My first day

So today was the first day at my new job. It was ok. I hate not having a routine, so it came with the typical first day frustrations. It took way longer than I expected. When I finished it was an hour after lunch time and 10 minutes until nap. My son was starving and exhausted. But now I know to start earlier, and hopefully it will go quicker next time.

At the end she gave me a check for $25. That felt pretty good. I'm excited to contribute to the family in a financial way. This money will pay for the gas for my car. Which is so awesome. I hadn't realized how dependent I felt by not having an income. I mean, I know $100 a month isn't going to support anyone, but at least if I feel like taking a drive I won't feel guilty.

Progress on the job front

Remember how I was possibly looking for a job? Well, I got a little job yesterday. My brother in law’s neighbor fell and broke her hip and has gotten a hip replacement. She is doing amazingly well but she needs someone to come into her home once a week and do some light household chores for her while she heals. Basically, just help her out. I don’t know how long she will need me but she is paying $25 a week. Which I think is a lot. It’s more than I was expecting to clean a bathroom, vacuum, and change the bedding, maybe do some other odds and ends around the house that she needs help with. The best part is that I can take my son with me, so this is really perfect. This is exactly what I need, something that pays decent and that I can do with my son.

I know I’m getting ahead of myself here, but I would consider doing this for other elderly folks. There has to be a need for this sort of thing. There are tons of retirement communities within just a few miles of my house. I don’t know, like I said, I’m getting ahead of myself. Maybe I’ll hate it.

Picture by: Sailing (ronn)

Work from home

Remember the talk about me getting a job? Well, I think I have found a good solution for us. There are a few companies that allow you to take customer service calls from home. A good friend of mine works for two of them. Normally, I wouldn’t be interested in a non-conventional job like this, but I know two people who are doing it and making money. So I’m going to trust it and see how it goes.

I don’t know all the exact details but it seems pretty flexible as far as setting your own schedule. Which is key since I want to be able to spend time with the kids and allow my husband the freedom to work as much overtime as he wants. Plus the draw of no commute is a real bonus. I will actually be getting paid for every minute I’m away from the family and no gas wasted.

I don’t know about the money yet. It’s not 100% clear because it depends on what types of calls you take and then it pays for each minute you are on a call, so if you aren’t getting back to back calls then you aren’t making as much money as you could be. So it’s hard say, but I know they have to pay at least minimum wage. Which for the flexibility I’m getting I’m willing to give it a shot.

Another great bonus is that you only have to take 2 calls every 60 days to stay employed. So if things pick up at my husband’s job I can easily keep this option open for the future. Besides, I've done plenty of call center work in my life, I know I can take these calls in my sleep.

The bad part is that you have to have a phone line dedicated just to taking these calls. Which costs us $20 a month. But I'm getting over that by telling myself that all jobs have costs. Spending nothing on commuting will make up for this extra phone line.

So that’s the plan. I applied today so I’ll let you all know how it goes.

Picture by Vince Welter