Side Hustles

One year later: The benefits and tragedies of self-employment

Almost exactly a year ago today, I quit my full-time job to pursue my passion — writing. It was one of the proudest moments of my life, but it was also terrifying. I had spent the last six years working alongside my husband, a mortician, in the funeral industry. My job certainly wasn’t perfect; but it was stable, well-paying, and sometimes fun. I also loved the people that I worked with and was extremely attached to a few. On the other hand, I knew it was time. I had been working full time and writing on the side for so long that I no longer knew what a “real life” was like. In fact, my “real life” was a mess.

Everyone talks about how lucrative and exciting having a “side hustle” can be, but no one talks about the toll it can take on your life. Since I worked 9 to 5 and had two small children, the only time I could write was at 5 a.m. before work or at 8 p.m. after the kids went to bed. This meant that I was working 16 hours a day at times — actually all the time. And the weekends? I worked those too.

But, like I said, one year ago today was the day I finally snapped. It was a Saturday afternoon and I had worked over 70 hours that week, yet I was stuck working late at my job … again. I called my bosses and asked if I could talk to them. And when I showed up at their home, I nervously put in my three weeks’ notice and hoped they would forgive me. Then I called my husband.</

How to build wealth from scratch

When you are living paycheck to paycheck, down on your luck, or living a student lifestyle, it can be difficult to imagine a world where you are suddenly building wealth. Take this comment from Kendra on one of our Ask the Readers posts, “What do you do when you’re broke?”

“I feel like like Caleb a bit — in that most of these blogs don’t cover how to get started. I mean for a student, for someone who’s been born into poverty, how does one get started? I’m a student. I have NO income and my graduate program won’t allow me to get a job. I only have ‘living’ money from loans — and quite frankly, when I need more, I just get another school loan. (I have full faith that I’ll be able to pay debt off quickly and make great pay at a job sometime in June/July).

“But as someone who doesn’t know much about money other than what’s on these blogs how do I START making money work? What can I do with $20? $50? You know what I mean?”

How to negotiate when you hate negotiating

In an ideal world, you wouldn’t need to go negotiate. In an ideal world, the weather would be perfect, there would be no war, and your employer would simply say, “Hey, your value to our company has increased. Here’s ten thousand dollars.”

If only, right? When it comes to earning more, negotiating is usually a necessary part of the equation. The negotiating masters among us have a serious leg up.

I do not have a leg up. In most circumstances, I dread negotiating. I’d rather watch paint dry than negotiate. I’d rather eat a chard smoothie. I’d rather give someone a ride to the airport at 8am on a Monday.

2018 Top 10 Award Winner: Steve Streit

2018 Top 10 Award Winner: Steve Streit! This is episode #435, and my guest today is Steve Streit. Steve operates out of the Detroit market, and has seen his business thrive after undergoing a mindset shift that changed everything. Many of us are conservative in our approach to business, but that can often hold us back…and our discussion today will likely hit home with a lot of folks listening to this episode.

How This Family Moved To The “Hood” and Paid Off $120,000 in Debt

Recently, I decided to start a new series where I interview people who are doing extraordinary things with their lives. First up was JP Livingston, who retired with a net worth over $2,000,000 at the age of 28. Today’s post is about Aja McClanahan, who made big sacrifices to pay off $120,000 in debt! In […]

The post How This Family Moved To The “Hood” and Paid Off $120,000 in Debt appeared first on Making Sense Of Cents.

A better way to calculate the value of your time

It’s both fascinating and useful to calculate the value of your time. Financial freedom gives you options and flexibility. But without time, that means nothing. Time is a precious resource that we should spend wisely.

Knowing the value of your time is helpful for a variety of reasons:

  • If you’re a freelancer, it can help you decide on gigs.

How To Make $1,000 Extra With Facebook Each Month

Today, I have a fun interview to share with you that will show you how to make extra money running Facebook ads for local businesses. Please also check out the free training – Discover How To Start An Online Advertising Side Hustle From Scratch. I recently had the chance to interview Bobby Hoyt. Bobby is […]

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16 Retirement Numbers You Should Know

Preparing for retirement can seem like an impossibly complex math problem. Here’s how to break it down.

How to Get Freelance Writing Jobs — Essential Tips from Publishers

Freelance writing jobs are a great side hustle. But getting that first gig can be tough. Here’s how to make your application stand out from the pack.Experienced editors and publishers offer their insider tips into how to get freelance writing jobs.

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