What does everyone do for income? « Back to Group Discussions

[Pariah]

Just curious what everyone's doing for income. I'm primarily a web/graphic designer but I've signed up on TaskRabbit recently (http://www.taskrabbit.com/who-are-the-taskrabbits -- link provided for everyone else's information, I'm not profiting from the link at all) to get some odd jobs, and I run two internet marketing sites. So far those are going well...I'm not yet where I want to be financially, but I'm getting there. I'm also blogging but that isn't bringing in anything (yet).

What are you all doing, or have you done? What has worked, what hasn't?

For me, sewing cloth diapers did not work...there are so many WAHMs doing that, which is great to promote cloth diapering, but it is darn near impossible to make a profit so I gave that up. I like sewing toys and clothes, but couldn't do that for a long time because my ex smoked and fabric smelling of smoke is definitely not okay for selling. I'm eager to get back into that though because I really had fun with it.

[Paigekitten]

I've written a little on associated content. (very little), I started blogging and was making a little with that, but this past year has been super hard for me health wise and DH has been doing most of the earning.  He sells baseball cards on Ebay (I do a lot of sorting...), does bookkeeping for an old employer, odd jobs (yard work et cetera) and currently doing book keeping for a CPA through tax season.

The plan is to do baseball cards full time eventually.

[wellforth]

From May til November, I work a market stand for a local organic farm.  I also receive an adoption subsidy, since my dd was adopted through our state's child welfare dept.  DH is a farm hand for the same farm.  He's also a microtonal musician and composer, and occasionally gets paying gigs.  He also does yard work or odd jobs.

We're pretty lucky right now as neither of us has worked since our baby was born.  My dh inherited some money right afterward.  It's not enough to run out and buy a new house and car, but it makes life easy on us for a while.

I used to have a great job in another city where I lived.  I was a standardized patient.  I used to assume a role of a person with a disease.  They never told me the disease, but I was given a list of symptoms and a social history to memorize.  Medical students would interview and examine me, and then I'd grade them on what they did and did not do, and how they communicated.  It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about diseases, tests, and the way med students are trained.  It paid fairly well, was occasional and random, and I could accept or turn down work according to my schedule.

carey

[Herabonne]

I write for several content companies. :)

[wyogirl]

I did medical transcription from home for a few years until About a year ago. I am now doing some bookkeeping and billing and tax stuff for a cattle hauling company and I love it. I feel very fortunate as the people that I am doing the work for are good acquaintances and I have an income and able to stay home and be a mommy and wife.

[Pariah]

wyogirl, who did you do transcription training through? I looked into that a year or two ago but some of the online schools were kind of expensive. :(

[wyogirl]

Pariah yes, I did do transcription training and completed it close to five years ago now. It was less than 2000 then, but things have probably gotten more expensive since then. Have you thought about maybe trying any kind of bookkeeping from home?

[RebeloveMa]

@ wellforth - A standardized patient? Definitely weird and cool.

I have never heard of unjobbing until now. But it turns out that I already fit the theoretical and practical criteria. My goal has always been to "minimalize" and only have a job that enhances my experience of living. I have been a student for a very long time. (Just sent off the final draft of my thesis today in fact). Thus far I have lived a very low-pro lifestyle with my dh and dd stretching out financial aid and working part time. I massage and I have had many a teacher aid job. From kinder to high school, from Waldorf to inner-city public school. All the more reason I will be unschooling.

My fin aid reserves are dwindling fast and will be largely eaten up by our summer move back to Colorado. I am hoping I can obtain part time work at an community college teaching philosophy or humanities. Maybe do some massage too. Plan on keeping work to under 15 hours a week. Of course the real satisfying work will be done outside of my job! And after reading through your other threads about unjobbing, I am going to take my practices to the furthest possible unjobbing level. It is funny how the support of a like-minded community can add tinder to the fire.

My dh is a natural unjobber as well. He teaches martial arts as his own business. When we move, he will pick up some work with a friend who prunes big trees and look into private investigation per another friend's recommendation. His ultimate plan/dream, however, is to make it as a fiction writer. I know he will!

Together we want to spend as much time as possible with our little dd and have the temporal freedom to introduce a world that is not reducible to constricting lines (dead or bottom), but a world that is still full of possibilities and magic.

So glad I found you guys!

Edited by RebeloveMa - 5/17/12 at 9:10am

[Mama Florentyne]

"Unjobbing?" I hadn't heard of it either, but I'm so glad to hear there is a term for it!

My husband is under-employed as a painter/remodeler, so depending on how much work he has - or doesn't have, I do freelance work (proofreading, editing, graphic/web design, bookkeeping) while simultaneously homeschooling and running the household.

Since the economy went down the tubes, a lot of my work has dried up unfortunately and I'm searching for new clients or perhaps a new direction altogether. 

In the meantime, I'm trying to turn living at poverty level into an art form - and selling off lots of our extra stuff! 

[Pariah]

Originally Posted by wyogirl 

Pariah yes, I did do transcription training and completed it close to five years ago now. It was less than 2000 then, but things have probably gotten more expensive since then. Have you thought about maybe trying any kind of bookkeeping from home?

I haven't considered it...I'm not sure if I have the skills/qualifications for it. I'll look into it though. :)

I have a new, unexpected source of income...I started modelling again recently. I haven't done so since I was in college (which wasn't terribly long ago, I'm only in my late 20s). I threw some photos up on a modelling/photography networking site that I was active on years ago and ended up getting a huge response. I've done some shoots for free to build up new portfolio material, and now I have some paid work lined up as well as out of town work where my travel expenses will be covered. Since a major goal with unjobbing is to have time for art and travel, this works out perfectly. :)  This is also a huge incentive to eat right and actually be consistent with my exercise! I'm fine with healthy eating, but I am not good with the consistent exercise part...at all...it just gets so boring.

I've also been saving up to buy some decent lights (I do photography as well) so networking with other photographers and models now will help me when I move from concert photography to more portrait/model focused shoots.

[Pariah]

Quote:

It is funny how the support of a like-minded community can add tinder to the fire.

That's why I wanted to be sure the unjobbing discussion kept going here! :) I found the previous threads so inspiring. When most people around me thought I was crazy to leave my job that was making me dread waking up in the morning, I loved reading here where people really GET IT.

[trekkingirl]

So how do you ladies make money from your blog? I have a blog but have no clue on how to make any money from it.

I have a side job doing in home care. Basically all domestic work for a semi disabled person (no wheel chair). House cleaning, cooking, a few errands, laundry. The pay is through the state for $11.50 an hour. My first client didn't pan out but I am working for a new client and should be working regularly for her by next month. Certification was a two hour class and $60 out of pocket for a background check and finger printing.

[featherstory]

That's extremely cheap certification trekkingirl...I need to look into that.  I've done caregiving but it was for family...what kind of certification do you have exactly?

I make some money from my blogs by doing reviews.  I have just signed up as an affilliate for a few products and I've gotten some money by advertising other services I do and people would message me and order from me...it's not happening right now, but I haven't advertised in months.

I'm also trying to start a business right now for health & sustainability coaching/consulting and I'm trying to start a food co-op/non-profit to make my food costs go seriously down.

I do some freelance writing on Examiner.com and if anyone wants to write on there let me know so I can code you up...and I'm doing some editing and co-writing for business owners I know and on Odesk.com 

I'm trying to get into writing copy, ghostwriting and social media marketing for businesses, as well.  I did copy and ghostwriting awhile ago and I did some on fiverr.com and realized it's a really good thing for me to do, its very easy to me and very profitable. 

I think that's it...I'm really fortunate that I'm living with my mom right now and I don't have to spend money on much besides my food...but I don't like this lifestyle at all and my goal is to leave her between the end of June and early July...so I'm really trying to hustle.  I volunteer for some businesses as well and I've been successful pitching an idea with one of them to make some money for myself, so I just have to get that all together...it goes along with my business idea.

For business advice...I've been seriously addicted to www.marieforleo.com it is has seriously helped me in obvious ways. 

[Pariah]

I'm working on creating lots of content for my blog, posting good comments on other blogs daily and generally increasing traffic with the hopes of selling ad space and getting affiliate income.

Featherstory, thanks for that link! The site looks interesting and I'm always looking for new ideas, methods, etc. How are you starting the co-op? Do you have a store front or space you're renting? Do you do it from home? I'm very curious about this...

[featherstory]

I don't have a store-front for the co-op.  I actually haven't started it yet, still laying the groundwork, but I think I'll be getting a lot of people joining this week, so it should start in the next 2-3 weeks.  I'm planning on just renting a space, depending on how I get the food coming in and doing the co-op for weekends only or just one day, at least in the beginning.  If I need storage I plan to use my own RV(that I don't have yet). 

I'm actually editing/co-writing a book with a friend of mine and the guide is all about getting the best deals on produce and making money off of it or at least covering your costs, so I'm basically doing what the book outlined.  He saw me struggling when I moved and offered the guide to me as a first draft and now I'm helping him finish it(thumbs crossed, this week).  There's a very cool community business/event space that just opened here and the rates are pretty good, so I think I'll go that route. 

Sounds like you got a great plan Pariah, and don't forget social media!  I'm pretty bad at posting comments.  I definitely don't do it everyday.  I will be very happy if my main blog finally becomes a level 3, and I don't mind the others staying at a level 2 forever(the others are new and/or unrated). 

Yeah Pariah...I've been following that site for about 3 weeks and my business has significantly taken a more predictable path and I just feel a million times better about what I do and what comes next. 
 

[yippiehippie]

featherstory - I'd love to get any info on writing for the Examiner, pm me? 

AFM, right now I'm not bringing in any income. I am with my boys, but now that DS1 is 4 months I feel I could contribute easier. Hubs has a job for now, but I hope in the future to have us both unjob, I'd love to get some land, raise animals and garden and sell at farmers markets or wherever. I've recently thought maybe that's not inconceivable:) Just some patience and planning...For now I'm thinking of selling knitted goods and body care items to get a little extra, or maybe in home childcare a couple days a week.

[MrsKoehn]

August - May I homeschool my 3 teen SILs. I'm tutoring one (she's dyslexic so really struggles) this summer too.

I also coupon like mad. If you learn the art, you can save some serious $. I saved 22% on the grocery/household bill last year and we do organic/natural as much as possible.

I make my own cleaners and laundry soap. That saves a couple hundred $$ a year.

I'm working on raising a pair of dogs to sell the pups.

I garden and can.

Saving $$ is as good as making extra. Hubby set up a budget last fall and it's been amazing how much we've been able to save. We paid off the bit we had on the CCs, made up for the $1200 mistake I made in the checkbook (don't ask bc I don't know), are saving to self pay the MW, have several funds for different bits of projects we're wanting to do around the house and in the future.

[trekkingirl]

featherstory I guess I didn't answer you when you asked about my certification. It is through adult and aging which is a welfare program in CA. I had to have a full background check done with fingerprinting and then sit through a two hour course about how to perform the job and complete forms. Pretty basic really. If you come out to CA you could easily sign on as an IHSS worker. People looking for workers post on craigs all the time.

I get to set my own hours too. Pretty sweet gig

[Paigekitten]

I LOVE www.marieforleo.com.  Thanks for the link!  I'd be interested in writing for Examiner too.  Right now I am really working to increase readers to my blog and I can see the number steadily heading up.  It's very exciting. 

[featherstory]

Sorry I've been away guys, I'll send an email out to you Examiner wanna-be's at least by tomorrow.  It is a great way to get backlinks to your own blog too if in similar categories.