As spring turns to summer, many people begin looking for additional sources of income, which we call side hustles. I’ve never been a fan of that term. It feels like we are trying to scam our friends or we’re cheating on our fulltime job.
I’m hoping this post will show up when you Google search side hustles. No, I’m not trying to just get attention. I think I have a way to improve the side hustle.
Let’s start by looking at why we engage in the side hustle. For some people, extra time in the summer can allow them to turn a hobby into an additional source of income. My high school art teacher makes wreaths for all occasions, not just Christmas. Feel free to check them out on Facebook. The side hustle can be a great way to recharge and do something you love.
Obviously, side hustles can be our solution for extra income. We all want extra money, right? It’s easy to say we need or want more money.
The better question is WHY do we need or want more money.
There will always be more desires and experiences. Even if we had an infinite amount of money we would never be truly
satisfied. Think about how often we say, “If only…” Spoiler alert, wealthy people say the same thing.
Donald Trump has more money than he can ever spend, yet he still wanted to be our President, TWICE. Sure, we can say he wanted to serve the country and praise his patriotism. However, there are many ways to serve without holding the most powerful office in the world.
Ambition is the starting point for that service journey. Ambition is a great thing. Lord knows I have plenty of it myself. Unfortunately, we must be careful because sometimes our desires can look like ambition.
I believe this false ambition can be why we constantly desire new gadgets or experiences in our search for happiness.
Until we can accept and overcome this tendency we’ll never have enough. You can side hustle yourself to death, but you’ll never be satisfied. Don’t feel bad, it is natural human behavior.
My faith has really helped me deal with this little quirk. We can only enjoy those purchases for a little while. Everything in this world will let us down eventually, but Jesus won’t. I know that no matter what happens here I have eternal life with Jesus and that is very satisfying!
My faith also helps me use spending discipline to avoid the temptations we face daily.
Marketing is fascinating because commercials can make just about anything seem desirable. For example, diabetes is a terrible disease. Even with advancements in treatment, patients with diabetes still face many challenges.
Yet, commercials for diabetic treatments use music, dancing, and singing to make diabetes almost seem like fun. Yes, that’s an extreme example and not meant to offend, but it makes my point. If marketing can make something as horrible as diseases seem enjoyable, then imagine how powerful their message can be for something we actually want.
Marketing messages can be especially dangerous in our instant access society. This is why I believe our spending discipline is one of the most important tools in our financial planning toolbox. As politicians often say, our struggles may be more of a spending problem instead of a revenue problem.
Of course, they can print more money and blame their opponents for problems. We actually have to solve our personal financial problems, so we must maximize the money we have. We are all busy. Everyone is stressed and there isn’t enough time in the day.
Why don’t we make our money get a side hustle?
Let’s work through a scenario to see how that could happen. Your full-time job meets your basic needs. When you’re home in the evening, you see everyone enjoying their vacation on your social media feed. Envy makes you want to do the same, so you brainstorm ways of making additional income.
Your current job is exhausting, so your health won’t allow you to take on a second job. Then your friends introduce you to “An amazing opportunity” where you sell some green sludge that causes people to “lose weight and feel great.” These products could be anything from makeup, jewelry, or even pants, but the presentation is the same.
We have all heard the siren song of multilevel marketing, or as they’re commonly known, pyramid schemes. We are told you can make six figures by working a couple hours a week and following the plan in your $500 starters kit. Yes, some people have success with these, but most don’t.
Investing that money instead is how your money can do the side hustle for you.
When we buy a new pet, we know the purchase price is just the beginning. Caring for our beloved animals takes both money and time. These multilevel marketing opportunities are very similar, but without the love and happiness a pet brings to our lives. More often than not, they bring us sadness and anger, without increasing our wealth.
Brookstone, the company through with I offer investment services, now offers Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Because they have lower fees, I believe this provides an opportunity for new investors. Hopefully, these new funds can help us learn about investing and calm the fears that prevent us from planning for our future.
I propose we decide how much money you are willing to put in a multilevel marketing opportunity. This includes startup costs, your time, and miscellaneous expenses. Then we put that money into an account invested in Brookstone ETFs.
This idea is not a big moneymaker for me. I am glad to be self-employed because I would probably be fired for proposing it. 
My hope is that you use this opportunity to learn about investing and let me help with your overall financial plan.
As always, my goal is to build long-term relationships with clients. I am happy to invest in you, so I can earn your trust, then you can be comfortable investing with me. Email me!
