A few years ago a good friend of mine told me that everyone has to have a side hustle. We were talking about the simple fact that sometimes, one job is not enough. This was advice and a warning that if I were to come back to NYC that having a side hustle would be in my best interest. As I continue my quest to survive in such a horrible economy I realized that one job is just not enough anymore.
I have had 2 jobs in the past. That was before I had a career. I figured that once I got a steady job that all I would need is just one job. This way I can enjoy my days off and live a "normal" life. But, things changed when dealing with debt brought on from a marriage that does not exist anymore. When one income now has to replace two. Sure, I have two roommates to help with the cost of living in a house I no longer want to own, but when I would like to do things like date a woman, times get even harder. So, I had to go out and get a side hustle.
I do some work for the staging union in Syracuse. I get called in to help load in and/or load out show and concerts. The pay is good enough for me to come back when they call. I have done this work before and it is closely related to what I do now as an event planner. I have done this before when I first got out of college. It helped pay the bills then and it is helping me pay the bills now. The best part about starting this now is because the New York State Fair has been going on for a few weeks. In fact, today is the last day. I have been lucky enough to help load out shows for Journey, Lady Antebellum, and Selena Gomez.
This week I have learned that my friend was indeed correct, everyone does have a side hustle. During my brief stint at the fair, I cannot tell you how many people I have seen working some sort of second job. Yes the money is good, but I am beginning to feel that having a second gig is not just something to gain extra money, it something that has to be done in order to survive. I think it is becoming the normal thing to do something extra just to live a non luxurious lifestyle.
I am not saying that everyone has to have a second job per say, but I am sure there are those things that most people do to cut corners in order to live. Some have speaking gigs every few weeks, some live with their parents instead of paying full rent (or any rent), some have roommates or tenants, or some sell stuff on E-Bay. In the end it doesn't really matter because it is all a side hustle. Gone are the days when you can live off of one income and be comfortable...at least for me.
2 comments:
This is a sad reality for a lot of ppl these days everything seems to be going up but your paycheck and rent is like a mortgage payment w/no incentive b/c it will never be yours. I've even thought about getting something else but I wouldn't have time for much at all and life shouldn't be all about work but these days and in this horrid economy everyone is doing what they can to get by
This is absolutely true. My Mom is retired. She has like 4 sidehustles. I think she enjoys it and does the work to stay busy but in these times, you have to have an extra passion or something to keep your bills paid. I'm working on that now...
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