I’ve recently been thinking about my best side hustle or part-time job ever.

In the course of my life I’ve had a large number or side hustles and part-time jobs. Just to give you an idea (in chronological order)…

• Baby sitter
• Ticket checker at the Arena in Verona
• German language teacher
• Interpreter for a printing machines manufacturer during machine setup and staff training (very lucrative!)
• CV translator
• Cat sitter
• Software tester
• IPO researcher

… but these are the two best ones.

Mountain hut assistant in the Alps

I joined the Italian Alpine Club when I was 5 and in my childhood we’d spend many Sundays enjoying the outdoors in a group.

When I was 18 my mum learnt that the manager of the Rifugio Chierego mountain hut on Monte Baldo was looking for help during the month of August.

And that’s how I spent a month living at 1,922 meters (6,306 feet) altitude overlooking Lake Garda. I had a great time!

Weekends were busy with hikers going from one end to the other of the mountain and tourists coming up from Malcesine with the chair lift. They had lunch and a drink and enjoyed the fresh air and the view.

Weekdays were less busy and we’d prepare food and grappa (local liquor) for the weekend. A few things I learnt:

• How to liaise with customers
• How to make a great espresso and cappuccino
• How to cook a mean vegetable minestrone from scratch
• How to make real grappa with cones, berries and lemons (i.e. limoncello)

That month I was also treated to a nettle risotto with nettles from the meadow half an hour further down, and we went hiking when we were done, just for the joy of it

It was also well paid. I earned the equivalent of about £900 net in a month with food and a room included. Not bad for an 18-year-old’s summer job!

This is a great type of job for someone who longs for a little independence and where you can learn tons. I’d send my daughter to do the same anytime.

Blogger

Surprise… right?! As some of you may know, I launched my first blog in last 2011 and have been hooked ever since.

These are just a few reasons I love blogging:

• It allows you to get into a creation mindset. Have you ever wondered why so many people in the Financial Independence community are software developers? Well, they have been training their creation mindset for years: they develop programmes, i.e. solutions, that people and companies buy. Blogging will allow you to do the same by creating content, taking or choosing images, getting to grips with a little technology, and understanding who your audience is and what they are interested – all very useful skills!
• It allows you to express yourself and dig deeper in a topic or niche you care about.
• You can launch a blog in a few minutes with pretty much no technical knowledge – read here on how to start a blog.
• It is (nearly) free. It you are looking to increase your earnings, are time-rich but don’t have a lot of money for traditional investments, this is the perfect way to start a side hustle
• You decide when and how much to work on it
• You will likely find a community of bloggers and people interested in your niche that will enrich your life and possibly make you see things differently.
• You can use your blog and the skills you learnt to enhance your professional profile and even find the work you really want.

If you’re looking for ideas on your perfect side hustle, check out this page.

[adrotate banner=”3″]