Why You Need to Side Hustle

“I have too much money!” Said no one… ever! Who in their right mind would turn down extra money? No one. Not a single person.

No matter where you are or what you’re doing, wouldn’t it be nice to get that extra check in the mail? Wouldn’t it be even nicer if you didn’t need to leave home to make money?

I know so many moms (*cough, cough* me*cough, cough*) who are trying to find ways to have it all: stay at home with the kids, have time to take care of the house and life, and make money to help take some of the pressure off of their husbands. And these moms are just not cut out for Tupperware parties (or whatever the newest direct sale or multi-level marketing craze is).

There are so many people (not just moms) out there who are looking for the answer to help with the family’s income or are even looking for ways to bring in money. Here’s the good news: you really can.

I’ve never been much of a dreamer.

I’m a realist. If something doesn’t seem practical or safe, I always choose the side of caution and avoid potential trouble. I never once thought that dreaming about working from home was in the cards. It’s just something that lucky or rich people do when they can afford to make mistakes and pay for those expensive work-from-home side hustles.

I’m neither lucky (just last week, I dropped my keys down a storm grate at the grocery store after leaving my purse at home while shopping) nor rich (we used to live off of $17,000 as a family of four, and we’re still living on a very blue-collar salary).

Despite being both unlucky and (what many would consider) “poor,” I do make a “full-time” income from home. My blog brings in almost $2,000/month and these side hustles add in an extra $500-700.

You need to side hustle. You really do.

Why am I telling you what you need? Because maybe you’re like me and you didn’t know that there was such a things as a side hustle. Or maybe you’re just thinking that there’s no other way to bring in legitimate income other than going to work at a 9-5 job.

But there are.

Yes, of course, there are scam jobs out there. And you need to be very careful about scams when you’re looking for a side hustle. But never finding a legit work-from-home job or side hustle is like saying “I won’t use my phone because scammers call me all the time.” If you know what to look for, you’re going to be just fine.

I’m telling you this because I mean it: if I can do it, you can do it, too!

Are you one of the .00001% of people sitting there thinking “no thanks, I don’t want any more money”? (If you are, I have an idea where you can send your extra cash! *hint* It’s me!) For the rest of us, there are so many options for what you can do with your side hustles.

You could use your side hustle to:

Pay off debt
Build an emergency fund
Buy that new purse
Get a new car
Get your nails done
Start investing
Build a savings account
Start a retirement account
Go to Starbucks every day
Get that new jacket

Anything that you’ve ever said “we just don’t have the money right now” you can now say “I’ve got it covered.” There’s no more need to say “I’m broke” all the time because you now have wiggle room for things in your budget.

How do I start?

1. Analyze your time.

How much time do you have to set aside for work? Even with a side hustle, you should be realistic with your time. If you only have an hour each day available for work, be honest with yourself.

You’re not impressing anyone by overworking yourself. Do this for you.

2. Figure out your strengths.

Are you an accounting wiz? Do you love animals? Are you a proofreading master? Can you type 2,000 words per minute?

These are all ideas of strengths that you can use to hone your creativity to find a side hustle that will help you excel. Find something that you love and that you’re good at doing before moving on.

3. Try out some new ideas.

Now that you’ve found your skills, try to see if some other side hustles will fit the bill for you. If you spend a lot of time on the computer, there are some fun ways to make money clicking around of websites or checking out new sites before they launch.

Do you spend a lot of time shopping? Maybe you can check around for secret shopping opportunities and ways to flip thrift store finds.

4. Don’t hold yourself back!

Just because you’ve never thought of being able to work from home doesn’t mean that it’s not possible. I mean it!

I got in my own way for months, maybe even years! I was trying to fit into a mold: get a degree in a field I don’t really care about just for the sake of having a degree, go to work at a big company, have a family but keep working outside of the home, etc.

The reality is this: there are other options out there. If you’re looking around for ways to make a living, or even just a part-time income, you need to side hustle.

Are you ready for a challenge?

I challenge you to pay for your groceries with your side hustle. Ok, maybe not your groceries necessarily, but the same amount as you pay for your grocery bill. You can do that!

Still now convinced that you can do it? I’ve made a comprehensive and FREE course for all of my favorite side hustles. Every day for 10 days you’ll get an email from me about a side hustle that I’ve personally used, loved, and profited from, along with the resources that you need to get started.

Plus, you’ll get free access to the Side Hustles that Work Facebook group where you’ll get to share your success stories with everyone, get new ideas for more side hustles, and troubleshooting help.