Did you know, out here in Toronto, it costs 62% more to drive down the street today than it did in 2020?

Rents in the area have risen more than 35% in just two years. Looks like I’m not moving anytime soon.

And to top it all off, chicken breast prices have gone insane!

At a cost of $8 per chicken breast, I’d spend less money eating at KFC.

When it comes to salaries, I think it’s safe to say the average 3% raise isn’t going to cut it anymore.

I have secretly thought about storming into my boss’ office and demanding more money, but the chances are slim and I’d rather not poke the bear.

So naturally, I’ve decided to take inflation into my own hands.

Yes, this is a story about starting a side hustle.

Giving myself a raise

Who wouldn’t want a few extra dollars in their pocket each month?

It’s like giving yourself the raise that your employer never gave you.

Besides the money, starting a side hustle has other benefits, like:

• Fulfillment from making money on your own
• Diversifying your income streams
• Learning a new skill
• Connecting with other side hustlers

But first, I needed an idea for my side hustle, so I spent time researching for a niche that interested me.

Finding my niche

I could’ve tried my hand at UberEats delivery, or even invested a little money and started a pressure washing business (half joking).

But I didn’t want another part-time job.

I wanted some sort of online business that I could do from the comfort of my home.

Something that excited me and was somewhat flexible. After all, I’m still juggling a 9-to-5.

Surprisingly, the idea came from something that I had already started.

Over the past few years, I have posted a few articles on Medium about my job as a UX designer. I wrote stories about my experiences and getting into the field. It allowed me to reflect on my past, and the lessons I learned, while helping others at the same time.

But I never considered turning my blog into an income-generator.

Then a crazy thought popped into my head:

“What would happen if I seriously dedicated myself to posting articles for a year?”

That’s when I decided to bring my blog back to life and share stories about my experience and

And so began my online writing side hustle.

Consistency is key

Starting a side hustle isn’t really the hard part. It’s keeping it going that can be tough.

I set a lofty goal of posting 8 to 10 articles a month. That’s one every 3 to 4 days.

When I wasn’t writing, I was constantly thinking of topic ideas and reading other articles to get inspiration.

At times, I would get writer’s block and not know what to write about.

It didn’t help that most of my articles would only earn a few dollars, while a select few brought home a big chunk of the change.

The 80/20 rule, am I right?

I started questioning whether the amount of effort that I put in was even worth it.

But each month, the articles that I published previously were still generating income passively. And every time an article blew up, I started seeing my monthly revenue follow along.

It helped me build an audience over time, understanding which articles did well and which ones didn’t.

The effort started paying off as my follower count grew from 500 to 5,000 after a year of consistently posting 8 to 10 articles a month.

To me, I felt like I had achieved something, but at the same time, I was just getting started.

The snowball effect

I truly believe in creating opportunities for yourself.

As some of my articles gained attention, I started receiving emails from blogs asking if I’d be interested in writing for them.

This opened up a new opportunity that I hadn’t considered or even thought about.

But in the spirit of saying yes, I began freelance writing which has multiplied my side hustle earnings for the year.

It just goes to show you never know who’s watching and what opportunities lie ahead.

When one door closes, another opens

Looking back, I have no regrets about starting my side hustle.

The extra money I’ve made has definitely helped lessen the effects of inflation.

It might not seem like a whole lot, but it makes a big difference in my wallet.

Not to mention the gains I’ve made:

• learning new skills,
• exploring new income streams, and most of all,
• removing financial stress from my life.

That is the real prize.

I don’t worry as much about filling up my gas tank or buying chicken breast, although now I’ve found it to be much cheaper at the Asian grocery store.

Action of the day

The sad truth is, we can’t always rely on our employers to pay us what we want or deserve.

If you’re in the same boat and inflation is kicking your butt, think about what skills or interests you can lean into and start a side hustle of your own.

Try out different things. Stay consistent, but don’t expect results right away.

It might take you a few tries before it starts to hit your bank account.

Take control of your finances and give yourself a raise.