He Paid Off His Student Loans Selling Used Socks. Here’s How! 🧦💰

With the growing student debt crisis, recent grads are coming up with creative ways to pay off their loans faster.

John was one such graduate who managed to pay off $50,000 in under 2 years through an unusual side hustle — selling his used socks online!

His story offers an inspirational example of how a bit of imagination and hard work can help tackle debt.

The Idea

John was struggling with $50,000 in student loan debt after graduating from college.

He had an average office job making $40,000 per year and couldn’t seem to make a dent in his loans.

One day, while cleaning out his closet, he had an idea — why not try to sell his used socks online?

He knew there was a market for used clothes and figured he could make some extra money this way.

Setting Up Shop

John did some research and learned that eBay and Etsy were popular platforms for selling used clothes.

He created accounts on both sites and took some photos of his sock collection — plain black, colorful patterns, dress socks, athletic socks, etc.

For his listings, he tried to take attractive, well-lit photos and wrote creative, humorous descriptions.

Marketing & Pricing

To get the word out about his sock shop, John ran some small Facebook and Instagram ads targeting men 18–35.

He priced his used socks from $10-$20 per pair depending on their condition and style.

For an extra fee, he would even include photos of himself wearing the socks.

Growing the Business

It was slow going at first, but the orders started trickling in.

John reused shipping supplies from his online purchases to keep costs down.

Positive reviews started building his reputation.

Within 6 months, John was making $300 per month selling his used socks!

Paying Off Those Loans

John plowed all his sock profits into his student loans.

He also got a couple of promotions at work that helped increase his salary.

In just under 2 years of disciplined saving and selling socks, John paid off the last of his student loans!

So while it required some creativity and hustle, John’s story shows that with a unique idea and solid execution, you can find unconventional ways to earn extra money and pay down debt.

Give it a try yourself!