I quit alcohol for one month and my side hustle income exploded

I had many reasons for wanting to quit alcohol, but one stood above all others: I was tired of disappointing myself and not reaching my potential.

Adding more sources of income and chasing entrepreneurial dreams were always important to me in the past, but it wasn’t until recently that they became important enough for me to finally ditch the booze and take a real crack at it with an energized body and a free mind.

Alcohol had always prevented me from doing this.

I’d waste my nights drinking and throwing my productive hours away, and then be too tired the next day to produce anything outside of my work and family duties because of my lousy, booze-damaged sleep.

I always thought I could do more, and I’m finally proving to myself that I can.

Small daily wins, big gains

By directing my newfound energy into activities that have actual value, I was able to boost my side hustle income in a massive way in just one month.

I track my side hustle earnings in two currencies because I’m a Canadian and it’s just easier that way.

So what was my gain in September after quitting alcohol in late August?

How about a 3358% boost in my Canadian dollar earnings and 8518% in my US dollar-tracked activities?

Now, before you get too excited about the percentage gains (even though I am!), the dollar amounts aren’t quite as astonishing.

They do go to show how quickly you can make big relative gains once you free yourself from your bad habits and embrace whatever your real passion is, however.

Here’s how my September broke down:

Writing: $14.36 (August) vs. $477.50 (September)

This is where I made by far my biggest gains. I do almost all of my writing here, and it’s paid out in Canadian dollars.

My success here is simply a function of now having the energy and mental clarity required to write several times a day on a wide range of topics and produce stories that actually resonate with people.

With my seeminly endless, post-alcohol energy bump, I also started two YouTube channels, one of which has a video breaking down the numbers I talk about here.

You can check that out below if you’re interested:

If and when I get monetized on YouTube with my first or second channel (another long road that I’m commited to sticking with), that will also become a new revenue stream produced by quitting alcohol.

Outside of financial gains, writing here has been one of the greatest gifts and I thank the universe for it every day.

I’ve met so many great people and I’m so humbled that many readers are enthusiastic about what I’m putting out in the world.

Perhaps most importantly, writing is very therapeutic as I make my way through my third month without alcohol.

Amazon Associates: $0 USD (August) vs. $25.50 USD (September)

Back when I was drinking a lot, I started many web sites with the intention of making income from affiliate programs.

Unfortunately, with with the lack of energy and poor mood, I’d just start ignoring the site shortly after building it. I think I made a few bucks off Amazon Associates back then (2018–2019 ish).

I’m not going hard on this at all, but if I’m writing about something and I’ve found a related product or service I think people can use, I’ll drop in an affiliate link.

I only recommend stuff I’ve used and I absolutely love — I wouldn’t feel comfortable just shilling for stuff I don’t believe in.

Doordash: $0 (August) vs. $18.50 (September)

This was a short-lived side hustle and one I thought might be a fit because I kinda like just drivin’ around and it gave me something to do during my restless nighttime hours.

I wouldn’t say I had a passion for the idea though, which is maybe why it has petered out.

At least I gave it a shot. I’d been eligible to start in August, but only in my booze-free September did I find the energy and courage to actually try it out.

I fear this side hustle probably begins and ends with the two deliveries I made during one week in September (if you’re interested, you can read about my experience here).

It comes down to this for my My DoorDash foray: The opportunity cost of using that time to deliver food rather that write is far too high. I can write an article, send it out into the world, and it comes home every day with a bit of money. DoorDash income is limited to the time I’m actually active on the app.

Plus, I’m actually passionate about writing.

Dividend investing

Canadian investments: $0.06 (August) vs. $0.59 (September)

USA investments: $0.32 (August) vs. $2.08 (September)

Alright, not a whole lot to get excited about here yet, but investing isn’t a get rich quick scheme.

Using the money I’ve saved from not drinking alcohol (I wrote about the staggering amount I used to spend here), I’ve started snapping up deep value, dividend-paying stocks.

Investing in the stock market right now is a white-knuckle affair, (especially with an almost assured recession on the horizon), but I’m unmoved by daily price changes. In fact, I don’t really look at them.

I’m buying companies I want and companies that pay me for holding on to them. My sole interest here is tax-free cashflow (my investments are held in sheltered accounts).

My October income is still small but far outpacing September at this point.

In summary

To be perfectly clear, almost every dollar here exists in my account because I quit alcohol.

Without having done that, there is zero chance I would have had the energy nor the positive attitude required to make any progress on my goals.

I hope it inspires you to ditch your own alcohol habit or stick with your current sobriety. Your dreams are closer than you think!

Thank you so much for reading this piece all the way to the end! If you enjoyed it, please do give it a clap or two so others can find it!