Summary

The article advocates for maintaining a stable job while pursuing additional income streams, emphasizing the importance of financial freedom and debt-free living as means to change one's perspective on work and personal finances.

Abstract

The author challenges the common narrative of quitting one's job to make money through other means, suggesting instead that a balanced approach can lead to financial success. By living debt-free and avoiding the trap of consumerism, individuals can keep more of their earnings, making their day jobs more tolerable and their side hustles more enjoyable. The article emphasizes that by eliminating debt and associated payments, one can effectively give themselves a raise, allowing for greater financial autonomy and the ability to save for the future or indulge in purchases without the burden of guilt or financial strain. The transformation of one's relationship with money and work is presented as a journey towards empowerment and freedom, where the day job funds a secure future and the side hustle remains a passion rather than a necessity.

Opinions

The author believes that one does not need to quit their job to achieve financial success and that a day job can coexist with a side hustle.
Living debt-free is championed as a key strategy for wealth-building and reducing the need to work excessive hours.
The article suggests that by not having debt payments, individuals can keep more of their income, which can lead to a more positive outlook on their day job.
It is argued that the best way to give oneself a raise is not necessarily through a higher-paying job but by reducing or eliminating monthly debt payments.
The author shares a personal story of financial hardship and recovery, highlighting the importance of changing one's relationship with money.
The article posits that financial freedom allows individuals to work for their own benefit rather than to service debt, thereby changing their perspective on work.
It is implied that a side hustle should be a source of enjoyment and creative expression, rather than a stressful means of survival, when one is not burdened by debt.

What Are You Working for Anyway?

Don’t ditch your day job

Do you read articles on how to make money, quit your job and make five figures a month writing? Why do you have to leave your job to make money writing? If multiple income streams are the path to your success, why can’t you do both?

I’m not suggesting we work eighty hours a week. I’m an advocate for living debt-free. You don’t have to work all the crazy hours to make more money, because the money you make — you keep. You don’t have to work to pay the car payment because there isn’t a payment. Are you with me?

We’re almost there; after we sell our rental house, our only bill is our mortgage. This makes the day job less unappealing. Surprised? I was.

Give Yourself a Raise

What’s the best way to give yourself a raise at work? I used to chase the next job with a higher salary to get the raise I wanted. But do you know what I learned? My debt stayed the same; sometimes, it even increased.

You’re caught up in the idea that you can afford a new car; you’re making better money now. Screw that. You continue to chase the unattainable. The constant in the equation is YOU. So, let’s talk this through.

“Your most powerful wealth-building tool is your income,” according to Dave Ramsey. If you don’t have a $500 a month car payment, you can decide how to spend it, not the bank that takes it from you.

Your outlook on your day job changes a bit; you’re not working so hard to give your money away; you get to keep it. Still, following me? You don’t have to hold a grudge anymore; the money stays in your bank account, 401K, or IRA.

You get to decide, and this will change your outlook. And your side hustle is icing on the cake. Maybe you can plan a vacation or buy that big screen TV you’ve been looking at. Then when you’re watching it, you don’t have to calculate how many more weeks do you have to work to pay it off?

You have the power to change. It’s difficult, but you can do it.

Change Your Outlook

So, let’s look at how this changes your outlook on the day job. Think about your bills. Work to pay for those. Every month, the same thing. Juggle this one to pay that one. Maybe the car payment can wait until next week; we need groceries now. You know this story.

Now, imagine all those bills are gone. Paid off, and you don’t make new bills. That $500 or $1,000 is sitting in your bank account, and you’re working for yourself, not the damn bank.

The work is the same; the people are the same too. But you’re different. You’re free because you can decide how to spend your money.

This has been our ten-year-long journey. It shouldn’t have been, but it was. If you follow the math, we should have been debt-free after two years. But we have a relationship with money, and it’s hard to let go of an old relationship, isn’t it?

I was a shopaholic. I couldn’t control much going on, but I could shop. I would drive by Wal-Mart on my way home to pick up a few things. I paid cash for everything, but I still shopped.

Shortly after my divorce, and the recession of ’08 came along and wiped out my shopping habit and my job. Utilities got turned off. Life was a mess, and it seemed hopeless. I remember face planting on the floor crying out to God, “I can’t take this anymore!”

You can use an experience like a recession or a pandemic to say never again. Your relationships change, and even the relationship you have with your day job.

I really thought I wanted to be debt-free so that I could retire early. That’s everyone’s dream, isn’t it? Or maybe to work for yourself, be your own boss. But now, I can continue working on setting more aside for retirement.

Sure, you should be doing work that you love, but if your job pays for your future, you don’t resent it anymore. You’ll realize a sense of freedom that changes how you view your work. It also gives your side hustle a chance to grow.

If your side hustle is a release -something you love, it won’t feel pressure to make money. It can happen progressively. You can ease into it instead of it creating chaos too.

Final Thoughts

So, what are you working for, anyway? Give yourself a chance, keep your money in your pocket, not the car payment. Stop living paycheck to paycheck, so the money you make works for you, not the bank. You’ll realize a new freedom, and this changes how you view your job and your life.

Something just clicks in your head; you’re working for you now. That stress just fades. You don’t have to worry about the repo man coming to take your car in the middle of the night. You own it.

The side hustle, the writing all take on new meaning. You’re not adding more stress to make this perform too, you let it grow.