Well this thing is getting closer and closer every day and I seem not to have put as much effort into it as I should have. I do have ads posted on Craigslist for Homebrewing classes and Gardening services:
Homebrewing: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/lss/1003028634.html
Gardening: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/hss/1003021379.html
I’ve also scheduled the necessary training to be an owner/worker at my Co-op. That friend that may need a room to rent has not said anything more to us about it, so I must assume that she’s found something else.
I’m honestly starting to think that I need to see if I can find a temporary job someplace. I know it will likely require me to work more than 16 hours per month, but that may just be what I have to do. I really can’t see any of these little Craigslist ads bringing in any significant income. It’d be nice and maybe in time something will come of it but for here and now I may need to cast my net a bit wider. Here’s what I plan to do:
1) Contact the local restaurants and catering companies and see if they can put me on an “on-call” list. This is so that if somebody calls in sick or they get a big job, they can call me in just for the day. I’ll offer my services as a prep-cook (easier to land than a real chef’s position) as well as a server (hate doing that but it’s work and typically there’s more need for servers than for cooks)
2) Scour the paper and craigslist looking for temp jobs. These will likely be clerical, labor, etc…which I truly despise but again, it’s work and if I can pick up $80 on a Saturday here and there…it’s worth it.
3)Continue with my craigslist ads. It can’t hurt to keep putting myself out there and the more ads for the more services I have…the more likely it is that one of them will get a hit.
For now…anybody reading, please take a look at the ads I’ve already posted and if you or anybody you know is in need of my services, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Also, as a reminder, the fine ads provided on this page by Google might prove interesting to some of you…and likely only take a minute or two of you time…so please feel free to check some of them out!!
Until next time…
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Easier than I thought?
Could it be possible that this whole situation will be solved more easily than I thought? Nothing so far has been pointing that direction so I never thought it could be. The Governor wasn’t backing down, the Legislature doesn’t seem to care (at least the Republicans don’t…just as long as no taxes are raised), and there was nobody waiting outside my door in the morning to offer me a 16 hour per month job paying me exactly the amount I needed.
But then something happened today that brought the possibility of an “easy” fix back into the light. It turns out that we have a room that we could rent, we’ve rented it before but only to close friends (due to a bad experience when we strayed from that rule). I hadn’t really thought that we’d be able to find somebody to fill the room because we’re getting to the point that all of our friends are past the point where they need to rent a room in a house…most of them can afford a real apartment. But then this morning a friend of ours happened to send out an email letting people know that she needs a room…just for a few months (perfect timing for us really). So now my hope is re-kindled.
Now, this solves some of the problems…at least in the short-term. The reason things get a bit easier in 4-5 months is that we plan to have all of our credit card debt paid off by then, so we’ll have lower monthly financial obligations. However, this isn’t a done-deal yet…we still haven’t heard back from this friend. Also, even if she does rent the room, we still face the very real possibility that my wife will be receiving half of her income as IOUs. So for now…any potential income from that room rental I will assume offsets my wife’s income, not mine.
So this leaves me back where I was really. So to get back to my plan, I was supposed to come up with two options and flesh them out a bit. Here are my first two options:
1)Outdoor garden work – This is a conglomeration of a few options that I had listed before but they seemed to go together. Pruning trees, gardening, pond set-up, etc… This is pretty self-explanatory really. I could offer to do all these garden-related activities for people just like gardeners do all over the place. I would have the benefit of offering organic expertise which might be in demand. Since I don’t have money for newspaper ads…Craigslist is the way to go. I’ll have to get an ad up…I’ll probably list my fees pretty low so that I’ll actually get some business (something’s better than nothing, right?)
2) Homebrew – So I am a fairly accomplished homebrewer, won a few state and national awards so I really do know what I’m doing. I’ve taught a few friends how to brew so I also know how to teach. I’ve thought of this before but never actually did anything about it. It wouldn’t be difficult at all for me to offer homebrew classes to people, either in their home or mine. The only problem I see is that it would have to be fairly pricey and I’m not sure that in this economy people would be willing to pay that much for something that will likely be seen as a luxury. But it can’t hurt to try, right?
As far as the score board goes, I’m counting the room rental for my wife, so things are as they were last time:
Money Needed: $360
Hours Available: $26
I’ll get my Craigslist ads up soon and post them here when they’re up. Plus next time I’ll figure out another couple ideas. If any of you have any suggestions for how to advertise, or how to differentiate myself in the marketplace (compete with all the other gardeners) please leave a comment!
But then something happened today that brought the possibility of an “easy” fix back into the light. It turns out that we have a room that we could rent, we’ve rented it before but only to close friends (due to a bad experience when we strayed from that rule). I hadn’t really thought that we’d be able to find somebody to fill the room because we’re getting to the point that all of our friends are past the point where they need to rent a room in a house…most of them can afford a real apartment. But then this morning a friend of ours happened to send out an email letting people know that she needs a room…just for a few months (perfect timing for us really). So now my hope is re-kindled.
Now, this solves some of the problems…at least in the short-term. The reason things get a bit easier in 4-5 months is that we plan to have all of our credit card debt paid off by then, so we’ll have lower monthly financial obligations. However, this isn’t a done-deal yet…we still haven’t heard back from this friend. Also, even if she does rent the room, we still face the very real possibility that my wife will be receiving half of her income as IOUs. So for now…any potential income from that room rental I will assume offsets my wife’s income, not mine.
So this leaves me back where I was really. So to get back to my plan, I was supposed to come up with two options and flesh them out a bit. Here are my first two options:
1)Outdoor garden work – This is a conglomeration of a few options that I had listed before but they seemed to go together. Pruning trees, gardening, pond set-up, etc… This is pretty self-explanatory really. I could offer to do all these garden-related activities for people just like gardeners do all over the place. I would have the benefit of offering organic expertise which might be in demand. Since I don’t have money for newspaper ads…Craigslist is the way to go. I’ll have to get an ad up…I’ll probably list my fees pretty low so that I’ll actually get some business (something’s better than nothing, right?)
2) Homebrew – So I am a fairly accomplished homebrewer, won a few state and national awards so I really do know what I’m doing. I’ve taught a few friends how to brew so I also know how to teach. I’ve thought of this before but never actually did anything about it. It wouldn’t be difficult at all for me to offer homebrew classes to people, either in their home or mine. The only problem I see is that it would have to be fairly pricey and I’m not sure that in this economy people would be willing to pay that much for something that will likely be seen as a luxury. But it can’t hurt to try, right?
As far as the score board goes, I’m counting the room rental for my wife, so things are as they were last time:
Money Needed: $360
Hours Available: $26
I’ll get my Craigslist ads up soon and post them here when they’re up. Plus next time I’ll figure out another couple ideas. If any of you have any suggestions for how to advertise, or how to differentiate myself in the marketplace (compete with all the other gardeners) please leave a comment!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Scoreboard
It's amazing how jarring an event can be, even when you are expecting it.
Yesterday the long awaited memo was finally released. My furlough days have been chosen, not by me, but by the Department of Personnel Administration. If you have not read the memo, you can do so at: http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2009/01/09/23/memo010909.source.prod_affiliate.4.pdf
Yes, I was expecting it, but I was also hoping that some sort of agreement would have come about between the legislature and the Guv to prevent what is most likely going to come next: IOU's. As I mentioned before, a portion of my wife's income comes from a contract with the state. On top of my 10% reduction in pay, my wife will only bring in 50% of her usual income starting in February should the IOU's in fact get disbursed. Oddly, my situation is by far better than hers since I can actually make up the income by using my furlough time generating income. She, on the other hand, must continue to spend her time fulfilling her obligations spelled out in the contract, thus preventing her from finding other clients to make up for the deferred payment. So, the scoreboard at home now reads: Fearful Furlougher- $400; IOU wife- $1700.
My first furlough day is February 6th, which means I have about 26 days to get a plan, act on it, and make it work.
I previously mentioned that I thought I could generate about $15 per month using the ads in this blog...well that doesn't seem to be working out. So I'm back to looking for the full $400. My first step is going to be looking into a program offered by the Natural Foods Coop that I shop at. They give you the option of working for 6 hours per month (unpaid) at the store and in return receive a 10% discount on all your purchases. We spend approximately $350-400 per month, so I'll be able to save $35-40 per month. Now, I realize that at this rate, I'm going to run out of my 16 hours before I make up the $400. I have decided that I'm going to plan on working 32 hours per month, or two weekend days per month on top of the furlough days.
Money needed: $360
Hours available: 26
Yes, I realize that I'm ignoring the 600 pound gorilla in the room (my wife's $1700 per month deficit) but this blog is about my experience...not hers. I'll spend the rest of the weekend fleshing out 2 more options. If anybody has any recommendations, I'd appreciate it. I'd also love to hear your stories. Just add a comment with your experiences or ideas!
Yesterday the long awaited memo was finally released. My furlough days have been chosen, not by me, but by the Department of Personnel Administration. If you have not read the memo, you can do so at: http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2009/01/09/23/memo010909.source.prod_affiliate.4.pdf
Yes, I was expecting it, but I was also hoping that some sort of agreement would have come about between the legislature and the Guv to prevent what is most likely going to come next: IOU's. As I mentioned before, a portion of my wife's income comes from a contract with the state. On top of my 10% reduction in pay, my wife will only bring in 50% of her usual income starting in February should the IOU's in fact get disbursed. Oddly, my situation is by far better than hers since I can actually make up the income by using my furlough time generating income. She, on the other hand, must continue to spend her time fulfilling her obligations spelled out in the contract, thus preventing her from finding other clients to make up for the deferred payment. So, the scoreboard at home now reads: Fearful Furlougher- $400; IOU wife- $1700.
My first furlough day is February 6th, which means I have about 26 days to get a plan, act on it, and make it work.
I previously mentioned that I thought I could generate about $15 per month using the ads in this blog...well that doesn't seem to be working out. So I'm back to looking for the full $400. My first step is going to be looking into a program offered by the Natural Foods Coop that I shop at. They give you the option of working for 6 hours per month (unpaid) at the store and in return receive a 10% discount on all your purchases. We spend approximately $350-400 per month, so I'll be able to save $35-40 per month. Now, I realize that at this rate, I'm going to run out of my 16 hours before I make up the $400. I have decided that I'm going to plan on working 32 hours per month, or two weekend days per month on top of the furlough days.
Money needed: $360
Hours available: 26
Yes, I realize that I'm ignoring the 600 pound gorilla in the room (my wife's $1700 per month deficit) but this blog is about my experience...not hers. I'll spend the rest of the weekend fleshing out 2 more options. If anybody has any recommendations, I'd appreciate it. I'd also love to hear your stories. Just add a comment with your experiences or ideas!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Further Complications
Just when you think your situation is difficult enough, more gets thrown on! I know last time I said I was going to think through the list I had and figure out how it would work. However, over the past few days a new problem has arisen. It turns out that the particular agency that I work for is being considered for elimination. So now not only am I faced with the 10% cut in pay associated with the furlough, I’m also faced with losing my job.
While it’s true that I’ll likely be able to find a vacant position at some other agency and therefore be able to stay employed, there are still some considerable issues surrounding that prospect.
1. I may end up hating the job I find as a replacement.
2. I may end up having to take a job somewhere that would require me to drive or take public transportation rather than riding my bicycle.
3. I may end up having to take a job with a lower pay range (on top of the 10% pay cut)
A quick look at these options and what may be surprising to some becomes obvious to me. The option that would worry me most is not being able to ride my bike to work, which would increase my living costs. I have worked at jobs I hated before, and it sucks, but not the end of the world. Also, a lower salary is a drag, but things can be done to increase my income. Out of that list, not riding my bike to work is the one thing that I really couldn’t deal with (I HATED every job I’ve ever had that required a commute). So, as I think through this, a few options come to mind.
1. I could start looking now, and hopefully get into a new position that I like before the whole agency is fighting for the few remaining positions.
2. I could wait things out and hope that I’m placed in a new position that I can stand.
3. I do the research now to prepare myself for the potential change but not act until this becomes a reality.
The problem with option one is that if I leave this job (which I love) for a job that I only kind of like…and my current agency is not dissolved after all…I’ve just given up a job I loved for nothing. Option two really is too risky for me. So that leaves me with option 3. Easier than I expected really…that’s a relief. So I suppose my job now is to research open positions that I would enjoy and are located close enough to my house that I could ride my bike. Wow…that feels much better!
Now I need to focus back on my original problem…the 10% pay cut associated with the furlough! But I think that’ll be my next post.
While it’s true that I’ll likely be able to find a vacant position at some other agency and therefore be able to stay employed, there are still some considerable issues surrounding that prospect.
1. I may end up hating the job I find as a replacement.
2. I may end up having to take a job somewhere that would require me to drive or take public transportation rather than riding my bicycle.
3. I may end up having to take a job with a lower pay range (on top of the 10% pay cut)
A quick look at these options and what may be surprising to some becomes obvious to me. The option that would worry me most is not being able to ride my bike to work, which would increase my living costs. I have worked at jobs I hated before, and it sucks, but not the end of the world. Also, a lower salary is a drag, but things can be done to increase my income. Out of that list, not riding my bike to work is the one thing that I really couldn’t deal with (I HATED every job I’ve ever had that required a commute). So, as I think through this, a few options come to mind.
1. I could start looking now, and hopefully get into a new position that I like before the whole agency is fighting for the few remaining positions.
2. I could wait things out and hope that I’m placed in a new position that I can stand.
3. I do the research now to prepare myself for the potential change but not act until this becomes a reality.
The problem with option one is that if I leave this job (which I love) for a job that I only kind of like…and my current agency is not dissolved after all…I’ve just given up a job I loved for nothing. Option two really is too risky for me. So that leaves me with option 3. Easier than I expected really…that’s a relief. So I suppose my job now is to research open positions that I would enjoy and are located close enough to my house that I could ride my bike. Wow…that feels much better!
Now I need to focus back on my original problem…the 10% pay cut associated with the furlough! But I think that’ll be my next post.
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