Earning your first payment from a side-hustle is a memorable experience, and for good reason. It’s the point at which you’ve proven to yourself that you can make money in a way that doesn’t involve your main job or working for someone else. You now have options in your financial life and a new way to make progress on your goals.

There’s a danger with this new income, however. When we stumble into unexpected money, most of us give less thought to how we’ll spend it. We feel like it’s money we didn’t have before, and so whatever good thing we add to our lives is a win.

You may have heard of lifestyle inflation, the tendency for our expenses to rise as our income rises. This is a form of lifestyle inflation, only it happens from the jump. We put a lot of thought into how we spend our main income, but as soon as this new income comes along we think of it as extra money. The next thing you know, your side-hustle money is getting spent every month, just like the rest of your income, and you’ve lost the benefit of having it. Those dollars are no longer a tool to improve your life.

Avoid this trap by making a plan to use your first side-hustle payment toward a bigger picture life goal and not touching it until you reach a certain milestone. Here are a few of those options to consider:

1. Create a savings buffer. If you’ve ever suffered the anxiety of an unexpected expense, then you already know the value of having a little extra savings in your bank account. Many people turn to credit cards or personal loans when this happens, but it would be so much better to have your own buffer to absorb the blow.

2. Keep it out of your main account. While we were paying off debt, my wife and I kept my side-hustle income in a separate account. The intentionality of moving the money from one to another made us appreciate the hard work it took to earn the money. But the convenience of having it separated meant that we were less tempted to dip into it every time an expense arose.

3. Use it to make an investment in yourself. There are lots of ways to invest in yourself, from taking a class, to buying a book, to taking better care of your health. This sort of investment doesn’t pay off as soon as you collect your dividends, but it has the possibility of paying off for many years.

4. Think of a small splurge you’ve been putting off. Let’s not assume that spending money on non-essentials is always a bad idea. If you’re making satisfying progress on your goals, allowing yourself to spend a little money to make life richer is not just okay, it’s a wonderful use of your hard earned money.

5. Put it towards a loan balance. It would be hard to overstate the importance of having a loan repayment plan. Don’t assume that you can or should go it alone. There’s a whole community of people online who have been through it, and are going through it, and their words will be a great encouragement to you throughout the process.

6. Invest it for the long-term. If you already feel comfortable with your short-term savings and reasonable debt, another great option is to start putting a certain amount of your side-hustle income aside for investing. Just as few proponents of financial independence could deny, it is a great feeling to have investments that are working for you. You should educate yourself before making any significant financial moves, but you’ll find there are many great paths for everyday people.

Making a habit of the ideas above will almost certainly lead you to a better financial position. Start small by writing down a plan, using a few words, and keeping it somewhere you’ll see it every day. Each positive decision adds up, and over time, these intentional actions will shape a financially secure future for you and your loved ones.