Tonight We’re Gonna Party
Like It’s 1929!
My local paper’s business section had not
one, but two front page articles the other day insisting
that we’ve seen the worst of this recession and things’ll
be looking up from here on out. This optimism was based on
the following logic:
- Recessions historically only last one year, and the latest research shows that ours started in December, 2007.
- Everyone’s tired of being so gloomy, so they’ll snap out of it and start buying stuff again.
On a related note, I’ll be independently wealthy by the time I’m in my fifties because that’s the typical age most rich people are, and I’ll be tired of working by then.
Juu-uust in case the economy doesn’t rebound on the strength of that irrefutable logic, here are some cheery stories of folks who started side jobs that are thriving even in these times.
- The Worm Dude. A box turtle fan, the Worm Dude started raising red wigglers to cut the cost of food for his snappers. Soon he had more worms than the turtles could eat, so he sold a few to friends....who told their friends.... Eighteen months later, the Worm Dude looks to clear six figures in sales for the year.
- The Window Washer. A Spanish teacher by trade, this guy bought a used utility truck and some ladders, intending to start a side business. His superior results soon gave him enough word-of-mouth referrals to say, “Hasta la vista” to the teaching job.
- The Hopeless Romantic. This woman knew (by heart!) every Harlequin Romance ever written, so she started a website to share her passion with others of like mind. Before long, she was selling out-of-print and hard-to-find romance books. She even developed a database that subscription-holders can consult to determine major themes, plot lines, multiple pen names for authors, character sketches, what have you.
Inspired? I hope so. Times are rough, and we’re not going to see the sun peek through the clouds for the foreseeable future, so consider looking to your strengths, passions and talents for some side income that can help pay off that crippling variable-rate debt, lay down a savings buffer, and just generally help you get by. Write down all the things you’re good at, enjoy and wish existed, then figure out if you can make it happen.
There’s also this life-long skinflint who’s always gotten a charge out of probing every angle on how to get the most with the least. Now she writes humorous books about what she’s learned. It’s not clear yet if she can make a “real” job out of it, but she’s sure having fun trying!