Hope for your financial life and beyond

How to Manage Your Side Hustle and Family Life So You Don’t Go Insane

There may come a time in your life where you want to or need to create a side hustle to earn extra income. It can be many things depending on your skills and the depth of your need. Regardless of what you choose, it will be something you do on the side (apart from your day job) to bring in additional money to the family budget.

Side hustles can be a financial blessing. They can help you build up your savings account or pay off debt or meet any a number of financial goals you might have.

side hustle IIIHowever, while the additional income of a side hustle is welcome, there is a dark side that many are unprepared for. Side hustles, done improperly, can be a curse on family life.

It’s one thing to have a side hustle if you are single. I remember talking with a blogging friend who told me how he’d work his 9 to 5, take a 30-minute dinner (maybe) and then work till past midnight writing and networking. I’m not saying that’s necessarily an easy schedule but it’s not like you have anyone else to account for. It’s just you.

When a spouse and/or kids are in the picture side hustles take on a whole different dimension.

There is a tension that immediately surfaces the minute one member of the family begins a side hustle. What was a normal life is no longer normal.

You know the side hustle must be done to improve your financial life. But you also know family life matters. How can you manage it all and not go insane?

Here are a few strategies I’ve used over the years as I’ve managed a career in education, side hustles (my blogs) and family life.

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This Alternative to Christmas Gifts Was Our Best Decision Ever

Are you looking for an alternative to Christmas gift giving? I get it. Christmas is one of the highlights of our family’s year. In my mind nothing beats it for family togetherness and sharing expressions of love through giving gifts. Even with that though, there have been times where my wife and I were frustrated with the presents we put under the tree.

alternative to christmasWhy was that? Because we found ourselves hit with a January hangover effect. We watched as the majority of the presents our kids received lie dormant in the corner of the room, not being touched.  I would say that over 80% of the toys my wife and I purchased for our kids each Christmas were played with a couple of times and then left to collect dust. That was frustrating considering the money we shelled out for them.

So one year, we were simply tired of the whole thing. We didn’t want to waste money on things we thought were great but that they weren’t going to use. So we decided to do something different. I’d even call it radical.

We decided not to buy any Christmas presents! Sorry Santa. 

To our surprise, when we told the kids what we were doing, they were 100% enthusiastically behind it. How could that be? Because we had an alternative to Christmas gifts that, as it turns out, they would never forget.

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6 Fun Low-Budget Weekend Activities for Families 

Weekends are important for family time. This is especially true when the kids are at school. And, if you have a job, that means you might not get too much time together during the week.

Weekends are a time to relax and have fun together as a family. Fun-filled weekends are a great way to bond and talk about our week. And the time together can help relieve us of our worries and to let go of the stress at work and school.

Additionally, weekend activities can help us get more exercise and fresh air. But ultimately, spending time together is about building shared interests. This will keep your family bonds strong, no matter what else might happen.

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A Christmas Memory That Still Challenges Me to This Day

I really do love the Christmas season. I know it’s hectic, that travel is often a nightmare and that the weather can sometimes wreck your plans. Each of those issues may bring back a Christmas memory you’d rather not recall.

christmas memoryDespite all that, I look forward to Christmas. As long as I can remember I have. As a young child it always meant a trip to my grandparent’s house in Indiana. We’d usually stay for a week with the rest of the extended family crammed into the house. My sister and I camped out on air mattresses in my grandfather’s study.

I don’t know how my grandparents did it, especially my grandmother. Cooking for 15 plus people for the week must have been exhausting. In fact, from our sleeping position in the study, my sister and I could see the light of the kitchen click on early – VERY EARLY – each morning. She always pulled it off though with the perfect mixture of foods that we all liked.

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Five Basic Ways Families of Faith Should Spend Time Together

I love the summer! With the kids out of school it’s the perfect opportunity to spend more time with the family. And how you spend that time together is critically important. 

family timeFor Christians – or any family of faith – it’s crucial that the time spent as a family involve some faith-based activities. This is vital to building solid spiritual bonds in the family. And for those with kids, it allows you to instill the right morals into their life.

It’s not just the summer months though when this can happen. Instead, it’s better to keep kids focused on their faith throughout the year, on a weekly and daily basis. So engage in these five family activities routinely. They will help you grow spiritually and allow you to spend time together with the family. I’d argue they should be foundational activities for any family of faith.  [Read more…]

Why I’ll Cherish Every Moment of the Next Four Years

It’s a Milestone Monday of sorts at our household. Today at 7:45 I’ll be dropping off our four kids for their first day of school. That may seem ordinary but it’s not the start of just another school year for us. This year is a bit more special.

hourglassOur oldest daughter Kelly is entering high school.

14 years down.

4 more to go.

Four more years until…

…she likely moves out for the first time.

…she doesn’t regularly join us at the dinner table.

…she isn’t in our home church each and every Sunday.

…she really learns what it’s like to depend on herself.

…we face the college tuition bill (oops, sorry…that’s a tangent of thought for another day).

I used to not care about this stuff. When she was two, high school and college seemed so distant. I’d find myself in circles of older parents who would say, “Cherish these moments because it will fly by so quickly.” I’d politely nod at their exhortation and think, “Sure, sure…I won’t miss anything.”

Now I wonder where all the time has gone. Why did it happen so fast? How can it be 14 years since my first child was born?

Ironically, now I’m the older parent sharing the value of cherishing time with those just getting started on the journey.

Everything Has Its Time

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5 Articles Worth Your Time (1/5/13)

Here are five great articles I read this week. Enjoy your weekend reading!

10 Ways to Be Rich Without Being Wealthy (Money isn’t everything. Check out other ways your life can be rich.)

How to Stick to an Exercise Program (Want to get in shape in 2013? You’ll need to do these 5 things.)

Why Is My Paycheck Smaller? Understanding Your 2013 Paycheck (This article discusses reasons you are not bringing home as much money in your paycheck in 2013.)

The Advantages of Being a DINK (Dual Income No Kids) (This one is for all you young married couples out there – or for you parents who dream of being a DINK again some day.)

5 Ways to Build Savings (Here are some helpful ideas to help you save more in 2013.)

Bonus Read:

6 Ways Your Brain Attempts to Sabotage Your Goals and Dreams (Don’t let your mind play tricks on you. Beat it today!)