The Side Hustle

I would say that I have a "career".  I work with an organization that supports afterschool programs.  I train the teachers that work in the programs.  Before this, I ran an afterschool program and did trainings at night and on the weekends for extra money.  The trainings were my "Side Hustle", which eventually led to my career, as a full time trainer.  I love training and talking afterschool and I am blessed with the opportunity to enhance my career all the time within the organization.  But as far as the training for extra money goes, just as $$ is being choked from formal education, the same goes for afterschool. Extra money or "side hustles" in the field are fewer and further between.

Whats been great, is that I have developed additional Side hustles that help to fill in the financial gaps for my Freelancing, Self employed, Part Time employed, full time student, family.  My current Side Hustle adventure is being a Zumba fitness instructor.  Probably the last job I ever thought I would have, but then again, I spent 3 months making Cat Food. I am really looking forward to getting a job teaching Zumba, but unlike my other Side Hustles, teaching Zumba is actually more like a career.  I have to practice! I have to prepare!  I have to be able to shake my butt in front of bunches of people for 60 minutes at full energy.  Whew!  I can't wait!

It made me look back at my years of hustling and the fun and not so fun, yet always interesting Side Hustles I have had:

1.  Vacation Camp Owner

Appearing on "What's My Line" Stage Show. My mystery job was Makes Cat Food!

2. Gourmet Pet Food Maker
3. Administrative work at a lawyers office
4. Literacy Tutor (volunteering and extremely rewarding)
5. English Tutor (for the owner of NJ's #1 Chinese Restaurant-the BEST chinese food I ever had, hands down)
6. E-bay
7. Consigning Clothing
8. Teaching Outdoor Education
9. Babysitting
10. Research for a Education Marketing Company

None of these have turned into big money makers, but I had a great time trying different jobs, and always had pocket money for things that weren't in the household budget.Sometimes, these things filled in the red in the budget or led to savings for things we needed/wanted.

Is there any job you ever wanted to try? ( I have a Side Hustle bucket list...)

I'm just saying, when times are tough, as they are for nearly all...don't knock the hustle.

Do you do something on the side? 

In frugalstyle,
Sarah

www.frugalstyle.blogspot.com