Everyone has probably heard the expression “it takes money to make money” at some point in their lives. While working side-hustles to pay off student loans, it is also true that you need to invest money on certain resources in order to earn the most cash possible from part-time gigs. However, it can be very difficult to part with your hard-earned money when buying things to increase the amount of cash you earn from side-hustles.
During my student debt repayment saga, I initially did not see the value in purchasing resources that could assist me with my part-time gigs. I worked hard to make money from side-hustles, and if I bought a new item, I kept thinking about how many hours I would have to work to offset the cost. Later in my student debt repayment journey, I bought several things that took my part-time pursuits to the next level. From my own experience, everyone pursuing part-time gigs should purchase certain resources that can help you earn the most money possible from side-hustles.
Nearly all of the part-time gigs I worked during my student debt repayment saga required me to use a computer. Indeed, at my peak when I was working five separate side-hustles at once, I spent up to 12 hours a day on my laptop. For most of my student debt repayment journey, I used the same computer I had when I was in law school. This laptop was a cheap model, and I mostly purchased this computer since the laptop came with a free gaming console.
This laptop was well past its prime by the time I began working side-hustles, and the computer was extremely slow. It would take longer than normal for the computer to boot up every time I used it, and the laptop would also not load websites very fast. In addition, the computer would crash often, and the laptop suffered multiple “blue screens of death” when I was working under tight deadlines while pursuing side-hustles.
I held off on buying a new laptop for years, since I reasoned that any money I saved by not purchasing a new computer could be used to pay down student loans. However, when I finally did buy a new computer, I realized that my productivity was much better with the improved laptop. Indeed, I think that I would have made much more money than the cost of the computer if I used a new laptop sooner. I hope this story is an instructive tale about how you should spend money to be more productive, and also how you should have a good computer when pursuing side-hustles. It doesn’t really matter what make or model you purchase, just be sure to own a fast, lightweight, and relatively inexpensive laptop while pursuing part-time gigs.
Another item worth purchasing to advance your part-time pursuits is a mobile hotspot. As I mentioned in a prior article, one of the keys to making the most money possible from side-hustles is to monetize time you would otherwise spend doing nothing. However, you typically need an internet connection to work side-hustles, and since monetizing free time will require you to work away from home, you need a way to connect to the internet on the go.
During the first part of my student debt repayment journey, I tried to save as much money as possible, and did not purchase the tools necessary to connect my laptop to the internet while away from home. Eventually, I purchased an unlimited data plan, and enabled my smart phone to create a hotspot I could use to connect my computer to the internet from almost anywhere. The money I made while working on the go far exceeded any cost I incurred from giving myself the ability to create a personal hotspot.
You do not need to take the same path I took when giving myself the ability to connect my laptop to the internet while away from home. Indeed, I know plenty of people who have “myfi” and other separate devices that enable them to connect to the internet on the go. In any case, you should invest in resources that will allow you to work side-hustles from anywhere, since the additional money you earn from part-time gigs will be well worth any cost.
I also suggest that anyone interested in working side-hustles purchase a tablet computer that has a data connection so it can connect to the internet from anywhere. I only recently became the owner of a tablet computer, and I only bought one since the salesperson at the Verizon store gave me a good pitch! However, working side-hustles from any location oftentimes requires you to work from cramped areas like an airplane, a train, a bus, and other places. It is far easier to whip out a tablet and work side-hustles than it would be to set up your laptop and connect it to the internet.
You can perform a number of side-hurdles on tablets, including several part-time gigs I already mentioned on this website. I am even writing this article on my tablet computer while on an airplane, and since I’m 6’8’’ and this is a regional jet, I would have had a hard time working from my laptop in this location! Of course, you do not have to purchase the most expensive tablet computer available, but having this device will increase your productivity when working side-hustles.
In the end, I suggest that everyone working side-hustles spend money to make money, since certain resources will increase the amount of cash you earn from part-time gigs. The additional earnings you realize from purchasing several essential items will more than worth the cost.