FacebookTwitter
Hatrack River Forum   
my profile login | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Hatrack River Forum » Active Forums » Books, Films, Food and Culture » I need a job (no I don't, I'm just whiny)

   
Author Topic: I need a job (no I don't, I'm just whiny)
Belle
Member
Member # 2314

 - posted      Profile for Belle   Email Belle         Edit/Delete Post 
I'm tired of my husband practically killing himself to make all our ends meet and I want to help out.

Problem is, I still need to be here for the kids. So, trying to find something I can do either from home or that is part-time and will have me here when they get home.

My Mom is calling in all her contacts and trying to find something, and she's pretty well connected. She thinks there's a possibility that she might be able to get me a job with an insurance company going to employers and helping them sign up people for insurance, I'd essentially set my own hours.

Other than that, I can't think of much else. Any ideas? Any thoughts? Anything you can throw out to help my brainstorming?

[ October 03, 2005, 07:26 PM: Message edited by: Belle ]

Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
advice for robots
Member
Member # 2544

 - posted      Profile for advice for robots           Edit/Delete Post 
Maybe tutoring of some kind, like ketchupqueen is doing?
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
ketchupqueen
Member
Member # 6877

 - posted      Profile for ketchupqueen   Email ketchupqueen         Edit/Delete Post 
Since I don't have a car-- Jeff takes it to work every day-- I'm confined to what I can do at home while he's gone. For me, that leaves some light seamstressing (designing costumes and accessories sometimes, but mostly shortening or altering clothes for people), babysitting, and tutoring.

I hope you find something that works for you! I know how it is to feel like you're letting your husband kill himself for you. It's not fun. [Frown]

Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
jeniwren
Member
Member # 2002

 - posted      Profile for jeniwren   Email jeniwren         Edit/Delete Post 
What did you do before the kids? I can't remember, but I thought it had to do with accounting.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Belle
Member
Member # 2314

 - posted      Profile for Belle   Email Belle         Edit/Delete Post 
jeni I was a sales analyst and database programmer. Essentially I took massive, unformatted data, plugged it into a database and spit out reports so the powers that be knew who sold what and could distribute bonuses to the top sales reps.

Unfortunately I've been out of the field for six years, and my computer skills aren't what they used to be so I doubt I'd get a job in that exact field again. I am an excellent typist, good at data entry and good with people, either on phone or in person.

Wes is upset at the mere idea, so he's telling me that there's no way I'm going to work. And he did make one important point - if I got a job at, say 9 bucks an hour for 30 hours a week I wouldn't make as much in a week as he can in a day if he takes an extra plumbing job. So he thinks it's better for him to just take an extra job or two on the weekends and me not work.

He does make a lot more than I could, but I'd kind of like to have weekends together as a family, ya know?

And, this is all temporary, once we catch up and pay off all the debt that is left over from us closing down the plumbing company there would be no need. So, he thinks we can get by without me working.

I just hate him working every weekend, it's starting to upset me.

Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
ketchupqueen
Member
Member # 6877

 - posted      Profile for ketchupqueen   Email ketchupqueen         Edit/Delete Post 
I know how that is. When Jeff had to work 6 days a week, every single week, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Maybe you can compromise? Find something you can do very part time that means he only has to take a job every other weekend or so?
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
ludosti
Member
Member # 1772

 - posted      Profile for ludosti   Email ludosti         Edit/Delete Post 
I know you do dye work (IIRC, you also have done sewing/embroidery) and it's beautiful. Perhaps you could expand on that - maybe hook up with a boutique (didn't you sell one of your scarves through a boutique?) or expand your eBay sales?
Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Farmgirl
Member
Member # 5567

 - posted      Profile for Farmgirl   Email Farmgirl         Edit/Delete Post 
Belle -- when I re-entered the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom, back when my kids were in grade school, the first place I looked for a job (and FOUND one) was in the school district itself.

That way, I had all their same break days off as they did, worked near enough to "keep my eye" on them, and got off work at the same time they got out of school.

It was ideal. It isn't high pay, but you might consider it.

Farmgirl

Posts: 9538 | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
ClaudiaTherese
Member
Member # 923

 - posted      Profile for ClaudiaTherese           Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by Belle:
I am an excellent typist, good at data entry and good with people, either on phone or in person.

Had you thought about doing medical transcription? You have a thorough working knowledge of the terminology, and you can work from home on your hours over the phone.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
jeniwren
Member
Member # 2002

 - posted      Profile for jeniwren   Email jeniwren         Edit/Delete Post 
Belle, are you looking long term or immediate? Sounds like immediate.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Belle
Member
Member # 2314

 - posted      Profile for Belle   Email Belle         Edit/Delete Post 
I don't know that I'm looking at anything at all, now after talking to my husband who pretty much says "No way. I won't ever force you to do something or not to do something but I do NOT want you working."

I'm thinking of selling off a bunch of fabric and supplies that I'm not likely to use anytime soon on Ebay to raise some immediate cash. And I have some projects I could dye up and sell for the Christmas season. Local boutiques is a good idea - I did have one that was interested in buying a lot of scarves from me that I didn't follow up on - might be too late to get them to buy some for the Christmas season but maybe not. Worth a try anyway, especially since I have all the scarves and dye stuff already and it wouldn't take an investment of any kind to get them ready to sell, just a time investment.

Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Pat
Member
Member # 879

 - posted      Profile for Pat   Email Pat         Edit/Delete Post 
www.backporchliving.com
Posts: 1800 | Registered: Apr 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Valentine014
Member
Member # 5981

 - posted      Profile for Valentine014           Edit/Delete Post 
Why is your husband so against you taking on a part-time job?

But as far as ideas go, what about babysitting? You can still stay at home to be with your own kids and this is especially a good idea if you live close to a grade school (for the latch key kids).

Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
romanylass
Member
Member # 6306

 - posted      Profile for romanylass   Email romanylass         Edit/Delete Post 
I was going to say the dye idea... you could expand it and then it would be less of a "job" in Wes's eyes maybe, but still bring in a good amount of money.

(Do you think it's a male pride thing?)

Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Valentine014
Member
Member # 5981

 - posted      Profile for Valentine014           Edit/Delete Post 
romanylass: I didn't want to assume that is the reason because I don't think Belle is the sort of woman to put up with that behavior (at least not for very long).
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
advice for robots
Member
Member # 2544

 - posted      Profile for advice for robots           Edit/Delete Post 
Just from my perspective--I don't want my wife to have to feel like she has to hold down the house and bring more money in. If it's something she wants to do and enjoys doing during the day, then that's great. But I don't want us to get to the point where she can't quit that job for a while because we're too dependent on her income. And I don't want her to feel like she's locked into some kind of work she doesn't like.
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Belle
Member
Member # 2314

 - posted      Profile for Belle   Email Belle         Edit/Delete Post 
Oh no, it's not a male pride thing. This is the husband that is encouraging me to get my degree so I can have a better paying job that I enjoy one day.

He 1) does not want me to quit school because he thinks I'll be happier long term if I finish and 2) feels like since he has so much more earning potential than I do, it's better for the family for him to work a little extra on nights and weekends and let me be there as a stable force in the kids lives and 3) wants me to finish my novel because he knows I've always wanted to.

He absolutely would have no problem with me making more money than him - in fact he keeps endcouraging me to keep writing in hopes I'll be some world-famous rich novelist one day. (yeah, like that happens to anyone [Wink] ) In fact, in the early days of our marriage I did make more.

Like afr said, too, he thinks the home, kids, school, and writing are more than enough work for one person.

Actually, I'm embarrassed now, this is looking more like a self-serving, whiny thread. More than likely, I'm not going to work (unless that thing my mom is checking on comes through, because I could set my own hours and work when I wanted to it would be all commission) I'm just expressing my frustration at my husband being gone so much. It is temporary though and I should be grateful that he is able to take care of our family the way he does. In other words, I should count my blessings and shut up. Sorry.

Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
jeniwren
Member
Member # 2002

 - posted      Profile for jeniwren   Email jeniwren         Edit/Delete Post 
((Belle))
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Toretha
Member
Member # 2233

 - posted      Profile for Toretha   Email Toretha         Edit/Delete Post 
if you do anything crafty, www.etsy.com might be a good place to sell.
Posts: 3493 | Registered: Jul 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
ketchupqueen
Member
Member # 6877

 - posted      Profile for ketchupqueen   Email ketchupqueen         Edit/Delete Post 
oOOoooOOOOooooh.

Now, that's an idea!

Then we could all buy Belle scarfs for holiday presents!

Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
erosomniac
Member
Member # 6834

 - posted      Profile for erosomniac           Edit/Delete Post 
Belle,

Your hubby's reasoning is pretty sound: in terms of sheer numbers, it makes sense for him to work a few more hours than for you to pull a part time job for less money.

Check craigslist for sales jobs: there are a surprisingly large number of set-your-own-hours internet and phone sales jobs you can do from home on your own time. If you don't mind that sort of work, it might be a good solution.

Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
advice for robots
Member
Member # 2544

 - posted      Profile for advice for robots           Edit/Delete Post 
Speaking again from the husband's point of view: whether or not it's hard on him to take on more work is immaterial--he considers it his job to provide for the family and will not begrudge the extra hours. He will, in fact, derive some satisfaction from being needed like that and from putting in a hard day's work for a good cause. In that sense, there is some pride. All he expects in return is a small measure of gratitude and recognition for his efforts. [Smile]

And the true measure of his character is thanking and recognizing his wife for the doubly hard work she has put in at home, whether or not she has dinner ready for him and the La-Z-Boy and the newspaper properly set out upon his arrival. [Smile]

Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Farmgirl
Member
Member # 5567

 - posted      Profile for Farmgirl   Email Farmgirl         Edit/Delete Post 
Belle -- it seems to me that you can have the best of both worlds if you have the time and earn a little extra from home, while also being there with the kids.

I agreed with your husband's viewpoint on things, but also remind him even the Proverbs 31 woman (which everyone holds up to be the perfect wife) used her talents to earn for the family as well.
quote:
16- She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
18- She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
24 -She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

So things like selling your crafts to the boutique, or E-baying for profit, or medical transcriptioning at home -- if it won't take severe time away from your family, might also give you some satisfaction that you are helping in a small way. The last issue of Guidepost had a wonderful article about a woman, trying to overcome depression, started hand-making purses and they were very popular and sold well. It was encouraging.

FG

Posts: 9538 | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
larisse
Member
Member # 2221

 - posted      Profile for larisse   Email larisse         Edit/Delete Post 
Toretha's idea about Etsy.com is a good one. They have some very nice items listed there. In fact, I have a space there. I just haven't placed anything up yet. They do have listing fees and commission fees I believe, but it is much more like Ebay's Buy It Now rather than an auction. (Selling on Etsy)

I think your work is just beautiful, Belle. You could earn some extra money that way. Or, the boutique suggestion is also a good one. And, you would be doing something you enjoy already.

I am not sure how you determine the price of the pieces you make, but when I started making jewelry I was told to take the cost of my material and multiply by three. Additionally, adding on how much per hour it took to make each piece.

My other suggestions ditto the ones already made. So, I am not much help there. Good luck though.

BTW, I don't think you are whining. You are worried about your family; that's not whining.

{{{Belle}}}

Posts: 822 | Registered: Jul 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
jeniwren
Member
Member # 2002

 - posted      Profile for jeniwren   Email jeniwren         Edit/Delete Post 
Belle, I don't know how sophisticated your reporting was, whether you were working with multiple tables to compile your reports, or what, but good reporting skills are relatively difficult to come by. I learned on a totally obsolete language, didn't use the skills for years, but an finding that they come back quickly and transfer easily to new technology. Early in my career, I built sales and accounting reports as part of my job. When I came to work for my present employer, those skills weren't needed, so I almost never used them. Now, however, I'm doing a lot of accounting reporting as part of auditing our accounting interface. It's involved learning Transact-SQL, but with a good book (SQL Queries for Mere Mortals is great!), I've managed well pretty much on my own.

I say all this just to point out that you have very salable skills if you know the concepts behind joins and using raw data to produce useful reports. It's not easy to find someone with the technical aptitude and business understanding to apply data in a way that makes the information readily understood. And there can be quite a lot of money in it if you can get good clients. I can't offer much in the way of suggestions for getting clients. I just wanted to encourage you that if you have reporting skills, even if they're on obsolete technology and long unused, they are still well worth something because it's the concepts that are hardest to get, not the syntax.

Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
romanylass
Member
Member # 6306

 - posted      Profile for romanylass   Email romanylass         Edit/Delete Post 
It's OK to feel unhappy about not seeing your husband as much as you want. But you are very lucky.
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
breyerchic04
Member
Member # 6423

 - posted      Profile for breyerchic04   Email breyerchic04         Edit/Delete Post 
I just remembered I meant to post a kudos to belle post, thanks for sending me that stuff, it came saturday, Sunday I found out it had been at the neighbor's a few days, somehow 5767 ROAD NAME and 5776 ROAD NAME with Sarah T and Tara S seem like the same person a lot.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Belle
Member
Member # 2314

 - posted      Profile for Belle   Email Belle         Edit/Delete Post 
Oh, I'm just glad it arrived. I hope the colors are ones you will like.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

   Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | Hatrack River Home Page

Copyright © 2008 Hatrack River Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2