As a writer, there are times that are tough and money just doesn't seem to be flowing in fast enough. It could be clients just aren't paying you or the jobs just aren't out there. It's during these times that I end up doing what I like to call the emergency jobs.
These are jobs that may pay crap, but you get the money right away. It could be you go to a bidding site and bid $3 for 20 500-word articles or hit up some old clients for any writing needs. These days usually happens on Thursday or Friday and go towards things for the weekend. I don't much of a life outside work and home, but I occasionally do like to take my kids out to lunch or to a bowling alley.
The emergency job is glamorous and can be a pain in the butt, but the important thing is the money is fast. Many people like to wait a week or two before paying, even after getting an invoice, but the emergency job requires either money upfront or a very quick turnaround.
Many times the jobs themselves are boring and tedious. It can be as simple as rewriting the same article 10 times or using incredibly awkward SEO in articles for submission services. The client doesn't;t care if the writing is good, only that you're doing the work so he doesn't have to.
If it gets to the point where you're doing emergency jobs every weekend or even in the middle of the week, then you should probably look for a more stable profession.