. This morning I was able to begin work on a new sales brochure. It's a big project and very important to the client. I don't usually write sales brochures for them and am wondering what I'll charge. I'm keeping track of my time spent, of course, and will see what the total is. We've worked together long enough that they don't usually ask my fee anymore. When I do press releases, blogs or magazine articles, it usually comes out to $50 an hour. This is already going to take longer than usual but I don't want to shock them with the tab, either.
This afternoon I headed out to pick up shampoo/conditioner for a 3-week product test with Unilever. I answer some questions and return 2 more times; get paid $60.
To consolidate driving trips, after picking up the product, I headed out to a family-owned garden nursery that had a plant sale I couldn't resist: all perennials $1.50 in quart-sized containers. It was about 45 mintues from home, but since I was headed out for the product study stuff, i figured what the heck. Having nice succulents in the hypertufa pots I'm making could help them sell, and I would easily recoup the low cost of the plants.
After that, I headed back home in time to meet the guy who needed a driver.
I wasn't planning on asking him why he needed a driver since I already know from googling his name, but I give him a lot of credit because, after introducing me to his 2 kids, he sat me down at his kitchen table and told me in a very straightforward way about his 2 DUIs. (Yeah I ordinarily wouldn't meet a stranger in their home, but doing so avoided the need to make a separate trip plus i knew his kids would be there plus he does appear to need a driver and this would all be quite an elaborate effort if he had other intentions.)
He told me he also spent 30 days in jail. With the 2nd DUI, he would have had his license back in August, but he was out driving when it was still suspended and as luck would have it, he ran out of gas and the first car that came along was a cop. Driving with a suspended license is an automatic 1 year license revoke. So I guess he figures he can't fool around anymore.
For the past month or so, he's had a friend of his girlfriend drive him to work but she's sort of doing it as a favor and as a result not taking it as seriously as he'd like. For instance, she decided to go to a concert and asked him on the day of the concert if he could take the day off from work. And having junk in the back seat so his kids couldn't sit there. So he said he wanted someone older and more responsible, like me.
So I start July 23, 2 weeks from now. I hope nothing happens to change that; you never know with people. He said the first time he tried doing this last year, no one responded. This time, about a dozen people did. He said he told his employer all about it and they were very supportive, allowing him to string together all his vacation days, sick days and personal days so he wouldn't lose pay, or his job, while serving his 30 days; he also goes to AA 2-3x a week. His drinking problems started after his divorce a few years ago.
So I'm happy I got it, but at the same time, I have some trepidation about how this will all work otu over time. He needs a driver til May 2013; that's 10 months. I had 2 calls from recruiters about contract jobs on my machine when I got home. I'd have to quit driving for him if I got one becus even a contract job would be huge for me, financially. I will feel s***** for doing that but I will give him 2 weeks notice.
I also wonder, even without my getting a job, if driving him will become a hassle/chore on bad weather days this winter. I'll have to be out the door 5 days a week at 7:20 am, and then be at his work at 5 pm.
Plus, with 2 hours of daily driving, albeit locally, it is putting wear and tear on my aging car and replacing it is,,, well LETS NOT GO THERE. So I've known this all the while, it's not just dawning on me now, but I feel I really shouldn't pass this up. It will net me after gas expenses $682 a month for just 10 hours of work a week. That would cover my property taxes with $135 to spare each month. And I don't yet know the status of my remaining unemployment benefits.
That $682 a month is based on gas at $3.75 a gallon. It's about $3.62 around here now and has risen recently. But even if gas goes back up to $4 a gallon, I'd still net $674 a month. With my Honda, I calculate I'd use 7.87 gallons of gas a week, so a .50 difference in price won't make that much difference.
I do hope he's as trustworthy as he comes across and that he pays me what he said he would. I intentionally did not ask WHEN he would pay me when I met him; instead, I wrote him a brief note saying it was nice to meet you and by the way, i forgot to ask you, would you be able to pay me each Friday. This way, when he confirms, i will have his offer in writing/email, just in case I have any trouble. (I do also have the original Craig's List ad.) Dealing with strangers online and having freelanced so long, you really have to be this way.
I got the driving job!
July 11th, 2012 at 12:35 am
July 11th, 2012 at 01:07 am 1341968835
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July 11th, 2012 at 03:42 am 1341978129
July 11th, 2012 at 04:50 am 1341982205
You can reevaluate the situation after a while. Since he got lots of response to the ad this time, he should be OK if/when you give him 2 weeks notice.
July 11th, 2012 at 01:46 pm 1342014390
CASH payment each Friday @ $ 170.50.
To lessen impact on your car, you will need to get oil changes based on mileage as recommended in your owner's manual. You might research when these are on 'special' at nearby outlets. In my experience the dealerships and Quick Change are the most expensive, the high school automotive class and backyard neighborhood fellow are the cheapest.
July 11th, 2012 at 02:03 pm 1342015415
July 11th, 2012 at 02:05 pm 1342015526
I have tried Elance a few times but found that the poeple who post jobs there are "bottom feeders," meaning they want to pay very little.
For instance, they want a 500-word article and are willing to pay "$10." These are sweatshop wages masquerading as a white collar gig.
I discovered this when I bid for jobs below the employer's stated price and still was told it was too high.
I would rather keep 100%, I think, though it's worth checking out in a dry spell.
Thank you.
July 11th, 2012 at 09:56 pm 1342043784