Jumpstart your Emergency Fund & Debt Reduction with a Part-time Job

Photo Credit:  alexik

Many people think that cutting expense is the only way to build savings and reduce debt. That’s not true. One of the basic principles of personal finance is to spend less than you earn. Most people focus on the former because it can be easier to look at ways to reduce your bills.

The great thing about that principle is that there’s another part: earning more money. If you’re expenses are low and you’re looking to set aside some money; consider getting a part-time job. Some people feel that their schedule doesn’t allow another income.

 If you’re a college student, you worried that it could affect your grades as you struggle to work it around your schedule.  Others are worried that the only part time jobs available are low paying and time-consuming ones. While those are both legitimate concerns, it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re willing to spend time, you may surprise yourself with the flexible job and decent pay. I looked for some part-time jobs with flexible hours to help those who are looking for more income.

Spilling Buckets found out about the 2010 Census Bureau’s jobs. Many positions are part-time and the starting pay varies from$10-17.50/hour, depending on locale. 

What is the work schedule for jobs?

Work schedules for census takers typically include from 20 to 40 hours of work per week. Some census operations (such as Address Canvassing) require you to work during daylight hours. For interviewing operations such as Non-Response Follow-up, you must be available to work when people are usually at home, such as in the evening and on weekends. Hours for office jobs are less variable but can involve shift work.

Source: 2010 Census Bureau

Fidelity also has part-time positions open for customer service representatives. 

Some benefits open to part-time employees:

• Auto & Homeowner’s Insurance
• If you are a regular full- or part-time employee, personal property insurance, including home and auto insurance, is available to you at group rates through Liberty Mutual® and MetLife Auto & Home®.
• Backup Child CareFor times when your regular provider is unable to care for your child, backup child care programs are currently available to regular full- and part-time employees in six sites: Boston, Marlborough, Merrimack, Rhode Island, Midwest, and Southwest.
• Commuter Benefit ProgramThis program allows regular full- and part-time employees to use pre-tax money to reimburse themselves for their eligible commuter transit and commuter parking expenses.
• Concierge Services
• Through LesConcierges, regular full- and part-time employees can delegate tasks on their personal to-do lists. LesConcierges can help plan vacations, find home repair referrals, and handle similar personal services to help you balance the demands of work and home.
• Employee Discount ProgramIf you are a regular full- or part-time employee of a participating Fidelity company, you can get discounts on popular products and services from over 100 participating merchants through the Corporate Perks website.
• Mortgage Services Program Regular full- and part-time employees can learn about how to obtain a mortgage from mortgage service companies who can answer your questions about prequalification, the application process and your mortgage alternatives.

You also want to consider being a Tax Preparer at Jackson-Hewitt, Liberty, or H&R Block. 

If you work or have worked for these companies, please share your thoughts. 

Happy job hunting!

This post was included in the Carnival of Debt Reduction hosted by Consumerism Commentary. 

• Rich College Student Part I: Getting the Most Financial Aid Finding Money for College This blog is directed mainly towards people who in my boat, working college students. As I'm working on finishing my last semester, I was reflecting on some things that could help others in getting an education at an affordable rate. The most affordable rate I......
• My Game Plan for Employment (Part 1) Photo Credit:  Travis Isaacs I'm fortunate enough to have money saved and my husband working to have time tolook for a job. Being frugal has kept expenses relatively low and takes some pressure of looking for employment. I'm going to look for a good fit this time with my......

• When a Part-Time Job Beats a Full-Time Job The following guest post was submitted by Neal Frankle, CFP.  Check out the footer of this post for more information on Neal, and his website. Lots of people have been laid-off recently.  As a result, they're looking for any kind of work they can find. I respect people who are......
• Money Saving Tips: 122 Ways To Trim Your Budget A while back All You Magazine offered to give away a few subscriptions to Frugal Dad readers.  The rules for entering the contest were simple--leave a money saving tip in the comments.  What happened next was one of those magical moments you can only get from blogs, and the sense......