Ugh, the Jones'

[disneysteve]

I think the answer to that depends on how tight or dire your financial situation is. Five bucks is five bucks.

Absolutely. As Aleta beat me to say, it all depends on your situation. If I found a $5 bill lying on the street, I'd certainly pick it up. But I wouldn't spend an hour doing something for which I'd only get or save $5. In my situation, it isn't worth it. For someone in a different situation, that $5 could mean having a meal rather than going hungry.

My point was just that people need to think about the value of their time. Everybody's answer will be different. Just don't do something strictly because it saves money. Figure out how much it actually saves, how much time it consumes and whether that is worth it for you.

[MonkeyMama]

Absolutely. As Aleta beat me to say, it all depends on your situation. If I found a $5 bill lying on the street, I'd certainly pick it up. But I wouldn't spend an hour doing something for which I'd only get or save $5. In my situation, it isn't worth it. For someone in a different situation, that $5 could mean having a meal rather than going hungry.

My point was just that people need to think about the value of their time. Everybody's answer will be different. Just don't do something strictly because it saves money. Figure out how much it actually saves, how much time it consumes and whether that is worth it for you.

Amen. There are things I would have spent hours on to make a few bucks when I made minimum wage, because it made aLL the difference. Today it would be foolish.

I see it over and over with my clients - we have a lot of doctor clients. The ones who want to waste their time micro-managing everything do not do as well. The ones who hire good people to help them out (good accountants for example, good support staff) can them spend their time maximizing their earnings and come out way ahead. IT becomes plain as day when you are looking at business models, and I find the same true in my life.

The financial decisions I make today are vastly different than the ones I made as a struggling college student or even the ones when we were just out of school. We made a lot more money then, but just starting out we lived MUCH leaner. When you reach different levels in life, things change. When you make a good wage you can put much more value on your time.

[SnoopyCool]

Aleta - We are doing Financial Peace University right now. Dave Ramsey has been very helpful, but being that we just started we are on baby step #2 and it is taking a lot of energy to stay focused and not get discouraged. Plus, its always in the back of my mind to go to work (I'm a SAHM), but being that I'm pregnant with #4 and that childcare would be out of the question (financially and otherwise), I'd have to work when DH got home and I would be dead working at night then taking proper care of my children all day. I do tutor math, but its kind of off season right now so that will have to wait until fall. Maybe I should eBay again.

Just trying to hang in there.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

SnoopyCool--- Tutoring advice: If you think you can work some more tutoring into your schedule, put up notices around a college. Four year, community, vo-tech, proprietary career colleges, hospital associated nursing schools...whatever. Many adult students are motivated about their studies, usually for the sake of their careers/earnings potential, so they are serious and work hard, sometimes to make up what they were lacking from high school. And many career programs will require math.

One of my students is in nursing school and says that many of her fellow students are very unprepared for math, so that simple things such as problems of proportions will flunk them out. They are given a math test in every class. If they don't pass, the cannot get credit for the course.

Once you have had a college student or two, word gets around. You can tell professors, and even ask your tutorees to mention you to their professors, too. That can help you get new work. And with college students, the work does not dry up during the summer.

Also, consider whether you actually have tutoring ability in areas other than math. I do a little bit of many areas, and have sort of developed a specialty with immigrant students, who often need help that is not particulary academic, but need reliable help with polishing off papers, oral presentations, and sort of interpreting the American classroom culture. Really, I dish out a lot of encouragement to students who feel like their school work is a fight for their life. It can be very intense, but I do like knowing that I've made a difference. ...Then, eh, it can all fit into the pay per hour.

[Ariadne]

I know this sounds bad...

When I get the urge to REALLY shop, I head to the Dollar Store.

I'll pick up something totally random that I want and walk around the store for a bit, just wandering.

Sometimes I'll feel really silly and return the item. Sometimes I'll buy the item, take it home, and end up giving it away to one of the kids on the street.

Makes me feel a little better at least!