Tips are down -- after paying for gas & food, I'm lucky (LUCKY!) to clear $100 a week. My hours were cut to barely 30 a week, and with the slow business, I'm losing some off of that (in other words, I'm lucky to clear 25 hours in a week). I'm **barely** making $250 a week (most of that is my bi-weekly check), which is about half of what I need to pay my bills. I just re-started my job on campus, but with my schedule and availability, I'm only working half of what I did last semester. My rent was mailed on Tuesday -- due on Wednesday -- and I only have half of it (I’m waiting for my paycheck for the rest). Sadly, even with that, I’ll barely break even, and whatever I clear from rent is going to face close to $600 in monthly bills -- utilities, credit cards, and other debts. I also have at least three other bills arriving due in February (and the month is already 1/4 over).
Which means I have to do what I didn't want to do. I have to get a third job.
Last semester, I worked three jobs -- full time serving table, part time delivering pizzas and part time in the comp lab. I barely made any money, and yet I'm feeling the pinch worse.
There's always hope -- business will climb again as it gets warmer, but I have a $1200 past due debt to American Express looming over me (due LAST!!!! month), in addition to what I already owe on my car and other credit cards.
So, I am now officially hunting for a "night job." My primary hope is on the Amoco in Phoenix, MD. It's a rural area, and the owner is pretty chill -- there's a comp for employees to use when its slow. Since my desired shift is midnight to 8am Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning, I'm hoping that after I stock, clean, and take care of whatever customers I have, that I'll be able to surf the net and do some studying and writing.
The likely hood of getting this job is, however, not very good. They lost their one night guy a couple weeks ago (moved back to England), and have yet to hire a new one. Also, I doubt they pay very much (which is also a negative -- there are about six other stations I would apply at, but again, money is the factor, and this station is the only one I know of with a computer).
So, my next target is the Nautilus Diner, a 24/7 place on York Rd (not far from Chi-Chi’s, where I used to work). It’d be a pain, since you have to wear a stupid faux-tuxedo, but it would be tipped wages, which is a plus (also as a plus is that this place seems to always be at least STEADY ... unlike Chi-Chi's, where I could four or five hours without a single table). The negative side to that, of course, is that I’d actually be doing a lot of work, and that would be a pain since ideally I would be coming to my night job from a seven-hour closing shift at Papa John’s (I would sleep during the day and afternoon, and then wake up, go back to PJs and then to the night job, and repeat the cycle, breaking it by staying UP during the day on Sunday, and getting a long night of sleep before my Monday classes).
I’m also considering trying to get a part-time job delivering at a local Mom & Pop here in Cockeysville -- I’d only do it two days a week (Tuesday and Thursday if I’m lucky), and while the pluses are good -- paid under table 15% of net delivery total), the negatives are worse -- more prep work, and the owners are a couple of real assholes.
If absolute worse comes to worse, I can probably get a job at the local Game Stop (I know the manager). But I know like, next to nothing about games, and the pay isn't great. And I'd only be able to work it one day a week. ARGH.
OTOH, a buddy of mine has been hitting flea markets and re-selling stuff on eBay. According to him, he's making $3 for every dollar he spends. Not too bad ... not too bad at all ...
Well, woohoo. Fucking wonderful.
Advice is welcome. Money is really welcome.
Registered: Sep 2000
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Member # 709
posted
yeah, i decided the living on my own thing wouldnt be cool til i got out of school.. i actually did live on my own for a year and a half, nearly ruined my life.
now i live with my grandparents for free and work three jobs.. pretty soon i'll have enough for a condo..
i realized the error of my ways when i got back my rent deposit and the receipt said that in the course of 16 months my roommates and i had collectively spent $16,000.. $7,000 of that my money... just something to ponder.
Registered: Sep 2001
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Any expenses you can live without, Jeff? Cable/sattelite isn't an absolute necessity, much as I hate to admit it, so you might drop that if you have it. You could also sign up with a free/cheaper ISP. Be careful with your water and power usage, too, including your heating if you have control of the temperature. You might save a good bit just by dressing more warmly in the apartment. You could switch out some of your bulbs for the new uberbulbs that never die, but given how much time you seem to spend conscious in your apartment, you might take forever to recoup your losses. You could also consider moving to a different apartment or adding a roommate, depending on your exact situation. You could also look into getting a different car that might have lower insurance rates. Oh, and spend less on legos.
-------------------- "This is why you people think I'm so unknowable. You don't listen!" - God, "God, the Devil and Bob"
Registered: Mar 1999
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Three jobs and school sucks....... it becomes an addiction though. It seems pretty worth it when your paying the bills, buying toys, and still having money left over.
Don't kill yourself over this... I'm not one to talk, I have three(+) jobs and school myself, but if you live like this, all it'll take is ONE bad thing and it's all over. A week long case of the flu... a car accident.... and bad case of mono (oh, yes... I'm living that one still 4 months later.) Just be careful.... that's about that only advice I can give....
Oh, and one more bit - don't take on any other responsibility above it.... ie. no building webpages on the side or volunteering at the local jr. high school.... doing that will take away any bit of a social life you may have salvaged. Trust me. :-P
~LOA
-------------------- "You are anal twattypoo who has ruined my good mood" PsyLiam to TSN May 01,2006.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Hmmm, Omega has a point. $600 in utilities and ongoing expenses outside of school and rent, per month is more than a little excessive for a university student. ... And thats even before the conversion to American dollars.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Oh, and telephone/cell phone. You probably need one, but you may not need both. And long distance service can be a killer, too. All that, plus cutting back on the porn, should help a bit.
-------------------- "This is why you people think I'm so unknowable. You don't listen!" - God, "God, the Devil and Bob"
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:All that, plus cutting back on the porn, should help a bit.
You are an evil, evil person.
I think the $600 a month in bills is excessive, but it's understandable since he says it includes his credit card bills (one of which is $1200 past due debt).
-------------------- The philosopher's stone. Those who possess it are no longer bound by the laws of equivalent exchange in alchemy. They gain without sacrifice and create without equal exchange. We searched for it, and we found it.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Well, I gave up drinking and stip clubs, which is saving me quite a bit of money. I already leave my heat off most of the time, and I don't pay for water. I have "uber" length-lasting lightbulbs (woot IKEA).
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