The Side Hustle Reality Check Nobody Talks About

The internet wants you to believe that if you're not side hustling, you're doing life wrong. "Just start a side hustle!" they say. "It's easy money!" they promise. Well, I tried it. And I'm here to give you the reality check nobody else will.

What They Tell You vs. Reality

What they say: "I made $5,000 my first month!" What they don't say: They spent 80 hours making it happen, which is $12.50 an hour before taxes and expenses. Or they're lying. Or both.

What they say: "Just work a few hours a week!" Reality: Between finding clients, doing the actual work, admin stuff, and marketing yourself, it's way more than a few hours. Way more.

What they say: "Anyone can do it!" Reality: You need skills, time, energy, initial investment, and honestly? Privilege. Not everyone has the flexibility to take on extra work.

My Side Hustle Experience

I tried freelance writing. Sounded perfect - work from home, set my own hours, make extra money. Here's how it actually went down: Month 1: Spent hours setting up profiles, applying to jobs, getting rejected. Made $237. Month 2: Finally got some regular clients. Made $680. Worked probably 35 hours. Month 3: Burnout kicked in. Made $520. Wanted to quit everything.

After expenses (computer upgrades, software, internet, coffee because I was exhausted all the time), my actual hourly rate was maybe $18. Before taxes. Which I then had to deal with because self-employment taxes are confusing and expensive.

The Burnout Is Real

Nobody warns you about this part. You work your regular job all day. Then you come home and work more. Weekends? Work. Evenings? Work. That hobby you used to enjoy? Can't remember the last time you did it.

Your friends invite you out. You say no because you need to work on your side hustle. Your partner misses you. You're tired all the time. You start resenting the thing that was supposed to help your financial situation.

Is the extra $500 a month worth your mental health? Sometimes yes. Sometimes definitely not.

When Side Hustles Do Make Sense

Okay, I'm not totally anti-side hustle. They can work if: You genuinely enjoy the work and would do it anyway. You have realistic expectations about time and earnings. You have a specific short-term goal (like paying off debt or saving for something specific). You can handle the extra work without sacrificing your health or relationships. You're not doing it just because internet influencers told you to.

Better Alternatives to Consider

Want to know what actually helped my financial situation more than side hustling? Asking for a raise at my main job. One conversation, 8% increase, no extra hours needed. Cutting unnecessary expenses. Boring but effective. Focusing on career development in my actual job instead of spreading myself thin. Building passive income streams that don't require constant active work.

Sometimes the best "side hustle" is making your main hustle work better for you.

The Bottom Line

Side hustles aren't bad. But they're also not the magic solution to all your money problems that the internet wants you to believe they are. They're work. Hard work. Time-consuming work. Sometimes-not-worth-it work.

If you want to try one, go for it. Just go in with your eyes open. And if you decide it's not for you? That's totally valid. You're not lazy or unmotivated. You're just prioritizing your wellbeing over hustle culture, and that's actually pretty smart.