Side hustle (n): any type of employment undertaken in addition to one’s full-time job. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the first time in my life, I can see a little bit of light in the personal finance tunnel.

In the next two months, I should be able to save enough money to complete baby step #1 and start hacking away at #2 like Paul Bunyan.

Unsurprisingly, you save quite a bit of money when you are not dropping $20 or more at the bar several times a week. Gone are the days where I powered through my day in the newsroom so I could figure out where to get my next drink. I’ve finally grasped that time is money and I’m learning how to squeeze pennies out of many of the minutes in the day.

There is an art form that deserves the lion’s share of the credit for getting me to this point. It will also be an integral part of continuing to dig out of the financial hole I dug for myself in my early 20’s. It’s called: the side hustle.

I’ve never been afraid to work 60-70 hour weeks, and that’s where the side hustle comes in. As a student loan-saddled member of a generation doing worse than our parents were at our age, the side hustle is the difference between “making it” and creating a future for yourself.

I have half as many jobs as Kevin Gates. Unlike him, I do occasionally get exhausted. A year from now though, I think I’ll be pleased with the results.

Today:

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• “REAL” JOB: I work full-time 8-5 during the week in customer service at SelectQuote Insurance Services, an insurance brokerage in Overland Park, KS (never thought this Mizzou grad would pay taxes in Kansas). I help old folks with their Medicare policies, and try to get them interested in other offerings like life insurance. On some days, I think LBJ is a genius for getting this behemoth government program passed through Congress in the 1960’s. On other days, I wince knowing about 6 percent of my paycheck goes toward benefits I may never see. Medicare is complicated, and supplemental plans vary in how they limit the financial exposure created when seniors carry Parts A, B and D alone. I educate people on those gaps and make sure Dr. Smith is in Betty’s network and see if the CVS over on Old Log Road will fill her scrips. The key to this gig is to smile and dial, and I can hit my goals typically if I make 125 dials a day.
• HUSTLE #1: I’m an Uber Driver, and typically put about 15-20 hours a week in on    the road. The gig is hard on my car, sure, but I have had a lot of fun doing it. It        makes me feel as though I was part of the night out on the town, sans Red Bull Vodka, Taco Bell and nasty hangover. I also get people from a set of runways in a cornfield known as Kansas City International Airport to places with civilization 20 miles away.
• HUSTLE #2: I stumbled upon this one on Indeed one day and forgot I had even applied for it. The owner reached out to me one day in February and described the gig and how much money you could make. I was shocked and excited by the prospect, and 3-4 weeks later I became a wedding and events DJ for a company called Levity Events. Yes, a guy with the same taste in music as your dad is a DJ. I suppose one night a week I can put down the Eagles, Stones and Fleetwood Mac in favor of “Old Town Road” and some Cardi B song with naughty words and references to her backside in it. Over the last 2 months I’ve done about 30-40 hours of training and shadowing in order to get ready for the wedding circuit this summer and fall. More goes into it than you think. Eventually, my earnings on one Saturday will equal what it took 2-4 Saturdays to make in broadcasting.

So if you’re still reading this, you may be wondering, how do I get a side hustle? 

1. Turn Your Passion Or Something You Enjoy Into Dollar Signs – I’ve never bought this “follow your passion and you’ll never work a day in your life” mantra. In my opinion, A good “real” job is one you enjoy 20% of the time, tolerate 60% of the time and hate less than 20% of the time. However, that does not have to be the case with your side hustle. My dad loves soccer and has coached the game for about three decades. He’s found a way to make almost as much money off of soccer as he did his real job. Wedding DJ is a great fit for me because I love music and socializing with people, but the booze had to go. I get to be a part of the party sober.
2.  Look For Something Low-Stress: I tried waiting tables for awhile, but that came with another boss and another set of co-workers and expectations. Find something that won’t cause drab to accumulate when you’re having a rough go of it at the full-time gig. This is why Uber works for me. I’m my own boss and make the rules.
3.  Get Creative – You would be amazed at the part-time, remote and creative opportunities out there. Unemployment in this country is sub 5% these days. Don’t forget — our country is a land of abundance and opportunity waiting for you to seize it. The Penny Hoarder and Side Hustle Nation are a great place to start to get some ideas on how to unlock your potential to bring in some extra cash.

Tell me what your side hustle is in the comments! I’d love to learn what you’re doing to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and gain financial freedom.