ABILENE, Texas — When you think of side hustles, you probably think of something like driving for a ride or delivering food — but in this tough economy, more and more people are finding unique ways to make some extra money.
As parents of three, inspiration for Seth and Kayla Farrington’s new side hustle came easily.
“I mean, look — we have kids,” Kayla said as her little kids bounced up and down a giant inflatable slide. “We know what children love to do.”
While their bounce house business, 325 Inflatables, is a bit labor-intensive, the couple, who spend the day landscaping and teaching, is well worth the effort.
“We have 3 kids to support, we need to bring something else in,” Kayla said. “You go to the grocery store and spend tons of money these days — we have three kids to support, so we decided we had to do something that would help us.”
Erin Rodriguez, owner of gluten-free home bakery The Kneaderie, says her love language is baking – and she accidentally fell in love with a gluten-intolerant man.
“It was really him who got me into it and pushed me into it because he knows that’s my passion and it’s an untapped market here, so I wanted to do it and do it well,” she said.
A few months ago she switched from baking for her husband to baking for some extra money on the side, and she hasn’t let the economy — which has taken its toll on ingredient prices — stop her.
“If anything, it’s a little more fun because it’s more of a challenge, where can I find a good deal, but also give my customers a good product and make a good profit in the long run,” she said.
The Farringtons also had to contend with the balance of running the current economy while trying to make extra money in that very economy
“You have to save up for it, it’s not something you can just jump into,” Kayla said. “I mean it wasn’t cheap. Having to save up for it, being nervous and not knowing – you don’t know whether you’ll succeed or not.”
However, these new side hustles are not letting fear – or the economy – get in the way.
“We’re all struggling, and it’s only the good people in our hometowns and our communities that keep us going,” Erin said.
And besides the extra cash, there’s also a pretty sweet bonus for Kayla being a mom.
“My daughter Tatum used to tell everyone at school, ‘My mom has bouncy castles,’ so I guess I’m the cool mom now,” she said.
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