It makes headlines day by day, you see it in increased utility and grocery payments, and naturally the worth of fuel continues to be sky excessive—we’re speaking about inflation.
In a brand new School Investor survey, we requested if folks have been harassed about cash due to rising inflation, and a convincing 86% mentioned sure.
With the vacations quick approaching, inflation, which has elevated over 8% in 2022, is weighing closely on all of our minds.
Based on the Nationwide Retail Federation, customers plan on spending round $833 on presents, decorations, and meals. However if you happen to’re discovering it troublesome to maintain up with payments and on a regular basis bills, spending something further, a lot much less $833, feels unattainable.
Our survey requested about aspect hustles and what varieties of labor folks have been doing outdoors of their “principal’ job to assist afford the rising price of on a regular basis bills. What share of individuals have been aspect hustling? How have been they planning to pay for vacation presents this yr?
The outcomes present that whereas inflation is anxious, it’s additionally sparking the need to select up a aspect job for further dough. Let’s discover the main points from our survey.


Who’s Facet Hustling?
Nearly all of respondents, almost 55%, have a aspect hustle. This further revenue can enhance wiggle room for month-to-month bills reminiscent of lease and utilities, which is strictly what 65% use it for.

Seventy p.c plan on utilizing their aspect hustle dough to pay for presents.
Different attention-grabbing findings round embody:

What Sort of Facet Hustles Are Individuals Doing?
Extra cash is available in all types of flavors because of the web, rideshare, and supply companies. We thought it might be attention-grabbing to seek out out what sort of aspect hustles individuals are into, and right here’s what they mentioned:

How Do Individuals Plan on Shopping for Items This Yr?
Once more, the vast majority of respondents mentioned they have been going to show to their trusty aspect hustles to fund their vacation purchases. Right here have been the entire responses:
- 49%: Revenue from aspect hustle
- 21%: Bank cards
- 13%:
Purchase Now, Pay Later - 10%: Present playing cards
- 3%: Bank card rewards
- 2%: Private loans
An necessary consider sustaining a aspect hustle is motivation. The most important motive in having a aspect hustle was to have the ability to pay for on a regular basis bills. This is what else we found about what folks have been doing with their extra cash:

Are You Ready For This Season?
A aspect hustle turns out to be useful to cowl increased on a regular basis bills introduced on by inflation in addition to pay for presents and vacation bills.
If you happen to’re prepared to leap right into a aspect hustle, we’ve loads of concepts so that you can get began. You may get began by filling out surveys for somewhat further money or see our articles for the way to get began with DoorDash or Uber.
With the uncertainty round inflation, it’s a good time to select up a aspect gig so you possibly can have somewhat little bit of cushion to get by way of the vacations and past.
If a aspect gig isn’t your factor, see one of the best sorts of investments for inflationary intervals.
The School Investor commissioned Pollfish to conduct a web-based survey of 1,500 Individuals ages 18 and older. The survey was fielded November 8, 2022.