- Rising living costs are relentless; inflation and economic shocks have sharply increased prices nationwide.
- You cannot control macro forces; your best response is to pursue opportunities to increase income.
- Side hustles and small businesses are practical ways to boost take-home pay and build lasting income assets.
Rising costs in America are leaving the average American in crutches, even if you already make decent money in the land of opportunity.
Whether you’re a small business owner or simply just employed, the only solution to this problem is to make more money.
Why? Historically, cost of living has only increased over the years.
For example, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), between 2000 and 2010, prices have increased by 28.4%.
Between 2010 and 2020, 19.1%.
And between 2020 to 2026, 25.8%.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, a “perfect storm” of supply chain disruptions, massive government stimulus, and the energy shock from the Russian invasion of Ukraine sent inflation to 40-year highs (peaking at 9.1% in mid-2022).
With the prices of homes already inflated, it’s a nail on the cross for Americans that simply want to live a much more fruitful and abundant life.
How We Fix The Problem
You can’t.
You can’t change the external factors at play. Geopolitical tensions, foreign policy, who’s in office and what they do or don’t do; these things aren’t up to you.
What is up to you, however, is the opportunities you seek to at the very least keep up with the rising costs of living, and if you succeed, even surpass it.
This is why your aunt, mom, uncle, or sibling might all of a sudden be looking for ways to monetize themselves on TikTok or YouTube.
More Americans are now using the available social media platforms as a side hustle gig.
According to a 2025 LendingTree report, nearly 44% of Americans now have a side hustle.
Side hustles have exploded since the 2020 pandemic when Americans were forced to enclose themselves from being outdoors.
We saw the rise of DoorDash, TikTok challenges and trends (still relevant today), influencers, and traditional businesses mobilize as physical locations closed down.
Innovation sparked a new wave of making money on the side. Today, increasing your take-home income is the best way to beat the rising costs of living in America.
How Are People Doing It?
The first thing you need to know is that anyone can create a side hustle venture to bring in some extra cash home.
It won’t be easy, but once you identify what will get you paid and how you can get paid, you build a muscle for it.
I’m 30 years-old and have created brands since the age of 19. I’ve created small side gigs in the past from selling branded merchandise to drop shipping online, to selling online review placements to independent artists, and monetizing a YouTube channel.
As of today, I’ve had an incredibly successful blogging career.
You don’t need to spend too much time thinking what it is you want to do ‘forever’. You just need to start.
Because when you start, it’s going to allow you to identify what works and what doesn’t work.
And when it doesn’t work, find something else to create — keyword create. Have ownership in something. Build an asset that will pay you, even if its cents at first and dollars later.
If you’re not into the online business, online brand thing, start a traditional business on the side. I had a client in my early days who sold incredibly tasty Filipino delicacies straight from their home.
You don’t need a shop at first, you don’t need a business loan, you just need to market yourself and simply start.
Still Don’t Know Which Course to Follow or Exactly How to Start?
If you have an idea of what it is you can be doing, but don’t know exactly how to start or how to even monetize or market it yourself, reach out to me personally.
I consult with people just like you to help you gain clarity and see the path that makes the most sense.
Reach me at contact@franknezmedia.com for a quick conversation about you.
