Category: side hustles

Embracing Creativity

It’s funny how, as we get older, our priorities and interests change.

At this point in life, I am more about spending time with family and friends than taking on extra shifts at work, or burning the candle at both ends at home. I have to admit, I still do the latter occasionally but am getting better at knowing when enough is enough.

As an independent author and all around creative person, I find myself with several projects on the go at one time. I enjoy the flexibility I have to not only earn an income from my job as a library assistant, but also from my creative venues.

As I mentioned in my last post, I am fortunate enough to be able to have an Etsy Shop. It allows me to sell my crafts, patterns and even my digital products. And because I like my customers to enjoy a bargain every now and again, I select certain products to put on sale. I have added a 25% discount on a few select items until July 31, with one of them being my Pipestone Creek Romance Series. The boxed set is not available on any other platform, so for those who like to read a series start to finish, now’s the time to take advantage of it.

The older I get, the more I like to create. Whether it be with words, yarn or fabric, I embrace my creativity. There was a time when I was afraid to show others what I had made or written; now I just do what pleases me. If they like what I do, the compliments and even the sales will follow. If not, they will move on to something else. That used to bother me, but not anymore.

Creativity doesn’t just come in the form of crafts or writing. If you paint, you’re creative. If you like to design houses, you’re creative. If you like to garden, you’re creative. There are so many outlets to let your creativity come through. Sometimes the hardest part is letting yourself embrace it rather than deny yourself the pleasure.

I try to take time when I wake up to write my morning pages. I have found them to be a wonderful tool to work through a problem, or just wrap my head around a project I’m considering. I have been doing them for several months now, and have noticed more significant progress being made; both in my creativity and how I handle daily events. Between my bullet journal, morning pages and evening journaling I now have a better grasp on my projects, don’t feel so scatterbrained and am able to stay on task better.

My fauxdori has become my lifeline, as it contains my bullet journal, morning pages, brainstorming notebook and a notebook for whatever else I want to write down. Without it I don’t think I’d be as organized as I am now; perhaps the most organized I have ever been. Learning and adapting to change as a person ages is a good thing. And, it helps us embrace our creativity; whether we recognize it or not.

Are you a creative person? Where does your expertise lie?

Feel free to post your answers in the comment section below. Thanks for reading, and know that if you have any thoughts on being over half a century old, positivity helps.

Photo credit: Diane Ziomek 2019 Also used for Etsy listing.

10 Ways to Add to Your Nest Egg

Image by SidLitke from Pixabay

Let’s face it; the cost of living keeps increasing while our wages stay the same. This post will show you how to earn a little extra cash you can squirrel away.

If you’re like me, you may be worried about not having enough in your savings to fund the golden years. Pensions for the average person barely cover living expenses, not to mention luxuries such as going out occasionally or taking the time to travel.

As long as I can remember, I have always made a little extra cash here and there when I needed it. That hasn’t changed as I’ve gotten older, but the amount I need to earn has changed. My paycheque barely covers my share of our household expenses, so I supplement it with little side hustles. Below are 10 ways I have been able to earn money over the years, and you can too. Note you will not find links to survey sites or game sites. These are practical ways to earn, and if you put in the effort you can earn a lot.

  1. Etsy. I have had an Etsy Shop for almost five years. I started it in September 2014, and have sold crocheted items, handspun yarn, dryer balls, printables, patterns and more.
  2. Fiverr. Fiverr is a platform where you can post gigs you’ll do for five dollars and up. I am currently taking a break from the site, but only because summer is here and I am unable to commit to fulfilling my obligations. I would rather deactivate my gigs than be unable to deliver them. The site is reputable and they pay on time.
  3. Sellfy. I have been selling digital products on Sellfy for a few years now. Some things have changed since I began, with the biggest change being it is now completely up to the seller to generate traffic to their products. The five percent of the selling price they take as a fee is one of the lowest out there, so the earning potential is great. I don’t earn that type of royalty when I sell a book on Amazon or Kobo, so sales on Sellfy are always a bonus.
  4. Craft Sales. If you’re a crafty person and enjoy socializing, you can sell your creations at Farmer’s Markets, Craft Sales and Holiday Markets. My personal experience with sales has been positive, although I’m more of an introvert than an extrovert. I found having practical items along with some more specialized items is a good balance. When catering to holiday shoppers, it’s always a good idea to have items in varying price points. Wood workers, fiber artists, painters, jewelry makers, quilters, etc are always welcome at holiday markets.
  5. Pattern Design. I enjoy designing crochet patterns for practical items. If you click on the Etsy link above, you’ll be taken to my shop where you can see how many I have designed. If you like to design patterns of any craft, I highly recommend it. The best part is you just put the time in once, and can sell as many copies as you wish. I have sold several copies of a sweater pattern I designed, and it still sells even without active promotion.
  6. Baking. This isn’t one I have done much of, especially since food handling regulations have changed. In my early days of markets, I have baked cakes and cookies and they sold quickly. If you like to bake and would like to supplement your income, then fresh-baked goods are always good sellers. I do suggest you check with the rules and regulations concerning selling food items in your area.
  7. Clothing Alterations and Repair. If you are one of those people who doesn’t mind hemming jeans or replacing zippers, you could find yourself with a growing customer base. Back when my children were little, I did hemming and basic repairs to help pay some bills. I did it to supplement our income, not because I enjoyed it. I would sooner cut and sew fabric into a quilt than spend hours doing repairs, but that’s just me. Clothing repair is a profitable venture for the right person.
  8. Babysitting. When my children were little, my ex husband said I had to get a job to help pay the bills. After my paycheques mostly went to the babysitter I had to hire, I decided to be a Dayhome Provider instead. Not only did I contribute more to our household income, I was there to raise my own children. I no longer had to worry about whether or not they were being taken care of properly.
  9. Revenue Share Sites. If you like to write, I highly recommend HubPages as a platform. It was the first platform I submitted my own articles on, and I still earn from some of the first articles today. Other revenue share sites have come and gone, but HubPages has been there for several years. They do have a payment threshold, but there’s no reason you can’t cash in every month or two. I suggest tutorials and evergreen articles, as they will earn income over the long term.
  10. eBooks. Once again, if you like to write then there’s no reason you can’t earn an income from your writing. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, you have the power to publish your own work and earn royalties. I have self-published all of my books, and earn a little each and every month. Some months it’s cents, other months it’s dollars. If you’re interested in taking the nonfiction route, I have written a twelve module course to walk you through it from idea to publishing and beyond.

The above list consists of ways I have (and in some cases, still do) made extra money. I have tried the survey sites and playing games for points, but there’s nothing as reliable as doing some honest work. Plus, when you create your own product, you have full control over pricing, distribution and can make any changes necessary. In the case of babysitting and clothing repair, you choose your own hours and how much you want to do.

I appreciate the clicks on the links I have provided, although you’re under no obligation to sign up or purchase anything. The links are simply provided so you can get a feel for what I do, and what some of the sites I deal with offer.

Thanks for reading, and I sincerely hope you have found something valuable in this post.