15 Reasons You Should Start a Side Hustle Now

When you think about side hustling, what comes to mind?  Making all that extra cash!  But there are so many other benefits of starting a side hustle besides getting them coins.

These benefits include meeting new people, having a creative outlet, continued personal growth, and so much more.  Who would've thought an extra job could do so much.  Even I was completely unaware of most of these benefits until I started my own side hustle.

Of course, you may be starting a side hustle mainly to make more money but that side hustle can be so much more.

Use it as a time to explore, to delve into things you might never have considered before.  To really take a look at all of your interests and to grow as a person.

So why should you start a side hustle?  I'll give you 15 gooood reasons.

The Benefits of Starting a Side Hustle

1. Make more money

This kind of goes without saying.  Of course, one of the main benefits of starting a side hustle is that it increases the amount of money you would make.  Whether it is just an extra $30 a week or $200 a week, every penny counts.

When you make more money, you are able to do the things you maybe couldn't do before.  Go on vacations, buy new clothes, upgrade your living arrangements.

The more money you make, the more opportunities you get to access "the good life".  

So, you could sit on the couch and watch another episode of Love Island.  Or you could get your butt up and start making some coin-T (with a capital T)!

The choice is yours!

2. Good networking opportunity

Another great benefit of side hustling is that you have the opportunity to meet new people and build new relationships.  We live in an age where things move fast and networking is king.

Many opportunities for career advancement and promotions come from the people you know.  When you build your network, you increase your chances of upward mobility.

So by getting a new part-time gig, starting to free-lance, or reconnecting with your passion, you will be able to meet new people and grow your network.

Remember, in life, it's all about who you know, not what you know.

3. Expand your horizons

By going out there and getting a new side gig, you are expanding your circle to include much more than your usual round of activities or group of friends.

More than just expanding your network for career advancement, starting a side hustle allows you to explore things you may have never considered before.

That new gig at the skating rink might inspire you to start roller skating. That random baby sitting job you started just to get more spending money may reveal a love of children you never knew you had.

Side hustling can be more than just great for networking, it can open your eyes to all the possibilities and potential around you.

4. Boost your resume & credentials

And while your eyes are being opened and your horizons expanded, you may wake up one day and realize that you've gained a tremendous amount of skill and know-how.

One of the best and long lasting benefits of starting a side hustle is that in the process you gain skills and experience that make companies want to hire you.

Skills such as social media marketing, networking, and project management, are things that are in hot demand at the moment.  And these are the things that you will gain from side hustling.

Throw these bad boys on your resume and you will have companies knocking down the door to get you to work for them.

Not to mention, having a side hustle shows employers that you are someone who is dedicated, disciplined, and a hard-worker.  Soft skills that can take you very far.

5. Productive use of your time

Now don't lie.  How much of your time do you waste daily checking facebook, instagram, twitter or watching Netflix?  Wouldn't it be nice to use that time to make some extra cash?

By taking on a new side hustle, you can use your time more productively to earn more money and gain new skills.  Just think, with the amount of time you waste in a day, if you actually used it to earn extra money, how much richer would you be?

If you hustle long and hard enough, eventually you'll find that instead of watching people vacation in the Maldives, you'll actually be going there yourself!

6. Good fall back plan

Having a side hustle or 3 is a great way to provide yourself with a safety net should your company go under, you get laid off, or you find that you can no longer work at your main job.

Not only does it provide extra cash that you could use to build up your emergency funds but it also provides you with way to survive even if worse comes to worse.

Furthermore, having these side hustles give you financial peace of mind. Talk about taking a load off!  Not having added financial stress is definitely worth its weight in gold.

7. Pay off debt faster

Another one of the major benefits of starting a side hustle is that you can pay off debt faster.  Naturally, if you are making more money, extra money, you can pay off your debt much faster than if you did not.  

You may find that you are finally over this "having debt thing" and are ready to make a change.  If so, pick up a side hustle and dedicate the money you get from it to go straight to debt payoff.

You'll be surprised just how quickly those extra payments add up and just how much your debt payoff rate will increase because of it.  Instead of taking 5 years to pay off your debt, you could do it in just 1.

Amen to that!

8. Build wealth faster

If you have already tossed that debt like a bad habit, you can of course use all that extra money to start building your wealth faster.

You could invest more in stocks, buy property, and overall increase the amount of assets you own.  And by doing so, increase your net worth as well.

If you have goals of retiring by the time you're 35, this is the way to do it. Having side gigs, will help you triple your savings and investing rate.  

And we all know, with the magic of compound interest, that could help you reach your retirement goals, decades earlier.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is never too late to start building wealth.  Even with loads of debt, you can start building wealth now.  Lay the foundation.  Put in the work.  And eventually you will reap the rewards.

9. Chance to follow your passion

If you are like most people, your main job is just something you use to pay the bills.  It's not something you find fun or particularly interesting, and it is definitely not something you are passionate about.

That's why having a side hustle is key.  It gives you a chance to do something you love.  Something you are passionate about.  And best of all, because you love it, it won't even feel like work!

It would bring excitement and interest back in your life and make it so much easier to get through your 9 to 5.  Who knows?  It may even provide you with the opportunity to ditch that 9 to 5 and work on something that actually brings you joy.

10. You can test the waters

Speaking of joy, or the lack thereof, you may be at the point where you are over you job.  Like really over it.  Maybe you are dying to quit your main job but just aren't sure if any other job would be better.  

Side hustles to the rescue!

Instead of just quitting your job without anything lined up and without knowing whether you'll be stepping from a bird cage into a lion's den, you can test out the possible change by getting a part-time job.

This will give you some insight into not only the new company but also into the people that you could potentially be calling your coworkers.  

Do you like this new environment? Is it better than the one you have now? Can you see yourself working here full-time?

Before you dive into the deep end, be sure to dip your toe in!

11. Multiple streams of income

A huge benefit of starting a side hustle is that by doing so you will have multiple streams of income.  In this day and age it can be unwise to just rely on one main source of income.

You never know when ish might hit the fan and suddenly you find yourself without a job or an income.  So it pays to have multiple sources. If one dries up, you would at least have another to hopefully help make ends meet.

What would be even better is to have some of those streams be passive income.  That is, income that makes you money without added effort on your part.  This could be money from dividend stocks, blogs, or a drop shipping business.

Set them up right and you could be getting a good monthly salary for life.  And you'd never have to worry about where your next check is coming from.

12. More control over your life

With all the uncertainty that is present nowadays, I think many of us realized that it pays to be prepared for the unexpected.  No amount of analytic forecasting could've foreseen what we are experiencing in the world right now.

In this pandemic, many of us have realized that job "safety" is a thing of the past.  And the only way you can be sure of your job safety is to take measures into your own hands.

When you start up a side hustle that you control, such as photography, blogging, selling things on Etsy, you have more control of your money supply.  And consequently, your financial well being.

If there's is anything we have learned from this, it's that you need to start taking your life and your future into your own hands.  Cause no one else is going to do it for you.

13. A chance to try something new

Always wanted to crochet?  Well this is your chance.  You may not be able to delve deeply into the world of illustrations at your main job but with a wee side gig, you can.

So take this opportunity to start something new.  Do something you've never done or didn't think was possible.  Add a little excitement to your life.

Explore your interests.  All of them.  And live your life with no regrets. Knowing that you've done or are doing everything you've ever wanted.

14. Creative outlet

Creativity is the life force of everything.  To not use your creativity is the ultimate waste of human potential.  Sadly, for many of us, our normal 9 to 5 doesn't provide us much opportunity to use it.

Enter the side hustle.  This is where you have the freedom to use your creativity as you'd like.  You could take up design, photography, or knitting.

All things that could, with enough elbow grease, turn into a pretty good side hustle.  For some, this could lead you to make a lucrative career change if your business goes extremely well.

Furthermore, you will find that by simply exercising your creativity a bit more, you are able to perform better at work.  Finding new ways to cut costs and increase productivity will quickly put you in the lead of the pack.

Creativity can really go a long way.

15. Freedom

This is sort of a combination of everything that came before.  It is the ultimate answer to just about everything in life, if I'm being honest.  Freedom. 

Just hearing the word makes me smile.  The reason why you work, the reason why you side hustle is ultimately for freedom.  

By side hustling, earning that extra cash, paying off your debt, and building your wealth, you are buying your freedom.  And with that freedom, comes the responsibility to do whatever the h@#! you want!  So enjoy.  You've earned it.

All in All

With so many benefits of starting a side hustle, why wait?  Start now!  I'm sure there are some ideas you have or things you're passionate about that you've been leaving on the back burner for later.

Well I'm here to tell you that later is now!  Dust off your old book of dreams and passions and start making them a reality.  If anything, it will at least give you a break from your usual day-to-day routine.

What's more, It just might bring that spark back into your life.  And your drive, that had been missing before, may just make a sudden reappearance.

So, what are you waiting for? No need to keep reading this post! Go get to it!