I Quit My Job

Not sure how bad your shoulder is or how long it will take to heal (I have not been over here much at all lately) but one 'side job" I did for a while is right up your alley--hockey referee certified by USAA.

You have to go to some classes and you will spend a year working low level jobs, but I never made less than $17 an hour (that was a cash job in Detroit for even Mite level (7-8 year old) games. Get some time in, become valuable (available) to the schedulers at various locations and you can pick up some decent money.

My best day was $200 or so; I called two "Squirt" games and walked by a women's game that had no show refs--so I did that game solo. The scariest part of that deal was while I was hurrying to put on my sweaty clothes from the two games I had just handled, someone came in and told me to watch out because these two teams had a big brawl the last time they played. I was nervous about that because a team from Philly was involved; I told them I'd have trouble calling all the lines but I I'd do my best and I sent a couple of players to the sin bin early...no problems at all.

Anyway...if you end up cobbling together a bunch of different things to make it work, refereeing could be a way to do so.

Quote: RonC

Not sure how bad your shoulder is or how long it will take to heal (I have not been over here much at all lately) but one 'side job" I did for a while is right up your alley--hockey referee certified by USAA.

Shoulder is fine, at least for that. I was back playing 5 days later, not that I should have been =p

Funny you mentioned this. I got approached for the same thing just last night. They haul in $37 a game in the city for like 75 minutes of "work", where work is defined as something I'd pay $20 to do anyways lol. It's obviously not a career path, but hell yeah, that is the easiest side hustle in the history of paid gigs. And I obviously know a ton of guys that already do it, and have ins at no fewer than 4 rinks in my area. Something to pursue for sure.

When I worked games in the DC area, the association collected from the various organizations that had games needing worked, took a management cut, and issued payments and 1099's.. Never had a problem getting payment; it just was a few weeks behind. They tried hard to schedule fairly; they gave people that took the crap times (6 a.m. games) the first dibs on better times in the scheduling meetings.

I also spent a year working in the Detroit area. They paid cash at game time--one referee went to each coach for the payment and no game got worked without the refs being paid. Scheduling was much the same--one big meeting for a month of scheduling and then let them know when you can step in if other games come up.

The higher level guys worked games up to the college level; I even had one instructor that was doing AHL games. The highest level I worked was as a linesman for Midget games; those kids were fast and it was a good skate...plus the chance to practice keeping them from fighting...the way those were scheduled was one Bantam game with two refs and then a Midget game with two linesmen and a ref.

The good thing about hockey (unlike calling baseball games) is that you are always moving and their is glass between you and the spectators so you don't always hear the nice things they say about you!!

Quote: RonC

When I worked games in the DC area, the association collected from the various organizations that had games needing worked, took a management cut, and issued payments and 1099's.. Never had a problem getting payment; it just was a few weeks behind. They tried hard to schedule fairly; they gave people that took the crap times (6 a.m. games) the first dibs on better times in the scheduling meetings.

Oh, the lure of side hustles. I wish I knew better how to exploit them when I was 10 years younger. Get enough of them and keep living small and they are a nice thing. Extra money, or emergency work.

While on jury duty I met a guy who needed umpires for baseball. Trip was too long to make it worth my trouble. I said I didn't know the game well enough to ump but he said as long as I could call safe or out at a base that was all I needed as Home Plate Ump makes all the hard calls and watches the field for complex stuff.

If a person likes sports and wants a side hustle they should consider officiating. It seems to be a good side gig. My goal with my hustles is 1-2 months of my "regular" income per year. Great way to save cash for bigger purchases.

Quote: AZDuffman

Oh, the lure of side hustles. I wish I knew better how to exploit them when I was 10 years younger. Get enough of them and keep living small and they are a nice thing. Extra money, or emergency work.

Officiating hockey takes a decent amount of physical activity, which is a bonus. You can keep in shape while making a couple of bucks.

I could use the in shape part now, but I've gotten away from hockey since I moved to Texas.

Actors are often good at side hustles.

Dealing gigs, Consumer Opinion groups often pay 25 to 50 dollars an evening. (I knew one actor who would get last minute calls if the group was "too thin". The company would brief him on what to say as well as slipping him an extra dinner voucher). Instructors in various Invigorate Your Life classes. One guy in Orange County taught courses at five or six different organizations simultaneously and was raking in fifty to seventy-five dollars per class session. One woman lived in Hawaii but commuted to Los Angeles to teach such courses so it obviously paid for her airfare if nothing else.

Ofcourse you can join your sheriff's search and rescue posse and get a dollar a year which gets upped to fifty dollars for every eight hours on a federal call out.

Quote: Fleastiff

Actors are often good at side hustles.

Dealing gigs, Consumer Opinion groups often pay 25 to 50 dollars an evening. (I knew one actor who would get last minute calls if the group was "too thin". The company would brief him on what to say as well as slipping him an extra dinner voucher). Instructors in various Invigorate Your Life classes. One guy in Orange County taught courses at five or six different organizations simultaneously and was raking in fifty to seventy-five dollars per class session. One woman lived in Hawaii but commuted to Los Angeles to teach such courses so it obviously paid for her airfare if nothing else.

Ofcourse you can join your sheriff's search and rescue posse and get a dollar a year which gets upped to fifty dollars for every eight hours on a federal call out.

Dealing gigs clearly my favorite. $30-70 an hour though the hourly rate falls if you include travel time. Notary Public, costs a few bucks but $50-100 for less than an hour of work, again not including travel. Courier work, gotta use your own car but an easy $100 a night if you find the right place--this would be great for people who don't quite get along with their s/o as it takes more time than the others. Drive for Uber or Lyft, same deal as courier but driving people. Banquet server, nice money of $12-20 per hour but the day is 8-10 hours long, though this one can be fun if you make it fun. The chocolate fountain and the shutter booth, those attendants can make $50-100 a night. We talked sports officiating. I know I am missing many, many more.

The common thread is none are regular so they will pay a reliable person $24-80 per hour to do the gig. If you want to do many you have to be a tad organized. If your idea of "a good job" is some white collar thing where you work 8-5 then fugheddabaddit, most gigs are evening and weekend. Plus you must take the crappy ones before the good ones come.

But, if you can deal with all of this a funny thing happens. You get less worried about a job loss because you both have some cash coming in and if you find a few gigs it gets your mind in a state where you find a regular job better as well. It makes you network. And it gets you out of the house without burning money. Sit at the bar or tend some bar, you get needed social interaction but one pays and the other costs, your choice.

Can't believe it's been over a year already.

Also can't believe I am still this underemployed. It's funny; Ash was working Mayhem's new restaurant and needed more. She went to the bank with hope and walked out with a job. The local DA has offered her internship with appointment to follow. A guy I know that owns his own money management firm has offered her the same. A random dude we just happened to talk to at the mall likewise did the same thing. And now, she is in the process of being oriented for a job she just got hired for, auditor for the state. Starts off at $70k+ with all the state bennys. And here I am, still unable to land an entry level labor position, and can't even sell my services despite having a labor rate of $3 p/hr. Were I religious man, I would chalk this up to being some sort of test.

I can't say it's all bad. Suffering is good for a man, every now and then. It really makes you appreciate some things and helps you focus on what's really important. It's also forcing me to develop habits that will make being employed feel like I just hit the lotto. Check this out...

Y'all know I have a kid. I have him 5 days of the week now, have to do all the school runs and homework and activities and all that jazz. Still got the truck, still owe a little bit on it. Still single, still living alone, still solely responsible for all the utilities and whatnot. I started 2015 with $127 in the bank. That's it. No stocks or bonds or anything else I could turn into money, save normal stuff like my guns, boat, etc. Since the first of the year, and including everything from tax returns to the bit I got from Wiz's football pool victory to bottle and can redemption, as of today I have only brought in an additional $10,974.

That works out to a yearly salary of about $15k. Fifteen thousand dollars. With my kid, that officially puts me under the poverty line.

But you know what? I haven't missed a payment. I haven't defaulted on a loan or had my lights shut off. I still dropped my debt another $4k+. My kid went camping, to the county fairs, to the races and demos, and on the lake about every week. I might have dropped 26lbs because I personally can't afford to eat but 6 or 7 times a week, but goddamn it, I've somehow made it work. I haven't received one solitary cent from WIC, TANF, SNAP, or any other social program. I have remained completely off the dole. I haven't taken any loans or opened any credit cards. I did borrow $300 from mama, but that is the sum total of all I had to borrow to make this work.

I'm not gonna pretend it's been easy. I feel like a caged animal, ready to snap at any minute. Even something as simple as milk, which I need right now, just can't be done. The $12 for the milk and the $3 in gas is just beyond my abilities today. And hockey starts next week. The $180 needed might as well be an ovary as I have equal chances of obtaining either. And, as soon as I'm done posting here, I'm heading to CraigsList to list my boat. Things aren't all that great, and they haven't been for quite a while.

But GD it, I'm making it. $15k p/yr and I've somehow kept it all together. It's really highlighted what's important, and showed me with stunning clarity all the places I had previously been wasting money. Now, even if I end up only making a pitiful $25k p/yr, it's going to seem like a windfall I won't know what to do with.

As petro is wont to say, "Pain is a wonderful teacher" =)

Quote: Face

Can't believe it's been over a year already.

But you know what? I haven't missed a payment. I haven't defaulted on a loan or had my lights shut off. I still dropped my debt another $4k+. My kid went camping, to the county fairs, to the races and demos, and on the lake about every week. I might have dropped 26lbs because I personally can't afford to eat but 6 or 7 times a week, but goddamn it, I've somehow made it work. I haven't received one solitary cent from WIC, TANF, SNAP, or any other social program. I have remained completely off the dole. I haven't taken any loans or opened any credit cards. I did borrow $300 from mama, but that is the sum total of all I had to borrow to make this work.

I'm not gonna pretend it's been easy. I feel like a caged animal, ready to snap at any minute. Even something as simple as milk, which I need right now, just can't be done. The $12 for the milk and the $3 in gas is just beyond my abilities today. And hockey starts next week. The $180 needed might as well be an ovary as I have equal chances of obtaining either. And, as soon as I'm done posting here, I'm heading to CraigsList to list my boat. Things aren't all that great, and they haven't been for quite a while.

Very good work! (no sarcasm!) I have to say I know what it is to be there. Had to live with my folks for over 3 years. It is tough. It is not easy worrying that parking that cost $5 is an expense when you have to do so to work. Keep making it work! What will amaze you is that when you get to the other side, you will be amazed at what you can do and what really matters. That what does not kill us makes us better.

With all your experience, they wouldn't hire
you back at the casino?