Work at home?

[Toxick]

Does anyone know of any places around here where you can work at home?

My wife wants to start working again, and then we saw the ridiculous cost of daycare After we recovered from our coronaries, we decided that her working was barely going to cover childcare cost, not even leaving enough money for a bag of chips and a soda-pop, she may as well spend the time with the kids.

But she says that she wants to stuff envelopes or put junk together or whatever it is that work-at-home people do, so that she can watch the kids, and still earn an income.

Anyone know of anything like that around here?

 

[crabcake]

those envelope stuffing and mailer WAH gimmicks are just that. And most companies that offer a flexiplace (work at home) policy require that you have childcare while you are working from home (mine does, anyway) because the whole point is that you are "working" from home ... not working in between burpings, feedings, diaper changes, meal fixings, nap takings, cartoon changings, etc. face it, how productive can you really be with kids running around?

good luck though.

she could consider something (different shift) that only requires the kids to be in 'care for a couple hours until you get off work, or vice versa :shrug:

 

[SxyPrincess]

Has she considered eBay? I know people that buy discounted clothes and other items from stores and make big bucks on eBay.

She could also consider Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Tasteful Treasures...etc.!

 

[justhangn]

Re: Sxy....

Originally posted by kwillia
Weren't you just sayin' how much extra cash you been making at home lately?

But isn't considered hazardous pay? :shrug:

 

[Toxick]

Originally posted by SxyPrincess
Has she considered eBay? I know people that buy discounted clothes and other items from stores and make big bucks on eBay.

Selling other people's used clothes on ebay. What a stroke of genius. And you don't need much capital to get started with either.

Any idea what sorts of clothes people make money on?

Originally posted by SxyPrincess
She could also consider Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Tasteful Treasures...etc.!

I'll run those by her.


But I'm not sure what would be behind the 'etc' though. I've never really paid much attention to this sort of thing. I know there's Amway - but I've already ix-nayed that. I don't want people hiding from us when we show up at parties.

 

[SxyPrincess]

Originally posted by Toxick
Selling other people's used clothes on ebay. What a stroke of genius. And you don't need much capital to get started with either.

You can sell old clothes and also new purchases. You can buy Summer clothes pretty cheap now because the cooler months are on the way. I bought an Old Navy shirt last night for $1.97. You just have to shop for clearance items.

 

[SxyPrincess]

Originally posted by Toxick

Any idea what sorts of clothes people make money on?

I hear big names such as Bebe, Banana Republic, Gucci and the such are pretty big sellers out west. Maybe they don't have those stores? :shrug:

 

[Toxick]

Originally posted by crabcake
those envelope stuffing and mailer WAH gimmicks are just that. And most companies that offer a flexiplace (work at home) policy require that you have childcare while you are working from home (mine does, anyway) because the whole point

Well - how would they know whether you have day care or not? If you're working at home - as long as the work gets done.

Originally posted by crabcake
she could consider something (different shift) that only requires the kids to be in 'care for a couple hours until you get off work, or vice versa :shrug:

We tried that before. She got the graveyard shift at a store, and I had them all night and she had them all day, and we never got to see each other at all, and she didn't get as much sleep as one might consider reasonable.

 

[Erin]

Originally posted by crabcake
And most companies that offer a flexiplace (work at home) policy require that you have childcare while you are working from home (mine does, anyway) because the whole point is that you are "working" from home ... not working in between burpings, feedings, diaper changes, meal fixings, nap takings, cartoon changings, etc. face it, how productive can you really be with kids running around?

One can work from home at their convenience (when the kids are sleeping or hubby gets home from his job and relieves her of duty). There are companies that set objectives and goals the worker meets and that is how their productivity is measured. Unfortunately, I don't know of any around here. Some places offer the employee an opportunity to work part time at home and part time at the job site.

 

[crabcake]

Originally posted by Toxick
Well - how would they know whether you have day care or not? If you're working at home - as long as the work gets done.

We tried that before. She got the graveyard shift at a store, and I had them all night and she had them all day, and we never got to see each other at all, and she didn't get as much sleep as one might consider reasonable.

When Mr. Boss Man calls to check on the status of a monthly report he's waiting on and hears a crying baby/screaming kids/cartoons/etc. in the background, it's kind of a give away that your kids don't have someone else looking after them to free you from distractions to accomplish the job.

I guess you need to determine first off what kind of money she needs/wants to earn to determine what your options are. But to pull in serious G's from home will require some sort of childcare arrangement from most companies. If she's not doing it solely for income, maybe she could consider having her own daycare at home and just have one or two kids she watches (your own will count against your quota) or volunteer somewhere that the kids can go too.

 

[JabbaJawz]

Originally posted by crabcake
When Mr. Boss Man calls to check on the status of a monthly report he's waiting on and hears a crying baby/screaming kids/cartoons/etc. in the background, it's kind of a give away that your kids don't have someone else looking after them to free you from distractions to accomplish the job.

Some companies that allow work-from-home arrangements require you to work regular business hours. Meaning if they call you at 7:30am to ask a question or discuss business you'd better be outta bed and have that computer turned on. Other work at home arrangements don't care when you get the work done - it totally depends on what kind of work you're talking.

 

[Elle]

Originally posted by SxyPrincess
She could also consider Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Tasteful Treasures...etc.!

I was thinking Tupperware or Creative Memories (send her my way) but I'm partial!

 

[tipsy mcgee]

You could leave the computer on all the time and put one of those water drinking ducks near the keyboard and just have him peck the "y" for yes key all day like Homer Simpson did.

 

[Ken King]

How about her becoming a "daycare provider"? That is done from home, draws in some decent money, and gives your kids someone to socialize with.

 

[Dymphna]

I started doing daycare when I saw the price of it putting my own kids in it.

Pros:
-You get to raise your own kids.
-If you have clients the same ages as your kids, they have playmates.
-It can be rewarding to see the kids grow and develop.
-It can be lucrative, especially if you don't have any of your own children under age 2. There is a lack of child care for "infants." and you can pretty much name your price. (There can only be 2 children under 2 per adult.) Infants often have older siblings too.

Cons:
-The opinion of the general public is you are too stupid to find a "real" job.
-You have to let the fire marshal and Child Care Adminstration into your house whenever they show up during stated business hours. (They don't do this often, right now CCA comes every other year announced and every other year unannounced, unless there is a complaint)
-There are start up expenses such as require training, inspections and required equipment.
-You have to deal with contracts and disputes on your own. No one else is going to hold the parents to the rules. And there are some that'll nitpick every point.
-The burnout rate is high.
-If you don't have an infant opening, it's hard to get clients.
-You most likely will be tied to your house because most parents don't want you driving their kid all over the place. But if there is a nearby park/playground, that's an option.

 

[Dymphna]

Now that I look at it, the con list is much longer than the pros.

Don't get me wrong, I love my job and my kids (my own and clients too). But you have to have your eyes open and I certainly respect anyone who decides they can't do this job.

 

[crabcake]

I agree CMC ... I can tell when I've interviewed someone that they got in it just to stay home and not so much because they care about kids. It takes a special person to be a child care giver. :. I am not one of them though. I have too little patience for it to keep from being sued b/c I smack someone's kid for being a little punk. but hey, I can admit it! :shrug:

If you really aren't "into it" don't get into it.

 

[TripleJ]

If you pay....$150.00 for daycare for a two year old and up, The Daycare is open 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (12 hours), that is a 60 hour work week. Broken down that is $2.50 an hour. Would you work for $2.50 an hour? I'm going out on a limb here, but,... most people consider their children the most important thing in their lives. That being the case how is $2.50 an hour to be considered "ridiculous as Toxick suggest?

 

[crabcake]

Originally posted by TripleJ
I'm going out on a limb here, but,... most people consider their children the most important thing in their lives. That being the case how is $2.50 an hour to be considered "ridiculous as Toxick suggest?

good point TJ and I don't even pay that much ($100/week including meals). She's worth 10 times that much though (and she'll know that when she gets her Christmas present!) Once you get a good provider, you want to take care of them. After all, they ARE taking care of your most important "possession"

 

[Toxick]

Originally posted by TripleJ
That being the case how is $2.50 an hour to be considered "ridiculous as Toxick suggest?

If I can't afford it, it's ridiculous.


I tallied it up for all three of my kids, it's $14400 per year for Day Care.

If wife takes a job at a minimum wage entry level position, she will make less than that, and will defeat the entire purpose of her taking the job - which is not to spend less time with the children, but to bring more income into the household.

She'd be better off staying home and seeing the kids, instead of breaking her back for, in effect, no reason at all.


Don't take offense at my use of the word ridiculous.