Newarcher Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Well boys and girls, I gotta go get another job doing SOMETHING. I went over the bills and did next year's taxes and am NOT getting the big refund that I thought I was going to get as a result of my wife quitting work. I suppose they really DID do away with that marriage penalty in the taxes because I can't even increase my withholding or else I will owe a lot the following year. So I have to find a way to make some more money. Getting a different job is out of the question. I make as much as I can with my current skillset in my profession. I don't want to work another job for someone because let's say I make $8 an hour...8 hours on Saturday is $64. Four saturdays equals $256 buck before taxes. With all the taxes, I am probably looking at $160 to $170 takehome...which is peanuts for giving up all my Saturdays. Plus, I need another boss like I need a hole in the head. So I am thinking that I might just grab my dad's utility trailer and start mowing some grass. I am thinking $30 to $35 a yard times four is about $130 a week times four is $520 a month. Doable but hot, hard work. Also, if it rains on a Saturday, I have to scramble to cut them sometime else. Any other ideas for part time jobs that make decent money? The real crap is that right now my son needs me home to spend time with him more than EVER. If you have ever seen the movie Parenthood with Steve Martin....I am living it right now.....except the pregnant wife part. Thanks, New Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacherman Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job I have had friends who have cut grass on the side and have made alot of money doing it. It is very doable, as you say, but it is painstaking some time. Good luck, and you will indeed be in our thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfletch7441 Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job Sounds like some down-sizing might be in order. I don't know your situation, but when my wife started staying home, we cut a lot of things out. House, sold (moved into a smaller one). Car payment, gone (bought one we could pay cash for). Cable TV, gone. High-speed Internet, gone. It was a hard pill to swallow, but we're doing fine now. I'm even able to put a little money back and start saving to build a house later on. No matter what you do, you'll be in my prayers buddy. Best of luck. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchies Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job Think bfletch is right. Don't try to live beyond your means. If you can't afford what you have without your wife working then it comes to decision time of should she go back to work or cut some luxuries. I know I went thru the same thing not too long after I was on here and people told me the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newarcher Posted December 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job Yeah, we pretty much have downsized everything out. The real pill is that I have a truck payment which is really putting the stress on. However, I drive almost 35 miles each way each day and have little tolerance for breaking down. I could sell the vehicle and buy a beater but I probably owe more than the truck is worth since it is only almost a year old. Really, eating out is our only luxury and that will have to stop as well. I can't cut intenet because I signed up for a year plus my wife uses it for her work when her old company needs her (very part time). I could cut direct TV but that would only be $60 a month and wouldn't change things enough to matter. I can't sell my house because we just moved last year and would take a bath. Plus, we moved to get my son into a very good school district. If we moved, our payments would go up because everything in our area is super expensive. Reality is that I gotta find another job like it or not. Atlanta is too high a cost of living for a family of four on one income. Thanks guys for the help and support. New Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion_70 Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job Hey New, I don't know what your IT skillset is, but there's always side work to be done there. If you're any good at networking there are lots of small offices that will hire you out for "consulting" work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job Here's something to think about. (don't laugh, I'm serious) Commercial building janitorial services. You can do it in the evenings or weekends, it's low stress since you're usually the only person around, and it can be fairly lucrative. Now here's the key point - find the right building/business for a customer. You don't want anything that has to be cleaned every night and you don't want something too big that would take a long time or several people. Find a small office that needs cleaning twice a week. You can spend maybe 2 hours hitting the high spots during a week night, and then another 3 - 4 hours for a thorough cleaning on the weekend. I did that during college and made more than enough to cover my non-academic expenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newarcher Posted December 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job Thanks, Texan, an idea that I haven't thought of....and one that I am not above doing. Orion, I am on the cusp of learning to program using visual basic so I am upgrading. Right now, my expertise is in QA testing some pretty high test stuff. In word of an update, I messed up doing my taxes in Excel, forgot to decrease my taxable income by the exemptions (I was following my tax return from last year so I will have to double check THAT return). Hey, I was up at 4:30 that morning to hunt and I had two kids kicking around the bonus room while I was working. It would be nice if somehow Taxcut made a mistake and didn't include my exemptions from last year...that would give me a GREAT return. I think I am still going to pick up some lawns to mow this Spring. I figure that mowing grass would help me lose weight AND would help me pay off my truck early. New Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tunkhannockbowhunter Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job my brother needed extra money so he got a job at ups loading and unloading trucks. the schedule is really flexible. most of the time he works early in the morning and then goes to his 9 am job. he usually works three days a week at ups and it helps him out a lot. plus he doesnt have to give up saturdays or after work hours to have a second job. only downside is waking up at like 2 in the AM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DU_man_84 Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job the company i work for during the spring, summer , fall, is a mainly a grass cutting business, we do everything, but mainly cut grass but its just my boss that runs it and his kids work for him mowing grass, i do all of the landscaping work for his company, but i can tell you what, he makes a killing doing the grass, the landscaping brings in some big bucks but thats all we do and they have bout 60 hours of mowing a week and man he makes a killing, its a good business, but its also a big competition around here now, but few succeed when they start one up, most fail, boss has been around for 8 years now, and i tell you what when there aint no landscaping going on ill be out helping the kids mow and its kinda nice sitting on the john deere relaxing and cutting some grass, but i go with him when he does estimates on jobs and every house has a different price, cause it depends on size of yard, weather they want it pushed mowed or use the rider on it, theres one account we got that is an old lady that makes the kids push mow it, and her yard is big, she wont let them use the rider, but it takes bout hour and a half to push with two people, and we bring down 175 bucks for the job, anyways just figured id give ya some input since im kinda in work in that line of business Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newarcher Posted December 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job Thanks, DU, that helps a lot. I am not looking to start my own business because of the border hopper infiltration in my area....one of the highest in the nation. I know landscapers that are working at the local home depot because of the illegal labor undercutting. I am just looking to pick up maybe 5 lawns at a total of $35 to $40 a piece to mow and nothing else....okay maybe some fertilizing or something but nothing big. Mow, collect, and go. I have done it before so it is doable. My specialty used to be planting the huge trees with the 3-4 foot tall balls on them....but that was in another era. Now I look like one of those! Thanks for the info. New Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job hey new just a thought, but you could also do some minor outside handyman jobs for some of your mowing customers! clean out gutters, wash outside of the windows,siding if needed. might be some elderly people that can use that kind of help! caulking gaps outside, maybe painting, cleaning out the garage for them. haul stuff to the dumb. trimming the bushes? there is a variety of tasks that need done that people are unable to do or just don't have the time. some of it you could take your son to help you! burn of some of that youngsters energy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archerjg Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job Good luck finding something or cutting lawns. I used to cut lawns and made decent money. Archerjg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job I hear ya New...things are tough all over. The little guy never gets to feel comfortable, always having to scrap to get by. Never wanting to deprive our family we strive to make it better, and to do more for our loved ones. Just don't burn out reaching for that golden ring. Moneys nice...but family and health is better. Hang in there and do your best..hope that possible tax error works out for ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowJoe Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job Have you thought of building your own computers for under the counter cash? I built my own and it was so much easier than I thought. You could really make a killin' doing just a few computers a month and with your knowledge of support, you may even be able to do them for some businesses. Offer some package deals and you could get a lot of business generated not to mention it's a year round job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 Re: Welp, gotta get another job Good luck with the lawn mowing New. With our new mower, I have given that a little bit of thought myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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