Side Hustle Thoughts for 2019

After our experience with homestead turkeys this fall, I’m more determined than ever to increase homestead productivity.  Before Christmas, I had a fantastic meeting with a CPA friend, and now that I’m no longer suffering from the plague that got us down, I’m ready!

Honey Caramel Popcorn

Just after Christmas, my husband happened across a 2.5-ounce popcorn machine at Aldi for $30.  Unlike the manual stove top version that sits unused in our kitchen, this contraption is so easy to use, and I can make popcorn in much less time.  I’m going to make a few batches to share with friends, and I’ll also put some on Facebook Marketplace.  If the machine doesn’t work out as a business investment, then I will have a nice little toy for home use, and if I end up breaking it because it couldn’t handle high use, then I figure I should have generated enough revenue from sales to buy a better machine.  Either way, the machine was a great score!

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla

When someone calls you up and tells you, “Sarah, your vanilla is so good that I’d love to pay you for it,”, and you don’t start selling it, I guess you hate money.  That’s what happened with me, and since I don’t hate money, I’m going to get my bourbon vanilla going within the next week so that I’ll have some young product within three or four months.  It’s so easy to make, and it’s so good.  It should be a no-brainer, but for some reason, it wasn’t for me.

Homemade Face Scrubs

These are low-hanging fruit really, and a lot of folks really enjoy them.  My daughter and I were supposed to make some for her friends for Christmas, but again, because of the plague, it just didn’t happen.  Once we do that though, I know they’ll be a hit!

Baked Goods

I’m a fantastic baker if I do say so myself, and baked goods are also low-hanging fruit that I didn’t pursue.  I kept worrying about what I was going to bake instead of just baking and seeing what sells.  I’d really like to do something with sourdough products, and I’ve come up with an idea to make the cinnamon rolls marketable in Indiana while playing nice with the cottage food laws.  I also got a book from Mom at Christmas that should help me come up with some really amazing keto recipes.  I feel like that’s a niche that needs something, but we’ll see.  I could be wrong in this market.

I have some other assorted plans too like homestead poultry and eggs as well as some other odds and ends, but right now, the key is to “get busy living” and the rest of it will take care of itself as long as I stay focused and determined.  Remember, what you do matters!

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