My Paycheck Kept Disappearing. So I Started Writing Online for Extra Money.

When your earning speed can’t keep up with your spending speed

The phone screen lit up. The balance showed. I stared at it for three seconds, then pressed the screen off.

I had done that a lot lately.

A fruit tea costs twenty-something yuan. Barbecue starts at seventy or eighty. A box of crayfish runs over a hundred. None of those alone will bankrupt you. But they line up, three times a week, and by the end of the month the number is large. By the time I noticed, my salary card was empty.

This happens to a lot of people. It isn’t about effort or discipline. After you start working, income rises slowly while new ways to spend keep appearing. Rent, utilities, commuting, social obligations, and the small pleasures. I’ll just have one cup. I’ll just eat one meal. Then the money is gone.

Two things help. Slow down spending. Add another way to make money.

Stop the bleeding first

You don’t need a harsh budget. Harsh budgets last three days. On the fourth day you spend back the misery. Instead, install a few controls.

Track expenses for seven days. Use a notes app. Write the date, amount, and what you bought. After a week, look back. The big item usually isn’t rent. It’s the small stuff. Fruit tea, barbecue, takeout, taxis, snacks, automatic renewals. They work like a leaking faucet, drip by drip, until the tank is empty.

Set a happiness budget. You like fruit tea. You like barbecue. Fine. Give them a total. Say three hundred yuan a month for fruit tea, barbecue, and crayfish. When it’s gone, stop. You aren’t quitting pleasure. You’re capping it.

Save first, spend later. On payday, move ten percent into another account. Ten percent is enough. Spend the rest. Don’t wait until the end of the month to see what’s left. Most months, nothing will be left. Money on a phone is just a number. You scan a code and it disappears. You don’t feel it.

Use a 48-hour cooling-off period. Put non-essentials in the cart. If you still want them two days later, buy them. Many urges die on their own. I once put a pair of shoes in the cart. On the third day I didn’t want them. The shoes weren’t the problem. The urge had passed.

Then open up income

After you slow the bleeding, add income. A side hustle is one direct route. But don’t grab the first thing you see. Run it through a few filters: close to money, fast feedback, can accumulate, doesn’t hurt your main job, and legal.

Content work includes Zhihu, Xiaohongshu, WeChat Official Accounts, Douyin, Bilibili, and Toutiao. You write articles, shoot videos, or talk to camera. Early money is low. The work and traffic can accumulate.

Skill work includes PPT, editing, writing, translation, design, Excel, programming, AI tools, and resume optimization. You can take orders on Xianyu, Zhu Bajie, Xiaohongshu, or WeChat Moments.

Service work includes weekend part-time jobs, tutoring, medical accompaniment, pet sitting, queueing, event execution, and designated driving. Money comes faster. The work is more physical.

Product work includes templates, resource packs, handmade goods, second-hand resale, courses, and communities. It fits better after you have something built.

If you already write for text platforms, keep going. Repurpose one piece across platforms. Turn one article into a Zhihu answer, a Xiaohongshu note, a WeChat article, and a Douyin script. Double down where you get feedback. Don’t rely on one platform. Don’t switch three directions in one day either.

What I tried online

I have written on several text platforms. The income is small.

I registered accounts years ago and earned nothing for a long time. Then the rules changed and check-in rewards appeared. I wrote a few lines a day for the reward. After a while, I found I could withdraw the money. It wasn’t much. It could be withdrawn.

Later I aimed at the Zhizhi Program. You pass it, then you earn Yanli income. I wrote every day and watched the progress. I envied people who did better. I knew the gap. I kept writing.

I also tried video. Video gets more traffic. You have to show your face. I didn’t want to. The view revenue wasn’t high before it took off. After a few videos, it felt less scary. Camera on face. Talk. Edit. Publish. If one flops, make two.

Low income early on is normal. Set a process goal: ten outputs, three samples, one sale. Not instant wealth.

What changed besides money

A side hustle eats free time. Less free time means less spending.

Before, I came home and collapsed on the sofa. I scrolled. Then I opened the delivery app. Then I ordered. Now I come home and open the document. I write a paragraph. I edit a paragraph. I check the platform rules. By the time I look up, it’s time to shower.

I also ate less. Not because I dieted. I didn’t have time to think about food. I lost five or six jin without noticing. At first my clothes felt looser. Much later I stepped on the same scale. The number was lower.

The work is tiring. At the start, I had to learn the platform and keep producing. Some days I was exhausted. When I finished the content I meant to finish, I felt good. The numbers were worse on tired days. They were worse. I still finished. That mattered.

After a payout, I rewarded myself with barbecue and fruit. I sat at the table. Skewers piled up. Fruit cut into pieces. That barbecue tasted better than most.

A 30-day start

Week one: list what you can do, how much time you have each day, and how much you want to earn. Register one or two platforms. Don’t collect platforms.

Week two: find five accounts doing what you want to do. Study their topics and how they make money. Make three samples.

Week three: one hour a day. Publish or apply. Content work: five to ten pieces. Order work: ten applications.

Week four: review. If you get questions, sales, or views, continue. If you get nothing, change direction. Don’t beat a dead horse.

Set a process goal: ten outputs, three samples, one sale. Not instant wealth.

Avoid the pits

Pay first, recruit people, fake orders, high-return promises. Those are pits. Don’t stock up on courses. Don’t join franchises. Don’t borrow money for a side hustle. Don’t ruin your sleep or your main job.

Low income early on is normal. If one thing doesn’t work, switch. Don’t switch three times in one day. Give it thirty days. Try once, seriously.

Last

When earning can’t keep up with spending, a side hustle is one practical answer.

Choose what you like. Join more. Try more. Video, writing, or part-time work can each bring income if you work it. Aim for income. Keep going. If one doesn’t work, switch.

Your main job is the base. The side hustle is the second leg. If your main job can pay more or lead somewhere, raise your hourly rate there first. A side hustle works best when it grows out of your skills and interests. That makes it easier to keep and easier to compound.

Now I close the shopping page and open the document. The cursor blinks on the blank page. I type the first line.

See you tomorrow.