2018-01-03

To Side Hustle or Not To Side Hustle... Or Maybe to Beside Hustle?

Updated 2018-01-02

Side hustles...

It feels like everyone has one or is talking about starting one (or five).

It's a common word tossed around the FIRE community, right up there with VTSAX, the 4% rule, life hacking, passive income, 401k, etc. Somehow it always sneaks it's way in to the fireside conversations.

Although I knew the gist of what a side hustle was, I did some digging around on the inter web to fully grasp the details.

Here's what I found:

it's something other than your main job that brings in cash

it can be a product or a service

it's not your main source of income

it's something you are passionate about

it's an asset that works for you

So bottom line: it is something that adds to your income, is meaningful and gives you a sense of purpose outside of your 9-5er.

At the local FIRE meet-Up

The other week Mr. Waffle and I attended a meet-up.

The best part about these is being surrounded by like-minded individuals. These people get me and I get them; we are a tribe. I never have to explain myself.

It's always beer-thirty

We arrive at the brewery, grab a beer and sit down. The bench was still cold when someone immediately asked, "What's your side hustle?"

I froze. I shouldn't have been caught off guard, but I was.

Luckily, a few people jumped right in, discussing the cool things they were up to. Man, they all sounded awesome. Although I looked calm and collected on the outside, thoughts and emotions raced around my head on the inside.

"I don't have a side hustle," I said while shrugging my shoulders, "but...".

For the first time, I felt like I had to explain myself.

And I felt like I immediately lost some FIRE points in the eyes of everyone around me too.

How could I not have a side hustle?

Everyone has one.

Side hustle pandemonium

It seems that everyone is talking about them. Financial Panther discussed his plethora of side hustles on the FireDrill Podcast. Immediately, after listening to this episode, I began dreaming about what I could do for mine.

Passive Income MD and J$ both created lofty and brilliant lists of the many side hustles physicians and non-physicians can do for some extra cash.

The queen of side hustles herself, Millennial Boss, posts monthly updates on her hustle income. Of particular interest for me is her Etsy business. Not sure what I could sell on Etsy, but I love the concept.

And even Mr. Money Mustache had a side hustle stint with Uber.

I love hearing the stories of people killing it with their side hustles.

Talk about #inspiration!

Totally how I feel after reading or hearing about someone's awesome side hustle!

But I have to admit that I am envious of all the hustlers out there.

First off, they have the time (or at least make the time) to devote to their hustles.

Secondly, they do things I would have never considered; they have some brilliant ideas.

But it's not just time or ideas that is keeping me from pursuing a side hustle or two. It is, in all honesty, my full-time job.

When the full-time gig gets in the way

As I have said before, I love my job. I get to make a difference in people's lives everyday, making it extremely meaningful. And I am also incredibly passionate about my profession.

Plus, by running my own company, I set my schedule and have considerable flexibility. And I have the opportunity to make more money if I want, I just have to increase my billable hours.

So within my full-time job:

Can I increase my income? Yes

Is it meaningful? Oh yes

Am I passionate about it? Most definitely yes

Am I less on FIRE without a side hustle?

Because I run my own company, most of my life is consumed by my business. It's not a bad thing, but that doesn't leave much mind space, time or energy for other endeavors.

I have always thought a side hustle would be fun, but I'm constantly reminded that, for me, it is better to invest the time and effort into my main gig, rather than start something completely unrelated.

How it stands as of now

Since the meet up, I've thought a lot about side hustles (hence the inspiration to write this post). I also discovered others who struggle with starting a side hustle or focusing on their day job (thanks ChooseFI Facebook group thread).

But rather than do something unrelated to my business, maybe I can do something alongside my business. A "beside hustle" might be more fitting.

Now there's an interesting concept. Maybe I could come up with something that would expand my practice beyond the traditional treatment hours, but still pertain to my overall business?

**My "Beside Hustle"**

Well, over the past few weeks, I have been doing just that. I have been diligently thinking, scheming, and dreaming up ideas. I started journaling my thoughts, regardless of how good or how crazy they might be.

Chautauqua swag coming in handy!

And to let you in on a little secret, I think I might have found one and I am pretty pumped about it. Now it's still in the very early stages of development and a lot of work needs to be done, but hopefully I can make it happen.

"Ideas are worth nothing unless executed...execution is worth millions."- Steve Jobs

And with the turn of the new year, what better time to start a new endeavor. My idea has the potential to grow with my company and, fingers crossed, to continue long into the future.

I am somewhat nervous, since it is something that I have never done before, and actually never really thought that I could. But I feel like I am up for the challenge and ready to learn something new.

Anyone else considering a "beside hustle"? Any thoughts as to what mine might be? [A gold star to anyone who guesses correctly, no cheating if I have already told you]

Wish me luck!

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💬 70 comments

Mrs. Adventure Rich 2018-01-03

Very interesting, I haven't heard of the "Beside Hustle" before!

I am in a similar boat. With a full time job, a son and other goals I actively pursue (training for races, getting involved in our community), I find little time for a true side hustle. I think for me, the benefit of investing more in my career has had a huge payout so far. I hope to continue my growth there... though I am not opposed to a side (or beside!) hustle :) So much to think about...

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

It is so refreshing to hear other people investing time into their careers and having it pay off too! Who knows, maybe one of your other goals might turn into a side hustle one day.

Mrs. Picky Pincher 2018-01-03

I've never been a huge fan of the whole "everyone needs a side hustle" line of thought. Sometimes it's a better use of your time to maximize your 9-to-5 earnings. Other times the earnings from a side hustle pale in comparison to full-time earnings. I do have a side hustle but I focus on my full-time job first and foremost.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

Thanks for the reminder to focus on the full-time gig first Mrs.PP! In all honesty, I actually think that my new endeavor will make me even more excited about my career so its a win-win!

Fritz @ TheRetirementManifesto 2018-01-04

I couldn't agree more. I've never had a side hustle, but focused my efforts on maximizing the earnings from my "real job". Focus where you can make the biggest impact, and enjoy life along the way.

Life's about more than making $. Find the balance.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-04

You are always so full of nuggets of wisdom Fritz! Appreciate the words and will revisit them if ever questioning what to do.

Mrs. Groovy 2018-01-03

To be or not to be....

I totally concur with Mrs. PP. A side hustle is great for pumping up earnings. For someone like you with a satisfying career and good income, it's not a need. But, if you've found an idea that excites you -- go for it!

Also -- you "lost some FIRE points"? I know that's tongue-in-cheek but also there's some truth in it. Honestly, this whole comparison thing is what scares the heck out of me about FinCon. I don't want to return home with a gigunda to-do list. I'm easily persuaded -- not into action -- but into feeling AS IF I'm not doing enough.

Mr. SSC 2018-01-03

Don't worry, I returned home from FINCON with a gigunda to do list and it quickly shrank to a manageable, reasonable size, lol

Mr. PIE 2018-01-03

Gigunda. Oh, I like that word. :>)

I want a gigunda ice-cream, beer and bar of chocolate. And waffle. Now please.

Mr WoW 2018-01-03

I like gigunda as well. I think I'm going to have to add that to the vernacular. Sounds very intriguing. Please share all your gigunda items with me... they sound tasty, and like there is plenty to go around.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

haha, I probably had a big list at some point too, but after the beers and the bitcoin, somehow I forgot about what I wanted to do.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

I think the comparison feeling is a constant in this blogosphere. There are so many people doing so many amazing things; its easy to lose sight of what you want. But it also keeps you striving to be better and to continue growing too so its not all bad. I am excited about this new business endeavor and actually think it will make me a better therapist because of it.

Dave @ Married with Money 2018-01-03

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I think side hustles are overrated. It's not that I don't think they're fantastic - they are - but like Mrs PP I just think that the vast majority of people could have better success maximizing their 9-5 earnings instead of focusing so much on a side gig.

That being said, side gigs can be great if they compliment your life. When they take away from the things you want to enjoy, that's when it's not worth it.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

Maybe I had just been reading and hearing about too many side hustles that I forgot that some people don't have one and just invest their time into their full-time gigs. It is nice to know that many people agree with this thought, thus squashing that you must have a side hustle in order to be a true FIREwalker.

wendy 2018-01-03

Hmmm... FIRE peer pressure? There are unfortunate human tendencies to both compete and follow the herd...sometime, you just gotta say no.

I thought that the point of side hustles was to increase income on the way to FIRE, provide an outlet to pursue something of interest vs your day job, practice a post FIRE passion, or some combination of those...

Creating your own company that earns good income, helps people, provides you with mentoring opportunity, ability to control your own hours, supports one of your passions, etc. means you've already created that as your main job, on the way to FIRE, which is INCREDIBLY COOL & IMPRESSIVE.
You're not laboring away at a job you hate, trading time for money, just to get to your passion projects some day...
To me at least, that sounds pretty ideal already!
Maybe next time, when you get the side hustle question, explain that you've turning a potential side hustle into the main gig.

If the other parts of your life are in balance (family, friends, health/exercise, joyful idling, etc.) I'm not sure what the point of a side hustle would be unless you have a compelling other passion you want to give some time to... I bring this up because you're recently blogged about time/commitment stress & challenges...

With that being said, growing and expanding your current business - whether you call it a 'beside hustle' or not - could be greatly fulfilling of your vision/passion plus bring in more money.

If you haven't already, maybe you could spend some time seriously considering WHY you'd do a (be)side hustle and if it's the right thing at the right time for your business and your life...

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

I can always count on you to be the voice of reason Wendy and I truly appreciate you words. Since the writing of my "busy" post, I have done a ton of reflecting on what/how I spend my time and how I can better optimize my life. And I am happy to report that I have made some major strides in opening up more time within my day thus allowing for the opportunity of the beside hustle. Also, even though I love my job,it is physically exhausting. Starting this year, I hope to work smarter to grow my business in a different way and not be beholden to direct patient care in order to make income.

wendy 2018-01-04

Yeah! So glad you found some time balance and that the beside hustle will be truly additive and not drag you into exhaustion!

Mrs WoW 2018-01-04

Me too! Having a little extra time to breathe has been fantastic. I think my next venture will be some work up front, but after the learning curve it should level out and hopefully give me a little more time. Fingers crossed!

Caroline 2018-01-03

Some people consider blogging to be a side hustle, wouldn't take much to monetize your site if you are not already.
I don't think you should feel like you need a side hustle if you are doing fine without it. In my case, I don't want to actually stop working so side hustles will allow me to make a few extra $ and get into things I always thought would be cool to do but didn't generate enough money when I needed it.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

Thanks for stopping by Caroline. I love that you actually do not want to stop working and would consider a side hustle just to do something fun on the side.

Mr. SSC 2018-01-03

Oh the ever present "side hustle" conundrum... Like you, I have a meaningful job that I can increase income with (to some degree), and I don't see a side hustle as hurrying me along the path to FIRE. Sure, it would be something already up and running when I leave the workforce, but you know, for now, I'm fine with no side hustle.

The quickest way to FIRE for me is to keep kicking ass and taking names at work and hope it pays out well at bonus and review time. I got an extra bonus over Christmas just for doing my job. In another month I'll find out if I get one for the work done last year (I'm cautiously optimistic it will be nice again) and I'm hoping to get a raise. That's my best way to get to FIRE sans side hustle. Oh, and when our youngest gets out of pre-school this May and begins kindergarten in August, thats almost $1200 more per month to invest towards FIRE savings. Woohoo for good planning when we bought where we did 5 years ago. :)

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

Nice work Mr.SSC! Kicking ass and taking names at your day job definitely sounds like it is paying off for you (and the whole no more preschool thing too!). There's always time if you want to start a side hustle once FIRE or just let the market work for you instead.

Dads Dollars debts 2018-01-03

I think if you run your own company, then your main job is your side hustle. Most with a side hustle are employees. So don't sweat it. You get a ton of FIRE points...plus the only one you are racing is time.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

Phew, I'm glad you think I didn't lose any FIRE points. I was really worried that I had been depleting my FP with no FI date, no FI number, and no side hustle. And now I totally know how to respond the next time someone asks what my side hustle is.

wishicouldsurf 2018-01-03

I don't think a side hustle is necessary in the pursuit of FIRE, and I don't think you should feel peer pressure to have one. I think of it like this - what is the highest and best use of my time when it comes to X? Insert making money into X and for me, it was always my main job. I didn't run my own company but I had nearly 100% autonomy and because I was good at it, passionate about it and it paid very well, it made zero sense pursuing a side hustle. All that being said, I feel like you may have thought of something outside the box that may pass the highest and best use test. So rock on, I look forward to following what may happen.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

I honestly thought I was going to get yelled at by all the side hustlers out there because of this post, but actually I am finding that there are even more people in this community that agree that a side hustle is not necessary. And coming from someone how has already reached FI, that definitely means a lot.

wishicouldsurf 2018-01-05

Also no point in working too much, if that makes sense. I would think ramping up a side hustle would take a tremendous amount of time - what about the other things in life that make you happy and healthy? Will the payoff be worth the effort? I used to be as obsessed with the best of them about making every minute of my days hyper-productive. It's not necessary and I think made me stressed and feel guilty when I wasn't being productive. :) If you are making progress towards your end goals at a pace that is satisfactory and enjoyable, then you are #winning. lol. Be kind to yourself.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-05

I completely agree! I think this new endeavor will be some work up front, but ultimately I am hopping that it will actually cut down some hours of working once it is up and running. Time will tell, but that is the goal.

Mr. Tako 2018-01-03

Isn't your blog kind of a side hustle? I have no ideas the numbers you see from it, but some people can make large amount of money blogging.

DocG 2018-01-03

My thoughts exactly.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

It could be, but we view it more as a hobby

Mr. PIE 2018-01-03

Focus, focus , focus on what you are doing in your job that you clearly love. Do not give into the comparison shit that pervades our FIRE community. It's the only bad thing going on it and it irritates the hell out of me.

I find it so ironic that a group of people who are deviating from societal norm by planning for FIRE feel the need to club together to join a "side-hustle club".

Working your tail off to have enough solid cushion to enjoy a FIRE life is the way to go. If something comes along after that, great, GRAVY on the PIE as they say. But you will have the freedom to pursue it or not. If you want to. When you want to.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

You've got a point there Mr.Pie! I'll be making my protest sign tonight "Say No to Side Hustles"... I don't know about gravy on a pie though, but I could get behind whipped cream or a cherry on top.

CashflowKat 2018-01-03

I think it’s smart to look for new ways to earn money through your existing company that you love. And you’ll probably make more extra income that way than trying something random like selling items on Etsy. Plus, it will probably be a lot more efficient time-wise...I find all the side hustles are pretty time consuming and crowd out some valuable R&R time. Good luck and looking forward to hearing about it!

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

Time is huge, something that we as humans will never have enough of. Thanks for your support Kat!

Mr. Need2save 2018-01-03

I have a lot of side interests, but no desire for a side hustle.

Although I'm looking forward to leaving the 9-to-5 world, it's been pretty good to me financially. So as others have mentioned, I focus my earning potential there rather than trying to bootstrap businesses on the side where I can't dedicate the time it deserves.

Hell, Mrs. Need2Save and I can't seem to write a blog post every two weeks, so how would we find time for a side hustle?

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

Trust me, I went through many months where I couldn't get a single post written. I have started a routine where I sit down and write everyday. There is no time or length that I must complete, all I have to do is just sit and write a few words on a page. I've had a few days where a word or two was all I could give, but for the majority I have ended up writing for an hour or more. Just this simple act has helped immensely in having something prepared to publish when my week rolls around.

Passive Income M.D. 2018-01-03

I think people in medicine are pursuing side hustles mainly because of three reasons: 1) They're not completely happy with their current jobs (practicing medicine isn't what it used to be with all the regulations and administrative oversight), 2) They're not happy with the current level of income or fear that it will decrease in the near future, 3) They want something that buys them more time to be at home with family.

It's #2 & #3 for me, plus the fact that I really enjoy using a different part of my brain and set of skills.

I always encourage people to pursue side hustles, if there's something in the back of their brain that's telling them to do that. If they're completely happy & doing quite well, no need to start one.

Sounds like you're excited by the possibility and I can't wait to see what it is!

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

I agree that learning new skills and using brain power that isn't typically utilized is actually kinda fun. Learning to set up a business definitely used my brain in a different capacity than it was used to. And having something to help future proof your income is a smart way to go! This has been simmering in the back of my mind for some time now, so I think I need to give it a shot and see what becomes of it.

Erik 2018-01-03

I have 3 side hustles. I wish I sometimes only had 1 and my day job. We only have so much time in this life....

Happy New Year's!

Mrs WoW 2018-01-03

3 side hustles and a full time gig? Wow, how do you find the time?

Erik 2018-01-10

Gwen doesn't live with me and it's what I do to pass the time I guess!

Tonya@Budget and the Beach 2018-01-04

Comparing is a waste of energy. Yup, easier said than done. I think if it enhances your life it's worth doing, but if it starts to take away and become a burden, it's not worth it. I think you guys are great on the path you're on with your jobs and income, so it's not like it's a "have to." I'm personally going to try to pick up more this year because of my late 2018 plans....so it's an enhancer. Plus I just plopped down 3k on a new 'puter so I need to justify and pay back some of that expense!

Mrs WoW 2018-01-04

Late 2018 plans? So cryptic! Excited to hear you bought the new computer, oh the places you will go!!

Mr. Groovy 2018-01-04

Haha! When I was growing up a side-hustle was called moonlighting or a part-time job. I must admit, though, the term side-hustle has a much cooler ring to it. Don't sweat the like of a side-hustle. You're still a FIRE member in good standing. Besides, your notion of a "beside-hustle" is very ingenious. A hustle that compliments an already established skill-set makes far more sense for professionals like yourself. Bravo, Mrs. WoW. I think you're onto something big.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-04

I'm glad you think I am in "good standing", Mr. G! And I am tickled that you like my "beside hustle" term, I thought I was pretty cleaver coming up with that one, if I do say so myself.

Gwen @ Fiery Millennials 2018-01-04

YOU DON"T HAVE ANY SIDE HUSTLES!?! THE FIRE COMMUNITY REVOKES YOUR FIRE CRED. YOU ARE NOW BANISHED, BANISHED I TELL YOU.

also, sweet journal :)

Mrs WoW 2018-01-04

It's no Trapper Keeper, but it is still pretty cool.

Financial Panther 2018-01-04

Ooh, the suspense. I like this term of the beside hustle. I do a ton of side hustles that are sort of incorporated into my day, which is helps me to have the time.

Cleaning my house for Airbnb guests is something I already have to do for myself anyway since I do want to live in a clean house.

Dogsitting is easy to do when you already own a dog and have to do your dog care tasks anyway (walking my own dog vs. walking my own dog and a guest dog doesn't really add much additional work to my plate).

It's sort of monetizing my regular tasks - a sort of "beside" hustle, maybe?

Mrs WoW 2018-01-04

I am truly inspired by all your ingenious hustles FP! Monetizing stuff you are already doing is just brilliant. I really enjoyed your episode on the Firedrill Podcast too!

Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life 2018-01-04

I want multiple income streams but I don't want a side hustle! I've done multiple jobs for years but the real value for me has been to focus on building my career for the past decade - I've more than tripled my income over that time which is far more valuable than a second or third tutoring job would have been. It's possible that I've plateaued for a while though, so I'm willing to considering cutting back on that focus and shifting it elsewhere but it'd have to be lucrative to be worthwhile because there's only so much time to spend working and with family, and the latter is much more important.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-04

Wow, nice job! Tripling your income is an awesome accomplishment. And I totally agree that having more time for family is important. I'm hopeful that my new idea will allow that once it is up and running.

Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life 2018-01-05

I hope so! I would love to hear the idea when you're ready to share.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-05

I will share when the time is right!

Mark Parrett 2018-01-05

I just wrote up an article about what we call productive hobbies. The idea is that side hustles (like driving Uber) aren't really what I'd be choosing to do for a good time on a Friday night, but I've figured out how to monetize my hobbies to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. Maybe it's semantics but for me, the productive hobby beats the side hustle all day long!

Mrs WoW 2018-01-05

I love the idea of a productive hobby, sounds similar to what Financial Panther does by monetizing the things he is already doing. Keep up the good work!

Sean @ FrugalMoneyMan 2018-01-05

I LOVE this concept!

I also struggle with feeling like I am behind because I don't have a side hustle. I have my full time job and my blog, and they take up a significant amount of my time. Your idea of essentially making a "beside" hustle to piggy back off of your main business ventures is a new great way to look at it!

Thanks for the share and I look forward to hearing what your new "beside" hustle is!

Mrs WoW 2018-01-05

Tell me about it, I've been struggling for awhile since I didn't have one. I like hearing that there are plenty of people out there that do not have a side hustle and are content without one. This new idea is something that I have been thinking about for quite some time now, so now all I really need to do is a tad more research and then start executing. I will share as soon as it comes to life.

Accidental FIRE 2018-01-06

I have a side hustle selling graphic arts and designs online. I love it. I just enjoy it when someone from across the globe likes one of my designs or slogans enough to put out good money for it. It just makes you feel good to create something that connects. It doesn't make me that much, maybe $1500 last year. But doing something you like that makes a little money is better than doing something your don't like for lots of money.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-07

"But doing something you like that makes a little money is better than doing something your don’t like for lots of money."

Love this! Its unfortunate, but I feel like most people are doing stuff they don't like for more of money these days.

Ms. FI-ology 2018-01-06

Oh, I love the name, beside hustle! It sounds less creepy ;).

I'm a big fan of career hacking, ESI style, and I've initially thought that doesn't leave too much extra time to "beside hustle". However, I am planning on starting one in 2018 mostly because it's already a hobby of mine (painting). Enough people convinced me to try and sell them. I find it very therapeutic so it seems like a win/win.

I'm eager to see what your's will be!

Mrs WoW 2018-01-07

Haha, I never thought that the word "side hustle" was creepy, but I totally see it now that you mentioned it. Good luck on your beside hustle this year, would love to see what you make.

Cubert 2018-01-07

GREAT post. Gets you thinking, which I appreciate in a sea of conspicuous personal finance postings...
I personally think side gigs are good depending on your phase of life. In my twenties I could have benefited from a side gig or two. In my forties and with kids, NO WAY could I sacrifice the time. Managing rental properties (NOT a side gig) and blogging (kind of a side gig) are more than enough for me.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-07

Life phase is definitely an important factor to consider when thinking of starting a side hustle. While the idea might be fun/ challenging/ interesting/ etc, any time that you spend on it, is time away from something else.

Jacq 2018-01-07

10 or so years ago I briefly contemplated if I should pick up a closing shift or 3 at a retail store I'd worked at in college (it was on the way home). When I really looked at it, I saw the path to eating junk food, and being exhausted, finally deciding it wasn't for me.
I currently have a 9-5 & teach yoga. I've wanted to teach yoga almost since I started taking yoga. I have a regular class Mondays nights, at a business between my work and home. Only from July onward I got 1 person most of the weeks, with a max of 3! For how it affects the end of my day at my 9-5, I'm not sure it's the best use of my energy if that trend continues in 2018. What started as a 1x a month on Saturday class last spring, became a 1x a week (still Saturday) class in the fall. A lot of my friends don't live close, 1.5, 2.5 hours away, my family is 4 hours away & other friends in that area. Even when a friend was going to visit, but had a change in schedule and suggested brunch, I had to decline. I really enjoy teaching the class. I'm not sure I like what it's doing to my social life.
I make enough money at my 9-5. Yet, there is an 'experienced' designation you can add to your credentials after you teach 1000 hours. My ideal would be to teach a weeknight version of the Saturday class. Or even go back to 1x a month.
I also found near the end of 2017 with teaching, I wasn't taking as many classes, which keeps your own practice up, and gives inspiration to teach.
Then there's the idea if taking additional training or online classes for the 9-5.
This is a long winded way to say, I ♡ what I do as a side hustle, but I don't know if it works in my life right now. It's ok to not have one, and focus on the 'day job'.
P.s. a coworker is a lula roe seller, and she's bringing stuff into the office to sell to coworkers, making trips to the post office, picking what to order next, at work. Some jobs have down time and flexibility to do that, some jobs don't and it could be seen as a conflict of interest. Sometimes it's good to just do your 9-5 well, and like Mr. SSC you are rewarded for it.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-07

I think it is important to always consider what you are spending time and energy on and whether it is working for you at the current moment. Life is too short if you are unhappy with something that you are doing.

FIRECracker 2018-01-07

Awesome notebook! (I've been getting so much mileage from mine). Chautauqua swag is the best swag isn't it? ;)

As for side hustles, I always feel like they're more pertinent when you have a full-time job, because that's your outlet from the structured 9 to 5--or at least it was for me. When you have your own business, you already that experience of being your boss, so you don't really need a side hustle.

But I could be wrong. The FIRE police might come and revoke your FIRE badge. But that's okay. We still love you.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-07

Chautauqua swag is the best swag! Now, if I can only find the awesome beer we were drinking there, I'd be set.

Haven't seen any flashing lights from the FIRE police yet, but from the sound of it, I'm not the only one without a side hustle. Safety in numbers!

freddy smidlap 2018-01-08

mrs. smidlap (mary begley) has been a prolific artist, turning out paintings since the 80's and sometimes selling them, but not as a reliable income stream. becoming unemployed last year has freed up some of her time to churn out more art, which she would make for the love of it regardless. now that free time has turned to opportunity to market the stuff and branch out into other product lines like prints and textiles. if she ends up back in a job she can just go back to the making for the love of it, end of hustle. none of it is scheduled and it's free time dependent, which is nice. it's nice when it can be turned off and on like a faucet with a chance that full time work wouldn't be necessary any longer if things pick up.

i always thought many side hustles were overrated unless it's something you would be doing anyways. my card is revokes as well.

Mrs WoW 2018-01-08

Well at least I am not the only one then that has a revoked FIRE card ;o). Sounds like your wife is in a great spot and who knows, maybe the art stuff will take off and she won't need another full time gig.