If You Want To Be Financially Secure, You’ve Gotta Have A Side Hustle

We’re way past the generation of trophy wives being the norm, but even with full-time jobs, smart women know to always have something on the side. You never know when tragedy will strike and you’ll need rainy day savings. Don’t rely on your man to keep you financially secure—go get it for yourself.

  1. Nothing beats making your own cash. Not only does having work pay the bills, it’s also extremely satisfying to feel like you’re a contributing member of society. Having steady work will help give you a sense of purpose, as well as the confidence to make it through the next cycle of rent, groceries, gas, etc.
  2. Sometimes your main salary isn’t enough. Living paycheck to paycheck absolutely sucks but sometimes income from a job just doesn’t cut it. In most cases, you need something else to supplement what’s already coming in. The challenge becomes figuring out what you’ll do to help make ends meet.
  3. There’s always time for things you love. Even if you have a crazy work schedule, you can always find space to do the things that make you happy. Whether it’s walking your dog, shopping with friends, attending a workout class, or reading a good book with a glass of wine, you fit it in. If you can squeeze in time for that outside of your job, you can squeeze in time for a side gig.
  4. Turning passion into income is a win-win. Find a way to take something you love doing and make money out of it. Love kids or animals? Offer to babysit or dog walk for friends and neighbors. Love movies or books? There are publishers that pay for consumer feedback. Can’t get enough of a certain restaurant or coffee shop? Ask if they need help on weekends.
  5. Even if you hate it, you’ll be glad you have something on the side. Best case scenario is that you love your weekend hustle but that won’t always be the case. Even if there are 10 things you’d rather be doing than punching another clock on your day off, the feeling of knowing you’re more financially secure is worth it.
  6. Life is unpredictable—be prepared. You never know what will happen tomorrow, and if it turns out to be expensive and you don’t have money, things can spiral out of control very quickly. Car troubles, maintenance issues at home, or medical bills a mile high can clean you out in a split second. Knowing you have the fallback of extra cash will make it infinitely easier to deal with stressful last minute expenses.
  7. Pick something consistent so you don’t create extra work for yourself. The trick to finding a side job is choosing something that doesn’t require a ton of effort. Being a door to door saleswoman cold calling strangers to buy a product is a terrible idea because your chances of actually making anything are slim to none. Always be on the lookout for opportunities, like the elderly woman next door who could use help buying groceries or the old man who can’t shovel his own driveway.
  8. Having financial security is the best feeling in the world. Nothing beats knowing that if you suddenly got laid off tomorrow, you’d be okay until you found your next move. The stress that comes with instability can wear down on a person in every aspect of their life. When you don’t have to worry about eating tomorrow, you’re free to be the best version of yourself.
  9. Make a game plan for saving. The point of having money is to use it, yes, but it’s also crucial to save it. Even if you can only put away $50 a week, lay out exactly what that will look like in the long run. Maybe you limit yourself to two glasses of wine at the bar or only get take out X number of times a month. Decide what’s worth the stress of checking your bank account and seeing it lower than expected and what’s not.
  10. Actually follow your savings plan the best you can. Once you’ve set a goal of what you’d like to save, do everything you can to make it happen. Even if it means occasionally turning down plans or pushing your side hustle a little extra that week because you splurged on a pair of shoes, keep yourself accountable for following through with your plan. You’ll be grateful you did.
  11. Prioritize what you need before what you want. Make lists of the things each month that aren’t negotiable like rent, electricity, gas, food, etc. Then decide what isn’t a must but is something that really matters to you—date night, pilates, whatever makes you happy. There’s a delicate balance between allowing yourself to indulge in favorites without breaking the bank. Having a side gig better enables you to keep things you enjoy part of your routine.
  12. Down the road, you’ll be thankful for your persistence. Even if tragedy doesn’t strike tomorrow, in a year, five years,  or10 years, you’ll look back at this point in your life and be relieved you made these choices now. No one is telling you not to go find a Prince Charming who also has a massive bank account, but knowing you made your own worth is the most empowering feeling. And who knows, maybe along the way you’ll discover a passion you didn’t know you had.
We only have one chance to live this life and I'm making the most of it. I'll make plenty of mistakes along the way but each one will send me further down the right path.
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