On Wednesday, I suggested several full-time occupations that came with benefits that can save you money. However, not all of us are in a position to be picky about our full-time jobs. Sometimes you just have to take what you can get. If you want “perks” like reduced rate merchandise or free access to entertainment from a job, maybe you could look at part-time work. I have often thought about working a few hours a week at an electronics or computer store – just for the discounts on computer equipment.
I had a friend in high school who worked at a salon, answering phones and greeting customers. Her age and the law in that particular state made it legal for the business to pay her the minuscule amount of $2 an hour. When she told me what she was making, I said, “My free time is worth more than that!” Her answer was that she didn’t care how much she was getting paid, she was working there for the free tanning.
Most part-time jobs come with perks and extras, but not all of them come with benefits that can actually save you money. I have never spent a dime on artificial tanning and I never will, so that particular “perk” is worthless to me. On Wednesday, Gina left a comment that she started volunteering at a concert venue in order to get free admission to concerts – again, this is a really cool benefit from a part-time job, but if you do not happen to really enjoy music like Gina does, you might be better off spending more time with your family at home.
Here are several part-time positions that might not pay much, but the benefits, free stuff or “swag” might make it worth your time:
Coffee shop
This is Mrs. Stew’s first response whenever I bring up the subject of a part-time job. In fact, I think they could just pay her in coffee and she would be happy. Just toss Mrs. Stew a bag of beans on her way out the door and they would not have to worry about payroll.
Daycare
If you work part-time in a daycare, you can get free childcare for your own children. This was another of Mrs. Stew’s suggestions and my first take was – if you stay home, you do not need childcare in the first place. But she was right, if you really do need to make some extra money, free childcare is a great perk.
Airport host
This is a job that I just recently learned about. Many airlines use “hosts” and “hostesses” who are part-time employees. These are the people that we see pushing wheelchairs or making sure that young children who are traveling alone make it to their connecting flights. I have a friend who does this for only a few hours a week and gets the great benefit of free air travel anywhere that the airline flies for herself and her family.
Theater usher
Okay, I know, movies are a luxury, but if you worked in a theater part-time, maybe you could stop paying for cable television . . . Mrs. Stew and I go to about three movies a year, I would not mind being able to take her for free.
Retail clothing
Discount clothing could be big benefit. We have several friends who work in children’s clothing stores in order to get wholesale prices on clothes for their kids. This part-time job saved one family a whole lot of money since they had seven children under the age of 12. I am not sure how that particular store was able to afford that particular mother.
Experience and climbing the ladder
Another benefit of a part-time job that is often overlooked is the value of broadening your range of experience. An entry level, part-time job in a field completely unrelated to your full-time occupation might help you land a better job the next time. And do not forget about the possibility of a part-time job turning into a full-time gig. If I lost my job tomorrow, one of the first things I would do is start applying to the fast food restaurants in my area. Working on the grill at a fast food place is not the best career move in the world, but such jobs are easy to get and I am reasonably confident that I could move up that ladder in a fairly short period of time. If you have leadership ability and management skill, that will be noticed no matter where you work.
My part-time job is blogging . . . the perk is that I can stay home and still earn a few extra bucks. What are the benefits of your part-time job?
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