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Abacus, a Canadian research firm, declared back in May that 59 per cent of Canadians have taken on or considered taking on a side hustle. Why wouldn’t they, with the cost of living and eating consuming most of our paychecks? I personally have a side hustle reselling DVDs and Blu-Rays. “People still buy DVDs?” you ask. They do. They still buy VHS tapes, as a matter of fact, and they pay a lot for some of them.

But it can be tough. Like anything you want to get good at, it requires time, patience, knowledge, risk and yes – maybe a little money. If you list your items on eBay, people will insult your reasonable prices by sending you laughable, lowball offers. Items you thought would sell in a heartbeat will sit on your shelf. The fees eBay will take from your hard-earned money will make you cringe.

One time, I gave up on it entirely. I was sick of the envelopes, the shipping fees, the unsold

products. But eventually, I came back because I realized it also brings genuine joy to my life. The thrill of entering a thrift store, heart thumping, eyes combing the racks, is a strange thrill

that never seems to wear itself out. It actually feels more like an extension of my love for cinema than a business enterprise and I think that’s one of the reasons I keep coming back to it. There are other little ways I can connect with my “customers” too. Sometimes, you’re able to track down a film they’ve wanted for a long time, but have never been able to acquire, and that’s satisfying. Sometimes you can take pleasure in offering people a good deal instead of gouging them.

What I don’t find enjoyable is whipping out my phone, booting up an app and scanning every last thing it tells me to buy. I’m not going to legislate what people do with their time only to suggest that maybe there’s an easier, more enjoyable way to make money. Let’s face it – if you’re going to do that, you might as well scan boxes at UPS.

So, find that side hustle, but beware of the issues, be persistent through the initial challenges and most importantly, don’t forget to have fun and enjoy yourself.