Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. It’s what you do with them that truly matters.
I often receive questions from others about how I was able to fit side hustling, college, and work into my life all at one time. It was hard, but it was possible. Yes, sacrifices need to be made, but like I said, it IS possible to fit side hustles into your life.
It all depends on how badly you want it.
Whether you want to transform your side hustle into your full-time career, you are wanting to make extra money so that you can tackle a financial goal, or something else, side hustles can completely change a person’s life.
If you are someone who wants to start side hustling but you can’t figure out how to find the time to add another thing to your life, I’m hoping today’s post will help you out with this.
Related posts:
- Side Hustle Series – Read this if you are interested in hearing about the many side hustles ideas that my readers have shared.
- 10 Things I’ve Done To Make Extra Money – If you are interested in finding a side hustle idea for yourself, you may be interested in one of the things I’ve done in the past to earn side income.
- Ways To Make An Extra $1,000 A Month – Are you asking the question “How to earn side income?” Here are different ways to make an extra $1,000 a month.
Below are 10 ways to squeeze side hustles into your busy schedule along with some time management tips. Some of the ways may be things that people won’t want to do, but sometimes if you want to reach a goal, devoting your free time to your side hustle is exactly what is needed.
1. Wake up earlier in order to fit time for your side hustle ideas.
Back when I had my day job, I would usually wake up around one to two hours before I had to start getting ready for work. I would use this time to work on my side hustles, which included replying to emails, brainstorming article ideas, managing my blog, finding mystery shops, and more.
Waking up ahead of time was rough sometimes, but it was nice to get everything done with before I went to work.
If you’re not a morning person, then you can always try to fit in time before you go to bed as well. I would often work on my side hustles for a few hours before I went to bed as well.
Two hours each day before you go to work is 10 hours each week to put towards your side hustle ideas.
2. Strategically use your lunch time.
When I had my day job, my lunch time was almost always used for my side hustles. I would often bring my lunch to work which allowed me to save money on food and to also use that whole hour for my side hustle ideas.
That’s five hours each week right there for side hustles just by using your lunch hour.
3. Take vacation days at your work just for side hustles.
To refer back to my day job once again, I often used my vacation days at my day job in order to work on my side hustles. I would often take just one or two days off at a time so that I could relax somewhat and not feel like I was constantly running around with my head chopped off.
Taking this option can be a great idea. If you have paid vacation days, then it’s even better because you are getting paid to work on your side hustle!
4. Turn off the TV so that you can have more time for your side hustle ideas.
I want you to do something right now. Take a moment and really think about how much time you waste watching TV. I’m not perfect either, but I’m going to assume that number is something that is going to shock you.
According to Neilsen statistics, the average American spends 34 hours each WEEK watching TV and around three to six additional hours each week watching a movie.
That is a lot of time wasted. Just think about how much you could do if you just cut that amount in half. If you just watched half as much TV as the average person, that is 17 hours a week you might find to dedicate towards side hustle jobs.
5. Use short gaps in your day correctly.
Everyone has gaps throughout their day. This could be a gap before you have a meeting, a gap between your day job and night classes, a gap before you have to pick up the kids from school, or something else.
Maybe you have 30 minutes or an hour. Most people will just plunk down on the couch and watch TV or browse on Facebook. However, you should use gap time efficiently.
That 30 minutes could be spent on fitting a little side hustle in and finding time to make extra money.
6. Multitask correctly to fit in your side income jobs.
If you can, you should try to multitask as long as it does not decrease the quality of your work. For me, I like to do this as long as I’m not too all over the place.
Some examples of easy multitasking include:
- While I am cooking a meal, I will bring my laptop into the kitchen with me and work at the same time. Instead of just standing around making a meal, I use the little breaks I have so that I can work. Yes, I could just check on the food every few minutes and work from my desk, but I can eliminate this small time suck of walking back and forth and just work from the island in my kitchen.
- If I am just walking on my treadmill (such as when I am warming up or cooling down after a workout), I will sometimes have my phone on me and I will go through my emails, social media accounts, and so on. It’s also a great time for me to brainstorm so I always have my phone on me in case I think of an idea.
- If you are on the phone and on hold, do something while you are waiting!
7. Rethink your commute so you can fit in time for your side income jobs.
Okay, so this one may not be for everyone. However, if you commute to work such as by on a bus or a train, then you might want to efficiently use this time by working on your side hustle jobs.
If your side hustle is something that you can do from your phone, laptop, or just with a piece of paper, then this can be a great time to jot down any ideas.
8. Always being organized is one of my essential time management tips.
Being organized when you have limited time is a lifesaver and a great time management tip. You will waste less time trying to find what you need, you will be able to work more quickly, and more.
Always stay organized!
9. Use your days off for side income jobs.
This might seem obvious, but many people don’t like to use their days off in order to work on their side hustle jobs.
If you have days off, why not use them to further your side hustles?
You don’t even have to use your whole day off. Perhaps just use five hours for your side hustle on one of your off days? If you choose a side hustle that you love, then this can make it more possible to spend your off days on working without feeling as drained.
10. Be realistic about how much time you have for side hustle jobs.
Yes, everyone has the same 24 hours, but others may be more limited than others. I understand that different situations can make someone very busy. So, in the end, you always need to be honest with yourself about how much time you have available for side hustles.
You don’t want to run yourself completely ragged, forget about the things that truly matter in life, hurt your work performance, and more.
How do you try to find time for your side hustle ideas? What time management tips do you have?
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These are all great tips Michelle! I don’t watch TV when I’m working and also I wake up earlier if ever I need to finish something.
Good job Clarisse!
First I really love the photo….that should be me on that clock. I utilize my lunch hour to my blog everyday. I just started this about a month ago and I can’t believe how much I can get accomplished during my lunch hour. Whenever I finish my work and have some extra time I also pull out my blogging writing pad and have a brainstorming session. Great post….as usual.
Haha thanks. I love the photo as well 🙂
Yes, working during a lunch hour is great. Thanks!
Really good advice for trying to accomplish anything in your day. I relate most to the time gap idea. I often wonder what else I could fit in by effectively using time between activities. I have a terrible habit of thinking that a particular task will take so long so I don’t start if I have a limited time window. I put it off. Then when I do get around to doing it, I find it doesn’t take as long so I should have just gotten started in the first place!
Yes, the time gap idea is something that too many people skip. There are so many gaps during the day that it’s dumb to not use it wisely!
All good tips. I’ve decided that I have to prioritize my side hustle activities onto a single list once a week and then stick to the list every time I’m ready to work. Otherwise I’ll do mindless, non-developmental things like check my blog stats or my email for the hundredth time.
Yes, sticking to a list is very important!
I wish I could just eat my lunch at work. The thought of having that five-hour per week of my lunch time makes me excited to have this kind of opportunity. The best strategy for me is as soon as I arrive home, I start working while the TV is on.
Thanks Jayson!
Awesome tips! I confess, this is pretty much exactly what I do. We get up at 6 everyday, which gives us a solid two hours to work before going to our 9-5’s, I absolutely use my lunch hour, and we hardly watch any TV these days. It’s amazing the time you can squeeze out of your week when you really try. This is kind of funny, but, I stopped painting my nails every week to save time too! Every hour counts.
Haha good job saving time!
When I still had a “side hustle,” I would get up at 5:00 a.m. to work on it. That was the only time I could find. It was a really hard time in my life, but I made it through somehow!
Yes, I don’t know how I made it either. I think back about it and I often laugh at how miserable I must have been! Luckily I got through it.
Hi,
I’m using #7. I used to take my car to go to work. Now I take the bus and use that extra-time (10-12 hours per week) to work on my blogs and investments with the help of my phone.
In fact, I love it more than my day job ahah 🙂
I don’t listen to tv either. Just that is worth 75$ of after-tax money per month or 130$ in extra income per month. Plus, I get a lot more free-time there too!
Great tips!
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for reading Allan! Good job on finding time 🙂
Hi Michelle! I think these are GREAT tips! Thanks for sharing! For me, I am much more productive if I wake up early for the day. Tip #10 has also been resonating with me because the truth is – with a toddler and a baby – I don’t have a ton of time right now for side hustles unless I put them in daycare (which I’m considering!). I wake up early (try to, anyways) to get work done, work during their nap times, do emails throughout the day and work when they go to bed if needed. All about balance right now!! Thanks for the tips!
Thanks Sarah!
Excellent tips, Michelle! Staying organized by planning your time beforehand is incredibly helpful when it comes to making more time. Turning on the T.V. is an absolute time killer when you’re focused and trying to accomplish goals (or side hustle).
Thanks Natalie!
I still struggle with the TV thing now that I work from home. Sometimes I just have to hide the remote from myself.
Good ideas! But some may be a bit challenging for those who aren’t good at multi-tasking (ahem, like my husband, trying to write a blog post while patting his head would be asking for the impossible). The only way we can keep our little blog going is by dividing up the work. We make it a team effort (although my poor husband has ended up pulling more of the load) and we both try to contribute whenever we can.
Yes, multi-tasking isn’t for everyone, and that’s why I didn’t make it such a big point in this blog post. Too many people waste time by multi-tasking.
Great tips! I usually work for an hour or so right after I put my daughter on the school bus, but before I start my errands/chores. As a night person, I’m most productive in the few hours I have between my daughter’s bedtime and my own.
Good job on finding time Amy!
Whenever I commit to more side hustles, I commit to less sleep because I typically fit them in in the early morning or late evening. For enough money, though, my sleep can be purchased. 🙂
I agree Shannon! 🙂
This exactly me. Usually lose sleep to side hustle. The discouraging part is you dont see returns on your investment early on so you really need to be committed.
There were some great tips.. I’ll need to use my lunch hrs better….
Thank you! 🙂
Great way of summing it up Michelle! There’s always a way to find time for side hustles if you really want to make it happen. I’m most productive in the morning so I’m starting to get up an hour earlier before getting ready for work to work on my side hustles and yes, it feels great to get things done early. I also used #9 recently when I had an unexpected day off from work and I turned it into a really productive, yet relaxing day for my side hustles.
Yes, even though I’m not really a morning person, for some reason the mornings are my best time to work. Getting up an extra hour was best for me back when I had my day job.
I don’t wake up early, but I stay up late. I’m not a morning person, so my side hustles run at night, late into the night. I have become better at multi-tasking, so that helps out quite a bit.
Good job on finding time Grayson!