My Hustle for the Honeymoon challenge
I’ve been dreaming about a big family trip, but with rising costs and tight budgets, saving up feels impossible. That’s when I remembered my debt free honeymoon and thought: what if I could fund an epic getaway – or even parts of a wedding – using only side gigs? That’s how the Hustle for the Honeymoon Challenge started.
This isn’t just about me. I want to challenge you to hustle for your dream honeymoon, wedding, or both, without relying on your 9-5 paycheck. Let’s make these special moments possible while keeping our finances stress-free.
For my honeymoon, my husband and I started at Disney (on the way to a cousin’s wedding), then went to Ecuador to stay in the Amazon, and finished in Peru climbing Machu Picchu. It was incredible. Most of it was funded without debt, thanks to generous gifts, but knowing we didn’t have to rely on credit cards made the trip even sweeter.
Since my eldest daughter was born in 2019, travel has been rare and I longed for another trip which is why I started hustling. I realized: if I can hustle for a trip, so can you, and this challenge can help fund your wedding, honeymoon, or special trip.
The Rules for a Debt Free Honeymoon
I love a good challenge, so I’ve created some rules to keep this fun and achievable. Feel free to adapt them to your situation, but here’s my framework:
1. No debt, no savings
Your debt free honeymoon should be funded outside your normal life. Keep up with your bills and regular savings. The goal is to earn extra money for your trip without sacrificing essentials.
2. Side hustles only
All funds must come from alternative income streams. No paycheck money. No gifts. Get creative! The reward is even sweeter when you’ve earned it.
3. Exploit your skills
What are you good at? Graphic design, baking, carpentry, music, tutoring—anything counts! Not everyone can deliver for Uber, but everyone has unique talents. Use them.
4. Transparency
Share the wins and setbacks. Life isn’t perfect, and neither will your hustle journey be. I’ll share my ups and downs too, so you know you’re not alone.
5. Keep track
Set a clear financial goal for your trip. Track everything you make and spend. I’ve got a Google Form linked to a Google Sheet that does all the math for you—super easy.
6. Celebrate milestones
Earning in small increments can feel discouraging. I love a color-in tracker to visually mark progress. Big milestones deserve bigger celebrations—book part of your trip, grab a fancy coffee, or treat yourself to a date night.
The Tools
While there are a lot of general tools that you can use to help you get to your goal, I wanted to be extra and provide a few tools for you myself.
- Google form and sheet
- One click to log your earnings and spending, all auto-calculated. I encourage you to save the form to your phone’s home screen to make logging money even easier. Even better, this is a free tool and no email needed from me to get it.
- Colour-in tracker
- Fun, visual, and motivating; fill in the segments as you hustle. Little math upfront (I know math can be scary, but after this challenge, math will fear us).
- Side gig ideas
- This PDF has a whole bunch of ideas of things you might be able to do to earn money on the side. Driving rideshare isn’t for all of us.
How to join
There’s no sign-up or barriers, just start! Share your journey on socials and tag me @thistlebea. I’ll cheer you on, celebrate your wins, and offer support whenever I can (local side hustlers, I might take you up on a service or two!).
A big part of my work as a wedding coordinator is reducing stress and solving problems for my couples. Helping people achieve a debt free honeymoon? That’s the ultimate extension of my job, and it’s so rewarding.
Your turn: Start hustling, track your progress, and let’s make your dream trip happen – – without debt.