Inside the Mind of a Hustling Housewife
Strategies To Find The Right Side Hustle
With only 24 hours in a day, how can anyone find the time to boost their income? Between working a full-time job or managing a household, time and energy always seems to slip away.
One proven strategy to increase income is embracing a side hustle. Whether I was a bachelor or now a family man, every hustle has required one thing: mastering time management.
Different from popular belief, a housewife doesn’t always have endless free time. In fact, juggling motherhood, household responsibilities, and personal goals can feel overwhelming.
So, how can a Hustling Housewife carve out time for side hustles that increase her household income while still managing the chaos of everyday life?
Meet Christina Piccoli. In this interview, she shares the benefits of extra income, strategies for mastering time management, and creating room for family—all while pursuing meaningful side hustles.
Her insights will leave you motivated and ready to start your own journey toward financial growth.
What was your financial situation before starting your side hustles, and how did that shape your goals?
A: Our finances have been all over the map, and I've always tried my side hustles throughout the years, whether our finances were good or bad. Because while I love making money, I do them for other reasons too, which I talk about a little later. I'm lucky that my husband has a good, steady income and can support us financially. My side hustle money is used for fun, which takes the pressure off because the income can be very up and down.
What inspired you to start a side hustle while managing your responsibilities at home?
A: I've been doing side hustles for a long time, even when I was working a 9-5. I always love tinkering with websites online. But when I was a stay-at-home mom, the hardest part was how tedious it was. It's fulfilling to raise your kids, but there's no stimulation for the mind. So creating websites and blogging was a way for me to use my mind for something interesting.
How did you identify a side hustle that fit your lifestyle and personal interests?
A: Well, I learned from experience that something like multi-level marketing didn't work for me. I am an introvert through and through and I don't love in-person sales. But I've always enjoyed writing, teaching, and experimenting. So writing online and sharing what I'm doing was a natural fit.
What obstacles did you face while balancing a side hustle with your household duties, and how did you overcome them?
A: Like many people, I struggle with time. Someone may think, "You're home all day. You have so much time." Yes, but there are also approximately 567 things to do around the house every single day. But I'll admit it's much easier to run a side hustle now versus working a 9-5. When I did that, I would come home, then do the house stuff, and THEN try to squeeze in side hustles. That was much more stressful.
How has your side hustles impacted your family’s finances, and what lessons have you learned about money management?
A: My side hustle money goes toward fun things for our family. Our favorite thing to do is go to concerts together, so that's what we use my money for. It encourages me to produce more income because I want to go to more concerts! haha. I'm pretty terrible at managing my own money because I love to spend it. But I'm good with the money my husband and I manage together from his job.
What strategies do you use to balance your time between your home, family, and side hustles?
A: My family always comes first. My kids are older (17 and 19), so they're pretty self-sufficient. But, we almost always eat dinner together every night. So, I'm done side hustling when it's time to make dinner. Otherwise, my side hustles are a perfect way to balance everything because I can do some writing, then throw in some laundry. Do more writing, then take the dog out for a walk. I always still run out of time (like we all do), but I'm not stressed about getting it all done.
Did your side hustle start as a passion project or with the intention to grow it into something bigger? What’s your vision now?
A: I would say it started with a passion project. As I mentioned, I've been creating blogs and websites for a long time. Since the early 2000s! I've always enjoyed tinkering online. Slowly over time the things I'm doing have changed and evolved. I'm really enjoying building my Hustling Housewife brand, and I would love to grow it bigger, but I don't have any intention of making it huge. I want to keep what I'm doing as a side-hustle and not something too big to manage by myself.
What non-financial benefits have you gained from your side hustles, and how has it influenced your sense of self?
A: The biggest benefit is having something stimulating to do every day. I'm a super curious person, and I get to explore my curiosity while writing about it. That's something that's always held me back in my "real" jobs. I was always under-stimulated, and I can only handle that for so long until I need to find a way to fulfill that part of me.
For someone hesitant to start a side hustle, what advice would you give to help them take the first step?
A: Getting started is always the hardest part. But what I've learned over the years is that people (myself included) get into this trap of trying to learn everything before starting. You can get stuck there forever. The good news is that you don't need to know everything before you start. You don't even need to know anything beyond the first step. Because you learn what you need to as you go. So don't make it harder than it needs to be. Just figure out the first thing you need to do and go from there.
What’s the biggest financial mistake you’ve avoided (or made) because of your side hustle?
A: I've definitely made many mistakes along the way. For instance, I once spent $1,000 for someone to help me set up a (now-defunct) blog on Wordpress. Not much later, I learned how to do it myself. And it was easy. I still kick myself for that one. My advice is pay for things if you really need to, but see if you can do it yourself first. The good thing about mistakes is that they teach you what NOT to do the next time.
Christina has mastered side hustles that fit her lifestyle. Through time and trial, she’s uncovered proven strategies to boost her income and balance her life.
Support her journey and gain valuable insights on what works best for side hustles by following her on Substack and Medium.
With Christina’s expertise, you can confidently take the next step in choosing the perfect side hustle for your goals.