Are you concerned about your family's income, as well as extended family members' income? Worry and anxiety can grow intolerably during the pandemic.
How you cope will affect your mental health. But, make up your mind to create new opportunities to ensure you survive in the coming months and beyond.
Let's look at strategies to ensure your income is stable. If you're unemployed or just not earning enough, and really worried, spend time every day looking at your choices. Then, take action.
Here are some ideas for acquiring needed income:
_ Take a good look at your skills. Never overlook the smallest ability you have. For example, could you deliver groceries to families for $20 per trip that you can pick up curbside? Could you offer your mechanical services for fixing cars in your neighborhood? Could you deliver items to the elderly for working adults who need their parents looked after?
_ Apply for freelance jobs online. Reputable places such as Upwork.com or Care.com have high ratings and provide real work with a pay system in place. Talk with your local Chamber of Commerce about temporary work or freelance work posted in your area. Everything from computer design work to book editing to pet sitting can be found online.
_ Begin small. Start with the goal of earning $40 per day, for example. Try to double this within a month. For in-person gigs, remember that word of mouth is your best advertising. Give your services time to hit the local or regional grapevine.
_ Advertise through social media. If you have 100 friends on Facebook, they will each likely have 100 connections or more. It's a good bet that putting out the word that you have services to offer will yield some quick results.
One woman in the Asheville, NC area does car detailing. We'll call her Deanna. She charges $35 per car, which is very inexpensive. Right now, she and her son work as a team to detail three cars per day. It's helping them pay their mortgage and keep afloat.
"People might think that this is a lot of work for very little cash," says Deanna. "But, my son and I are making around $3,000 per month. I'm laid off and my son just got out of high school. My ex hasn't helped financially in years."
If money is stressing you, don't forget that cutting expenses boosts disposable income. For example, look for a cheaper cell phone plan, a less expensive way to pay for cable TV, and a way to buy groceries in bulk to save money.
A personal trainer we'll call Rob was making great money until the pandemic hit. "Now," says Rob, "people don't want to come into my studio."
He came up with an online service to coach clients three times a week. They connect for 45 minutes per session.
"I didn't know if I could make it work," says Rob, "but people really need the social contact and personal coaching during these weird times. My business has held very steady. I'm thrilled, because my wife just had another baby. We need the money now more than ever."
Once you begin to review possible employment and money-making opportunities, you'll find that you likely have several ways to bring in income every week. Devote a fair amount of time to thinking and planning how you can market your talents and skills.
Then, choose one or two good options and make a plan to move ahead. Put the energy you're devoting to worry to opening a new door.
