Why One Job Is No Longer Enough to Get By

Life shouldn’t have to be this much of a struggle. Someone with years of experience in multiple fields of work shouldn’t have to hustle 24/7 just to scrape by. Yet here I am, working a part-time job, picking up side gigs, trying to build multiple streams of income, and constantly looking for ways to bring in a little extra money. Apparently, no matter how hard I try, I keep needing gig culture and side hustles to get by.

This is my hustle life. It’s not glamorous, and it certainly isn’t the picture-perfect version of entrepreneurship that people like to post about on social media. It’s figuring out what I can do with the skills I already have, what opportunities are available, and how I can make the most of my time without working myself into the ground (which is impossible, honestly).

Private Events and Oracle Readings

One of the things I do is provide oracle readings at private events. Birthdays, office parties, weddings, and other celebrations can be opportunities to make money doing something I genuinely enjoy.

There is something different about bringing divination into an event. People get curious, they want to know what the cards might reveal, and it gives guests something a little different to experience. It’s also a way to introduce people to oracle readings who might never have booked a private session for themselves.

I use GigSalad to help connect with potential clients, and one of the benefits is that signing up is free. Getting bookings through a platform like this can be more appealing than constantly spending time and money trying to get noticed in person.

I also attend events where I set up a booth and offer readings. Those events can be worthwhile, but they aren’t always necessary when private bookings are coming in. A booth can mean fees, travel expenses, setup time, and hours spent waiting for customers. Sometimes that works out, and sometimes the money you bring home doesn’t seem worth all the effort.

The goal is to find opportunities that pay without creating more expenses than necessary.

Keeping a Part-Time Job While Building Something Else

As much as I would love to make all my income from my own projects, having a part-time job provides something important: a steady paycheck.

That regular income helps me plan around bills and other expenses, even if it isn’t enough to cover everything comfortably. It also gives me a little more stability while I work on my other income streams.

One of the biggest advantages is working somewhere that is lenient with my side projects. When your life revolves around multiple gigs, flexibility matters. I need to be able to take opportunities when they come along without constantly worrying that pursuing something else will put my regular job at risk.

The reality is that having a job and being self-employed in several different ways can be exhausting. There are schedules to juggle, deadlines to meet, customers to communicate with, and projects that require attention even when I would rather be doing absolutely nothing.

Still, that combination gives me more options than relying on one source of income alone.

Curating Goth Fashion for Depop

I’m also getting back into reselling, but this time I’m focusing specifically on curating goth clothing and accessories to sell on DePop.

I don’t want to sell just anything. I want to find pieces that fit a particular aesthetic and appeal to people who love alternative fashion. Goth clothing, distinctive accessories, and pieces with personality can attract buyers who are looking for something that feels more like them than whatever happens to be hanging on the racks at a mainstream retailer.

Reselling takes more work than simply listing an item online. There is sourcing, sorting, photographing, measuring, writing descriptions, answering questions, packaging orders, and shipping. You also have to consider what you paid for an item, the platform’s fees, shipping costs, and what you can realistically sell it for.

That is why curation matters to me. I want to build a shop with a recognizable identity rather than throw a random assortment of clothes online and hope something sells.

I’m also helping a couple of other people sell their collections. One collection is going on Depop, while the other is going on Vinted. Using different platforms gives me options and allows me to consider the fees associated with each one instead of automatically putting everything in the same place.

When you’re trying to make extra money, the amount you actually keep matters a whole lot more than the number displayed on a sale.

Taking Gigs That Catch My Interest

Then there are the random opportunities that pop up along the way.

Sometimes, a gig comes along that sounds interesting enough that I want to do it. For example, I am working as a scare actor at a three-day haunted event that pays (and have been a haunt actor a few times before this). I also work with a friend who puts on goth dance nights.

These kinds of gigs offer something different from sitting at a computer listing clothing or writing articles. They let me participate in activities that interest me while earning money at the same time.

Of course, not every opportunity is worth taking. There is a difference between doing something because it sounds fun and doing something that actually makes sense financially. Travel, preparation, time commitments, and other expenses all have to be considered.

But when something checks enough of the right boxes, why not take advantage of it?

One of the realities of gig culture is that opportunities can be unpredictable. You might have a busy weekend followed by a stretch when nothing comes along. You have to be willing to look for work, remain flexible, and recognize opportunities when they appear.

Book Reviews for a Little Extra Income

I also write book reviews for IndieReader to bring in a little extra money each month.

As someone who writes, this is an opportunity that fits naturally alongside my other creative work. Reading and reviewing books allows me to engage with writing from a different perspective while earning something for the time I spend doing it.

However, there is a catch: I have to purchase the books I review, and payment comes after I have read and reviewed them.

That means this isn’t a quick-cash opportunity. I have to spend money upfront, devote time to reading, and complete the review before I see a payout. Depending on the book and the time involved, it can take a while before that effort translates into money.

It’s important to understand those details before getting involved in any side gig. An opportunity that promises payment isn’t necessarily helpful when you need money immediately, especially if you have to spend some of what you already have to participate.

For me, this is one of those additional income streams that can contribute a little over time, rather than something I can depend on to cover an unexpected bill tomorrow.

Surveys, Receipts, and the Search for Easy Money

I also use survey sites, such as YouGov, and receipt submission apps, such as Fetch.

These are the kinds of opportunities that can fit into small pockets of time, but I’m selective about which ones I use. My priority is getting more money for less time.

That might sound obvious, but spend enough time exploring these apps, and you’ll discover that not every opportunity is created equally.

Some survey sites offer rewards that accumulate toward a payout. Receipt apps give you points or rewards for submitting qualifying receipts. Neither is likely to replace a paycheck, but they can provide a little something extra if you’re already doing the activities required to earn those rewards.

The problem is that some apps demand far more time and effort than the eventual payout justifies.

I’m particularly unimpressed by gaming sites that promise rewards for playing games. Some require you to reach increasingly difficult milestones before you can cash out. You can spend hours playing and still feel as though you’re nowhere near earning anything meaningful.

My time has value, too.

If I’m going to spend an hour on something, I want to know that the potential return makes sense. I would rather focus on opportunities with a reasonable path to a payout than spend endless hours chasing rewards that may never amount to much.

Writing for Vocal and Entering Writing Challenges

Finally, there is my writing.

I write poetry and articles, including this one, as a Vocal+ member. The platform offers opportunities to earn through qualifying reads and other monetization features, and I also enter writing challenges to try to earn a little more.

Writing is something I have invested years of my life in. It’s part of who I am, and I want to continue doing it. But there is a difference between writing because you love it and writing with the hope that it will help pay the bills.

Earnings from readership can be unpredictable. An article might attract attention, while another piece that took just as much time and effort might receive very little engagement. Writing challenges offer another possibility, but they are competitive, and there is no guarantee of winning.

That means I cannot simply assume that publishing something will translate into immediate income.

I have to keep writing, experiment with topics, participate in opportunities that interest me, and hope that the work finds its audience. Meanwhile, the bills continue arriving whether my latest poem gets ten reads or ten thousand.

There is something particularly frustrating about trying to monetize a creative passion when what you really need is reliable income. You want the freedom to create, but you also need your work to contribute to your livelihood.

The Problem With Having to Hustle All the Time

When I look at all these different income streams, I realize just how much effort goes into trying to make ends meet.

I have my part-time job, oracle readings, private event bookings, resale projects, occasional event work, book reviews, surveys, receipt apps, poetry, articles, and writing challenges. Each one offers a different possibility, but none of them automatically guarantees financial security.

And that’s the part people don’t always see when they talk about side hustles.

They see someone starting a business, selling clothing online, working events, or publishing articles. They see the potential to make money and assume that having multiple income streams means you’re doing well.

Sometimes, it simply means you’re trying to find enough income to cover the basics.

There is also the mental load of keeping everything organized. Every gig has its own requirements. Every platform has its own rules. Every opportunity requires time, and time is a limited resource when you’re already working.

You have to decide which opportunities deserve your attention, which ones are worth the effort, and which ones are simply distractions dressed up as potential income.

I’m learning to be selective. I want to pursue the things that interest me, use the skills I already have, and find ways to earn money without spending more than I make or sacrificing every bit of free time I have.

I’m Not Looking for a Hustle. I’m Looking for Breathing Room.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with having multiple interests or finding creative ways to earn money. In fact, I enjoy having different projects to work on. I like alternative fashion, writing, divination, and the occasional opportunity to do something completely different.

The problem isn’t that I have all these interests. The problem is feeling as though I have to turn so many of them into income just to get by.

There is a difference between choosing to build something and feeling financially pressured to monetize every available skill.

I would love to reach a point where my side projects are genuinely supplemental, where I can choose the opportunities I want to pursue instead of constantly calculating which ones might help cover my next expense.

Until then, I keep looking for ways to make the numbers work.

I’ll take the oracle reading bookings. I’ll curate goth clothing for Depop. I’ll help other people sell their collections. I’ll show up for the haunted event, support my friend’s goth dance nights, read books for reviews, submit receipts, answer surveys, and keep writing.

Not because I believe that working every waking hour is the secret to success, but because I’m trying to make a living in a world where one paycheck never seems to go far enough.

This is my hustle life. It’s creative, unpredictable, exhausting, and sometimes frustrating as hell.

And while I’m proud of the different things I can do, I would really like to live in a world where working hard means having enough money to pay the bills, buy groceries, put gas in the car, and occasionally enjoy life without wondering where the next dollar is coming from.

I don’t need a glamorous entrepreneurial lifestyle.

I just want a little breathing room.