Kristine Joy, Writer

Mission:

EARN $12K IN SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME

Wellness Why(s):

Primary: Financial

Subsidiary: Emotional (self-esteem), Physical (re-learn learn golf), Occupational (acquire experience across broadened horizons), Environmental (be outside)

How It Started (early May):

My husband has a retirement plan underway, which means that our family will be operating on less income during the 2025-2026 academic school year and without his salary all together starting in July of 2026. We have obviously planned for this, but I’d like to build our supplemental income fund in order to:

• Lessen our (mostly referring to my husband here) financial worries / delay the draw on retirement accounts and investments.
• Feed teenage spending habits to the degree that our daughter is happy and knows that she is worth every penny in the world (but doesn’t spend wastefully either!).
• Put money towards future trips (which we can take more of with a retired husband).
• Spend indulgent and/or selfish money on myself or others without guilt or detracting from our standard of living.
• Build my self-esteem / value to my family.

Current Sources of Supplemental Income

• Pickleball Instruction

Potential Sources of Supplemental Income

• Tennis Instruction
• Writing / Blogging
  • Social Media (an authentic, Instagram @alfiegetshard, type of account, or ‘Idealist‘ account that links to this website)
• Nutritionist (ISSA certification in progress)
• S&C Coach (I voluntarily do this now) / Personal Trainer (ISSA certification in progress)
• Pro Pickleball – I am currently sponsored such that I receive equipment and expenses (thank you Selkirk!!), but my three year career earnings are under $500.
• Reality TV – I served as a contestant on a Reality TV show in September of 2023. There is a chance that this airs in 2025, and there is a chance that I make some money because of it, but the reality of either happening may not be a reality.
• Seasonal Worker for City Golf Course

I feel a need to specify that the goal is specific to my supplemental income as opposed to my primary source of income. I receive a part-time salary (and benefits) to coach collegiate triathlon.

“Show me the money!”

– Said Someone (Me) That Wants Her Financial Well-Being to Go From Good to Great

How It’s Going:

I was already set up to teach Pickleball lessons through Smithfield Tennis & Pickleball Center as an independent contractor, and have continued doing so. Seeing as ‘I’m Back‘ playing tennis again, I seamlessly added Tennis Instruction back in the mix and between the two sports, teach 10+ lessons per month.

I have been writing, and created this website……for your reading pleasure……because I need the validation of readership……because I enjoy writing and if a benefit of that ends up being supplemental income, great! The aforementioned benefit has not come to fruition.

Supplemental Income as a Writer:

Grand Total
(drumroll please)
$0

I completed my ISSA Nutritionist Certificate in June, and have started the process of obtaining an ISSA Personal Trainer Certificate. Why? I needed CEU’s to renew my USAT License and would rather stab myself then learn more about bike maintenance. At present, I voluntarily coach nutrition and S&C, and implement the knowledge personally, but don’t have a plan to generate income in these fields. I may develop a Monday Morning Coach segment of this website and/or perhaps there is some money to be made in the weight loss industry? 🤷‍♀️😂

As for Pro Pickleball, I was part of the Major League Pickleball (MLP) Draft a couple years back, but did not get drafted and my phone has yet to ring.

If you have more confidence in yourself than others have in you, does that make you strong, naive, hopeful, arrogant, persistent, resilient, a believer or an idiot? Check all that apply.

Related to Pro Pickleball and a potential source of income, I have been told that the Reality TV show will air this year. #waitandsee (literally)

And finally, let’s talk birdie money. While researching additional supplemental income opportunities, I kept coming back to the idea of working at a golf course and ideally, outside at a golf course. I assumed that a job at a golf course would come with the benefit of free golf, and thus, would also allow me to take up golf again (my first husband and I played often in my twenties) without negating the supplemental income itself.

I applied to a couple of private golf courses, but was turned away. Apparently, my resume did not stack up to that of your typical temp job high school or college student applicant. And here I thought the process would increase my self-esteem?!?

I applied to the City (3 golf courses within) given the appeal of $18/hour to perform grounds maintenance. I pictured myself listening to music, cruising around on a mower and enhancing my tan while brainstorming ideas for best-selling novels.

I, and here’s where I maybe went wrong, listed my willingness to work in the Clubhouse as a second option because it paid $16/hour and I figured that there would only be a pane of glass separating me from the great outdoors / beauty of a well-maintained golf course.

I got an interview! But it was for a cashier position. And the website was wrong they informed me; cashiers only make $11.25/hour.

“But you get free golf, including carts!”

– The person that told me that the falsely advertised listed hourly wage was a 1.42 factor of the actual hourly wage.

The interview process was lengthy, but I made it through to the finish line and was offered the job. Despite it not being ideal, I accepted, with the caveat of closer to 10 hours per week instead of more (since I need to find another job that pays more) and figuring I would probably golf enough to up my wages to the advertised incorrect rate of $16/hour. #jobswithbenefits

This eagle landed. I’m now 7 weeks into this job, and have yet to golf. I’ve used the driving range twice. I’m inside 99% of the time. When working, there isn’t time for conjuring up writing ideas because duty calls EVERY MINUTE – check golfers in, answer the phone, make sandwiches/hot dogs/brats/burgers, ring up other concession items, check and clean the bathrooms, barkeep and bartend.

Believe me, the Clubhouse can get bunkers!

And I think that I’m putt-ing on a good show, but they haven’t offered me a raise; not a single more slice of the pie.

But, and I’m being fore real here, I have learned a lot about golf despite still being green in the industry. The people that I work with are truly tee-riffic, and wicked smart (retired physics teacher, retired grocery store manager, retired school district Director of Technology, etc). It literally just dawned on me that Barry used to manage Fareways and now he manages fairways. And being busy makes the time pass quickly. I have also learned how to make a Bloody Mary, a Transfusion, a Dark & Stormy and a Whatsit for Whosits galore. Management allows me weeks off to drive around the country and camp. And I fully intend to (still) take up golf so that hole-in-fun benefit awaits me.

The good news ends there though. I’m way behind the ball when it comes to meeting my financial well-being goal. 9 weeks in, I’ve made $1,622 towards my $12,000 goal. This is $1,464 less than being on track, which makes me less than chipper. In fact, I’m feeling pretty rough about the whole deal. All bets par off as to whether I’ll meet my goal without a scramble to my approach.

You can shank me or not for the stupid number of puns within.

Up to the Moment Opportunity Update – There is a chance that I’ll be getting paid to operate a skid loader tomorrow, which would move me closer to my supplemental income goal of course, and closer to my goal of spending a future Summer in the Yukon gold mining with for Parker.

Wellness Spreadsheet:

I track my supplemental income here if you’d like to follow along.

Update On:

December 31st