Does having a Side Hustle make sense?

I was recently listening to a comedian on the radio. The topic of his skit was side hustles, otherwise known as, part time jobs. He stated that someone told him that everyone needs a side hustle and then the person asked him what his side hustle was. He was quite amused by the question. He began to ask the crowd if they had a side hustle. He then discussed career decisions made in high school. No counselor ever asked a student I know you wanna be an astronaut but what is your side hustle going to be? He lamented that there was a career day in school but over on the side in the corner was never a side gig station.

I would guess that the comedian was appropriately in his late 30s to 40s. Has society changed so much since he was in high school? I have 2 jobs and pretty much all my life I have worked 2 jobs. So, I fully understand my bias in this discussion.

Having a side gig can open new doors and at the same time can close some too. As a young man with no kids having two jobs was wonderful. I had no responsibilities other than a dog and I could work all day without an issue. Today that is completely the opposite. My life has changed dramatically. With a wife and kids time can and is an issue. Juggling being a good parent and husband is time consuming and let us be honest it is a job in itself. It is something that I often personally struggle with.

Could I financially survive on just my primary job salary? Absolutely, but this was not always the case. It seems lately that I am more likely to add more jobs on my plate than to work just one job. I often say that when it comes to jobs and money one should play chess and not checkers. Meaning that you should be multiple steps ahead of your current financial situation. There will always be an emergency that occurs such as a car break down, leaky roof, fees for kid’s extracurricular activities and the list goes on and on. To put it simple life happens. Working multiple jobs can afford you the opportunity to handle some of the issues that life throws.

Work can also therapeutic. I personally feel like I am taking care of patients in their time of need. My job has great satisfaction and I love what I do for a living so working an extra day here and there is usually not a problem. I also work with a great group of people. In the end we all need time off away from work to relax.

The last government shutdown was unexpected. The government shuts down from time to time. I think that the most recent shutdown was the longest in recent history. Many families had to do without. With the average American living paycheck to paycheck the shutdown exposed the financial difficulties that plague our society. The shutdown made me realize that I could be better manage my finances.

Currently we are living in the midst of a pandemic. I travelled to California a couple weeks before the shutdown originally started. I had the best time touring Hollywood, LA and numerous other hot spots in the area. Very few people were wearing masks on airplane at that time. Two weeks after my trip LA was basically shut down. Every LA area that I visited was not open due to COVID-19. My side hustle (part time job) had little to no work for me. I decided in the end to take some personal time and write a book. Luckily, I still had my full-time job. Many people throughout the country had one job and then lost that job. There are still many American’s suffering financially and will continue to be finically strapped.

Does everyone need a side hustle? I do not think that everyone should work multiple jobs but it is up to the individual. That is completely up to the reader. It is up to you to figure out if you need to work a side hustle or not. Be honest with yourself. Calculate financially what you need to survive and give yourself a 3-6 month salary cushion. Take the time to financially educate yourself. This could put you in a better position than working another job. Play chess not checkers and plan ahead so that in the next financial emergency you will be prepared.