Advice on making extra money...tips for the unemployed

This week was a very good week for me in making some extra money. I have a semi-permanent part time bookkeeping/personal assistant job for a contractor, but I only work random hours that average to about 15-25 hours a week, depending on the week. He, like everyone else, is struggling and I don't always get paid on time and it certainly doesn't pay enough to live on. This week was busy and I worked 25 hours.

I am of course always looking for a permanent full time position, but like way too many people its been tough. I lost my job of eleven years about 3 years ago and since have sent out at least 750 resumes. A week ago I even dummied down my resume thinking that's something I haven't tried. I have a Masters Degree and formally worked as the Executive Director and Curator of a historic museum and not-for-profit. Those jobs are hard to come by and fundraising is difficult as hell now. My job ending trauma really burnt me out on working for a board of directors and I think the only one I want to fundraise for now is myself. I'm trying to find something with a larger more stable company.

Last week I realized that I really need to be creative or I am going to end up homeless. I've been taking every opportunity to let people I meet know I'm looking for extra work and what my skills are. It resulted in my sister connecting me with a guy that needed his resume written and I shared a job putting together a 6,500 envelope mailing (hand collating and envelope stuffing). All this made me an extra $350, almost doubling what I've usually been making each week.

I also mentioned to the concrete guy that fixed my sidewalk that I do bookkeeping and he referred me to an electrician that he knows. I haven't hear from him yet, but its supposed to happen next week. Saturday before I went envelope stuffing I photographed and measured some furniture that I'm going to put on Craig's list for a family friend. If it sells I will get a commission. She's not good on the computer.

So my point of this all is be creative and don't be to proud to tell people you need to make money and what you are good at. I had a professor in grad school that told me once Sometimes you have to create your own job position.  I always think about that.

Keep at at it, but be prepared to sacrifice your time. I just worked 7 straight days, my house is a mess, my dogs are pissed and I'm totally exhausted. Tomorrow is Monday and a new week of working begins, but at least I can pay a few of more bills.

Erroneous Advice from IRS

We will remove your penalty if all of the following apply:

1. You asked IRS for advice on a specific issue,
2. You gave IRS complete and accurate information,
3. You received advice from the IRS
4. You relied on the advice IRS gave you, and
5. You were penalized based on the advice IRS gave you

This is actually written on the bottom of their Penalty and Interest Statement.
So basically, don't ask the IRS for advice!

Things That Make You Go Hmmm #3

There was a story on the news about a guy who had a worm living in his eyeball and he could see it wiggling! Hmmmm and ewwww!

Practical Advice on Living Poor #5

For about a year now I've been having trouble with the light for my aquarium. The aquarium bulb has been burning out way too often and there must be some kind of short in the light fixture itself. The bulbs run about $25 and a new hood is about $50.

So the other day, totally frustrated to see the light not working again, I took off the hood and removed the "guts" of it so to speak. I took out the bulb, unscrewed the fixture from inside the hood and cut off the cord. Then I took some Christmas lights I bought over the summer at a garage sale for $1 (large fancy colored glass bulbs, but three didn't work). I taped the cord for the lights inside the hood with duct tape and then wrapped tin foil between the Christmas lights and the inside of the hood to prevent any kind of melting.

My tank looks very cool and colorful! Now I wouldn't recommend doing this at home and I certainly wouldn't leave these on when I'm not close by, but that's not really the point. The point is in these painful economic times, I can't afford to run out and pay $25 to $50 to light my fish tank, no matter how much I enjoy it. I made due with what I had and if you are reading this blog you should be too!

Things that make you go Hmmm, #2

Are there solar house lamps? If not they should make them with little packs that you put out in the sun during the day. Hmmmm

Practical Advice on Living Poor #4

Practical Advice on Living Poor #4

Sell your crap! Sell all the stuff you are not using and at this point won't ever use. It will be less you have to move if you get evicted. Have a garage sale, list it for free on Craig's list, put items on Ebay. There have been a few weekends that I was broke and made some quick money selling items on Craig's list. Its also a good way to get rid of your giant outdated huge tv, offer it for free, let them move it. Mine was gone in a hour. From now until January Ebay is offering free listing for regular auctions (no reserve, no buy it now) if you have a positive rating. I haven't used Ebay in a while because I couldn't afford to list the items, but will certainly do so now.  Try not to over price items, just because they have value to you, doesn't mean they do for someone else. It doesn't matter how much you paid for it ten years ago!

Tip #3 Online Dating For Men

Tip #3  Online Dating For Men

Do not, I repeat, do not use a ten year old picture as your profile pic! If you do this without adding a disclaimer, you will immediately receive The Look when meeting someone in person.

What is this look you say?

The Look is the immediate wave of disappointment that passes over the other person's face the first moment they lay eyes on you. If they are a polite person they will catch themselves and restrain before it turns into a full face contortion, but its there, you saw it, there is no denying it. At this point you are pretty much done, you're finished, go home.