Best Jobs for single moms. - Page 6

[mexicali mami]

While I am not currently employed and not sure if I will pursue this, i got my massage license prior to having DS. My theory is/was you can make a minimum of 30$ hour plus tips and fairly flexible schedule. It's hard work and you'd have to really enjoy touching people, which sometimes, I think I'd rather not. But hey, some people really do enjoy it and make great money. I think my school was about $1,500 dollars and took a year and half part time. It varies wildly. I'm still trying to figure out what my passion is and how I can make it work for the two of us.

[geekgolightly]

Originally Posted by samy23

Wow good for you!

I really don't think nursing is an option for me, I suck terribly at math...which you need as a nurse to do heart rate, blood pressure, measure abouts of medicines, weighing patients and such....it seems like a whole lot of math and that's one of my worst subjects, unfortunately.

Math is my worst subject. Absolutely. And I do well in nursing. Calculators are useful in critical care medicine, but honestly, there is very little math otherwise.

[Mountaingirl79]

I ran across this thread and wanted to mention my job. I'm not a single mom anymore, but I sure wish I had made this money while I was....and also I work with some single moms.
What about a call center type job...you know, sales or customer service?

I wouldn't do "commission only" sales honestly, but at a lot of places you make a decent hourly wage ( well above minimum wage) plus quarterly bonuses. ( I do, and am so happy with it.)

Just a thought. I know there a few type places like this in some cities.

[butterfly1976]

Loving this thread.....I've cleaned houses for 8 years now. I've made anywhere from $10-15.00 per hour. I do my own schedule. I always get paid on the days I clean. Typcially cash, sometimes they write checks though.

After 8 years, well......I'm tired and bored with cleaning. I'd rather do something else. I can't complain though. I've always been able to pay the bills, put food on the table without any help from the gov or the ex. Though help would be nice sometimes. (smiles)

I've always wanted to start a plantscaping/christmas decorating business. I have no clue if I will ever do it though.

[TearyCloud]

Originally Posted by butterfly1976

Loving this thread.....I've cleaned houses for 8 years now. I've made anywhere from $10-15.00 per hour. I do my own schedule. I always get paid on the days I clean. Typcially cash, sometimes they write checks though.

After 8 years, well......I'm tired and bored with cleaning. I'd rather do something else. I can't complain though. I've always been able to pay the bills, put food on the table without any help from the gov or the ex. Though help would be nice sometimes. (smiles)

I've always wanted to start a plantscaping/christmas decorating business. I have no clue if I will ever do it though.

Wow you've supported yourself and two kids on that income and no gov or ex help!? You should really be in the frugality and finances board telling how! I definitely couldn't live off that income, and I just have one child. Seriously impressive.

[SingleMom123]

I noticed that a lot of people suggested being a CNA. I am trained as a CNA. Even the CNAs hate it. Its kind of a famous phrase that CNAs are "glorified butt wipers." You are doing sponge baths, feeding, answering call lights, changing sheets, showers, etc. Most CNAs are waiting to move on to nursing school. I would not recommend this although it does work for some. I think they pay about 10/hr.

A daycare would seem easy because you could just bring your child w/you when needed. But there are also companies that have on-site child care (They are few and far between, but they aer out there) so I would suggest looking into those. Those are also good companies because they usually have good benefits.

[madeofstardust]

I work from home as a webcam model. I noticed no one had mentioned it, so I thought I'd throw it out there. Very decent money, you can work when you feel like it, you're your own boss, etc.
It's definitely not for everyone but I love it!

[provocativa]

what is a webcam model?

[madeofstardust]

It's essentially being a stripper from home, so no need to be physically near people you don't know.

[*MamaJen*]

Honestly, I think the best jobs for single moms are the stable ones that give fairly generous salaries. That usually requires education. I think it's so great if women can get a college degree before marrying and having kids. I hate seeing women stressing about leaving abusive or cheating husbands because they're worried that they have no means of supporting themselves. But even in that situation, it's so great if the moms can go back to school and get an education and get a good job. It can be a struggle getting there but student loans aren't the worst thing in the world, and there are work study options and whatnot. And it's not a fast process, but it is a lifelong investment.

[provocativa]

I don't know.  I have a college degree in English, student loans I can't pay so I can't go to grad school, and no jobs here in the field.  And freelance writing online is a no-man's land, it seems to me.  There are others who work at the restaurant with me who have architecture degrees, and etc.

[jaam]

I worked for a while in the kitchens for the local school district. The pay was pretty good even though I was temporary. If I had stayed and gone permanent it would have been better pay, all the school holidays off and summers off of course (paid, because the position was salaried just like teachers, etc.), good health insurance and other benefits, etc. Hours didn't work for my kids because I had to be out of the house before they were even up in the morning which they hated. Started at 6:30 am because we baked some things from scratch and also served breakfast. But I was off by 1 or 2 in the afternoons which was great. 

Of course, I did quit to go back to school because I agree with the idea that an education is important and an investment.

[PiperLime]

I'm a resume writer; it's easier than you'd think and offers flexible hours (I work while DS is asleep). I get my business on craigslist and from referrals, call each new client and the rest of the correspondence is via email. It's not my passion but is a talent and definitely pays the bills. I end up making between $35 and $50 an hour, and sometimes work 10-15 hours a week. It is pretty inconsistent so saving is pretty important, but it's a good gig to have as a SAHM.

[sparklefairy]

College is definitely not a guarantee of anything. What you major in probably matters. Other considerations include willingness to relocate. I'm far from being an expert on this, of course. I have taken into consideration how very many people want to stay where I live after graduation and how many people who live here already have degrees.

I hear very mixed responses regarding the marketability of my degree(s). The average time that an individual spends in this field is 7 years (or so I've heard). Is that because there aren't jobs, because they don't pay well? Or is some of it because it's a female-dominated field and many people stop working when they have children? Or because so many of the women who graduated with me in their early 20s felt that they had to choose something, anything, and didn't really want to be in the field after all. And you pretty much have to have a graduate degree to do much in this field. Then I hear from people who have been in private practice for decades, who went on to get doctorates and teach/research, and people who have gone on to be administrators, and they love what they do and make a good living.

Each degree in my field means something a little different. I am considering a doctorate in a few years; making that decision is about very different things than making the decision about the Bachelor's, which was different than making the decision about the Master's. The Bachelor's was a given -- I was probably not going to get hired without it, let alone get a job that could support two kids. The Master's was close to a necessity, given my field and the type of jobs I want. The PhD... very different set of considerations, and I don't think I even know what all of the variables are yet.

All this long-windedness (you did catch that I'm considering a career in academia, right?) to say that what a college education means isn't just one answer.

[mazajo]

I'm a school bus driver. I took this job last year when my DS started kindergarten. He rides the bus with me, even when I'm driving my high school route (the highschoolers love him!) and whenever he's out of school for holidays or snowdays, I'm off too, so I won't have to worry about childcare. It pays almost $17 an hour, the training was completely paid for, and I get 30-35 hours a week. I really enjoy it!