20 hours = $150.00
February 14, 2012 3:55 PM Subscribe
If I can find a way to come up with $150/week, I can quit my degrading retail job and hugely improve my quality of life.
I have a job that I hate. It's a retail job, part-time, and it helps pay the bills while I get myself through college. I have been doing this job for four years (since before I went back to school -- in fact, not wanting to work this job forever was the impetus that caused me to go back to school in the first place) and I'd be ecstatic to see the back of it. The main reason I haven't left so far is that it pays $10/hr plus a bit of tips (which is better than most such jobs in this area) and the management is willing to work around my school schedule. I work 12-20 hours a week and I take home about $150 per week, after taxes, tips included. I am sick to death of it, mainly the idea that all this bowing and scraping that I do toward customers is all for the benefit of my boss, who I think is an asshole both as a manager and a human being.
There's no need to go into further detail; suffice it to say that I want out. In fact, I want out of jobs like this one, and permanently. I want to find something that I can do with those 12-20 hours per week (It's OK if it's more on the 20 hours end, as long as I can set my own schedule) that'll replace the income that I would miss by quitting my retail job. Something that doesn't require me to work for someone else's benefit (other than the mutually-beneficial arrangement with my hypothetical customers, of course) is what I'm looking for here, something where I can work for myself.
I've been thinking of starting an Etsy store, selling scented candles (which I like making) but I feel like there are probably about ten million people on Etsy doing the same thing and I really wonder how much money there is to be made doing that. I'd love to know. Something else similarly crafty would be great as long as the startup costs (both in terms of time and money) are reasonable and there's a decent margin to be made. I'd love to hear any other work-from-home ideas (though I'm really not interested in Leapforce et al, I'm looking for something marginally more fulfilling than what I'm doing already) that folks might have, and I'm not opposed to the idea of getting out on the street with some kind of small-scale business venture either.
Here are my assets, as I see them:
-knowledge of how to use the internet
-a reliable car, fully paid off
-easy access to a post office
-a bicycle
-good writing skills
-a pretty damn basic kitchen
-some simple tools (drill, hammer, etc.) and knowledge of their use
-a college campus where I spend quite a lot of time in the course of a regular day
So tell me, MeFites, what I can do with my spare time to drum up some extra cash and get rid of this parasite on my soul. I love you all.
I have a job that I hate. It's a retail job, part-time, and it helps pay the bills while I get myself through college. I have been doing this job for four years (since before I went back to school -- in fact, not wanting to work this job forever was the impetus that caused me to go back to school in the first place) and I'd be ecstatic to see the back of it. The main reason I haven't left so far is that it pays $10/hr plus a bit of tips (which is better than most such jobs in this area) and the management is willing to work around my school schedule. I work 12-20 hours a week and I take home about $150 per week, after taxes, tips included. I am sick to death of it, mainly the idea that all this bowing and scraping that I do toward customers is all for the benefit of my boss, who I think is an asshole both as a manager and a human being.
There's no need to go into further detail; suffice it to say that I want out. In fact, I want out of jobs like this one, and permanently. I want to find something that I can do with those 12-20 hours per week (It's OK if it's more on the 20 hours end, as long as I can set my own schedule) that'll replace the income that I would miss by quitting my retail job. Something that doesn't require me to work for someone else's benefit (other than the mutually-beneficial arrangement with my hypothetical customers, of course) is what I'm looking for here, something where I can work for myself.
I've been thinking of starting an Etsy store, selling scented candles (which I like making) but I feel like there are probably about ten million people on Etsy doing the same thing and I really wonder how much money there is to be made doing that. I'd love to know. Something else similarly crafty would be great as long as the startup costs (both in terms of time and money) are reasonable and there's a decent margin to be made. I'd love to hear any other work-from-home ideas (though I'm really not interested in Leapforce et al, I'm looking for something marginally more fulfilling than what I'm doing already) that folks might have, and I'm not opposed to the idea of getting out on the street with some kind of small-scale business venture either.
Here are my assets, as I see them:
-knowledge of how to use the internet
-a reliable car, fully paid off
-easy access to a post office
-a bicycle
-good writing skills
-a pretty damn basic kitchen
-some simple tools (drill, hammer, etc.) and knowledge of their use
-a college campus where I spend quite a lot of time in the course of a regular day
So tell me, MeFites, what I can do with my spare time to drum up some extra cash and get rid of this parasite on my soul. I love you all.
Do you have access to storage space somewhere? Depending on what area you live in, you might try buying & selling on craigslist.
posted by _Silky_ at 4:02 PM on February 14, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by _Silky_ at 4:02 PM on February 14, 2012 [4 favorites]
Well, I pay our babysitter enough that if she worked for us 20 hours a week, she would make more than $150/week. We have her scheduled for once a week in the evenings, and we pay her even if we cancel. She makes her own schedule. Ditto with our cleaning lady, and, in my past life, people who tended to our pets (actually, they may have made less than that, but still good money). I know several people who went from being the cleaning lady to hiring people to clean with them, to owning cleaning business.
You might try being a personal assistant as well - I'd love to have someone I could delegate a bunch of stuff to, some of which you could do at home (phone calls, appointment making, etc) and others that your car would be handy for (take in my dry cleaning, grocery shopping) - but that seems like its probably harder to get started on, since you'd need references or proof you were good at it. I did this for someone when I was in college - I would take the bus to his house and he'd have a list of things for me to complete.
posted by dpx.mfx at 4:03 PM on February 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
You might try being a personal assistant as well - I'd love to have someone I could delegate a bunch of stuff to, some of which you could do at home (phone calls, appointment making, etc) and others that your car would be handy for (take in my dry cleaning, grocery shopping) - but that seems like its probably harder to get started on, since you'd need references or proof you were good at it. I did this for someone when I was in college - I would take the bus to his house and he'd have a list of things for me to complete.
posted by dpx.mfx at 4:03 PM on February 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Oh! you could also offer "personal helper" services. Could you run errands for elderly people, taking them shopping, picking up prescriptions, helping them with meals? Perhaps a mother's helper as well?
Babysitting is another option, especially if you can offer hours that other sitters cannot offer.
posted by Sassyfras at 4:04 PM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
Babysitting is another option, especially if you can offer hours that other sitters cannot offer.
posted by Sassyfras at 4:04 PM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
I used to work with a woman whose son would buy stuff at the Goodwill and then sell it to Buffalo Exchange to pass along to clueless hipsters. If you've got an eye for what the kids are wearing, that might be an idea.
posted by jabes at 4:05 PM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by jabes at 4:05 PM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
Maybe tutoring? You might be able to get clients from local schools....maybe tutor various middle school or high school subjects, like general studies. You mentioned having good writing skills, perhaps a writing tutor or SAT prep? You might make between $30-50 an hour depending on the local going rate.
posted by Rapunzel1111 at 4:05 PM on February 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Rapunzel1111 at 4:05 PM on February 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Have you considered tutoring? Depending on where you live and what you're studying, you could make considerably more than $10/hour. Of course, finding clients is work, but even with the cut that a tutoring business would take, it would still pay better than what you're making now.
posted by strangecargo at 4:06 PM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by strangecargo at 4:06 PM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
Personal services like babysitting and house cleaning can work really well here. Back in college my friends and I would clean houses for $15/hour (with a 4-hour minimum) via Craigslist. It worked pretty well. For another stint in college I was signed up with a babysitting service and made $100 or so per week taking an evening or weekend sitting job here or there as needed.
That said, this is all in major cities with almost limitless need for this sort of thing. There might not be enough demand in your area, especially if you're in a small college town, to support yourself on this. Not to mention, of course, that wiping asses and scrubbing toilets barely ranks above retail work on the servility scale.
posted by Sara C. at 4:12 PM on February 14, 2012
That said, this is all in major cities with almost limitless need for this sort of thing. There might not be enough demand in your area, especially if you're in a small college town, to support yourself on this. Not to mention, of course, that wiping asses and scrubbing toilets barely ranks above retail work on the servility scale.
posted by Sara C. at 4:12 PM on February 14, 2012
Seconding babysitting. Weekdays for a few hours would be a godsend for many many mothers. You get your business through word of mouth, by being reliable and not the teeniest bit creepy. If you can swing a "naptime" babysitting gig, there might even be a chance that you'd be getting paid to study. Obviously, don't count on it in case the kiddo is sick or not naping, but hey, what a nice bonus that is. Because who gets to study at a retail job?
Plus there's often a premium for a good friday night babysitter, and also for last minute work, which is good if your class schedule is open. My vote is for putting in extra hours at the crappy retail job for a few weeks while you get the word out that you're willing to clean houses (craigslist only) and babysit (word of mouth only). This would give you a cushion to have a few slow weeks starting out.
posted by bilabial at 4:16 PM on February 14, 2012
Plus there's often a premium for a good friday night babysitter, and also for last minute work, which is good if your class schedule is open. My vote is for putting in extra hours at the crappy retail job for a few weeks while you get the word out that you're willing to clean houses (craigslist only) and babysit (word of mouth only). This would give you a cushion to have a few slow weeks starting out.
posted by bilabial at 4:16 PM on February 14, 2012
Is there a work study program at your school? You can usually find jobs related to what you are studying that are flexible and well-paying. Undergrad students in my research lab can work up to 20 hours a week and make $12 and hour, and the experience they get is invaluable.
You could also walk dogs. We pay our dog walker $15 for a half-hour walk. $27 for an hour.
posted by supercres at 4:18 PM on February 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
You could also walk dogs. We pay our dog walker $15 for a half-hour walk. $27 for an hour.
posted by supercres at 4:18 PM on February 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Cut grass, shovel snow, general errands. Find an area with a lot of elderly people, and not so huge yards/driveways... $20/driveway or so, maybe less if no one bites.
posted by backwards guitar at 4:23 PM on February 14, 2012
posted by backwards guitar at 4:23 PM on February 14, 2012
I don't know about NOLA, but here in SF dog walkers make a killing.
posted by Pecinpah at 4:27 PM on February 14, 2012
posted by Pecinpah at 4:27 PM on February 14, 2012
There's no way that starting a business (while you're in school!) is going to yield you more dollars per hour than a retail job. You'll probably lose both money and time on the deal. Just try to get a job on campus; work study is not necessarily required.
posted by gerryblog at 4:29 PM on February 14, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by gerryblog at 4:29 PM on February 14, 2012 [3 favorites]
If you are more of a pet person than a baby person, nthing dog-walker/pet-sitter, if you have reliable transportation.
posted by Mad_Carew at 4:31 PM on February 14, 2012
posted by Mad_Carew at 4:31 PM on February 14, 2012
Pizza delivery? You work nights that way, and you're mostly in your car listening to whatever you please. If you have lecture notes in an audio format or anything else you can listen to that will help your studies, you can double-stack your time. You do have a boss and a paycheck this way, and interaction with customers, but it's very different from a retail format.
posted by KathrynT at 4:31 PM on February 14, 2012
posted by KathrynT at 4:31 PM on February 14, 2012
Go to the disability services offices on campus, and ask if they have any need for notetakers in the classes you are already in.
My school preferred to select students that had done well in similar classes in the past(and obviously, that took good notes), but I got paid $12 an hour to go and take notes in the class I already had to attend! All I had to do was to make a photocopy of my notes for them. As a bonus, I always aced those classes because I took such copious notes in them...
posted by sawdustbear at 4:37 PM on February 14, 2012 [5 favorites]
My school preferred to select students that had done well in similar classes in the past(and obviously, that took good notes), but I got paid $12 an hour to go and take notes in the class I already had to attend! All I had to do was to make a photocopy of my notes for them. As a bonus, I always aced those classes because I took such copious notes in them...
posted by sawdustbear at 4:37 PM on February 14, 2012 [5 favorites]
Might I suggest that what you need is a DIFFERENT retail job?
When I was a PhD student I worked one day and one evening a week in a clothing store. Whilst dealing with teenyboppers could get a bit tiring sometimes, it got me out of the lab, talking to people and the pay was good. Best of all it was a regular and predictable salary. If you're in school you'll want a job where you can just turn the studying part of your brain off and earn an income. It'll also save you a heap of stress if you know how much income is headed your way at the end of each week - this is security that you simply won't have working for yourself.
You haven't said the type of retail you're working in, but I'd suggest the following might work well:
~ any shop where you are the only one there. My favourite student jobs were always the ones where it was just the store, me and the customers. Being on your own means that you get to focus on the job, and not on internal politics.
~ what about a bookshop, clothing store or a homewares store. Remember, that in the right retail job you should get a staff discount - if you work in the right kind of store, your staff discount can help you live just that little bit more frugally.
~ an on-campus job. They might be happier for your to have flexible hours.
Good luck :)
posted by Alice Russel-Wallace at 4:39 PM on February 14, 2012 [4 favorites]
When I was a PhD student I worked one day and one evening a week in a clothing store. Whilst dealing with teenyboppers could get a bit tiring sometimes, it got me out of the lab, talking to people and the pay was good. Best of all it was a regular and predictable salary. If you're in school you'll want a job where you can just turn the studying part of your brain off and earn an income. It'll also save you a heap of stress if you know how much income is headed your way at the end of each week - this is security that you simply won't have working for yourself.
You haven't said the type of retail you're working in, but I'd suggest the following might work well:
~ any shop where you are the only one there. My favourite student jobs were always the ones where it was just the store, me and the customers. Being on your own means that you get to focus on the job, and not on internal politics.
~ what about a bookshop, clothing store or a homewares store. Remember, that in the right retail job you should get a staff discount - if you work in the right kind of store, your staff discount can help you live just that little bit more frugally.
~ an on-campus job. They might be happier for your to have flexible hours.
Good luck :)
posted by Alice Russel-Wallace at 4:39 PM on February 14, 2012 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you everyone for the excellent responses. I see a few areas where I should clarify. First, I live in New Orleans. This is probably to my advantage in many ways, although not so much for snow shoveling ;).
Also, I am male. Do people actually hire male babysitters? I actually think that I would make a decent babysitter, but I was under the impression that it was pretty hard to build a client base as a guy for babysitting.
My main times of availability are Friday nights and Sundays. I am pretty well occupied at all other times (including other weekday nights) but could squeeze an hour in here or there during the rest of the week especially if it was something I could do at home, on campus, or from my laptop.
I've thought about tutoring but I have no idea what the qualifications are or how to go about building a client base. Are there companies that farm out tutors, or is it something that people usually just work out on their own?
I would not make a good semi-professional baker. Nor would I be any good as a housekeeper/housecleaner. I already have work-study job at school where I work in a biology lab as a research assistant and I absolutely love it to death but there's no way (for now) to get enough hours to pay my bills. (My PI is talking about hiring me on full-time come Summer under her grants.) I do not have significant extra storage space in my apartment, it's pretty tiny and cluttered.
Being a dog walker might fit, but how often do you think people would want me to be walking their dogs? I could probably get up early and get in a morning walk before school (even all week long, maybe, if it were only a half-hour thing and there wasn't too much commuting involved) and of course there's the aforementioned Friday nights and Sundays.
I don't want to work on a golf course or as a personal assistant. I would rather just keep working where I am now than do that sort of thing.
You are all being incredibly helpful. I knew in my heart that making candles and trying to sell them on Etsy was not going to be a workable solution, and I had sort of vaguely considered some of the possibilities that have been brought up here but I'm now realizing that they are things that I wouldn't really know how to get started with. If anybody has suggestions as to how I would get going with something that has been mentioned here (or of course any new ideas) I am totally all ears.
posted by Scientist at 4:41 PM on February 14, 2012
Also, I am male. Do people actually hire male babysitters? I actually think that I would make a decent babysitter, but I was under the impression that it was pretty hard to build a client base as a guy for babysitting.
My main times of availability are Friday nights and Sundays. I am pretty well occupied at all other times (including other weekday nights) but could squeeze an hour in here or there during the rest of the week especially if it was something I could do at home, on campus, or from my laptop.
I've thought about tutoring but I have no idea what the qualifications are or how to go about building a client base. Are there companies that farm out tutors, or is it something that people usually just work out on their own?
I would not make a good semi-professional baker. Nor would I be any good as a housekeeper/housecleaner. I already have work-study job at school where I work in a biology lab as a research assistant and I absolutely love it to death but there's no way (for now) to get enough hours to pay my bills. (My PI is talking about hiring me on full-time come Summer under her grants.) I do not have significant extra storage space in my apartment, it's pretty tiny and cluttered.
Being a dog walker might fit, but how often do you think people would want me to be walking their dogs? I could probably get up early and get in a morning walk before school (even all week long, maybe, if it were only a half-hour thing and there wasn't too much commuting involved) and of course there's the aforementioned Friday nights and Sundays.
I don't want to work on a golf course or as a personal assistant. I would rather just keep working where I am now than do that sort of thing.
You are all being incredibly helpful. I knew in my heart that making candles and trying to sell them on Etsy was not going to be a workable solution, and I had sort of vaguely considered some of the possibilities that have been brought up here but I'm now realizing that they are things that I wouldn't really know how to get started with. If anybody has suggestions as to how I would get going with something that has been mentioned here (or of course any new ideas) I am totally all ears.
posted by Scientist at 4:41 PM on February 14, 2012
Here's a good job that got me through college (and New Orleans will give you plenty of options): hotel graveyard shift. Hotels generally have 3 shifts: 7a-3p, 3p-11p, 11p-7a. The winner is the third. The benefits are many: good pay (compared to retail), good experience, and for the most part from 3a-6a, there's not much to do but read. When interviewing, stress that you're willing to work the weekend shifts (which are often difficult to staff).
What's great, too is that when you work all night, it feels like you're ahead of the world when everyone wakes up. Good luck!
posted by ColdChef at 4:51 PM on February 14, 2012 [7 favorites]
What's great, too is that when you work all night, it feels like you're ahead of the world when everyone wakes up. Good luck!
posted by ColdChef at 4:51 PM on February 14, 2012 [7 favorites]
I got my babysitting job by asking the woman who runs my college's Community Service building stuff about another job and she offered. I would ask your professors/people who know you on campus. The only way I got the job was because she trusted me already and knew me well from other things. I think most professors would prefer college aged kids over high schoolers anyways. I think there is definitely a growing market out there for male babysitters. I work with two twin 5 year old boys who I just know would love a male babysitter as well. I make $50 for 4 hours and get to play with playdoh, read books, play soccer, pretend I'm a queen, etc. I love it.
In regards to Etsy, I'm not sure about the candles, but my cousin makes clay figurines for people on DeviantArt and general pokemon/Japanese/animated characters. She makes most of her money through personal orders, so if you could set something up where customers can choose what scents they could have that would be cool. The other chunk of her income comes from Conventions where she sets up a booth. A small portion comes from Etsy. Etsy takes a chunk of money from you for commission, and you can't price up candles that much. So it could definitely be profitable, but until you have a larger following or place to advertise yourself, sustaining yourself through it would be difficult. I HIGHLY recommend checking out if your college's student center will allow you to set up a table and sell your stuffs every now and then. When crafty people do this, especially at meal times (cafeteria is upstairs here), they pull in lots o cash.
posted by fuzzysoft at 4:53 PM on February 14, 2012
In regards to Etsy, I'm not sure about the candles, but my cousin makes clay figurines for people on DeviantArt and general pokemon/Japanese/animated characters. She makes most of her money through personal orders, so if you could set something up where customers can choose what scents they could have that would be cool. The other chunk of her income comes from Conventions where she sets up a booth. A small portion comes from Etsy. Etsy takes a chunk of money from you for commission, and you can't price up candles that much. So it could definitely be profitable, but until you have a larger following or place to advertise yourself, sustaining yourself through it would be difficult. I HIGHLY recommend checking out if your college's student center will allow you to set up a table and sell your stuffs every now and then. When crafty people do this, especially at meal times (cafeteria is upstairs here), they pull in lots o cash.
posted by fuzzysoft at 4:53 PM on February 14, 2012
Does your college use tour guides? You might see about doing that.
Also, given your schedule, you might try finding a job you could do all day on Sunday and then some other job for your spare moments during the week.
For instance, maybe on Sunday you could be a caretaker for an elderly person whose regular caretaker has the weekends off, and then on the weekdays you could do the dog-walking or note-taking.
posted by shesbookish at 4:54 PM on February 14, 2012
Also, given your schedule, you might try finding a job you could do all day on Sunday and then some other job for your spare moments during the week.
For instance, maybe on Sunday you could be a caretaker for an elderly person whose regular caretaker has the weekends off, and then on the weekdays you could do the dog-walking or note-taking.
posted by shesbookish at 4:54 PM on February 14, 2012
I pay my dog-walker $120/week. She has other clients as well, so she makes much more than that. But one thing that is important to people who hire people to walk their dogs is that the dogs need to be walked more or less toward the middle of the day -- morning and evening walks we (in general) take care of ourselves.
Also: I was a male babysitter for several years during my high school/college days. A lot of people are open to a responsible young man caring for their kid(s). (As long as they don't need a wet nurse, of course.)
posted by trip and a half at 5:18 PM on February 14, 2012
Also: I was a male babysitter for several years during my high school/college days. A lot of people are open to a responsible young man caring for their kid(s). (As long as they don't need a wet nurse, of course.)
posted by trip and a half at 5:18 PM on February 14, 2012
Check to see if there's a co-op program at your school. I opted to go to school in the least popular (academically) semesters and to work in the most popular (academically) semesters. This meant there was less competition for co-op and I was more likely to get the $2k - $2500/mo gigs, no small change in the 1990s. I was also willing to move out of town for 4 months to get the better co-op jobs.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 5:28 PM on February 14, 2012
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 5:28 PM on February 14, 2012
You asked in your follow up how to go about finding clients to tutor. Here are some ideas for you. I'm not sure how many would fit your circumstances but maybe they will be a springboard for more ideas for you.
Firstly I would do a little research on what types of tutoring are most in demand. I would look on craigslist to see where the concentration lies. My gut tells me you will find a fair amount clustered around math and science, foreign language, and possibly test prep or composition/language arts. You mentioned feeling confident about your writing skills. Maybe you can more easily see yourself tutoring in that area. Perhaps at the high school level. There are all kinds of reasons why someone might want to hire a tutor for language arts...from improving scores on the SAT, to help with writing college application essays, to studying for AP exams, to catching up after an illness, or even general remedial help. These last two reasons could apply to middle and elementary school age students as well. It's even possible that home schooled students may need specialized help for one reason or another.
Figure out in your mind what kind of help/program you could put forth in those above scenarios, and keep that in the forefront as you market yourself. Have confidence!
To market yourself, I would make up business cards or a small flyer and post them in places like, public libraries near your home ( if allowed), supermarket bulletin boards, coffee shops, book stores, public park, places where young people do sports such as athletic fields, ice rink, public pool, etc etc. You could make contact with local elementary, middle and high schools both public and private to see if it would be possible to be put on some kind of list of tutors they might make available to parents who ask. You could search out homeschool groups and let them know about your services. I have homeschool friends in my area who grouped together and hired an english tutor to essentially teach their children an writing course. It's a course that can be purchased and taught at home, but these parents did not feel qualified so they hired outside help. Their kids meet with this tutor once a week in a group of about 6.
You could contact athletic departments at high school or college level to see if there are any athletes who are in danger of being benched for their GPA not being high enough, and might need help in the form of a tutor to get the grades up. Perhaps a children's hospital may take your name and number in case there are parent who inquire about a tutor for a child with an illness or maybe even a bad break that requires at home convalescence. There are kids who get into trouble at school or have learning difficulties who as sometimes asked to leave the school environment, to finish the year via online learning. Maybe their parents want some extra guidance or structure for them.
Just some ideas to throw out there, maybe some might net you some initial business and then word of mouth could take over. It sounds like you dont have a tremendous amount of free time, so maybe you just want a few clients to start with. Sunday is actually not a bad day to be available, lots of kids are that day too.
You can get an idea of the going hourly rate in your area by calling some tutoring services as if you were perhaps a parent, and simply asking what they charge, what they offer for that price etc. You could then set your price just a little lower, but not so low as to not inspire confidence in your abilities. I would advise in your case working independently and not trying to be hired by an agency.
Good luck in whatever you end up pursuing!
posted by Rapunzel1111 at 5:48 PM on February 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Firstly I would do a little research on what types of tutoring are most in demand. I would look on craigslist to see where the concentration lies. My gut tells me you will find a fair amount clustered around math and science, foreign language, and possibly test prep or composition/language arts. You mentioned feeling confident about your writing skills. Maybe you can more easily see yourself tutoring in that area. Perhaps at the high school level. There are all kinds of reasons why someone might want to hire a tutor for language arts...from improving scores on the SAT, to help with writing college application essays, to studying for AP exams, to catching up after an illness, or even general remedial help. These last two reasons could apply to middle and elementary school age students as well. It's even possible that home schooled students may need specialized help for one reason or another.
Figure out in your mind what kind of help/program you could put forth in those above scenarios, and keep that in the forefront as you market yourself. Have confidence!
To market yourself, I would make up business cards or a small flyer and post them in places like, public libraries near your home ( if allowed), supermarket bulletin boards, coffee shops, book stores, public park, places where young people do sports such as athletic fields, ice rink, public pool, etc etc. You could make contact with local elementary, middle and high schools both public and private to see if it would be possible to be put on some kind of list of tutors they might make available to parents who ask. You could search out homeschool groups and let them know about your services. I have homeschool friends in my area who grouped together and hired an english tutor to essentially teach their children an writing course. It's a course that can be purchased and taught at home, but these parents did not feel qualified so they hired outside help. Their kids meet with this tutor once a week in a group of about 6.
You could contact athletic departments at high school or college level to see if there are any athletes who are in danger of being benched for their GPA not being high enough, and might need help in the form of a tutor to get the grades up. Perhaps a children's hospital may take your name and number in case there are parent who inquire about a tutor for a child with an illness or maybe even a bad break that requires at home convalescence. There are kids who get into trouble at school or have learning difficulties who as sometimes asked to leave the school environment, to finish the year via online learning. Maybe their parents want some extra guidance or structure for them.
Just some ideas to throw out there, maybe some might net you some initial business and then word of mouth could take over. It sounds like you dont have a tremendous amount of free time, so maybe you just want a few clients to start with. Sunday is actually not a bad day to be available, lots of kids are that day too.
You can get an idea of the going hourly rate in your area by calling some tutoring services as if you were perhaps a parent, and simply asking what they charge, what they offer for that price etc. You could then set your price just a little lower, but not so low as to not inspire confidence in your abilities. I would advise in your case working independently and not trying to be hired by an agency.
Good luck in whatever you end up pursuing!
posted by Rapunzel1111 at 5:48 PM on February 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
You could offer to WATCH dogs and cats, if your housing situation would allow for it. We would normally pay $35-50 per night for these services for our 14lb pup.. Not that you could earn $150 per week, but it might help in addition to other things.
I also think tutoring is a great thing to do, and the people who hire tutors would know what you are qualified to tutor based on talking to you and seeing your transcript or class history. And teaching someone a topic can help you become more knowledgable in said topic just by virtue of talking about the topic all the time.
posted by two lights above the sea at 5:53 PM on February 14, 2012
I also think tutoring is a great thing to do, and the people who hire tutors would know what you are qualified to tutor based on talking to you and seeing your transcript or class history. And teaching someone a topic can help you become more knowledgable in said topic just by virtue of talking about the topic all the time.
posted by two lights above the sea at 5:53 PM on February 14, 2012
Some things not mentioned that could bring you some cash:
Giving blood/plasma
Being part of a drug study
Modeling for art students (nude and clothed)
Mover
Housesitter
or yeah, just a better retail job.
posted by emjaybee at 6:19 PM on February 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Giving blood/plasma
Being part of a drug study
Modeling for art students (nude and clothed)
Mover
Housesitter
or yeah, just a better retail job.
posted by emjaybee at 6:19 PM on February 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
"Do people actually hire male babysitters?"
YES. Mothers of boys. To get past the Stranger Danger/Chester the Molester moment, network for jobs through your professors.
My toddler boy likes his female sitters, but OH HIS ONE MALE SITTER. Hero worship to the extreme.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:32 PM on February 14, 2012 [4 favorites]
YES. Mothers of boys. To get past the Stranger Danger/Chester the Molester moment, network for jobs through your professors.
My toddler boy likes his female sitters, but OH HIS ONE MALE SITTER. Hero worship to the extreme.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:32 PM on February 14, 2012 [4 favorites]
Here's an off-the-wall option. It depends what your current living situation is, but you might be able to cut your expenses by $150 a week by moving into a live-in gig where you get free accommodation. Often universities offer free accommodation to older students willing to live in the dorms and be "on call" for undergrads who need assistance, or provide tutoring to them in certain fields. If you are willing to be flexible and move around a bit, you can get free accommodation house-sitting for people who are away. Around universities, profs often go overseas on sabbatical for a semester or longer and want their houses looked after. Some even pay a small rate on top of letting you live there for free. You usually have to water plants and sometimes take care of pets, but it's a sweet deal. I know people who lived for free like that for years, just moving every few months.
posted by lollusc at 6:46 PM on February 14, 2012
posted by lollusc at 6:46 PM on February 14, 2012
If you worked as a nurses' aide or personal care aide, being a male would be a plus. Same thing if you worked for your local parks department, YMCA, or after-school program.
posted by christinetheslp at 6:48 PM on February 14, 2012
posted by christinetheslp at 6:48 PM on February 14, 2012
Why work retail when you can be a waiter or bartender?
posted by Ideefixe at 7:50 PM on February 14, 2012
posted by Ideefixe at 7:50 PM on February 14, 2012
In fact, I want out of jobs like this one, and permanently.
I know that i'm not answering the question - but I think you might need to adjust your expectations for where you are in your life.
Unless you are cultivating a skill that easily lends itself to consulting or self-employment (and even then i'd disagree in the perceived benefit), or are planning on an alternative lifestyle, most jobs *are* going to be like that one. There are degrees, and everyone has a different breaking point, but it sounds to me like you need the money and you have a steady thing. The fact that they are willing to work around your schedule is HUGE. Starting something else is going to take time, energy, and a monetary investment before you even start to make money - and it sounds like you don't have a lot of resources to dedicate to starting a venture.
A lot of the above suggestions are fine for sporadic income, but cannot be relied upon, especially if you are just starting to do them and have no client base (dog walking, babysitting, tutoring, etc etc)
And if retail makes you feel like shit, bartending or waitstaffing will be even worse.
Can you get by without the cash and dedicate your extra time to building your future career or working on specialized projects with the potential to generate future income?
posted by sarahnicolesays at 8:31 PM on February 14, 2012
I know that i'm not answering the question - but I think you might need to adjust your expectations for where you are in your life.
Unless you are cultivating a skill that easily lends itself to consulting or self-employment (and even then i'd disagree in the perceived benefit), or are planning on an alternative lifestyle, most jobs *are* going to be like that one. There are degrees, and everyone has a different breaking point, but it sounds to me like you need the money and you have a steady thing. The fact that they are willing to work around your schedule is HUGE. Starting something else is going to take time, energy, and a monetary investment before you even start to make money - and it sounds like you don't have a lot of resources to dedicate to starting a venture.
A lot of the above suggestions are fine for sporadic income, but cannot be relied upon, especially if you are just starting to do them and have no client base (dog walking, babysitting, tutoring, etc etc)
And if retail makes you feel like shit, bartending or waitstaffing will be even worse.
Can you get by without the cash and dedicate your extra time to building your future career or working on specialized projects with the potential to generate future income?
posted by sarahnicolesays at 8:31 PM on February 14, 2012
If you want to look into the tutoring option, I would start by seeing if the learning center or whatever on campus is hiring any tutors. You might also look into working for a test-prep company like the Princeton Review or Kaplan. They usually hire people to teach the test-prep classes, but they also sometimes will hire people to do one-on-one tutoring. I think that Princeton Review often has different teachers teach different parts of the MCAT, for example, so you might be able to get a job teaching just the biology section of the MCAT. It pays really well, and it pays off the longer you do it; as you get more comfortable with the material your out-of-class prep time goes down, so you effectively get more per hour.
posted by aka burlap at 9:09 PM on February 14, 2012
posted by aka burlap at 9:09 PM on February 14, 2012
If you want to look into the tutoring option, I would start by seeing if the learning center or whatever on campus is hiring any tutors.
I second this. If your school has a separate writing center, check there as well. Ask around your academic department; sometimes departments will arrange some sort of tutoring, especially for the huge freshman-level classes, and will farm out the work to more senior students (depending on your department, you might even pick up a TA position.)
Freelance tutoring would probably net you more per hour, but at least in the beginning, you'd be spending a lot more time looking for clients, and you'd likely hit a ceiling on hours / week. Tutoring through the university takes out a lot of the uncertainty that could be involved, and will still clear the $10/hr mark. If you have a real knack for it, people will ask you about private tutoring.
posted by kagredon at 1:09 AM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
I second this. If your school has a separate writing center, check there as well. Ask around your academic department; sometimes departments will arrange some sort of tutoring, especially for the huge freshman-level classes, and will farm out the work to more senior students (depending on your department, you might even pick up a TA position.)
Freelance tutoring would probably net you more per hour, but at least in the beginning, you'd be spending a lot more time looking for clients, and you'd likely hit a ceiling on hours / week. Tutoring through the university takes out a lot of the uncertainty that could be involved, and will still clear the $10/hr mark. If you have a real knack for it, people will ask you about private tutoring.
posted by kagredon at 1:09 AM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Male babysitters are great, especially if you have a son. I had two, and the kids loved them (even the daughter). They tended to be more interested in doing things with the kids (ages 7-12 at the time) especially outside. Once kids are in school, it is hard for working parents to get them after school and take them to sports etc that start early. Having an older sitter with a car is a big bonus. Decent money for short babysitting stints (like 4pm - 6pm).
posted by maxg94 at 5:35 AM on February 15, 2012
posted by maxg94 at 5:35 AM on February 15, 2012
Have you thought about being a pedicab driver? I know New Orleans just (within the last year or so?) licensed some pedicabs. A quick googling bring up Need A Ride Pedicab, and it looks like they're hiring. Weekends are best, so it would work with your schedule. You'd have to put up with all kinds of crazy tourist shenanigans, but you could do it on your own terms, working for yourself. (Generally, riders rent the bike and work for themselves.) Plus, the money is pretty good.
posted by quietshout at 7:19 AM on February 15, 2012
posted by quietshout at 7:19 AM on February 15, 2012
You live in New Orleans?
Have you not looked into something hospitality related?
I'm originally from around there and know piles of people -- grown adults who are long out of college -- who make a living bartending a few nights a week.
I had a lot of friends in college who were night front desk clerks at hotels.
Seeing as you mostly have weekend availability, you could also look at waiting tables, or what about some kind of tourism-related job?
I feel like NOLA is one of the best cities in the country for casual service industry jobs. The vast majority of youngish people I know who live there make a full time living on that sort of work, so it shouldn't be too hard to line up a couple shifts here and there.
posted by Sara C. at 7:38 AM on February 15, 2012
Have you not looked into something hospitality related?
I'm originally from around there and know piles of people -- grown adults who are long out of college -- who make a living bartending a few nights a week.
I had a lot of friends in college who were night front desk clerks at hotels.
Seeing as you mostly have weekend availability, you could also look at waiting tables, or what about some kind of tourism-related job?
I feel like NOLA is one of the best cities in the country for casual service industry jobs. The vast majority of youngish people I know who live there make a full time living on that sort of work, so it shouldn't be too hard to line up a couple shifts here and there.
posted by Sara C. at 7:38 AM on February 15, 2012
Yeah in New Orleans the go-to answer is waiting tables or bartending. Also as ColdChef mentioned, the graveyard shift at a hotel. I have a friend who worked at one for a few months while between jobs, and they were very happy to have an employee who was smart and motivated. And he could pretty much watch movies, surf the net, etc most of the time.
Ditto what Eyebrows said about boys loving male babysitters. When I used to babysit for a boy and girl, the boy loooveeed it when my boyfriend came over.
If you are good with animals, maybe look into petsitting/watching rather than just dogwalking. As a college student, it's pretty nice to hang out in an "adult's" house, which was much nicer than my apartment, and pretend that the pets were mine for a few days!
I would also look into any workstudy programs that your school has, or just any random school jobs in general. My fiance is an MBA student and before school started he noticed that the B-school's writing center was hiring, and he got a job pretty much just by walking in and charming them. It's been great experience and it pays pretty decent as well.
I'm not sure at what point you are in school, but you might be able to get a tutoring job just by checking in with professors and advisors. A friend of mine who was in Public Health school tutored a student a year below her who was having trouble in his classes.
posted by radioamy at 8:49 AM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Ditto what Eyebrows said about boys loving male babysitters. When I used to babysit for a boy and girl, the boy loooveeed it when my boyfriend came over.
If you are good with animals, maybe look into petsitting/watching rather than just dogwalking. As a college student, it's pretty nice to hang out in an "adult's" house, which was much nicer than my apartment, and pretend that the pets were mine for a few days!
I would also look into any workstudy programs that your school has, or just any random school jobs in general. My fiance is an MBA student and before school started he noticed that the B-school's writing center was hiring, and he got a job pretty much just by walking in and charming them. It's been great experience and it pays pretty decent as well.
I'm not sure at what point you are in school, but you might be able to get a tutoring job just by checking in with professors and advisors. A friend of mine who was in Public Health school tutored a student a year below her who was having trouble in his classes.
posted by radioamy at 8:49 AM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh I almost forgot - have you looked at online freelancing jobs? My fiance makes some decent extra cash on Guru.com, and there are a few other sites too. He does mostly writing stuff but there are a bunch of categories.
If you really are into writing, I'd check out some of the local magazines and see if they need any writers. Where Y'at usually needs writers - it wouldn't be enough money for you to do as your sole gig, but it's super-flexible because they don't care when you do the work as long as you turn your work in on time.
posted by radioamy at 8:51 AM on February 15, 2012
If you really are into writing, I'd check out some of the local magazines and see if they need any writers. Where Y'at usually needs writers - it wouldn't be enough money for you to do as your sole gig, but it's super-flexible because they don't care when you do the work as long as you turn your work in on time.
posted by radioamy at 8:51 AM on February 15, 2012
Also, I am male. Do people actually hire male babysitters?
I think I had only male babysitters, actually. IIRC the female babysitters my mom tried out on me all expected me to play with dolls, which ended in tears and recriminations all around.
posted by elizardbits at 9:15 AM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
I think I had only male babysitters, actually. IIRC the female babysitters my mom tried out on me all expected me to play with dolls, which ended in tears and recriminations all around.
posted by elizardbits at 9:15 AM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Has anyone mentioned care.com yet? I didn't see it. Along with Craigslist, it is a good place to find tutoring/dogwalking/petsitting/babysitting work. Just a suggestion.
I was also coming in to suggest working weekends at a hotel.
posted by patheral at 8:54 PM on February 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
I was also coming in to suggest working weekends at a hotel.
posted by patheral at 8:54 PM on February 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
Try Leapforce. They have search engine evaluator positions that pay north of $15/hour where you can work from home whenever you want. You don't have to have a schedule ahead of time, you just log in whenever you want to and work however long you want. Yeah, it's not exactly having your own business, but it's more flexible than nearly any employee situation and you don't have to deal with asshole managers--in fact you don't really have to deal with anybody.
posted by parrot_person at 3:00 AM on February 16, 2012
posted by parrot_person at 3:00 AM on February 16, 2012
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I don't know about any of the business-end of it, if she needs a license or whatever. I think she's just doing this as sort of a fun thing and bringing in a bit of cash. As far as I know, she "advertises" on facebook reminding us all from time to time that she's making bread and to place our orders.
She grinds her own wheat, which keeps costs down - buying whole wheat is cheaper than buying whole wheat flour.
I also have a friend that makes homemade cinnamon rolls and cupcakes.
posted by Sassyfras at 4:01 PM on February 14, 2012