Start a Side Hustle: 4 Reasons it’s Good for Your Wallet and Your Soul

by Melanie Lockert · 9 comments

Side hustling, or the art of making money on the side, is one of my favorite things to do. Even now, as my side hustle has turned into my full-time job, I’m always looking for new ways to make money. I find it a fun challenge and it keeps me on my toes — and it’s never boring!

While many people in personal finance focus on cutting back, I believe earning more can be a more powerful motivator in helping you achieve your financial goals.

Here are 4 reasons why side hustling is both good for your wallet and your soul.

1. Boosting Your Confidence

I still remember how excited I was when I made my first dollar outside of my regular day job. It felt like I was doing something behind my job’s back, but it felt awesome and instantly made me feel more confident.

I was working a low-paying nonprofit job at the time, and whether we like to admit it or not, getting paid a low salary can make us feel less valuable. It felt so good making extra money but it also boosted my confidence.

After dealing with a shaky economy during the recession, side hustling built my confidence back up and reminded me that I do have skills and talents worth paying for.

2. Conquering New Challenges

When you work a job, you’re usually hired for skills you already have — you may have the opportunity to learn new skills, but more often than not, you’re hired for what you already know and not necessarily given opportunities to learn and grow more.

For me, side hustling is a low pressure way of learning new skills and tackling new challenges. Through side hustling, I’ve learned about marketing, events, newsletters, social media management and so much more. I would have never gotten hired to do those things in a traditional job without experience, but was able to foster my abilities and grow my skills through side hustling.

I find it a great expression of my soul to try new things — without the pressure of “failing” at a full-time job. If a gig doesn’t work out from a side hustle, it’s not the end of the world. “Failing” at your full-time job is a bit different and can cost you your job.

Side hustling, though, is a new challenge that allows you to learn, grow, and adapt your skills to the marketplace, while giving you the opportunity to do something you’ve always wanted, outside the comfort of your day job.

3. Going Outside Your Comfort Zone

One of the main things I love about side hustling is getting out of my comfort zone. Staying in your comfort zone can inhibit growth and get you in a rut. I firmly believe that going outside of your comfort zone opens up the possibility for so many things.

It’s good to push yourself into new arenas!

For me, it’s simply a fake it until you make it mentality. I’ve been thrust into situations as a brand ambassador, or at other events, where I’m not an expert and definitely in a new environment. But I’ve learned that confidence and trying something new helpa guide me along the way.

Getting out of your comfort zone is good for your wallet and soul because it opens you up to new opportunities.

4. Meeting New People

I can confidently say that through side hustling I’ve met a number of people I typically would have never crossed paths with. As someone that believes I can learn something from everyone, this has been a huge coup for my social network.

As an adult, it’s easy to hang around people with similar interests, or similar jobs. While there’s nothing wrong with that, meeting new people in other areas of life can enhance your social circle and provide you with a new perspective. Not only that, but they can serve as part of your network to get more work. I’ve gotten many side hustle gigs through friends and people I’ve met from previous gigs.

Improving Your Life with Side Hustling

As you can see, there are tons of ways that side hustling is good for your wallet and soul. Side hustling can help you make more money to pay off debt or save for that dream trip. But it’s so much more than that! You can test out new skills, meet new people and get out of your comfort zone.

If you’re looking to get started with side hustling, consider starting on Craigslist.org or TaskRabbit.com — you can even post an inquiry on Facebook!

If you’re at all creative, you can use Etsy.com or Fiverr.com to sell your wares. In this digital age, there are so many websites and services that can help you make extra money to get started with side hustling, which is good for your wallet AND your soul.

Do you have a side hustle? What do you do on nights and weekends to bring in extra money while showing your creative expression?

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