With no job, there's no budget!

[Jaxom22]

One of the reasons I came back to these forums is to get advice on any ways and means to earn some sort of income. And do so quickly! While I have and will continue to pursue employment the old-fashioned way of joining job search engines, craigslist, local employment department, ect. I need something NOW. At the very least a way to earn some cash to keep gas in car so I can job hunt.

Since I was last on these forums I've moved twice. First from Chicago suburbs to rural Illinois. Then last year from rural Illinois to St. Louis. During these moves it was nessary to sell of many personal items such as most of my tools. Other then a deep desire and willingness to work, I really don't have much else to offer.

Because of all the issues I've faced in the last 6 years, my resume has many red flags to any hiring manager. I know this because I use to do the hiring! Compounded by higher then average person unemployment, and you can see why we're struggling. Due to back injuries, my wife can no longer work. She has filed for ssi disability, but we won't know a decision either way until next year some time.

Any advice on how I can earn some money (legally), would be greatly appreciated!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

How about a Craigslist ad offering to do "handy" work for folks. I routinely use two young men to work for me and they have no tools and not a lot of handyman experience. I supply the tools and the directions and they supply the muscle.

When my son was unemployed he started helping people move...who doesn't need help with that? It turned in to a good gig for him until he found something more permanent.

Good luck and hope you find something soon!

 

[Denim Deb]

Do you have a way to cut and sell firewood? If there's any camp grounds near you, you could even sell small quantities as camp firewood. I see that around here frequently.

Are you any good at building and can you scavenge where you live? If so, look for wood scraps either out at the curbside, or go dumpster diving and make and sell chicken coops/tractors. You can also make rabbit hutches to sell, you'd just need to get some mesh for the sides.

Check CL. Sometimes people will post on there that they're looking for someone to work for a day.

 

[Jaxom22]

I check craigslist frequently for both job leads as well as "gigs" that pay cash. While my main goal is to find steady work, a gig paying cash would keep gas in my jeeps tank, as well as get a few things we need.

Problem with living right in the heart of the city, few folks need firewood or chicken coups.

What I really need to do is some sort of work from home thing that doesn't require any cash investment or require space like to assemble something or ship items.

 

[Britesea]

Ugh, that does cramp things a bit.
Here's an idea that a friend I knew did years ago: She advertised a pet poop clean-up service. For something like $7 a dog (CA, 15 years ago) she would come to your house and clean up the messes in the yard. It was surprising how many people- particularly double-income couples- would pay for her service. She would do this weekly, and if you paid for a month in advance you got a break in the price. Typically, the first time she went to a house it would take her as much as half an hour for a regular sized yard because she had to find all the places the dog chose for business; but once she had been going there for a while she could get through it in about 15 minutes and be on her way. She provided her own bucket and shovel, then dumped everything in your garbage can.

 

[baymule]

Does your town have a "day labor" corner? In a lot of Texas towns, there are places where mostly Hispanic men gather for day labor. You need work done, you go make a deal with one or two and they work for you for the day. Around here, it is customary to give them lunch and plenty to drink.

 

[Jaxom22]

If there is, I'm not aware of it. Family and I have lived here less then a year.

Been thinking pooper duty. Not the most pleasant of jobs, but my mother and I did have a kennel...

How do you compete with a company with crews that offer to beat EVERYONE else by 30% with a two week free service offer when they switch?

 

[Britesea]

Only thing I can think of is just being friendly and giving good customer service. Lots of people will stick with what they have as long as they don't have any complaints. I don't think my friend had any competition when she was working. You could also use word-of-mouth advertising, and offer a free week for any customer referrals that turn into a new account.

 

[sumi]

First off, I'm not in the States, so I don't know if this is a viable option for you, you'll have to check. A friend of mine phoned me the other day and told me about her little business she started. She collects used carton boxes, plastic materials and paper, all of which gets chucked out in large quantities by businesses such as shops. She then sells it to a recycling centre. (Same as you do with scrap metal at scrap yards.) She gets little for it by weight, but she manages to collect enough stuff on a weekly basis to fund all her living costs with some extra. If you have a centre locally that buys in recyclable materials like I mentioned above that may be something you can do to earn some cash. In my experience most shops are only to happy to hand over their "rubbish" such as boxes and other packaging materials, if you ask so...

 

[BillSchi]

The good thing about living in the 'heart' of the city is, that's where the money is at. The good thing about living rural is that it's inexpensive. I looked on CL in St. Louis MO and there are lots of jobs available, entry level and otherwise. I believe it's a matter of what we want or think we can do.
Outside of the box is another good place to start. As Britesa as mentioned a good potential job. That may require a lot of door knocking. Keep the price very low to get your foot in the door and let them try you out. People will pay for you to walk their pets even.