What do you do to support yourself?

[violaine]

[QUOTE=apocalipstic;15512]The library, yes!

We have switched from Barnes and Noble to the library to save money too.
They have books on tape and CD, books, magazines, music, movies.

oh yes, jen. i'm picking up a book today that was ordered for me. i always like to see from where they are sent- kind of like produce, when i cannot buy from local farmers. movies and music are checked out all of the time

ox

[Just_G]

What a great thread!

I am 4th generation in my family's oriental rug business. We sell hand knotted rugs made in India, Armenia, Pakistan, China, and Belgium. (no, there is no child labor involved like most people think.) Our product is more a luxury type thing, and not a necessity; therefore, our buisness has been scraping by the last year. I always thought I would some day inherit the business, but the way things are right now, we will be in to big of a hole to dig out of. I hope and pray that things start to turn around soon, but Pops is thinking about selling the business....which breaks my heart, but I understand. I think we are about the only family business left here in Kansas City...we are the oldest rug dealer in this town.

I also do a lot of remodel work on the side for cash. My favorite thing to do is build decks, but this time of year it is not a hot item..lol Laying tile and laminant flooring this last year has been the only thing that kept me afloat financially. However, it is my poor body that suffers...manual labor like this is a bitch, but it is all I really know. I have applied for a part time job at Lowe's, but they are not super busy this time of year.

I have cut out the gym membership (and oh boy can I tell!), and reduced a lot of things so that my bills are lower. I do keep my cable and internet because that seems to be what keeps me busy since my r/t social life has really taken a hit financially. Things are getting better slowly...which is better than not at all.

[morningstar55]

what do I do to support myself... well...........
i drive a truck..... yes .. am a girl and i drive a truck......

1st off im an artist...... i do sell my art from time to time.. even spent 6 yrs learning graphic design in college......
and somehow . ended up driving a truck... not sure how it happend but it did.
its not what i really like to do .. but it pays the bills.
wish i could get home more. but for now it pays the bills.
hoping soon i can find a local job..... but im not one to up and quit my job.. without a back up..
i drive long hours sometimes ,, sometimes i dont.
I dont look for hand outs or someone to pay my way... i work hard to get what little i have.
I do how ever enjoy meeting some of the awsome members of the BF community in my travels.
i am allowed to take passangers..... i have all the comforts in here of a micro wave, fridge, tv, a comfy full size bed and i love lots of pillows soo since i have to live in here on the road doing my job i have made it very comfy in here... soo thats what I do .. lol

[nytangel]

I have the pleasure of working for a mid-sized dot com. Its really nice not to have to dress any particular way to go to work every day. I'm thankful for an environment that is friendly to any and all lifestyles.

[Gemme]

I work in hospitality and am thankful that I can pretty much work anywhere in this field. The down side is that I am not certain I want to work in this particular field any longer. I miss office environments and a part of me is beginning to get really annoying with the tiny voice in my head screeching that I should go back to school.

But for now, hospitality is it for me.

[Laidbackgrly]

I do hair I enjoy it very much I do wish I made more money but me and my son get by I thank god everyday I have my job.

[Medusa]

Im a paid Tech Goddess by day and a super-duper Housewife at night

[AtLast]

I'm retired. I taught (community & state university) psychology & social work) and was a practicing psychotherapist and expert witness (forensic testimony). I also was a high school history teacher way back. And I have been part of a family refuse business in the mix. I don't think I ever had just one job at a time since I graduated from college and grad school. I hit every weak economic period while completing my education and going back to grad school, so that when I finished, I always ended up part-time somewhere and part-time somewhere else!

For awhile, I was semi-retired and followed a long-time interest in antique and vintage chinaware/glassware and had a small collectibles business and became a certified personal estate appraiser. That closed when this recession hit, so I just retired fully. I have some disability issues and decided to finally just take care of myself and enjoy life as best as possible.

Now, my time is mine (well, except for the kid's kids) really and I have been single for almost 4 years. Thinking of doing more travel, but have to see what the economy does.... last 2 years have been rough!

[Rockinonahigh]

Acouple of years ago I had the oppertunity to pay off all my bills,now all I have to pay is car inshurance,phone,electricty and of corse grosery.To save $$ I shop at the goodwill store,go to estate sales (im a big record collector as well as anything frome movies) U would be surprised what some folks thnk of as junk thats worth big bucks.Lasttime I went pickin I bought a real record player with the 45& 33 rpm ect speeds.several boxes of 45's some station cuts and tons of records I havent gotten into checking out the signatures on yet.I have sold some things when I got the right price but at the moment im building up my stock...I may well open an anytique store in my garage so I can work from home.

[Apocalipstic]

Times are indeed tight, I have almost been thinking about going back into Food and Beverage or large Concessions management which is very well paid, but I am not sure my health is good enough any more.

Cynthia asked me last night if maybe we need to switch to a cheap coffee brand. GASP.

I wish At Last lived closer to help me appraise the Estate Stuff from my Dad so I could start selling things and have some idea of worth.

Rockin, do you know of a good website for old record player needles? I have tons of really cool LPs I want to listen to.

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

Times are indeed tight, I have almost been thinking about going back into Food and Beverage or large Concessions management which is very well paid, but I am not sure my health is good enough any more.

Cynthia asked me last night if maybe we need to switch to a cheap coffee brand. GASP.

I wish At Last lived closer to help me appraise the Estate Stuff from my Dad so I could start selling things and have some idea of worth.

Rockin, do you know of a good website for old record player needles? I have tons of really cool LPs I want to listen to.

G'morning Mzzz Confection!!!

My stepmother looked and looked for a stylus for her old turntable and finally found one here: TurntableNeedles.com

For Christmas, one of the gifts I got my Pop was a digital turntable with the software and USB cables needed to dub all of his old Hawaiian music from LP vinyl over to CD. He's been making a huge project of doing this ever since!! Have you thought of dubbing your music over to CD?? The kit I got Pop was only something like $189, which was a hella lot cheaper than I thought it'd be. I found it at the Nellis AFB BX, but I'm sure they sell them comparably at other places, too.

Anyhoo, maybe you can find a needle at that site??

G'luck!!!

~Theo~

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

Times are indeed tight, I have almost been thinking about going back into Food and Beverage or large Concessions management which is very well paid, but I am not sure my health is good enough any more.

Cynthia asked me last night if maybe we need to switch to a cheap coffee brand. GASP.

I wish At Last lived closer to help me appraise the Estate Stuff from my Dad so I could start selling things and have some idea of worth.

Rockin, do you know of a good website for old record player needles? I have tons of really cool LPs I want to listen to.

Go to Ebay and research what has sold... this can be a good way to get an idea of what the market might yield. You can find sold prices within the past year. If you really have a lot of stuff, there are websites you can use to get appraisal info. from certified estate appraisers... or find one near you. If you have genuine antiques, sometimes, selling them via commission is good. just find out your area's usual & customary percentage for this.

[Bit]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

Cynthia asked me last night if maybe we need to switch to a cheap coffee brand. GASP.

Have you tried amazon.com? They have a subscription program for groceries. It's amazing; you can buy by the item or by the case, the shipping is free, and you tell them when to send the stuff, monthly, every other, every six... not only that, if you hit a crunch and need to put something off, you can tell them to skip a shipment.

I discovered them when absolutely no one in town was selling the supplies for the Breeze cat litter system, and I got hooked pretty quickly because it's so much cheaper than even the Big Gray Box stores (which did finally start carrying the supplies again). You do pay sales tax, but no shipping, which means I even save the $2.50 it would cost me to go to a BGB store on the bus---AND I don't have to struggle to lift and carry heavy stuff on the bus.

I dunno if you would find your brand of coffee there--they have tons of stuff, but of course they're more limited than most grocery stores--but they have so much stuff, and some of it green, like Seventh Generation cleaning and paper products, that I think it's worth a quick look, anyway.

I also save a considerable amount of money buying all our pets' flea meds at Amazon. It's even cheaper than 1800PetMeds, yanno? I just wish I could subscribe for those, but oh well, I'm just glad to be able to get them!

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Rockinonahigh

Acouple of years ago I had the oppertunity to pay off all my bills,now all I have to pay is car inshurance,phone,electricty and of corse grosery.To save $$ I shop at the goodwill store,go to estate sales (im a big record collector as well as anything frome movies) U would be surprised what some folks thnk of as junk thats worth big bucks.Lasttime I went pickin I bought a real record player with the 45& 33 rpm ect speeds.several boxes of 45's some station cuts and tons of records I havent gotten into checking out the signatures on yet.I have sold some things when I got the right price but at the moment im building up my stock...I may well open an anytique store in my garage so I can work from home.

Oh yes! There is treasure right in our attics, basements.... just need to take the time to research values. This can be a very lucretive home business with virtually no overhead! Plus..... its recycling!

[WickedFemme]

I have been so very fortunate to retain employment through these harsh economic times. However, I am making considerably less than I ever did prior to the economy downslide. It is difficult because my bills didn't decrease when salaries decreased and jobs became more scarce. I have had to cut back in all kinds of areas: shopping (I bargain shop for clothes if I'm able to do it at all), I have cut back on the extras such as online memberships, my gym membership, my blockbuster account, etc...

I don't eat out hardly at all anymore and if I do, it's a happy hour menu kind of thing once in a great while. I don't go to fundraisers anymore, I don't attend shows anymore, and the list goes on... I just don't have an entertainment budget anymore.

I am a Development professional for a nonprofit organization, which means i write grants to fund services, fundraising, etc...

I am in the process of looking for a higher paying position, but those just aren't out there and if they are, I am competing with people with even more experience than I, etc. It's difficult and it sucks, but I'm somehow managing to keep my head barely above water.

I have also had to put my student loans into forebearance status, I need a new car but can't justify the expense. Besides, my car is still running in spite of having over 150,000 miles on it.

I am not doing volunteer work anymore because I can't afford to do it - imagine that? I feel a need to focus my energy on taking care of myself first.. perhaps one day I will be able to have the luxuries I once did. I am however, researching the feasability of starting a new nonprofit organization within the next year or so. I have a fantastic idea to meet a huge and upcoming need in our community... so, stay tuned.

[sweetcali]

Originally Posted by June

After 20 years in the Financial Industry, I switched careers three years ago to work at a Design and Marketing firm. I wear a lot of hats, but right now, I am focusing on New Business Development, which means I research and write a lot of proposals. I am also involved in a lot of projects and my unofficial titles include: Cat Herder and Director of Safety, because a lot of these yahoos skateboard, unicycle, dance on ladders, etc. Hey, it's a design firm, we also have a WII in our conference room. It's a beautiful, creative space to work in, and I feel lucky to be around and collaborate with smart, funny adults who are passionate about what they do.

Last year, I asked to reduce my work week to three days so I could focus on the kitchen remodel and some other personal stuff. I am really thankful for the opportunity to do this, but actually, I often end up working from home on Thursdays and Fridays anyway for at least part of the day. Today, I am finishing up a huge proposal, and I actually came in the office to do it.

In my spare time, I do freelance design, marketing materials, copywriting and content organization for a variety of folks. Sometimes, I even get paid for it, but often I do it out of love or passion for their projects, like BFP (Note to Angie, put the new goddamn logo up - She's been sitting on it for 5 months!). I also volunteer some of my time with local non-profits, most recently a DV Shelter but I am being wooed by a friend who does development for a local organization who provides housing and resources, including job training to folks with low income and I'm pretty excited about it.

Everything you ever wanted to know about June, but were afraid to ask!

I would have to be starving before I would go back to Corporate America and deal with other peoples ill-behaved children.

I want to see June in an Easter Bonnet.

sweetcali

[Blade]

BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS

[Soft*Silver]

my life changed when the semi hit me almost three years ago. I was a mental health psychotherapist. Since then, I havent been able to hold down a FT job because my back goes out on me after working for so long. I have tried PT employment and am hoping I can do that now that my health is better.

but this has really changed the way I live my life. If you only knew the amount of money I lived on monthly you would gasp. Yet I did it, with the help of my sister and some churches.

After this accident, and with the experience I had with my ex butch husband cheating on me and me losing the family farm over it, I pretty much am terrified now of losing anything again in my life...

So I have simplified my life.

The house I just bought is paid in full. I have no mortage payment. My car is also paid off. I will have a huge garden and this will help me be self sustainable for food as much as I can be. (I dont plan on eating much meat anymore as it isnt good for me.) I have just my car insurance and my utilities to pay now, just like Rocky said earlier in his post. I am a crafter so all my gifts come from my talents. I might even sell some this year to make some money.

If I dont have much, I cant lose much. What I do have, I can sustain even in the worst of times.

[Cuddlebug]

I was a nurse, an LVN and making ok money. I went to school and LOVED my job, until I was hurt. Repetitive movement injury and that was all she wrote. I was unemployed and in workers comp.. for 3 yrs.


I went back to school and began to learn Sign Language. In 2008 I graduated and became an American Sign Language Interpreter! I am a Sign language Interpreter and .. I love my job!
I get to work with people and.... I get paid to talk! It is a femme's dream. I am blessed to have a job I love, and get paid decently well to do it.

I have also taken surveys to make a little extra.
Cuddles

[UofMfan]

I comprehend the meaning of a text and produce the subsequent of an equivalent text, that communicates the same message, in another language.