The side hustle math nobody does until it's too late

I ran three side hustles for over a year each before finally calculating a real hourly rate, factoring in supplies, driving time, and admin work, not just the money that hit my account. Two of the three paid less than minimum wage once I actually did the math.

The hustles that felt the most active and busy were, ironically, the worst hourly earners, because busy work — packaging, driving, messaging customers — doesn't show up as a cost until you specifically account for the hours it eats.

I now calculate real hourly rate before starting anything new, including hours I wouldn't normally think to count. It's an unglamorous fifteen-minute spreadsheet exercise that would have saved me over a year of effort on two of the three hustles I ran.

Part of the deeper dive: The No-Nonsense Guide to Getting Your Money Under Control.