Why Everyone Should Consider Having a Side Hustle
By Mel @ brokeGIRLrich / October 27, 2021
Alright, let’s be honest here. The title may sound a bit over the top, but it’s genuinely how I feel.
In recent times, I’ve been juggling a couple of significant jobs that are, frankly, exhausting. Sure, my bank balance looks great, but I’m not having the best time. To be clear, I’m thankful for these opportunities and actually put aside the extra cash for my future grad school expenses. But boy, it’s tough.
Each month, I keep track of my earnings and where I spend them. And each time I do this, I kind of chuckle because my list of income sources is growing, even if some are just small amounts trickling in.
The beauty of these small income streams? They are generally fun or simple ways to earn a little bit extra.
Looking at the big numbers is admittedly stressful, even though I’m grateful they exist. In contrast, these little earnings give me a small but pleasant boost.
For instance, earning $50 this month from UserTesting while concurrently babysitting online murder mysteries? What a win. As is earnin a small amount of money during my breaks at my regular job or by selling a few items on eBay—though it declutters my house more than it contributes to my income.
These side gigs, such as mystery shopping, occasional substituting days, and doing a random voice over work for a radio add a lot of flexibility to my work life. They give me a much-needed boost from time to time.
Building your side hustle is all about the willingness to experiment. When I first started out, I explored various side gigs, both to write about them and yes, to earn some extra cash. Some were unsuccessful, others were doable but not particularly enjoyable, but a good number of them turned out to be either easy or super fun.
Some side gigs were really easy to jump into like UserTesting or mystery shopping, while others came through performing well at my regular job and volunteering for extra work if needed.
I also had a surprising offer to stage manage a short gig recently because of a past working relationship. That incident paid pretty well!
When I first began exploring personal finance, I read a book called Multiple Streams of Income, it suggested that the average millionaire has seven streams of income. It sounded like a joke at the time with my modest cruise ship salary, but it drew me towards the goal of developing multiple income streams. Each time I add one, it indeed seems beneficial.
So, I’ve started aligning my smaller hustles to my wants instead of taking out my regular paycheck, freeing up some money for other goals, or investing—an income stream mentioned often in that book.
Even now, as I earn more, these random extra incomes make it easier for me to justify some additional expenses.
How about you? What side hustles are you considering? If you don’t have any yet, which ones do you find appealing?