West Texas Side Hustles- How To Supplement Your Income In Lubbock

Let's face it: many of us, especially millennials and younger gen-x'ers, have had difficulty finding full time jobs that satisfy all of our needs, not only actual money (although that is extremely important) but also our other, more human needs- creative, social and spiritual.

That's why younger people everywhere have embraced the 'side-hustle', usually temporary gig work that helps us pays the bills in areas that we might actually enjoy.

I am QUEEN side-hustle. In October (and coming up- Valentines!) I do makeup for Nightmare on 19th Street. October is the best time to boost your savings for upcoming holiday spending, trust me. It's also a great time to get into seasonal retail, if you are strong of spirit and love working with a whole lot of people.

I also host movies at a really cool local theater. Working at a cinema pretty much guarantees flexible working hours and the chance to catch some films you otherwise might never see.

I've also done temporary IT contract work. You would be surprised at how many one day gigs are out there. Somebody had to replace all those card readers to accommodate chipped credit cards- I was one of them. Big box stores almost always contract that type of work out to local people. Just check the gig section of Craigslist closely and carefully. Half of those jobs are nonsense lies and scams so be sure to think critically before signing up to be a "model" or an "extra in a big movie".

That being said I have supplemented my income by being a life model for serious artists. Those gigs are a little hard to come by and it takes a person who can zen out to do it. It's not just being naked, you'd be surprised how hard it is to be completely still that long. There's other art jobs out there- you just have to be willing to work for very little and at inconvenient times. I've helped with gallery shows and been a house manager for theater productions.

But enough about me, this is starting to sound like a resume. Here's a few more great ways to make extra cash in Lubbock. Every one of these is something that I know a friend of mine is currently making money doing.

Cab driving and/or Ubering. There are certain safety issues here but you can mostly make your own schedule around your main job. There's advantages and disadvantages between being a cabbie and uber-ing, mainly the use of your personal vehicle. It's much easier to get into Uber, but cabs work in set shifts. We live in a college town so you may get more uber fares, but I've never met a group more reluctant to tip than college students. There, i said it, prove me wrong kids.

At Tha Club. Again, some safety issues here but I've done everything from carding at the door to cocktailing poker nights. It's usually smoky and your feet hurt like hell but it's pretty easy money.

At that Big Game. Most of the local temp agencies can hook you up with not only office or factory work, but concession jobs at Texas Tech games or concerts. It's ridiculously fun and low stress. I've had a blast seling hot dogs at baseball games.

Donating Plasma. I have made it my little contribution to the world to donate whole blood to united Blood Services, but you can make up to $50 each time you donate plasma to BPL. I would be very tempted to go for the cash because you are absolutely still saving lives, but I also happen to be allergic to the solution all plasma centers put back in you. So you get this one for free, humanity.

Crafting/fabricating Something People Actually Want. This is great for you talented people. i have a friend who supplements her income by not only being a fabulous and regularly booked musician, but also because she makes unique, high quality bath products. Like, actually makes them, this ain't Mark Kay. You can make money from direct sales like Mary Kay, but in a lot of ways it's a pyramid scheme and it's really easy to spend all your time on the bottom of that pyramid. I have another friend who makes custom T-shirts and other apparel- but he was so successful it's his main gig now- which can happen with any gig you really love and find your niche in.

The main thing with side-hustles is to find something you enjoy. After years of trying everything, I got lucky- my favorite job is my full time job now. I worked late, odd hours on my feet and I was willing to try everything. Radio is kind-of an everything job. I am writing a blog right now. And one of my first jobs in radio was wearing a bear costume. We al have to start somewhere.

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