Thanks to everyone who has given great input!!
I wanted to clear up the jobs, since I suppose I sure did present it a little vaguely:
Day Job: Part time, no benefits (a few perks, paid cell phone) between 20-39 hours a week $20 hourly after taxes. No opportunity for full time.
Weekend Job: Part time, no benefits (a few perks, full wage paid commute) about 5-7 hours a week ~$23 hourly after taxes. Could extend hours infinitely if so desired.
Small Business: Part time, no benefits (a few perks, I do get tips about 30% of the time). About 10 hours a week. Generally shakes out to be about $20-$25/hr depending on clientele. Varies up to $40-$50/hr during holidays, but down to $15-20/hr during seasons where I have to turn clients away or it's very slow. I used to have "slow" times of the year, but I don't really any more, so I'd put this at a steady $20/hr exchanged for time. I spend 15m/day 7 days a week on the office side of this business, so just shy of 2 hours a week.
Random Gig: Very part time, no benefits. House Cleaning. Word has gotten around with people I know about how I tidy up when I dog-sit for folks, and people know me to be a tidy and methodical person, so I clean a few houses on occasion (I didn't account for those in my case study) and I clean one house regularly for $100/month.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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@Roadrunner53 : Thanks again for keeping the great ideas coming! I haven't tried to get the Day Job down to one day a week, but it miiiiiiiight be possible. I could certainly try it for a week or two and see. They don't care how I do my schedule as long as it gets done and I'm available to do the things I need to do when they need to be done. Sadly, it seems, being physically in the office makes doing those things 100x easier most of the time. I should perhaps make a list of what I might need at home in order to keep things smoother when I do work from home. I'm not sure it's possible, but it's a thought!
RE: Sick Days. I don't get any paid sick days now, nor do I think I ever took them in jobs where I did have them available (because usually they offered some kind of bonus if you didn't take any- but this was years ago). I go to work sick, even when I'm REALLY sick. I know you have followed my journal in the past so you know I had bronchitis and then pneumonia late this summer- I didn't miss a day of work, just crammed things in and left early when I needed to, but my hours stayed about the same.
So long story short, I don't have a plan. I do know people from the business and I DO think I need to hire on at least a contractor, so perhaps they could be my back up for these types of situations.
Gosh, I think in my whole working adult life I've taken maybe a day, maybe two days off sick? It's not a good thing.
@MaybeBabyMustache : I do not work full time at the Day Job. They are not offering full time for this position, and the positions they may eventually offer full time for would be a living nightmare for me (not a good fit, position-wise). I work about 20 hours a week for the rate I listed above. But my hours are extremely variable. For example, this week I will be working 45 hours. I am offered no benefits, but have some perks (they pay for my cell phone, they offer use of a company car if I choose to use it). I am paid an hourly rate that shakes out to be just about $20 even after taxes.
@FIFoFum : Thanks for your response! I am offered no benefits at the Day Job. it is a part time position of variable hours paid at an hourly rate. I never work less than 20 hours a week (which is what I reflected in the case study), but I 'generally' average about 28-30 hours.... yet, it's extremely variable. This week I am working 45 hours. It's all over the place.
It will never be a full time position.
I get my health insurance through the marketplace, and since my income is so variable, generally I change plans about 3x/year since my fluctuation of income is generally enough to qualify as a life event. I always get a Bronze plan with a 6-8k deductible. It's never good insurance, just catastrophic, so to speak. It's hard because I can never establish with a doctor since my plan changes so often. This year I discovered that my OBGYN was not in-network. I've been with her for 8 years and she's the ONLY health professional I have ever gotten along with. I was upset. I paid cash and am just hoping that she'll be covered on whatever plan I end up with this year.
Good idea to limit myself during my newly established free time (when I get some). I'm the type of personality that will just fill the time with income generating work. 50% fun.... gotta remember that.
@ElleFiji : Thanks for your response! I wonder how I would even go about bartering with a health professional? I feel like it must be against their code of ethics? Hmmmm… Interesting thought!
@KBecks : Thanks for responding! No, my Day Job is not full time, and it doesn't offer any benefits. I get my healthcare through the exchange.
I don't mean to be challenging, but how is selling my time, not a business? I thought that was what service businesses were? I do eventually want to hire on a few people, but sitting in an office just managing those people sounds like my worst nightmare, ha. Again, I am so very grateful for all input and advice, but I think I'm not following exactly what you're saying here.
Also,
very good call on waiting for my charitable giving. I have to admit that when I get above 30k/year, which I am currently juuuuuust above, I tend to get the itch to give. Under 30k and I feel the struggle a little bit. It's like once I get off of the beans and rice diet I immediately want to give some of my money away. Sort of illogical, but that's a different battle I need to address within myself I guess. Ha.
@merula - Thank you for your response! You have, in the past, had very kind input toward me on the forum and I appreciate that. Perhaps I could send you the info for my current insurance and you could give me your input? I'd love to get some feedback on the choice I made (I paid for the year already, but always good to review). Thank you again.
@jc4 - Thanks for your input! I've often wondered if I should just date so that I can have a social life. BUT, I am not particularly interested in sharing my life with someone in
that way and that would feel a bit like tricking the system. Ha. I'm a perfectly good looking person, but dating is just not something I'm interested in. I think your advice is good... I may not want to move it up from 5 to 1, but I do need to address it. People have kind of stopped inviting me to things, so I'll be starting from scratch a bit... but I guess it's a task I need to complete if I ever want that feeling of community again.