Depending on your career track, unless you're going into an executive job the higher income has a "ratcheting" effect where you have to work increasingly more in order to justify the higher pay. (If you're salaried)
There's more freedom, control, and potentially fewer hours involved in doing something on the side. Not to mention a nice change of pace. Good for one's sanity.
I moonlight on various side projects, day job is software.
No ... the question is the OP is a programmer and doesn't think his current job can yield the income he wants ... If all these unskilled things are on the table then surely finding a better paying programming job is an option because we're not talking about C level executive stuff.
There's more freedom, control, and potentially fewer hours involved in doing something on the side. Not to mention a nice change of pace. Good for one's sanity.
I moonlight on various side projects, day job is software.