang of it and I know which orders to accept and which ones to pass on.
Quick orders take me about 30 minutes to shop
There are a few types of orders that I prefer. Usually, I like quick orders which are between 20 and 25 items — I know these orders will take me about 30 minutes to shop. If there are more than 30 items in a batch, I know that’ll take me about an hour so I have to weigh that against the distance I’m driving to deliver it.
Deciding on which batches to take is a balance of checking how much I’ll be paid, how many items I’m going to have to shop for, and the distance I’m driving both to the store and the delivery address.
People tip better in wealthier neighborhoods
I don’t specifically drive to wealthier neighborhoods because of higher tips, but if an order comes in that’s in one of those neighborhoods, I’ll definitely jump on it. I recently did an order for a woman in a really nice neighborhood and she tipped me $73. I was shocked and it made my day. But then sometimes people barely tip at all and that can be a huge bummer.
I end the day with $100 to $200 to put toward my credit card debt
I usually make about $100 from the company and then $100 from tips. There’s also an instant payout which is really convenient but it’s difficult because some days, I make really good tips, and other days, people are more stingy. I usually work four to six hours every Saturday and eight to 10 hours every Sunday. I even started making TikToks bringing people along on my journey and have racked up almost 12,000 followers.
It’s been amazing to build a community this way. I feel like so many people are struggling economically right now and it’s nice to connect with people who are on the same page as me when it comes to finances. It’s even brought some extra money my way — just last week, I made $600 off a TikTok video through the Creativity Beta Program. I’m trying to really keep up with that because it seems like another way to get my debt down.
If anyone reading this is struggling with debt and wondering if Instacart is a valid option for them, try it out but think it through beforehand. You’ll have to put miles on your car and spend money on gas. Each week, I usually add 25 to 75 miles to my car and spend between $40 and $60 on gas. If that doesn’t bother you, it’s worth a shot.
Do you have a side hustle and advice for others who want to start one? Email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.
