Side hustle culture
Aubree Quapp, Contributor
In 2025, grocery prices are rising, the cost of living is increasing, and the once sought out nine to five is rapidly being replaced with the phenomenon of side hustle culture.
In the regular work week, evenings and weekends are reserved for leisure. But today, many young adults are working a second job to fill that spare time—a side hustle, which Cambridge Dictionary defines as something you get paid for alongside your main job.
Compared to other major Canadian cities, like Toronto and Vancouver, Calgary is home to a relatively affordable cost of living, which for a single person is around $1,555 each month, excluding rent.
No matter where one resides, the price of food, shelter, and gasoline has seen a steady increase across Canada this year. But what has not seen a hike, however, is Alberta’s minimum wage, which currently sits as the nation’s lowest at $15 an hour.
A report by Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) calculated the city’s living wage as $24.45, and found that full-time work is simply not enough to live and maintain basic needs.
“People are stuck in temporary contracts, gig work, or part-time roles that do not provide financial security or benefits,” read the report.
VCC explains that the financial strain of the economy affects many, from families supporting multiple people to students trying to afford university, and that working multiple jobs is what many individuals have turned to to meet their financial needs.
Capital One’s May survey polled over 1,000 Canadians and found that 36 per cent of people between the ages of 18 and 44 have a side hustle, and that 49 per cent are considering getting one.
Of this population, 94 per cent of people cite earning more money as the primary reason for them obtaining a second job, not “pursuing a passion, hobby or interest.”
Additionally, more than half say juggling their side hustle, school, and a primary job is challenging.
But for University of Calgary student, Ihnah Jung, side hustles offer much more than financial benefits.
Doing it for passion, not paycheques
Jung runs her own jewellery business and says that the side hustle not only brings in additional dollars but also makes room for creative freedom with a newfound work-life balance.
“Since I’m a student, I just really wanted something that allowed me to have flexibility in my schedule, so I started making jewellery,” says Jung. “It’s always been a passion of mine, but I guess I started to take it more seriously the past few years, and I just thought, why not?”
Even though she sometimes feels overwhelmed when managing school and a business, Jung sees moments of burnout as an indicator that she needs to spend more time feeding her passion.
“Maybe that just means I need to spend more time being creative and doing what I actually enjoy, or like the part of it that I enjoy,” she says.
Research by Thea Tselepis from the University of Johannesburg supports this, saying that today’s young adults tend to prefer precarious jobs over traditional ones because this lets them enjoy their off-the-clock time to the fullest.
“Their innovation and creativity seem to be linked to how they reclaim their time to perform what is referred to as ‘passion projects’ and create work-life balance and meaning to solve problems in society,” writes Tselepis. “There are others of Generation Z who are not even willing to take on full-time jobs and prefer to have several contracts or ‘gigs’ as this allows more work-life balance.”
Calgary resident Tegan Van Den Bossche has found a niche in working multiple jobs, working not only in construction but also as a hairdresser. He sees not just a financial reprieve, but an opportunity to pursue his interests.
“I’m passionate about what I do, especially in construction. I love it,” says Van Den Bossche. “But I also am pretty creative.”
While side hustles can provide individuals with the time to do what they love and get paid for it, juggling multiple responsibilities can turn into too much. Van Den Bossche emphasises that if it’s not a need, it’s a choice.
“I mean, that was my fault, my doing. I said yes,” says Van Den Bossche. “I think you can always say no to a job…you got to look after yourself too.”
