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Appreciation post: my side gig printing t-shirts actually paid for a full weekend away last month | Day Job Vs Real Life - Thought Shares

kelly.charlie•4mo ago

Appreciation post: my side gig printing t-shirts actually paid for a full weekend away last month

So I work in an office doing data entry, which is fine but about as exciting as watching paint dry. Three years ago I bought a cheap heat press from a guy on Craigslist in Pittsburgh for $60 and started making ironic t-shirts for friends. Last month I had a huge order from a local running club, 45 shirts at $15 each. I had to stay up until 1am on a Tuesday to get them all done after my regular shift. The money was nice but the real win was actually designing something with my own hands for once. I ended up taking my girlfriend to a bed and breakfast in the Allegheny National Forest with the profit. Does anyone else have a side thing that makes the 9 to 5 feel a little more bearable?

3 comments

3 Comments

victorh814mo ago

So you stayed up until 1am making t-shirts and still call it a win? Sounds like you've got Stockholm syndrome with your own side hustle.

iris9274mo ago

Loved reading this! I totally get what you mean about that feeling of someone paying for something you made. Last year I started making these little embroidered patches just for fun, and then a neighbor asked if she could buy a few for her kid's scout troop. Before I knew it I was staying up way too late stitching by lamp light after the kids went to bed. The money was nice but honestly seeing those patches on their vests at the school carpool line made my whole week. There's something about making real stuff with your hands that makes the boring day job feel way less heavy.

sean_cooper584mo ago

Dude I actually used to agree with you 100%. I was that guy who'd say "why trade one boss for another" whenever someone bragged about hustling at midnight. But then I did a craft fair last fall and sold 20 shirts in four hours. That feeling of someone actually pulling out their wallet for something you made with your hands was totally different than clocking in at my desk job. Maybe it IS Stockholm syndrome but at least I get to pick the hostage taker now.