Things That You Wouldn’t Believe I Have Done To Earn Money

Yesterday, I have decided not to have big goals this year. I wanted to breathe. And for once, savor the results of my hard work before embarking on another arduous journey.

Life has been tough since the day I was born. I came from a family that lives below the poverty line in the Philippines. My parents didn’t have any degree and worked odd jobs just enough to put food on the table.

I can’t explain how hard life was. At an early age, I wanted to grow fast to be able to help my parents and save the family from the quagmire that we are on.

But before I introduce you to my past, let me show you first who I am today:

This is me in a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. This happened in year 15 of my struggle to climb the mountain of life story. You can see me here as a well-composed young lawyer. But you wouldn’t believe the things that I did all my life to finally be on that spot with that smile.

At an age below 12, I tried to work to have my own money for school. I did these to have some pennies on hand:

- I scavenged bottles, plastic items, and scrap metal. I sold them, earning around $0.10/week;

- I cleaned classrooms before the school year and was paid $0.50 per 2 hours of work; and

- I joined amateur singing contests and spoken poetry on a radio station every Sunday. The prizes are usually $1.00, $.0.60, $0.40 for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes, accordingly. I usually get 1st prize for the spoken poetry and 2nd or 3rd prize for the singing contests.

My parents do not approve of the first 2, but I do it when they are away for work, so they can’t check on me. The 3rd one, they approve not because of the price but the pride it gives to them.

I finally stopped with the scavenging and cleaning hustle when I started high school. I concentrated on my studies as encouraged by my parents. They always told us that education would be the key for us to have a good life and escape our poor living conditions.

When I went to college, I did these to get free education and support my daily living expenses:

- I applied for a scholarship and got accepted. My tuition and school miscellaneous fees are free. I was also given a small monthly allowance and a book allowance, but it was not enough, so

- I worked as a student assistant while studying.

It’s only now that I realize that I had a knack for side hustles even before.

I finally graduated with good grades but soon realized that it was not enough to land a decent job. Coming from a poor family with no connections at all, I can’t get the job that I want. Again, just to earn, I need to hustle:

I became a personal tutor. Since I have good academic skills, I was referred to several good-paying rich clients. This became our bread and butter for a while. Little did I know that this will land me on my first real job and my biggest break. I’m still in the organization until now, and I’m on to my 17th year.

During my early years on my permanent job, I still did side hustles to accelerate building a nest egg. I did these:

I sold direct selling products like Avon;

I sold frozen dumplings. Along with my husband, we delivered orders from place to place using a motorcycle. With our earnings on this, we were able to buy our first car [2nd hand old model] which accommodated more dumplings for deliveries;

I also tried a stint at small-time money lending, but I lose money instead of earning. You see, I have a heart for those struggling, so I usually don’t force them to pay. I practically gave some hard-earned money away; and

I continued to do some tutoring.

Then I got promoted on my job and started law school, so I need to stop the side hustles to have time to study. Our combined income during that time is enough to support us. We also had decent savings that made me afford to stop hustling like crazy.

I became a lawyer, got promoted again, and soon earning more than enough. But hustling is in my blood. I still went on and studied money-making activities that I can do online and not as labor-intensive.

Now, here are my upgraded side hustles:

Stocks, forex, and bitcoin investment and trading

I also tried Upwork [but it's not for me]

Vocal Media? [I came in here not for the money but to express myself, but if I’ll be given the opportunity, why not?]

Final Thoughts:

It’s crazy how the universe distributes money. The more money you have, the more money it comes your way. Money attracts more money. More investments, more earnings. Now, I wonder where all of the money was hiding while I was growing and cleaning floors for a measly $0.20.

A poor girl cleaner turned lawyer. That’s me.

I’m sharing this to inspire. I’m sharing this to tell you that with the proper determination, we can be whoever we want. We can turn our world upside down. Rags to riches story is not a fairy tale after all.

Any advice? Work hard, hustle if you can, save, and invest. A piece of classic well-worn advice, but it works. If there’s a will, there will always be a way.

Whatever it is that you wanted this year, the best of luck with your journey!

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This story was originally published on Medium.com.