How To Sustain 2 Jobs In 2024 – Good Goal And Fantastic Way To Increase Your Income!

Last Updated on March 24, 2024 by Namooki

Why Have 2 Jobs? 

The most straightforward answer to the question “How to sustain 2 jobs?” is goals. People have different goals they aim to achieve, and having more money helps them do that. Connected to goals is speed, achieving targets faster, i.e. buying a house, a car, early retirement, being financially independent, etc. Having one job can take 10 to 15 years; having two can bring that down to seven or eight. 

I’ve met people with multiple jobs, Job 1 as the primary job and Job 2 as the side hustle, like my cousin (Julia, not her real name). The first person I knew after the pandemic to have two white-collar jobs, sometimes even three. I remember a conversation where she admitted to always being broke. When asked why, she mentioned catching up to her goals faster: investing in properties, starting businesses, finishing mortgages, etc. 

Separate from goals and speed, I noticed Julia lived a more authentic life, a life without fear, and I found this very intriguing. I tried having two jobs, a side hustle job, and a main job – goals, speed, and living fearlessly became realities. Looking back, my side hustle allowed me to be more authentic and fearless. These were the most important aspects because I would always reach my goals, and my dreams were within my power to adjust.

What a fantastic way to live, your job or boss not having specific power over you, not maliciously, but as a matter of fact, power extending to your rent, mortgage, bills, family, children, schooling and marriage.

This realisation affects every decision you make at work, not so much when you have a primary job and a side job. 

Taxes, Calendars, Tools – What To Consider

So you’ve decided that you’re going to have more than one job, reach your life and financial goals faster, and live a more authentic, fearless life. Great, let’s go through some things to consider. The first thing to consider is having remote or hybrid positions. It can be one job remote, side Job 2 hybrid, or both hybrid or remote. With two hybrid jobs, you have to alternate days present in the office without overlaps, and this is easier with two remote jobs. Consider positions in different time zones, for example, a UK position and a US side job.  

Calendar management: if you have jobs in different time zones, even an hour difference, book yourself out at alternative times in both positions. Being concise is key, ensuring you manage your calendar and not others. What does that mean? It means knowing what meetings to say no and yes to and not letting people book openings in your agenda that you have yet to leave deliberately open.

Taxes: I will discuss this in another post, but finding out how much you take home, not how much you make, is critical. Then, consider the net income versus the amount of work required for the side job, and this should determine what side positions to pursue.

 Many tools exist, but my favourite is mouse jigglers. In essence, the software keeps your mouse always active. This is important because it prevents work collaboration tools from changing statuses to ‘Away’.

Consider multiple browsers and user accounts: Chrome, Edge, Safari, and my favourite, Firefox. Consider each browser belongs to a job; that way, you will never get confused, especially when screen sharing. 

Other Considerations For 2 Jobs

 One more critical aspect is involved risk and most work contracts are direct or through an agency. They usually tend to prohibit having more than one employer with NDA and competitor clauses. Therefore, if caught, it is possible to effectively lose both jobs if Job 1 tells on Job 2, or even worse, prosecution.  

Less is more; everyone has heard it before, but it is. With two jobs, practising the 80/20 Rule or the Pareto principle is beneficial. In essence, be intentional and concise, focusing on what adds the most value to your working day. That means skimming unnecessary elements, attending only the essential meetings, focusing on the big jobs, delegating trivial tasks. You would have to focus on what brings the most value to your work and company. 

Lifestyle-related, the more money made, the more temptation, more money, more problems. Lifestyle creep is real and a thing; always try to keep your eyes focused on goals. Increased finances come with their issues and distractions. In an old conversation with my brother, he said, “What is more important than the need to make money?”. I told him I didn’t know and he looked at me in shock and responded, “The need to spend money.” 

Final Thoughts – Economy, Businesses, Goals

Having two jobs helps many people achieve goals, reach them quicker, live authentically, and be fearless. Whether having two jobs is ethically right or wrong is more a morality issue than legal (exceptions exist). Everyone has to weigh risk and reward, but it’s getting easier to make these choices. In the global economy, as it is, businesses consider themselves first and staff later. I noticed a trend of friends coming to this realization. Many are happy to give their experience and do their best work, but for three years or so, if the money/perks remain good, or until something better comes.

In essence, consider yourself, with consideration to others, and achieve your goals most effectively.