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Hi guys!  I’m excited to share my third post in my side hustle series.  I’ve mentioned before that frugality only goes so far – we can scrimp like crazy and be frugal weirdos, but at a certain point, it’s impossible to save more.

This is why increasing income is an essential part of getting out of debt.  Side hustling is a great way to make more money!  Side hustles can also enable you to gain valuable work experiences and do what you love.

I hope that this series inspires you to find an awesome side hustle!

For this post, I interviewed Kelby, the Chief ‘Frugality’ Officer behind millennial personal finance blog: The Frugalennial and founder of the digital marketing agency: Common Cents Content & Marketing.

Interested in starting your own blog?  Check out my free, five-step guide to setting up a money making blog.

How did you become interested in freelance writing?

For some reason, I never really thought of freelance writing as a “thing” until I started my blog. Even then, I was content with simply putting my thoughts out on the inter webs, not realizing that people were making money from doing the same.

Once I saw that I could earn a decent amount of side income by doing what I enjoyed for free, I was hooked.

Tell me about your freelance work.

I’ve actually turned what was initially just freelance work here and there into a full-fledged digital marketing agency.

I work with financial professionals (primarily financial planners/advisors) by providing written content and helping develop marketing strategies that connect with their target audience.

What is most rewarding or enjoyable about freelance writing?

I’m a financial nerd, so I really enjoy the topics that I write about. I also really like the clients that I work with and want to see their businesses succeed.

It’s a wonderful feeling to receive positive feedback from a post I’ve written or a marketing strategy that worked as planned.

What is most frustrating or difficult about freelance writing?

Without question, writers’ block. Writers’ block is a REAL THING, people! No matter how many moments you have of your creativity firing on all cylinders, you will no doubt have moments of staring at a blank Google doc wondering how to put together a coherent sentence.

In most cases it doesn’t last long, but it is frustrating nonetheless.

What is the most funny or interesting thing that has ever happened to you while working on a freelance project?

I don’t know…maybe I’m just not that funny or interesting because I can’t really think of anything cool that’s happen while working on a freelance project.

I guess something interesting to note about working freelance is that out of all the clients I’ve worked with, I’ve only met one in person — and that was only a month ago. See, told you I wasn’t that interesting…

What advice do you have for others who are interested in freelance writing as a side hustle?

Start small. It’s easy to think “Hey, I love writing and I’m good at it…let me work on a bunch of writing projects at once” but this is the easiest way to burn yourself out. Writing for your personal blog and writing for clients are two completely different animals.

Dip your toe in the freelance writing pool first to be sure you truly enjoy what you’re doing. There will never be a shortage of people that need help with writing. That said, the ability to scale will always be there.

How do you/did you balance your day job with freelance writing and any other side hustles?

I’ll be honest, it was difficult for me to balance a day job and freelance writing. In my case, it was probably due to bad timing on my part. My wife had just had our second daughter and our oldest was under two.

Yes, two kids under two, a full-time job and about six or so regular freelance writing clients. Crazy? Indeed! If nothing else, I learned how to be really efficient and manage literally every minute of my day.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Spare time??? I’ve heard of this elusive spare time you speak of, but have never witnessed it for myself. Kidding aside, I’m so focused on growing my small business that any free time is poured into that.

Of course, that’s after spending time with my wife and daughters.

Where can we find you on social media?

Kelby can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and his blog The Frugalennial.

Have you earned money through freelance writing?  What tips do you have for others?

 

Other stuff you might like:

My Personal Finance “Aha” Moment
How to Start a Blog in 5 Easy Steps
Side Hustle Series: Pet Sitting
No, I Don’t Want to Join Your Pyramid Scheme
How to Go From Hundreds of Page Views on Your Blog to Thousands

Personal Finance Resources:

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
YOLO: The Roadmap to Financial Wellness and a Purposeful Life by Jason Vitug
Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach
It’s Only Money and It Does Grow on Trees by Cara MacMillan

Blogging Resources:

How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup
365 Blog Topic Ideas for the Lifestyle Blogger Who Has Nothing to Write About by Dana Fox
ProBlogger: Secrets to Blogging Your Way to a Six Figure Income