The Inevitable Second Job

There are three strategies for people who love the gig but can’t live on it: cutting back, earning more, and managing your money more wisely. Earning more can mean supplementing your job with part-time work in another field. It can mean doing freelance work that’s very similar to your full-time gig. Or it can mean selling empanadas at Phil Lesh concerts and having a craft table at street fairs. Most of us take supplementary work at one time or another: catering, serving cocktails, crafting, copyediting, or stocking shelves during the Christmas rush at Barnes & Noble.

Pitiful as it is, unless you’re working in one of those high-paying finance jobs, it may take a few promotions to get a decent living wage. But that’s all the more reason to stick out your current job until your money struggles become less dire and you can turn your attention to your other problems. Seriously, it’s good for your overall self-esteem to know that you can earn extra money when you need it.

• Are you working a second job? How has it helped--or stalled--your creative goals? Start a discussion!

See also:

Budget Cuts
Learn How to Save