Financial Advice Blog

Sometimes, You Have No Choice

People hate working eight hours a day and coming up short on their bills. Luckily, a payday advance loan can help. Families just trying to get by are often stared down with the necessity of a second job. Imagine people who go to a full time job, turn around and head straight to a second job. Today’s economy is tough. A lot of people need second jobs and some people just don’t have a choice in it at all.

Two Paychecks for Bills, Wants and Needs

Betty Sher, a full-time assistant for a Chicago-based law firm and part-time liquor store associate said, “I work two jobs, I need money in this economy. My full-time check goes toward my student loans, bills, and other things, like my car payments. My second paycheck goes towards the things I want and need.”

Sher is one of millions of people who are working two jobs. According to recent polling done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 33.6 million had part time jobs in November 2009. Out of almost 40 million people, 7.1 million were working part-time for economic reasons.

The Economy Took A Nose-Dive

Janona Filous accepted a part-time executive position for an Atlanta-based commercial cash lending company. She took a pay cut, but she said it “was completely worth it.” But she knew she had to start putting money away, so she got a part time gig at a local Gap store as a sales associate, and works there two to three days per week.

“When I started working at the Gap, I knew the economy was going to nose-dive, but I didn’t think it would be this bad,” Filous says. “I had to get a payday advance loan when one of my payments came two weeks late. I can’t explain how grateful I am for both my jobs, but it doesn’t make the situation any brighter.”

Is a Second Job an Obligation?

Marcy Miller, owner of Lasting Careers, agrees that many people are working to increase their cash flow. “People have to deal with the usual cost of living expenses, but as the job market worsens, more workers are taking salary cuts and dealing with layoffs of a spouse or partner,” Miller says. In order to make ends meet, whether or not to take on another job might not be a choice, but a requirement.

Miller explained that some take on part time side jobs to gain experience and become more valuable employees in the work force. “But the larger percentage of people who take second jobs for finance reasons can find relief meeting monetary obligations by working a second job.”

Full-Time Job and Full-Time Mom

Rebecca Saunders has been working two jobs simultaneously since her husband was downsized 17 months ago. During the week, she works as a full-time community manager for a nonprofit membership association. On the weekends, evenings or on holidays, she does freelance work as a graphic designer. Saunders, who is also a mom of three young children, says, “It’s often challenging and stressful working all the time.” Constantly working requires her to be organized and manage her time very efficiently.

Thinking of adding a part-time job on top of your current full-time job, or are you doing that already? Well, here are four tips on how to make working two jobs work in your favor:

Don’t Overwork Yourself

Depending on what you are doing, “There are plenty of ways to make money online that don’t require hard labor or long, demanding hours,” says Nickie Zeigler, a certified life coach. “If you possess talent in writing, try and find some freelance gigs. Do whatever you need to, but don’t burn yourself out.” By finding a second job that doesn’t demand too much for you, you’ll avoid overloading your system.

Find Jobs that Coincide with Each Other

Gracie Stevens is a full-time professional decorator who owns her own company called Saveis, and works part-time as a blog writer for a fashion Web site. “It’s a great way for my business to get exposure,” she says. It’s just a small way you can make both of your jobs work for you and each other.

Give Yourself Some “Me” Time

Dave Crenshaw, author of “The Myth of Multitasking: How Doing It All Gets Nothing Done” says, “You need to budget your schedule adequately so that you have enough time to recharge your batteries.” Crenshaw says that holding down multiple jobs is great for short-term cash flow, but in the long-term it can be detrimental.

Work with, Not Against Your Schedule

Jonathan Cole worked full-time for a fishing company and needed help paying off some debt, so he found a nonprofit company looking for someone to telecommute whenever possible, as long as it was 15-20 hours per week. “I’d put in eight hours at the other job. Oh, and then I also worked at least one weekend shift,” Cole says with a laugh. “I made sure I took a night off here or there to do something fun, so I didn’t get too stressed.”

The conclusion brings a somber realization that while a second job or a payday advance loan can help, they can’t be relied on repeatedly. “Consistently work on long-term goals. You don’t want to work two jobs forever,” Filous says. “Plan, set goals, and get organized.” How and when you reach your ultimate goal is determined by taking baby steps each day until you’re closer to your goal.

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