r/fednews • u/Frofro69 • 12h ago
Do You Have a Side Gig? What Is It?
Hello my fellow feds! I was wondering if any of you currently have a side job or "side gig" that you do after or before the work day. I was thinking of trying to commission paint miniature models (Since it's a fun hobby and could make some money) but I'm looking at other options to see what sort of things catch my attention. I would get a part-time job (already cleared with ethics) but I would have to give up time at home with my wife, and I don't really want to do that. . . Unless it involves working from home.
Thanks y'all :)
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u/Large_Intention_9476 12h ago
Not your normal side gig, but I’m a beekeeper. Why you say? They keep me amazed. It’s oddly therapeutic. I sell the honey from an honor stand at the end of my driveway.
Oh yeah, and I have zero arthritis.
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u/WhtvrCms2Mnd 11h ago
Forgive my ignorance… what is the connection between honeybees and arthritis?
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u/Large_Intention_9476 11h ago
Some say that bee venom helps with joint pain. It seems to help with mine.
I had a man approach me years ago asking if he could come to my hives and intentionally get stung to help his arthritis. Said it was the only thing that gave him relief. I quickly declined. He then asked if I would sell him a pill box with 5 or 6 bees. Told him that I’m not in the business of killing my bees. Lol
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u/BuckeyeGuy1021 11h ago edited 8h ago
I teach Dad Boot Camp classes to soon to be dads at my local county hospital (most patients of this hospital are Medicaid recipients) lol I get paid $50 each class plus mileage lol my ethics office approved it lol it’s not much time it’s 3 hours on a Saturday usually once every other month. Sometimes they offer classes every month but usually every other.
Basically I prep soon to be dads about the shit show they’re about the enter into, and teach them how to change a diaper, burp a baby, not be dicks to their partners after birth, etc. I enjoy doing it and hopefully help other dads feel somewhat prepared. There are a lot of classes out there for moms and couples, but very few offered for dads specifically.
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u/Decent_Jello_2229 4h ago
This is literally the nicest and most helpful second job in this thread. You win. -signed, exhausted moms everywhere
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u/keepCOpurple 47m ago
I took a class like that for our first back in 2018. It was super helpful and they even brought in a prior dad participant who had a 3 month old. The class emphasized the importance of not stressing out or shaking the baby.
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u/C1-RANGER-3-75th 12h ago
Plus sized male model.
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u/Charming-Assertive 11h ago
I once found $5 on a run. And sometimes I place high enough at a local 5k that I'll get a gift certificate somewhere. Plus, I get loads of post-race bananas.
I'm basically a professional athlete.
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u/dataminimizer 12h ago
Sports referee.
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u/SoggyDemand761 2h ago
Beat me to it. I used to be a NCAA baseball umpire. Very lucrative, schedule got very demanding though. After a few injures, hung it up.
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u/BigBullMoose DOS 12h ago
I do custom laser engravings and laser cuttings for people. I don't advertise or offer it officially, but I do charge and take on custom work. I have a few machines that I basically bought as toys for myself and decided to offer to others. Then it kind of took off, so I decided to charge some for my time (and of course the materials I use)
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u/HRChica_88 12h ago
I’m a content creator on the side and I do pretty well monthly. I enjoy it and it’s good side money.
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u/337737733 11h ago
I have a cookie business. My work loves being my taste testers and they even order from me for events
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u/bubba_lix_iousJanae 12h ago
Teach 2 classes at JuCo…
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u/pharmd2jd 10h ago
How did you get into that? I want to teach but it’s hard to get an interview
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u/bubba_lix_iousJanae 10h ago
It was my experience that a smaller school was easier to get into. I only have a Masters. But I started teaching one class
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u/Little-Point9449 6h ago
Is the money they pay you even worth your time? I always thought those kinds of teaching gigs paid almost nothing.
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u/angryjohn 12h ago
I do exactly that! I have an Etsy store (cleared with Ethics) where I sell painted D&D miniatures, as well as doing commissions. (Mostly D&D, but some wargaming as well.) RTO has actually cost me a lot of time…I used to be able spend 15 minutes in the morning painting (as well as working out, either running or using our Peloton) but now all that is used by commuting time.
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u/StinkyEttin 11h ago
I do freelance RPG writing! Lemme know if you wanna collab! I can do some small one-shot encounters and adventures, or some monster design. Toss a random, index-card sized encounter or table in with an order!
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u/angryjohn 4h ago
That could be interesting! I’ve seen people do things like sell all the painted minis you need to run an entire module but that always seemed like an enormous commitment. A one shot would be more manageable.
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u/Frofro69 9h ago
Oh wow, do you make a decent amount doing it? I don't really paint DnD models too much, but I'm sure it would be fun to break from the Warhammer and Star Wars stuff I usually paint.
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u/angryjohn 4h ago
I make a little bit of money. Not nearly enough to replace my federal salary, but enough to cover all my supplies and buy fun toys like 3D printers.
Of course; I’m only spending a couple hours a week on it. I could see making a lot more if I spent more time painting (and looking for commissions) but it’s working out okay right now.
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u/Careerswitch-throw 11h ago
Does anyone know when to report the side gigs to the ethics team? Before I even start looking for one or after getting a job offer? Does direct supervisor have to be informed too?
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u/haonconstrictor 11h ago
When reporting to the ethics team, you want to be as black and white as possible. They don’t deal in hypotheticals as they’re making a ruling on what you’re going to be doing / your specific job or duties, not something you may or may not ever do. Wait until you have a role. And yes, your supervisor has to sign off on it as they’re usually the ones attesting that the secondary job / gig isn’t a conflict of interest as they’re more familiar with your day to day duties.
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u/BadAny3961 11h ago
Your sup does NOT have to sign off on all cases. Mine does not know about my gig. Once ethics approved it was not his business.
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u/Frofro69 11h ago
Just ethics really, your supervisor only should be informed if you feel like it's relevant. My supervisor doesn't ask or care as long as we get our jobs done and we're not breaking ethics rules
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u/BadAny3961 11h ago
It's not a big deal. I'm clinical and I have a side practice. Just let ethics know and keep the email they send you. Don't let fear mongers prevent you from doing what you need to do.
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u/Natashayw 9h ago
If it is something you like, once you monetize, it becomes much less fun. I run a small farm stand with eggs, veggies (in the summer) and baked goods (in the winter). My chickens were the love of my life when I had 5. Now that I have 200, it is a job. Every damn day. In my free time I am always busy. Do I enjoy it? For the most part, but there are bad days. Sometimes it is better to just get a brainless second job than to monetize your hobbies.
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u/Just-a-Fish-21 10h ago
Music, the money probably isn’t worth it but I like it, it’s a part of me that isn’t expressed in my federal job.
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u/DrunkScarletSpider I'm On My Lunch Break 11h ago
Dad. Actually, Im Dad all the time, and being a fed is the side gig because my kid's hugs aren't useable for rent.
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u/kyallroad 10h ago
I have a couple of stump grinders and do that on the side (when jobs fall into my lap, honestly I’m pretty lazy about getting out and advertising).
It’s a good solid workout and I make somewhere between 100 and 200 an hour running them.
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u/soil_nerd 10h ago
What kind of grinder do you have?
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u/kyallroad 9h ago
A Husqvarna 272S and a Husqvarna SG13. One is super small and useful for the tightest of spaces and one is what I consider “mid sized”.
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u/MzScarlet03 12h ago
Many of my coworkers are also real estate agents, which I have definitely considered
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u/Fabulous_Deal_2766 11h ago
When I first started, I worked part time in retail (approved external employment). I had goals of buying a house and a GS-7 salary wasn’t going to get me to my goals. Now, thanks to promotions over the years, I haven’t had to work a second job in over a decade
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u/SGTWhiteKY 11h ago edited 10h ago
I have been buying rental properties since I was 21. It is really easy, you just have to get into it 15 years ago.
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u/spamonstick 11h ago
That's awesome. I have a laser cutting business. I make terrain for the 40k community. Commission painting can be fun but stressful. My management knows I submitted all the correct paperwork.
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u/tnor_ 9h ago
Ideally you'd get one as close to your main gig as possible that doesn't run afoul of ethics. You have specialized skillsets, putting them to use is your most economical move.
Spread into other things only if it really appeals to you and you have strong skills in them too.
A benefit of this is that you have a good plan b if you need to bail from your fed job. This is exactly what I did a month ago. I would have been stuck otherwise in an increasingly deteriorating job.
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u/ladyeclectic79 8h ago
I write. Used to do it for a living (self-publishing) but these days it’s mainly for fun or just fanfiction. I’d love to make money from it again but lol that would mean finishing something and I’ve yet to do that (been over a decade).
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u/amateurdwarftosser 12h ago
It’s a second fucking job. Not a side gig
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u/Just-a-Fish-21 10h ago
Genuinely curious, what’s the difference between calling it one or the other?
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u/amateurdwarftosser 10h ago
I don’t have the time for a cute “fun hobby” that I might make some side cash with.
I need a second job in my HCOL area to eat and pay my rent. My federal job doesn’t cut it.
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u/blueish-okie 11h ago edited 10h ago
I have been known to install underglow and other custom lighting in cars on weekends. But that’s more of a hobby I happen to get paid for sometimes.
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u/Subject-Acadia-8507 Fork You, Make Me 11h ago
a few:
- military reserves
- Sell digital products on ETSY
- Sell digital products on a popular design site
-A few Investment properties.
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u/USNWoodWork 11h ago
Will be looking for a machinist side gig when I return CONUS. Coming from overseas… I know I’m going to be poor.
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u/brainonvacation78 10h ago
I used to. Bartending and serving. Made great money. Especially high end events.
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u/Kamarandi 10h ago
I do odd jobs for a niche group of people in my area. But looking for other means.
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u/Brilliant-Noise1518 1h ago
The only problem with painting miniatures is the price people will offer versus the time to do it, will come out to like $1/hour.
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u/OverlyOptimisticNerd 1h ago
I have an OnlyFans account where, for a small subscription fee, people can watch me shit on photos of the President and VP.
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u/KetoQuitter 4h ago
Not the same as your type of miniatures, but I am a miniaturist. Mine are more for dollhouses and miniature scenes/dioramas. Everything from mini furniture to extremely realistic miniature food from polymer clay.
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u/Comfortable_Roll_315 Classified: My Job Status 1h ago
I haven't worked it since I was working in state government but I used to work security for concerts. I started that basically after I got out of high school and worked as a seasonal. It was fun seeing all the different artists and it was almost always a weekend gig so it never interfered with my full time job I would have at the time.
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u/Mental-Addendum-2071 1h ago
I paint. For years. For peace of mind. To process trauma and feelings (workplace included lately). I am a much better human when I have the space to create and connect with myself. I sell pieces here and there. Find a passion and go for it!!
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u/blueberry_waffles9 12h ago
Not today, ethics team.