Hit $12,000 in savings from my side hustle and it finally felt real

I started doing small landscaping jobs on weekends last year just to pay off a credit card. Nothing fancy, just mowing and trimming for a few neighbors in my town of Dover. Last week I checked my savings account and saw it hit $12,000. That number caught me off guard because I never set a goal, I just kept working when I had free time. It mattered because I grew up thinking side money was just for extra gas or takeout, not for actual stability. The other landscapers I know charge way more than I do, so maybe I have room to raise my rates. Has anyone else surprised themselves by sticking with a side gig longer than they planned?

4 comments

4 Comments

laura_schmidt821mo ago

Did you raise your rates yet or still figuring out what feels fair for you?

holly_reed551mo ago

Laura's been talking about this for like two months now, I swear. Honestly, is it really that deep? People spend more time debating their rates than actually doing the work.

nancyj111mo ago

Probably just set a deadline and move on. @holly_reed55 you're right, there's always someone who wants to workshop their pricing for months instead of just picking a number and seeing what happens.

taylor.reese1mo ago

I read somewhere that pricing is basically just a guess until you actually put it out there. You can fuss over it forever but the market's gonna tell you what's up pretty quick, you know? Did you just pick a number and go for it with your work?