I need some help - need income ASAP, also how to budget effectively

[Super~Single~Mama]

Hi!   I've poked around here a bit, and you guys have some awesome advice.  Can you maybe help me out a tad?

I live in NYC, in a one bedroom.  I just finished law school and the bar exam, and now I have no income.

I'm starting an unpaid internship (unpaid part time for a month, then I might get some pay, probably won't be full time).

I have very little in savings, so right now my parents are helping me (ie, paying for everything), I can't move in with anyone b/c I have no family near me and am a single mom.  Ok, thats me in a nutshell.  (I'm thinking about moving into a studio, but I need to find a way to do that in my building or one on my street so that I don't lose my deposit and all that - I'm trying to figure out how to do that.)

I need to earn some money - preferably starting right away.  I'll do anything not illegal.  When I say anything, I mean anything.  I'm not creative, so I can't make things that anyone would want to buy.  I'm willing to do housecleaning, babysitting (maybe nanny part time, maybe, but I'm not good with kids that aren't mine).

I've been applying for jobs like crazy, but none of them pay well, so if I get anything I'll be living very very tight.

I don't have a car, I rely on public transit.  I don't usually buy the monthly pass b/c I don't use it enough to make it worth it.  I try to make all of our food, but I need some healthy recipes that aren't expensive.  I'm going to apply for food stamps this week if it won't mean that I lose child support (which I think only happens when you get cash assistance, but I'm not sure).

Ok, any ideas????  Advice?  Anything?

[eirual]

I'm not sure how things work in NY. If you take a low-paying job, would you qualify for gov't assistance? In Canada if you're under a certain income you get free daycare as long as you're working.

Can you post something in your building that you're available for small jobs (cleaning, dog-walking, grocery delivering, etc.)?

Waitressing is always good money if you can swing the hours and find a job.

Can you tutor?

Do you own stuff you could sell? Find a roommate?

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by eirual 

I'm not sure how things work in NY. If you take a low-paying job, would you qualify for gov't assistance? In Canada if you're under a certain income you get free daycare as long as you're working.

Can you post something in your building that you're available for small jobs (cleaning, dog-walking, grocery delivering, etc.)?

Waitressing is always good money if you can swing the hours and find a job.

Can you tutor?

Do you own stuff you could sell? Find a roommate?

I might be able to post something - I'll check with the super when I see him next, probably tomorrow.

I can tutor - just don't know where to find kids to tutor.

I have some stuff I can sell, but not much.  I'd like to find a roommate, but my current apartment is too small, so I'd need to get a bigger one.  I looked on Craigslist and no one near me is looking for roomates, or at least none that would work for me and ds (just turned 2).

I definitely qualify for food stamps, but cash assistance would require I give up child support, and do work programs.  I don't know about the childcare - we have a childcare that we like and I'm not sure what kind of discount we can get for being on assistance, although I think we can get some discount if I'm on foodstamps.  Thats my next project.

[VisionaryMom]

Originally Posted by Super~Single~Mama 

I can tutor - just don't know where to find kids to tutor.

I would contact student services at any nearby colleges. Ours hired degreed people to tutor study labs. Also just print up a bunch of flyers (or post on CL) that you tutor, your rates, & subjects. Hang them on college campuses and maybe contact some high schools about posting there.
 

[eirual]

Depending on what you can tutor you could contact colleges or public schools. I've always gotten my tutoring gigs from posting ads on kijiji.

[zebra15]

Are you currently interviewing for lawyer positions?  Since you passed the bar im assuming 'lawyer' is your ultimate goal?  Do you just need something short term until the career postion comes along?

For tutoring and babysitting jobs I've always listed on Craigslist and gotten really good responses. I've also responded to moms/families looking for help.

[happysmileylady]

You could check out tutor.com.  I have heard great things, I even signed up, but you have to pass the tests and they are timed and I have SO much else going on, I have a hard time taking the tests, my little ones always seem to need something.

Also, if you are willing to work with kids despite not being good with them, you could look into daycare positions.  That's something that usually has a high turnover, at least around here, so someone is always looking.  It doesn't pay well, but being able to take your kiddos with you, for free or for a good discount, is usually a perk. 

For do it yourself kinda money making, you can always list ads on CL for dog walking, house cleaning, house sitting, pet sitting, etc.  You could also scour freecycle for free stuff, then turn around and sell it on free cycle or ebay. 

Also, have you looked into the at home party type of stuff, like tupperware, pampered chef, etc?  I know of a few SAHMs who actually make a really good income with this.  I know of one in particular who is a team lead (I think that's their term) and has several folks under her, who also have folks who are under them.  She makes commissions off of all of them, and she actually brings her kids to just about everything. 

I assume you are looking for something temporary, until you get the fat lawyer job, right?:-)  So, you aren't really looking to start a business to do long term, correct?

[Super~Single~Mama]

Thanks everyone!  I'll check out tutor.com - hopefully I'll do OK on the tests.  I'll have to save it for after ds goes to bed though ;)

Originally Posted by zebra15 

Are you currently interviewing for lawyer positions?  Since you passed the bar im assuming 'lawyer' is your ultimate goal?  Do you just need something short term until the career postion comes along?

For tutoring and babysitting jobs I've always listed on Craigslist and gotten really good responses. I've also responded to moms/families looking for help.

I am looking for lawyer jobs, but I haven't passed the bar - I just took it 2 weeks ago so I'll find out in May if I passed.  So yeah, I just need something short term for now.

No, not looking to start a business, just trying to make it work short term until I find something - but I need to be able to bring in enough money just in case its not so short term.  The legal market where I am is just saturated, so lots of people I know are really struggling to find something.

DOes anyone know how to sell used text books on Amazon?  I have some that I can sell to make money, but I don't know how to do it on amazon (and I just want it to be quick, I don't want to be posting on CL or ebay and doing it myself - I just want to ship them off to amazon and be done with it).

[Juvysen]

I'd post things at local colleges and on CL that you'll tutor for the LSAT (presumably you've taken it and know a thing or two about the topics?) along with any other topic you're good at (math?  history??  politics?  english?  Science?  whatever your major was in, seems safe).  Also, maybe contact Kaplan or something?  As for tutoring high school or elementary school kids, I'd post on CL and fliers in your neighborhood.  You might consider contacting the local public schools or BOCES and seeing how they handle that kind of thing.  Do you have childcare for your child?  You might consider applying to be a substitute teacher? 

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by Super~Single~Mama 
.

DOes anyone know how to sell used text books on Amazon?  I have some that I can sell to make money, but I don't know how to do it on amazon (and I just want it to be quick, I don't want to be posting on CL or ebay and doing it myself - I just want to ship them off to amazon and be done with it).

I don't know about selling on Amazon, but I have sold textbooks to this site.  It's really easy, you enter the ISBN # and it will tell you how much they will pay for the books.  If it's worth it to you, you print out their postage paid shipping label and stick them in the mail.  They will then send you a check or paypal.  Since your law school books are current, I'd bet they will pay decently for them - so it's worth a shot to get a quote.

Best of luck finding a job as a lawyer! Hopefully your internship pans out to be a paid gig.