Mine to Five
Money guides for people with a day job.
Nine to five pays the bills. The hours after five are yours to build with.
Start with the basicsFree, plain English, the math shown. No courses, no promises.
How we writeWhat Mine to Five is
A free money publication for people with a regular job who want more choice: a second income that fits around it, everyday money that stops leaking, and investing that turns spare hours into freedom.
Who it is for. People with a nine to five, a budget that feels tight and a few evening hours a week. You do not need any finance background; every guide starts from zero and defines its terms.
What we cover. Side income, money basics, investing and financial freedom, plus plain explainers on crypto and prediction markets that lead with risk and regulation rather than hype.
How we write. Every guide shows its math in worked examples you can redo with your own numbers, names its risks and common mistakes, and ends with concrete next steps. We never tell you what to buy.
What it costs. Nothing, and there is nothing to sign up for. Questions and corrections go to hello@minetofive.com.
Your hours after five
Set a few evening hours a week and a realistic rate. See what a year of side income adds up to, and what it could become if you invested all of it.
Start here
The 50/30/20 Budget: How It Works and When to Adapt It
How the 50/30/20 budget splits after-tax income into needs, wants and savings, with a worked example and ways to adapt it to your real costs.
7 min readRead the guide
How to Build an Emergency Fund (and How Big It Should Be)
How to size an emergency fund for your situation, where to keep it, how to build it step by step and when it is right to use it.
7 min readRead the guide
Best Side Hustles Compared: Cost, Time, Income and Skills
Compare side hustle types by startup cost, time to first dollar, income ceiling, skills and flexibility, then pick one that fits your life.
9 min readRead the guide
How to Price Your Freelance Services
Hourly, project or value pricing: how each works, and a worked rate calculation that includes taxes, expenses and unbillable time.
7 min readRead the guide
How to Start Investing with $100
A step-by-step guide to investing your first $100: what to do first, where to put it, what it costs, and how small amounts grow with steady habits.
7 min readRead the guide
How to Calculate Your Financial Independence Number
How to estimate your FI number with the 25x rule, where the rule comes from, its real limits, and worked examples you can adapt to your own spending.
7 min readRead the guide
Six guides in the order most people need them. All 41 guides by topic
Six topics
Realistic ways to earn a second income around a full-time job, with honest numbers on time, effort and risk.
Budgeting, emergency funds, debt payoff and savings: the foundation every other money goal is built on.
Long-term investing explained from the ground up: accounts, index funds, stocks, bonds and building a simple portfolio.
How compounding, savings rate and multiple income streams add up to more choice over how you spend your time.
What blockchain and cryptocurrencies are, how they work and the risks to understand before you touch them.
An educational look at event contracts: how they are priced, how they are regulated and what they can teach about probability.
Why the name
Mine to Five: the hours you sell to an employer are theirs. The hours after the clock are yours to mine.
A few of those hours a week, spent on a skill, a budget or a steady investment habit, add up faster than most people expect. We explain the parts that matter in plain English and show the math, so you can decide for yourself. Read our editorial policy or more about us.