During a holiday dinner party, the host suggested we each share a significant moment from the year. As one woman shared how her pottery class had allowed her to explore her creative side, another cheekily said, "Oh, you could totally open up an Etsy shop and sell your work." Before she even finished the sentence, I exclaimed, "No! Don't monetize your hobby!"
It's advice that perhaps seems heretical in this time of high inflation. After all, it took $107 in November 2022 to buy what $100 bought in November 2021, according to the US Department of Labor. Between 2019 and 2020, the increase was only $1.17. But despite rising prices, it's important to keep the side-hustle mindset in check.