When I was a good little university post-grad, I lived with my parents and saved my hard-earned money.
I was anxious for every second of it.
My day job didn’t pay me enough to afford a 500-square-foot studio. I knew if I wanted to move out, I’d have to bring income in from elsewhere.
So I did what most sane people do — I went on a silly little night walk to clear my mind. I didn’t take my phone. I was alone with my thoughts.
I thought deeply about my skills and how they could make me extra dough. I wanted to shoot photos for big-time brands when I thought, “Hey, why don’t I show brands what I can do.”
So I went to Whole Foods, bought overpriced snacks, shot photos of the overpriced snacks, and sent them to their social media managers.
Spoiler alert: I didn’t make any money doing this, but the process taught me a valuable lesson that eventually led to a successful stint as a freelancer and a full-time remote position.
Here’s what I learned, plus ways to bring in some extra cash.
Fundamentally, we’re facing a major money problem
Inflation had a hall of fame season.
Arguably, we were hit by every type of inflation due to money printing and lack of resources due to Covid.
We’ve got enough to stress about in our lives (can I get an amen?). The market crashed, gas prices soared, and I found myself paying $15 for a chicken burrito at the airport. What gives?
At the federal level, the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Not even two hours at that wage would cover a burrito I devoured in under 15 minutes.
Even if you make more than the minimum, you’re hardly living. You sure aren’t thriving in life as you should be. I moved out of LA because without a 6-figure job, it’s impossible to live comfortably.
Even if you’re making 6-figures at a cushy day job, it could go bye-bye at any given moment.
Basically, you’re in trouble if you don’t develop new sources of income.
Pick a skill. Leverage it.
There are hundreds of ways to make money online.
At a high level, the secret to success is to do something you like. Otherwise, you feel like you’re torching yourself with a tiki torch from Party City during your post-work hours.
I write for a minimum of 25 minutes after work to clear my thoughts after a long day. I don’t do it because I feel I have to. I do it because I love it.
The thing is, I could leverage my passion for writing internet articles for people I’ve never met and make some extra money on top of my full-time salary.
You can monetize it by creating:
An ebook
Video courses
1-on-1 consulting programs
Private QAs
Paid newsletters
The list goes on, so ask yourself this essential question:
What am I happy to work on after my 9–5?
Learn to edit videos, take photographs, or even sell your mom’s feet picks online (yes, someone actually did this). No, I don’t condone anyone actually doing this without consent.
If you’re passionate about your post-work craft, chances are someone else is too. Teach them how to do it better.
Don’t lead a regular show of a life
Let me ask you another question:
Are you willing to give up some of your time now to have more of it later?
In other words, are you willing to work after hours to gain financial freedom by 50, 40, or even 35? I am because I know the key to financial freedom is to be a part-time content creator.
Regular folks don’t put time aside to build an online business. They come home after work and eat oven-roasted potato chips paired with Diet Coke.
The only thing you’re risking is your time, but you have a lifetime’s worth to come. Do the work upfront to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
If there’s anything to take away from 2020–2022, it’s this…
You can do anything with an internet connection.
All you need are a few things to get started:
A desire to teach
A skill you know
A willingness to learn
I learned how to use Adobe Premiere, and now I’m the senior video editor for a company. I work remotely, and I’m learning skills on the job. I can take these skills and apply them to my post-work side hustles.
Create anabolic cooking recipes to help people lose weight, learn about web design, or make landing pages and sales copy for digital startups.
When you make a hundred dollars in online income, your brain somersaults. You realize what’s possible when you put your mind to a task.
Not only that, but you realize you need an extra source of income to keep yourself safe during turbulent economic times.
If anything, you’ll learn a skill that could eventually become your new “9–5.”
🚨HEY! — Want to know how I manage a 9–5 while also writing 3+ articles every week? I’ve stacked five of the most important lessons I’ve learned writing online into a free Effortless Blogger Blueprint.