The Creative Nest

So let me tell you what happened to me the other day. I was minding my own business on TikTok. Just scrolling. Innocent. Vulnerable. Coffee nearby. Life was fine. And then… she appeared . A woman calmly explaining how she feeds a family of four on $300 a month . Not per week. Per. Month. She had spreadsheets. She had freezer organization. She had confidence. And suddenly, my very reasonable $75 a week for one adult human started feeling like I was personally financing a yacht. I closed the app and just sat there like, “…am I bad at groceries or is she living in an alternate universe where eggs are still 99 cents?” This is the weird thing about watching “different” content online — it sneaks up on you. One minute you’re entertained, the next minute you’re questioning your choices, your budget, and whether you should apologize to your checking account. Here’s the thing though (and this is the important part): Context matters. That creator might live in a low-cost area. ...

Let’s talk about side hustles. Not the glamorous “I work four hours a week from my laptop on a beach” version. I’m talking about real-life side hustles , run by people who already have a full plate, a backup plate, and something burning in the oven they forgot about. Because the people with side hustles are not just hustling. They are meployeed . They have jobs. They have families. They have kids. They have pets that need things at the exact wrong moment. They have calendars that look like a game of Tetris played by someone under stress. And then—on top of all that—they decide to add a side hustle. Side hustlers are the people who work all day, come home, make dinner, help with homework, attend practices, answer emails, fold laundry, mentally plan three future meals, and then say, “Okay cool, now I’ll just work on my other thing.” The other thing being a blog, a shop, freelancing, reselling, content creation, crafting, consulting, or something that started as “just for fun” and...

Let’s play a game. You wake up one morning, check your bank account (like we all do because we’re nosy), and boom—there’s $50,000 sitting there. No explanation. No dramatic backstory. It just… exists. Now before you quit your job, buy a hot tub, and text everyone you’ve ever tolerated, let’s pause. Because $50k is that awkward amount of money where it’s life-changing but not “buy a yacht and disappear” money. It’s “okay, be smart but also let yourself breathe” money. The first thing I would not do is tell anyone. Not a soul. Not a friend. Not a family member. Not even the barista who spelled my name right that one time. Peace loves privacy. Then comes the internal debate. Part of you wants to do the responsible thing. Pay off something annoying. Create a little cushion so future-you can sleep better at night. Do something sensible and adult-like so you can feel smug about it later. The other part of you wants to do something fun . Not reckless. Just… joyful. Like buying somet...