Money makes the world go round, or so the saying goes. Recent years have fully embraced the contractor and independently employed individuals. In fact, hustling or grinding has become the norm. People leave their nine-to-five and head to work on their side hustle. In some special cases, people may even turn their hustle into a full-time gig. What I haven’t heard many people talking about is how the grind culture can be extremely toxic.
Unpopular Opinions
There is a recent trend on TikTok where people have been sharing a few unpopular opinions they have. In the world of personal finance Toks, this has been interesting. Just about everyone has a different opinion about how money should be managed, how you should invest, and what size down payment you should have. However, at the same time, no one was really talking about my elephant in the room: hustle culture. So, of course, I added a TikTok of my own.
@districtmediafinance##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##finance ##personalfinance ##budgeting ##startariot
In the personal finance world on social media everyone is talking about how you can earn extra money. More money is always a good thing, right? Well, for me, B.I.G. said it best, “Mo money, mo problems.” Of course, you can earn some extra cash to pay off some debt (I’ve done it) or even fund a vacation, but it shouldn’t be a lifestyle. You’ll work yourself to the bone and the other things in your life will become less important than making an extra buck. Your relationships will suffer, your health may suffer, and all you’ll have is a padded savings account.
Why Grind Culture Has Become Toxic
In today’s climate, if you only work one full-time job it’s almost unheard of. Almost everyone has a side hustle, part-time gig, or way they are making money on the side. This is due, in part, to rising prices and people’s need to make ends meet. A lot of it has to do with the toxic hustle culture that has infiltrated social media and other communication platforms.
Now, grind culture hasn’t always been toxic. People have been “making a little money on the side” for ages. You take work where you can find it. Today, people are working to excess though. Many are working over 40 hours every week and then feel pressure to be working on a special project or additional job on top of that. If you don’t have a hustle you’re almost seen as lazy or dumb.
After all, who wouldn’t want extra money?
You should work extra hard now so you don’t have to later!
Ultimately, this just leads to a bunch of overworked people walking through life as zombies. Possibly worse, it could lead to a culture where the main focus of our interactions with each other is financial.
Final Thoughts
Have your side hustle but have your family too. Don’t let your jobs or means to make money overshadow the life you are building or take away from time spent with your family. Carve out time to enjoy your loved ones and the cash you’re making. Hustle hard, live life even more.
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Amanda Blankenship is the Director of Social Media for District Media. In addition to her duties handling everything social media, she frequently writes for a handful of blogs and loves to share her own personal finance story with others. When she isn’t typing away at her desk, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, husband, and dog. During her free time, you’re likely to find her with her nose in a book, hiking, or playing RPG video games.