Man Rants About Why Americans Need to Have 2 Jobs and a Side Hustle to Survive in This Economy

With higher-than-normal inflation, prices have been stubbornly high all across the U.S. The pressure has been increasing on the wallets of the middle class with more people turning to side hustles to supplement their income. According to a Market Watch report, over half (54%) of all Americans have adopted a side hustle in the last 12 months. TikTok creator Malcolm in the City (@malcolmdwaincarte) went on a long rant on why everyone needs to have at least two jobs to live the life they desire.

Here’s why everyone in America needs two jobs and one side hustle

In the video, which now has over 121,000 views at the time of writing, Malcom says that in the current economy, everyone needs to have two jobs and at least one side hustle to maintain some quality of life. He says with all the bills like home insurance, car insurance, gas, electricity, and more, the costs are adding up. He explains that even saving money by ordering from the Dollar menu isn’t an option either as it is no longer a dollar menu. He says in Houston, the gas prices have also gone up to $3 and it may as well swell up to $4.

He then says that in life, people want to be more than just stressed out. They want to go to malls, to concerts, and sustain some kind of life that is desirable. “How the hell are you going to do that with one job?” Malcom says in the video.

He then says that one job isn’t nearly enough to make life stress-free. People are still going to be worried about the bills and sweating on the couch thinking of how they are going to pay for all the stuff. Thus, Malcom recommends that people need at least one side hustle or even two side hustles to make enough money. “That’s Uber, Doordash, you might need to Instacart as well,” Malcom says. He explains that people need to have some extra money in order for them to have the things they want in life. “We’re gonna figure it out, we’re gonna make it,” Malcolm says at the end.

While Malcom’s advice is extreme, the comment section of the video proved that it may as well be essential. Several viewers took to the comments to express their frustration over rising costs. “A box of cereal is $5.99. food, gas, & rent and other bills. It’s expensive just to live,” user @jayyderulo wrote.

Since late 2020, average year-over-year wage growth and increase in inflation have reached record levels, with both peaking in 2022, as per the Consumer Price Index and the  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

However, between 2021 and 2023, year-over-year inflation growth outpaced the wage growth. This means that by making more money, workers could not buy as much because the prices of goods were rising faster than their wages.

In the Market Watch survey, it was found that 57% of the respondents who lived paycheck-to-paycheck had taken on additional income opportunities. Meanwhile, 48% of those who didn’t have to do the same as well. Thus, Malcom’s observation stands absolutely true, and more people may be taking up extra jobs to make more money.

For more such advice and entertaining content, you can follow Malcom in the City (@malcolmdwaincarte) on TikTok.