“Just Start a Side Hustle!”—Easier Said Than Done
A few weeks ago, a friend texted me:
“Bro, you need a side hustle. You’re leaving money on the table.”
I glanced at my coffee-stained desk, already drowning in work emails, and thought, Yeah, because what I really need is more things to do.
The idea of a side hustle is everywhere. Twitter gurus, YouTube entrepreneurs, and TikTok influencers will have you believe you’re a fool for not flipping sneakers, launching a dropshipping empire, or monetizing your love for knitting. On paper, it all sounds incredible—extra cash, financial freedom, maybe even quitting your day job.
But is it actually worth it? Or is this just a shiny, repackaged version of working more for less?
Let’s talk about it.
Why Side Hustles Are Having a Moment
Everywhere you look, people are picking up extra gigs. It’s not a mystery why. Paychecks aren’t stretching as far, rent keeps climbing, and job security feels about as solid as a Jenga tower.
Then there’s social media, where people flex their “passive income streams” as if they stumbled into unlimited cash without doing much of anything. It’s a powerful sales pitch, but they conveniently leave out the years of trial and error it took to get there—or how much they spent on ads, courses, and failed businesses along the way.
That’s the part nobody talks about.
The Other Side of the Hustle Life
For every person who turns a side gig into a thriving business, there are hundreds who burn out before seeing a profit.
A guy I know—we’ll call him Mike—went all in on dropshipping after watching a “How to Make $100K in 30 Days” video on YouTube. He spent over $2,000 on setting up a store, running ads, and testing products. His first few sales trickled in, but slow shipping led to bad reviews. The more he tried to fix things, the more money he lost.
Four months in, he had $300 in profit and a whole lot of frustration.
I’ve seen the same thing happen with freelancers who realize they’re making pennies per hour, artists who turn their passion into work only to stop enjoying it, and people who sign up for “side hustles” that feel suspiciously like second jobs.
The reality? A lot of these so-called easy-money gigs come with hidden costs—time, effort, and sometimes, a financial hit.
How to Know If a Side Hustle Is Actually Worth It
Some gigs are solid. Some aren’t. Before jumping in, it’s worth asking yourself a few things.
Are you actually making money?
If you’ve been at it for months and barely breaking even, you might be putting in way more than you’re getting out.
Do you even enjoy it?
Side hustles that suck the joy out of something you used to love (looking at you, people who turned baking into a business and now hate their own cookies) are not the dream they’re sold to be.
Is there long-term potential?
The best side hustles grow over time. If you don’t see a way to scale without burning yourself out, it might not be the right fit.
What are you giving up for it?
Time is valuable. If your extra cash is coming at the cost of sleep, relationships, or mental health, what’s the actual trade-off?
The Reality Check
Side hustles can be game-changers. But not all of them are.
Some lead to financial freedom. Others just lead to exhaustion. It’s easy to get caught up in the “hustle culture” mindset, but at the end of the day, the real question isn’t can you start a side hustle—it’s should you?
If it’s just adding stress and not real income, then maybe the best move isn’t to work more—it’s to work smarter.
What’s the Strangest Side Hustle You’ve Ever Heard Of?
People have made money in some truly unexpected ways. Renting out their driveway. Selling ugly Christmas sweaters for pets. Charging people to name their babies.
Have you heard of—or tried—a side hustle that was wildly unexpected? Drop a comment. I need to hear these.