UNITED STATES—Let’s just be frank America, many Americans have side hustles. Yes, you might have your typical 9-5 or that job that is your primary income, hell you might have a part-time gig as well, but then you have that side hustle that helps you bring in extra cash flow or income you might need for other things that are pertinent to your life, you love it.
We all have that job that pays the big bills, the mortgage, rent, light and gas, insurance, car note, etc. However, what about all your other expenses, because trust me, we all have them. I’m referring to your landline or mobile phone bill, Cable or streaming services, life insurance, travel expenses and let’s not forget the big one, food. And if you have kids those are an expense unlike any other.
For me food has become one of the costliest expenses and I don’t even eat that much. On average, I’m eating two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. I might have a snack in between the two, but rarely am I eating lunch because I’m usually swamped at work, or handling other matters where it just slips the mind for me. I am easily spending $50 to $75 per week in groceries and I’m cooking meals probably four to five days out of the week. I don’t think that is bad, but it just feels so difficult to budget on groceries with just my main income.
So here comes the side hustle that involves me taking surveys. It’s an exclusive club, so I can’t invite you in, but the time I spend completing surveys yields me points which I can redeem for gift cards. Those gift cards can be redeemed at popular retailers like Target, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Ralph’s. Yes, all places where you can purchase food items.
It may seem foreign, but if I spend an hour a day it helps me yield enough points to redeem $10 to $25 gift cards that helps cut down on expenses. Especially, if I’m trying to save a few bucks here and there. Hell, I did so much in 2023 it led to me having to pay taxes on the ‘income’ that the IRS thinks I earned. Yes, gift cards are money, but they are NOT the same as actual money, but whatever. If they are helping me save, I truly don’t care.
With that said, the side hustle helps with gift cards from other retailers where I can purchase everyday products like toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, household essentials, electronics and even clothing. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but this was the best invitation I ever received during my undergraduate years in college because I’ve been part of the organization for like seven or eight years at this point and I love it.
Not only are some of the surveys quite fun, but it also helps me clear my mind if I’m stressed from school, work or family. Just an hour or two of my time I can earn enough bucks to handle a few things where I don’t actually have to dip into my actual money and can spend ‘extra money’ that I have accumulated and that is always a bonus no matter how people look at it.
A lot of people have hustles whether it is doing hair, cutting hair, cutting lawns, cleaning homes, babysitting, driving Uber or Lyft, there are ways to earn a few extra bucks if you need it. I don’t believe in the notion of working to the point that you have no free time but working a side hustle or gig here and there to line your pockets a bit more never hurt anyone.
Written By Davy Jones
