Planning Changes: Income

Cutting expenses is relatively easy. When we did away with cable years ago, we really didn't miss it. Replacing our very old car with a slightly less old car instead a new one, no big deal. Buying at thrift stores, an adventure. Shopping sales with coupons, a challenge. Cooking from scratch, something I enjoy. Not going out to eat...ok you've got me there. That I do miss, but most cuts to our expenses have been relatively painless. 

Increasing our income, now, that is a tough one. Tough because the choices are limited by our set of skills and experience. Tough because it hits at what we value the most, our family time. But that is where we are at. We need to increase our income. 

My husband has a decent job that he enjoys. A second job may be an option for him, but it would have to be some sort of seasonal work. Perhaps the census work that anonymous mentioned would be a good fit.  During his busy season there is no time for a second job. 

We have animals. We have a large garden. Selling some of the things we raise has been suggested. This is something we will be doing on a small scale. Selling rabbits, eggs, and goats is something we can easily do without much more time or money invested. (As a side for those of you wondering about the cows or pigs. They are owned by my parents, and not ours to sell.) Up until now we have only been using our animals for our own consumption.  I don't expect to make much money on the animals, but if we can at least cover the cost of feed and put a few bucks in our pocket, it is a step in the right direction.

As for selling produce, last year we ventured into this a little. The kids (with quite a bit of help) picked and sold blackberries from the wild bushes on our property. I only put out the word to one small circle of friends, and we sold 26 quarts. We could have sold more if we would have gotten them picked. I need to plan my time better this summer. 

Though we do a lot of gardening, we really do not produce much excess. Our gardens feed ten. (My family, my parents, and my niece and nephew who visit on a regular basis.) As of right now, we do not have any other cleared land to expand our gardens. I am still planning the garden, but am considering what can be planted to save space, and produce an excess that could be sold via word of mouth.

There are some other work from home options I'm considering. I already do some freelance writing, and was given the opportunity to do more. I would love to be able to just write from home, but it doesn't pay enough to meet the need we have. 

I have provided childcare before, and it is something I am considering again. As a twist to this, it has been suggested that I could homeschool other children in my home. I'd have to double check our state laws about that, but it does sound like a great idea. I live in an out of the way place, so that may make it a little more difficult, but I think I will put the word out in a few places and see what happens. 

What I really think is going to happen though is that I will get a part time job in the evenings or on the weekends. This will eliminate child care costs that would be incurred if I were working full time during the day. This will require some super organization, time management, and pitching in by myself and the rest of the family, but I think we are up for it. Getting out of the house alone, even if it is to go to work, doesn't sound too bad to this homeschooling mom. I've even thought how nice it would be to do my grocery shopping before or after work, without the kids. 

So the next question is what job to look for? It has to offer enough flexibility to meet the hours I am available, and it needs to pay well enough to make it worth my drive. I am seriously leaning toward waiting tables. Waiting tables has been good to me over the years. I started waiting tables in high school. It paid my living expenses through college. It got us through our first year of marriage when Tim was in college, and helped make ends meet when I was substitute teaching. 

It isn't a glamorous job. It can be physically demanding, and let's face it, there can be some very rude people out there. The hours I am available are the busiest, and it has worked for me before. On average it pays better than retail, and I can't think of many other options. Now that we've pretty much decided what needs to happen, I need to get out there and find the job. 

In the meantime, we are trying to generate some quick income to ease some of the pressure. We have a vehicle we are selling, well we have been trying to sell for some time now, but are going to try a little harder to actually get it sold to pay off some debt. I will be cleaning out closets and listing things on ebay.  The taxes will get done, and the return will go first to get our emergency fund account back to where it should be, and then to debt.  And though I feel a little strange about it, I did add a donate button to my sidebar since it was suggested to me. We also will be researching the possibility of a short sale of our rental home. I was not aware of this option until a reader at Smart Spending mentioned it. Thanks O-wood. I'm not sure we will qualify, but it is worth some research. 

It is frustrating to try so hard for so many years, cutting expenses, yet the debt is not shrinking. Something has to change. Increasing our income, difficult as it may be, must happen. Thank you for your support and encouragement.