Read. Write. Mom!

How to Find Time for a Side Hustle When You Work Full Time

Posted on October 17, 2018November 4, 2019 by Mandy

Time for a side hustle can be difficult when you work full time. Maybe you’re a parent, and you just don’t see how in the world you can squeeze in any extra time in a day. That’s an issue I currently struggle with when it comes to my side hustles. I work a full time job, I’m a mom and wife, and I also blog and sell on Ebay. My days are long, the nights are short, and most days I don’t get it perfect. However, I’ve managed to come up with a plan to help me somewhat balance it all. These are the ways I find time for a side hustle or two:

How to Find Time for a Side Hustle When You Work Full Time

Chunking

When I make the time for a side hustle, breaking my time into chunks helps me work better. For instance, on the weekends I do almost all of my blogging. I find a couple of hours to write (usually mornings or late evenings are best for me) and I firmly keep my focus on the job and do as much as possible. If I have an idea for a post, I’ll quickly draft a new post. Listing ideas that don’t make sense helps and I come back to it later. Using the note taking app on my phone helps if inspiration hits while on the go. In any case, I use any chunk of time I can to get as much done as I can. You may have to schedule smaller, more frequent chunks of time, but any little chunk of time is helpful.

Save small tasks for later

Maybe there is a small part of your side hustle that doesn’t have to be done immediately. These things you can save for later. A part of my blogging deals with sharing my posts across social media outlets. To do this, I wait until evenings when I’m pretty much done with assisting my son with homework or cleaning up the kitchen and then I’ll share my posts to social media. It takes less than five minutes and then I’m done. The same goes for my Ebaying. Packing up items to ship out usually doesn’t take much time. I save that for evenings or right when I get off work and have a little time before I have to start supper.

Sacrifice

Yes, that’s the dreaded word most people hate hearing about when it comes to how to find time for a side hustle, but a side hustle is just that-work. I have blogged for 11 years now and I can remember many late nights of working on a post for a sponsor after I had put my son to bed. This was after working all day at a job with a long commute both ways. I was exhausted, but I was passionate about blogging. Looking back, I don’t know how how I did it. One thing I won’t compromise on is that after work, my sole responsibility of my time is to my family. My son is a teen now and entertains himself, but it wasn’t always like that. It’s hard when you have little ones or maybe you care for someone. I just did the best I could.

Don’t be too hard on yourself

You have to be realistic when it comes to finding the time for a side hustle. I have to make sure I keep my expectations in check when it comes to blogging and Ebaying. When I’m offered a blog assignment, I have to look at the deadline and decide if it’s something I can deliver on time. When it comes to Ebay, listing items on the weekends is better for me than trying to list items at night when I’m exhausted. That’s where the chunking time on the weekends comes into play. Yes, it’s so easy to get frustrated and feel like I should be doing more. However, I have to be realistic in that I work all day and I also have a household to run.

Progress, not perfection

Maybe you dream of quitting your job to be able to really do what you’re passionate about. The fact that it feels like things are just going too slow is discouraging. Making time for a side hustle can be slow going. I’ve watched other bloggers who started when I did turn their blogs into money-making machines and quit their day job and blog full time. I’d absolutely love to be able to do that. It’s hard when you feel like you will never get to that point. However, deep down I know these people didn’t just walk into this perfect life. I saw those other bloggers working their tails off to grow their blogs. I’ve watched videos of some inspiring Ebay sellers who put in a huge amount of time sourcing, listing and promoting their auctions. It all comes down to the sacrifice I mentioned above. Just do something. Even if it’s one thing!

Just Do It

Are these suggestions on how to find time for a side hustle right for everyone? Probably not. This is just what helps me to keep plugging along and try to keep things in a healthy perspective. Do you have any tips for carving out more time for a side hustle? If so, leave a comment and share it.

The Best Work Advice For Any Job

Posted on October 16, 2018June 3, 2019 by Mandy

The best work advice for any job that I’ve ever received came from many different people. Some were family, some were coworkers, but each and every time I thought I was receiving a nugget of work wisdom, I filed it away to apply to my work life. Some of the work advice is just common sense. After many years of observing human behavior in the workplace, these five pieces of work advice below have really resonated the most with me and served me well.

The Best Work Advice For Any Job

Watch your mouth

I can remember when I got my very first job in education and my aunt, a seasoned teacher, told me to be sure to keep my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut. Couldn’t this be true of just about any job? I’ve learned to listen to things people tell me, but to take it with a grain of salt. Some people will tell you things in confidence and it’s good to keep information to yourself. It’s also smart not to talk about people or policies to anyone who will listen. Nine times out of ten, what you say will get back to someone in charge.

Get the insurance

When I took my very first job with benefits, my dad gave me some work advice. He insisted that I get disability insurance. As far as I could tell at the ripe old age of 21, disability insurance was just another expense out of my paycheck. Wasn’t that for old people or women who were planning on having a baby? I begrudgingly opted to take the insurance. Years later, I still follow his advice and that insurance has been a lifesaver. It came in handy I had my son and especially when I had my heart surgery. Yes, it’s money taken out of my paycheck. Yes, most people may never have to use it. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Don’t complain constantly

I once worked at a job where a coworker of mine constantly piped up at meetings with complaints. Nothing was ever to her liking and she never hesitated to let anyone know. Complaining and negative talk is not only annoying, but bad attitudes can rub off on everyone. This makes your job very unpleasant. Nobody wanted to be around her much and the eye rolls always started once she let loose with her complaints in meetings. Complain to your cat, write it down and shred it, or have an intelligent talk to someone in charge if you’re really upset. Just don’t be that person.

Get to work early

Believe me, your boss takes notice of when you stroll in late. If you have a commute or you know it takes you longer in the morning to just get going, give yourself the extra time to get there and not be in a rush. Yes, some mornings will be awful and things might be out of your control, but consistently coming in late to work gets noticed by everyone and not in a good way.

Be about your business

One of the best pieces of work advice is to just put your head down and work. You can talk to your coworkers, but do it on your own time. Don’t make a habit of visiting all over the place, hanging out in the common area, and or generally letting your boss see that you are not about your business. This is especially important when the boss is not in the office. We’ve all heard the old saying, “when the cat is away, the mice will play”. Don’t play with the mice because someone will notice. They may even make your boss aware of it.

Of course, if you need more workplace advice, there are so many great books on just about any issues you may have or advice you may need. However, following these five little pieces of advice helps me to stay focused, do my job, and try to weave some sort of balance between my work and personal life.

Do you have any great advice for work? Leave a comment and share!

3 things you can do now when you have slow Ebay sales.

3 Things You Can Do When You Have Slow Ebay Sales

Posted on October 15, 2018May 11, 2019 by Mandy

Slow Ebay sales happen to every seller at some point. Some weeks are just better than others when it comes to selling online. Since I’ve started back selling on Ebay consistently, there are weeks that go by when I only make a couple of sales. Some weeks I have no sales at all, but that’s when I use that extra time to make some adjustments to current auctions in order to increase the chances that my items sell. It would be so much easier to sit and complain and wonder why my items aren’t selling, but I have decided to be more proactive and use that time in a better way. Here are three things I do when I have slow Ebay sales:

Improve your pictures– Maybe when you started selling Ebay you didn’t have the best lighting to take pictures. I recently purchased a lighting kit which greatly improved the quality of the pictures of items I have up for auction. Now when I have slow Ebay sales, I work on going in and retaking some of my pictures for the auctions I currently have running. This can be a little time consuming, but if it will help make an item sell, then it’s definitely worth it.

Add in UPC numbers– I recently heard on an online selling podcast that your items are more likely to be picked up by Google in searches if you add in the UPC number of the item if it is available. This helps narrow your specific item down to what people may be searching for. It’s also important to have good pictures with no water marks or writing on them because Google likes the items to look uniform and the focus to be on the item itself. Sometimes when you list an item this might be filled in for you if you use the “sell similar item” feature when you list, but if not, it doesn’t hurt to go back through your auctions and add those in when you have them.

Share your auctions on social media– One great feature of Ebay (and other selling places online) is that with a press of a button, you can easily share your auctions with your followers and that increases the amount of people who might check our what you have for sale. Now, you don’t want to constantly spam your followers all day long with your whole inventory, but sharing one or two items daily across several social media platforms can get more eyes on your items when you have those times of slow Ebay sales.

It’s easy to get discourages when your sales on Ebay slow down, but don’t give up and do nothing. Try applying these three practices and chances are, you’ll see an improvement in sales soon.

Photos: Simon

Five Must-Have Drugstore Beauty Products

Posted on October 12, 2018November 4, 2019 by Mandy

My favorite drugstore beauty products are super affordable and used daily. I have tried a whole lot of beauty products for removing makeup and hair care products, and I always come back to the same ones. Drugstore beauty products have come a long way in terms of quality and selection since I was a teenager. These are the products I use daily.

Five Must-Have Drugstore Beauty Products

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips Combo Pack, 24 Count Strips Pantene Pro-V Classic 2in1 Shampoo & Conditioner 33.8 Fl Oz Ponds Cold Cream Face Cleanser – Cool Cucumber – 10.1 oz Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Deep Conditioner, 8 oz Neutrogena Rainbath Refreshing Shower and Bath Gel (refreshing-Original)

Five Must-Have Drugstore Beauty Products

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips– I use these strips once a week to keep my pores clean across my nose. I’m amazed as I have gotten older how much bigger it seems like my pores are! This only takes a couple of minutes and you can actually see what they strip out of your pores when you’ve finished. Eww! But at least I know it’s working!

Pantene Shampoo– I started using Pantene shampoo in high school. I still use it because it smells great and works even better! I appreciate the fact that it’s a 2-in-1, meaning the conditioner is in there also. This makes hair washing a breeze! I like to try premium hair care products, but I always come back to Pantene.

Pond’s Cleanser– I’m not crazy about their cold cream cleanser, but I love the Pond’s Cucumber Cleanser for removing makeup. It has a great scent and it’s not thick like cold cream. It’s a light, creamy cleanser that removes every bit of my makeup gently and without causing breakouts.

Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle– I have to deep condition my hair at least twice a week, but I don’t have time to wait 10 or 20 minutes like some of these other deep conditioning hair products require. This conditioning treatment is good to go in three minutes, smells AHHMAZING, and leaves my hair silky smooth!

Neutrogena Rainbath Shower Gel– I love this shower gel so much I bought a huge 40 ounce bottle of it! I use three squirts in my bath puff everyday and it smells so amazing. It’s a hard smell to describe, but in some of the reviews people describe it as having a little sandalwood or spice scent. Whatever it is, I absolutely love it and it leaves my skin feeling soft and smelling great!

I use a few more things, but these are my top favorite drugstore beauty products. If you are on a budget and looking for cheaper alternatives to premium products, these drugstore beauty products will definitely do the job.

25 weird things to sell on Ebay to make money.

25 Weird Things You Can Sell On Ebay To Make Money

Posted on October 11, 2018June 18, 2019 by Mandy

Ever since I’ve started selling on Ebay again, I have come across some really weird auctions at times and it amazes me what people will actually buy on Ebay. There are so many weird things you can sell on Ebay and I thought I’d share 25 items that you can actually list for auction that might just net you some cash!

25 Weird Things You Can Sell on Ebay

Half-empty perfume bottles- Just be sure to ship ground! It’s a liquid.
Empty boxes- I’ve actually sold an empty Vans shoebox!
Single shoes- If you can’t find the match to a shoe, someone may still be able to use it.
Product manuals and directions- People like these, especially if they go along with hard to find collector items.
Ugly Christmas attire- The tackier, the better!
Ancient cell phones- Be sure to specify that they won’t be able to be activated.
Old jeans- Vintage jeans, especially brands like Levi, can sell for a pretty penny in good condition!
Old business cards- People actually collect these.
Old letters- There are collectors for these as well.
Random buttons- People use these for sewing
Sewing scraps- Some crafters make small things and only need scrap material.
Old political buttons- History buffs love these!
Old concert t-shirts- Depending on the band, how old the shirt is, and the condition of the shirt, these can go for big bucks!
Junk or costume jewelry- Have a pile of jewelry you no longer wear? Sell it in a lot. Sometimes people even buy tangled jewelry.
Random power cords- Someone just might need what you have.
Non-working gaming systems- People use these for parts.
Old caps and trucker hats- There is a market for this.
Wine corks- Again, crafty people use these in projects.
Toy accessories- Have a bunch of parts for dolls, like dresses, shoes, etc.? People want these for their dolls that are missing things!
LEGOs- When your child is finished playing with them, sell these by the pound. Just check to make sure they have the LEGO logo.
Game piece parts- Somewhere out there, someone is missing that shoe piece for their Monopoly game.
Non-working watches- I just sold one of these a couple of weeks ago! Just be sure to specify it doesn’t work.
Old holiday decor- Depending on the age, these items can sometimes fetch a great selling price.
Taxidermy- People buy mounted animals for home decor. For real.
Stickers and sticker books- Did you collect stickers in the ’80s? Your collection just might be worth something if you are willing to part with it.

There are so many weird things you can sell on Ebay that’s just sitting around your house. You might think it’s junk, but it might be very useful to someone else!

Photo: Simon

Gifts for Heart Surgery Patients

Posted on October 10, 2018May 14, 2024 by Mandy

Gifts for heart surgery patients are a nice way to let someone know you are thinking of them. You might be at a loss for what you could do for someone who has just had heart surgery. If you’re like me and not that great of a cook, taking them a meal might not be the route you want to go. However, please know that meals are always appreciated in times of sickness and recovery. But, if you’d like to pick up a small gift for a heart surgery patient to let them know you are thinking of them and wishing them a speedy recovery, check out these fun and useful suggestions.

Gifts for Open Heart Surgery – I Survived Open Heart Surgery Mug – Funny Surgery Recovery Gifts Mens Get Well Open Heart Surgery – Recovery Gift Gag T-Shirt Large Navy My Identity Doctor – Pre-Engraved & Customized Heart Patient Medical Alert Bracelet, Pink The Breast & Chest Buddy – Seatbelt Cushion for Open Heart Surgery and Chest Reconstruction Sites – Solid Gray with Heart Amazon.com $50 Gift Card in a Greeting Card (Get Well Soon Design)

Coffee Mug– If the patient is a coffee drinker, this mug is a daily reminder for them of how awesome they are and what they have overcome.

Heart Patient Survivor T-Shirt– If the patient has a sense of humor, this t-shirt is so fun and it absolutely cracked me up! I’ve already added it to my own Amazon wish list. There are so many other styles of these gifts for heart surgery patients here. Check them out!

Medical Alert Bracelet– This is such a useful gift and there are so many different styles to choose from.

Seat Belt Cushion– I can’t tell you how much I wish I had known these existed when I had my heart surgery. I absolutely HATED to ride anywhere in the car after surgery because my chest was so sore and the seat belt just made it worse. I dreaded appointments to cardiac rehab because it was a twenty-minute drive away and I was so uncomfortable the whole time.

Amazon Gift Card– While gift cards may seem generic, they can really help out with unexpected needs (think surgical bras or surgical stockings) and even provide some entertainment for the patient. If they love to read, they will have plenty of down time where they may want a good book or a movie to watch. My cousin gave me an Amazon gift card right after surgery and it was so helpful and so appreciated!

Most of all, visits and calls to check on someone going through heart surgery mean so much. Those are the best gifts of all! I hope these gifts for heart surgery patients have given you some ideas for showing someone who is going through heart surgery recovery that you care.

Photos: Nicolas Raymond & Stuart Miles

What’s In My Work Bag

Posted on October 9, 2018October 7, 2018 by Mandy

What’s in my work bag? A whole lot of stuff! I’m of the thinking that it’s better to be prepared and have what I need for a day’s work than to not have something. I’ll admit I probably way over-pack my work bag, but since it’s a 20 minute drive to work, it would really stink to have to turn around to go back for things I carry on a daily basis and risk being late for work. Here’s what I carry in my work bag:

iPhone Charger, Charger Adapter + Lightning Cable, iPhone Charger Charging Cable Compatible iPhone X 8 8 Plus 7 7 Plus 6 6S 6 Plus 5S SE iPod iPad Mini Air Pro (White) Adecco LLC Portable Contact Lens Case Travel Kit Mirror +bottle + tweezers Container Holder (black) Roaring Spring Paper Products 74100 Roaring Spring Enviroshades 8.5 Pill Box – Lizimandu Compact 3 Compartment Medicine Case, Pill Box for Pocket or Purse(Cystal2) BIC Cristal Xtra Smooth Pens Blue Medium Point. 10-Pack American Stationery Monogram Golf Umbrella – Embroidered – 3977M Day Designer for Blue Sky 2018-2019 Academic Year Weekly & Monthly Planner, Flexible Cover, Twin-Wire Binding, 8.5

Phone charger- I hate when I get to work and have no phone charger. It’s almost always at 60% by the time I get to work because I listen to podcasts in the morning while I get ready. I tried leaving one at my workplace, but it mysteriously walked away. I now carry one with me daily so I can charge my phone up in the afternoon before my drive home.

Contact lens solution and case– It took me having trouble with my contacts TWICE to finally remember to pack some solution and a case with me daily. Since both products can be a little bulky in a work bag, this travel set works perfectly for when I need it.

Legal Pads– I love legal pads for writing, especially when they are colored. I just remember things better when they are written on a colored piece of paper. These stay in my bag and are perfect when I have to whip them out for meetings.

Pill Box– I absolutely cannot go without my heart medication on a daily basis, and this little pill box has saved me many a time from having to turn the car around and go back to the house to take my medicine. I always keep a full day’s worth of medication in it and even some ibuprofen and allergy medicine just in case.

BIC Pens– I’ve tried all the cutesy, fancy pens in the world, but my absolute favorite is a BIC pen, hands down. I buy these by the box and use them every single day.

Umbrella I learned in college, while having to walk to class in a downpour one day, to always, always carry an umbrella or at least have a poncho handy. There is always an umbrella in my work bag and it has saved me many a time from looking like a drowned rat while coming in to or leaving work. Bonus points because it’s monogrammed! Haha!

Planner– I always bring my planner because my boss makes important announcements in the morning. I always whip it out first thing to make notes of deadlines and important dates. It basically helps me keep my life together!

And that’s what I carry in my work bag on a daily basis.

Photo: @larryg923

Ebay Is My Side Hustle

Posted on October 8, 2018September 27, 2020 by Mandy

Ebay is my side hustle. If you had asked me a couple of years ago, I would have easily said my side hustle was blogging, but time and personal decisions have changed that. I still love blogging and sometimes do still accept paid blogging jobs, but I’ve also become more selective over blogging assignments that I accept. I greatly missed the extra income from blogging, and when I was home for three months recovering from heart surgery, it dawned on me that we had so much extra stuff in our home that needed to be sold or donated, so I decided to try my hand at selling consistently on Ebay.

I’ve been a member of Ebay since 1999, so this year marks 19 years. I’ve bought a ton of things there, especially hard to find items. I have also casually sold things here and there over those 19 years, but never listed things for sale consistently. I finally decided that I would put a few things up for sale and see how they did.

I did OK selling for a little while, but things eventually slowed down when I had to return to work full time. I had to get used to getting back into my routine and getting used to my new normal after surgery. This took some time, and it would be almost another year before I started my Ebay side hustle again. This year when summer rolled around, I became even more dedicated to selling on Ebay to help bring in some extra money for paying those medical bills that never seem to go away now.

I began listing in May and by the time school started back in August, I had $800 in sales on Ebay. This may sound like quite a bit of money, and it is, but then you have to factor in taxes, Ebay selling fees, and shipping supplies. Even still, making those sales and bringing in a little extra cash was a great feeling! It gave me an added purpose, just like my blogging does, and it just lit a fire inside me to keep going.

I have over 100 items listed on Ebay now. I’m adding more to it daily and this has also increased my sales, which makes sense. Is it easy? Hardly. Finding items to sell, photographing items, and listing them takes quite a lot of time. It has definitely required lots of patience. It can get so easy to become discouraged when sales are slow. However, I’m discovering that everything eventually sells, even if it takes a few months.

I’m so excited about my new side hustle and I’ll be documenting my progress with Ebay here on my blog as time goes on. Do you sell on Ebay? If so, I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments.

Pictures: HeatherPaque & TheDigitalWay