Man, 2020. What a weird year, right? Everybody was kinda stuck, figuring things out. For me, it hit hard on the money front. Not like I was broke, but I just felt this deep itch to get things straight, you know? Like a proper Virgo, my brain just started spinning, obsessing over every little detail about my cash. It wasn’t about being rich overnight; it was about getting control, making something happen when everything else felt out of control.
I started with the basics, really digging into my own spending. I mean, I actually pulled out every single bank statement, every credit card bill from like the last two years. I printed them out, highlighted everything. It was a proper dive. I saw all these tiny drains, subscriptions I barely used, impulse buys from online shopping when I was bored. It was kinda shocking how much just vanished without me really noticing.
So, the first big move was cutting. I mercilessly chopped away at anything that wasn’t essential. Those streaming services I watched maybe once a month? Gone. That fancy coffee shop habit every morning? Replaced it with my own brew at home. I started cooking more, packing lunches. It wasn’t fun, no, but seeing the numbers in my account actually stay put, or even climb a little, felt really good. It built a foundation.
Finding My Side Hustle Groove
Cutting spending was cool, but it wasn’t growing anything. So, my mind shifted to finding a way to make extra bucks. I brainstormed endlessly. What could I do that didn’t require a huge upfront investment? What could I learn fast? Something practical, something I could get my hands on. Being a Virgo, I shy away from super risky stuff. I want to build, slowly, surely.
I landed on selling things online. Not just my old junk, but actually finding things, giving them a new life, and flipping them. My niche ended up being vintage tech and old video game consoles. I’ve always been a bit of a tinkerer, so it just clicked.
It all kicked off with a stack of old consoles and controllers sitting in my garage, collecting dust. Stuff I’d bought years ago, forgotten about. I pulled them out, one by one. I cleaned every nook and cranny. I tested them rigorously. I researched what similar items were selling for on various online platforms. I then set up a makeshift photo station in my spare room, using an old bed sheet as a backdrop. I snapped a bunch of pictures, trying to get decent lighting. I wrote out descriptions, listing every detail, every flaw.
My first few listings? Awful. Took me forever to write them, the photos were kinda blurry, and I priced them way too high, hoping for a miracle. I posted them. I waited. And waited. Crickets. Nothing. Not a single nibble.
I felt a real wave of discouragement. “Is this even worth it?” I grumbled to myself. But that Virgo brain, always analyzing, always wanting to optimize, just wouldn’t let it go. I went back to the drawing board. I studied other successful sellers. I read articles on how to take better product photos. I learned about keyword optimization for my descriptions, trying to make them punchier, more direct. I adjusted my pricing strategy, starting a bit lower, offering discounts.
The Grind and the Wins
Then, it happened. My first sale. Man, what a thrill! I carefully packed the console. I printed the shipping label. I drove it to the post office myself. It felt real, like I’d actually made something happen. Then came another sale. And another. Slowly, steadily, it started picking up speed.
I expanded my sourcing. On weekends, I started hitting up local yard sales, flea markets, and thrift stores. I hunted for deals, always with my phone in hand to check prices. I learned to haggle a bit, trying to get the best deals I could. It became a whole scavenger hunt, a skill I really enjoyed developing.
Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. I ran into issues: an item got damaged in shipping; a buyer claimed something didn’t work even though I knew it did; I bought something that looked great, only to find out it was busted when I got it home. I dealt with returns. I issued refunds. I learned to package things even more securely. I got better at testing items before buying and before shipping.
My most Virgo trait really kicked in here: I kept a meticulous spreadsheet. Every single item. What I paid for it, what it sold for, shipping costs, platform fees, how much actual profit I made. It wasn’t just a side gig; it was a mini-business. This allowed me to see what was truly profitable and what was just a time sink.
The hardest part was the sheer consistency. After working my regular job all day, coming home and spending hours cleaning, testing, listing, and packing. There were so many nights I just wanted to flop on the couch and zone out. But I pushed through. I reminded myself of that initial drive, that feeling of wanting to take control. It wasn’t glamorous, just steady, persistent work.
By the end of 2020, I wasn’t rolling in dough, but I had built a reliable side income. It wasn’t just the money, though. It was about proving to myself I could figure something out from scratch, that I could build a system and make it work. That entire journey, born out of a bit of financial worry and a whole lot of Virgo drive, truly reshaped how I saw my money and my own capabilities. It taught me that consistent, practical effort, even in small doses, really does add up to something significant.
