If you’ve been reading this blog for a little while, there’s probably one thing you know about me that stands out above all the other stuff I’ve shared, at least when it comes to money: I love side hustles. I think that making extra money above and beyond your regular salary is one of the keys to financial fitness. On the one hand, hello! Extra money! On the other hand, if you were to lose your primary source of income, having a couple of jobs already in the works is a good way to stay on your feet. So anyway, making extra cash. It rocks.
But I have to admit, there are a few side hustles out there that I just don’t get. Well, I mean I intellectually understand that people make money doing them, but I don’t exactly follow the mechanism by which this happens. In some cases, this is because I’m just not skilled at whatever the side hustle is; in other cases, I’ve tried to get into the side hustle myself and completely failed. At any rate, these are just four of the ways that some people make money that totally mystify me:
- Mystery shopping – a lot of personal finance bloggers love to use this as a side hustle, and at one point I looked into it, too. But I found the guidelines and rules too complicated and the earnings too low to justify the time spent. There must be something I’m missing, because it’s pretty popular, but I just don’t get it.
- Taking online surveys – this is another one that’s a big hit among PF people, and I also took a stab at this one. But I signed up with a few sites and never qualified for a single survey. I suppose for some reason my demographic characteristics just aren’t a good match for a lot of companies, but how do so many other people make it work? It’s a mystery to me.
- Taste-testing – this is one of those ‘how do people find a job like this?’ kind of quesitons. I have to admit that I haven’t tried to become a taste-tester nor do I know anyone who is one, but how cool would it be to eat ice cream or chips as a part-time job? If anyone knows how to get this type of work, please let me know!
Are there any ways that other people make money that mystify you? Have a great weekend!
