Is there time for a second job?

A listener wonders what her schedule can accommodate

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning. This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is based on a listener question about how
to figure out if her schedule can accommodate a second job.
The listener writes that she listens to Before Breakfast almost

(00:24):
every morning since I listened to your podcast, she says,
I have realized how much time I have on my
hands compared to other people my age. I'm thirty seven,
single and without the responsibility of a child. She says,
I work a lot, and I love my full time job.
Sometimes I think if I had those responsibilities, I would
have come home earlier than eight pm. I work that

(00:45):
late now because I want to advance my projects as
much as I can. It helps me to advance in
my career as well. I have my eyes on a
step higher on my company's ladder. I try not to
overdo it, but I live alone and my family lives
in a different tree. In my free time, I go
to the gym and meet up with friends. But still,
our listener felt like she had a fair amount of

(01:07):
open space. Furthermore, I feel when I have a lot
to do, I am more productive as well. She writes,
I plan better because I know that time is limited. Moreover,
I need constant mental challenges or I get bored with
my life quickly. So she'd been considering filling this time
with a second job. She felt there would be financial upsides.

(01:30):
I have been in school for a long time and
I have almost no savings, she wrote, I have just
finished paying my student debt. If I want to work
more in order to save and invest, this is the
right period of my life. She thought this was especially
true if she did wind up having a family in
the next ten years, which she thought would change the
time equation a lot. However, when this listener shared the

(01:51):
idea of a second job with her friends, they thought
this was a bad idea. They refer to how much
I work at my full time job and how much
I need the weekend and nights after work to rest
and focus on my well being. I agree, of course,
with the necessity of creating a work life balance, but
I think there must be a way to create it,
she said, even with the second job. So what did

(02:11):
I think? I think this is a great question. Her
friends aren't wrong that our listener was already working hard,
and adding something else wasn't going to be easy. But
on the other hand, earning more money is a great
way to boost savings fast. Sometimes it feels more doable
than cutting expenses dramatically, which tends to be no fun.
I suggested our listener try tracking her time to see

(02:33):
just how many hours she was putting in at her
full time job. No doubt the number was high, but
even if it was, I doubted it hits seventy with
any regularity. Most likely she was probably working fifty five
to sixty hours a week. This leaves between fifty two
and fifty seven waking non working hours each week for
other things. She could probably work five to ten in

(02:55):
there while still getting to the gym. While relaxation is great,
I also think that we be energized by doing things
we enjoy. If our listener chose her second job right,
it could definitely be something energizing and enjoyable. That said,
there are a few caveats with such a big first job.
Her second job would need to be flexible. She mentioned

(03:16):
doing some consulting on the side, and indeed she already
had some offers there, so that was probably the way
to go. If there weren't specific prohibitions against this. With
her first job, anything that would require her to always
be some specific place at a specific time would be
a problem. She would need to negotiate all consulting projects
such that she would dictate her hours, and she should

(03:38):
also set her rates high enough that she would be
excited about putting in the extra work. Of course, she
wouldn't have to go this route. If she wanted to
boost savings. She might also figure out how soon she
was due for a raise in a promotion and really
apply herself toward that goal. The financial outcome might be
the same. She might also consider other life oles. She

(04:00):
had mentioned wanting to meet someone and potentially have a
family in the near future, and part of meeting someone
is putting time and effort into this project. While there
certainly is enough time in fifty two to fifty seven
hours per week to consult for five to ten hours
and go on a first date or two, she'd probably
want to plan her time carefully to make sure that
both were options. But as long as she was thinking

(04:22):
about all her life goals, I thought there was really
no harm in trying, especially since she already had some
interest for her consulting services. When we truly want to
do something. We often find we have more time in
the hundred sixty eight hours we all have each week
than we think. Have you made space for a second
job or a side hustle? How did you set your schedule?

(04:42):
You can let me know at Before Breakfast podcast at
iHeart Media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

(05:02):
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Before Breakfast pod that's b E the number four, then
Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an
email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com.
That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

(05:25):
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For
more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the I Heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.