Even a small side income changes how you walk into a room. You’re there because you want to be, not because you have to be.

Money you do not depend on changes your posture more than the amount would suggest. When one source is not the only source, you can ask questions, decline things and say what you think, because the worst outcome is no longer everything. It is not really about the sum. It is about having somewhere else to stand.

If you can, build something small that brings in a little on its own. Tutoring, fixing things, a few hours somewhere else, anything that is yours. And if that is not possible at the moment, saving even a little has a similar effect on how situations feel.