You could always pick up smalltime gigs. For example, I ghostwrite to pick up some extra cash. Try sites like elance.com and freelance.com and others. Even craigslist offers the occasional legitimate ghostwriting job. You can do this if you have a reasonable control of the English language and are relatively intelligent. You can make quite a bit of money ghostwriting and it’s perfect if all you have is lots of time restricted to your rear end. I.E. disabled.
Just in case you don’t know, a ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written material. In music, ghostwriters are used in film score composition, as well as for writing songs and lyrics for popular music styles ranging from country to hip-hop. Of course ghostwriters are often hired for much less glamorous tasks. Writing the assembling instructions for a cabinet, fleshing out a business plan, writing an essay, or writing up the bylaws for the Creek County Ambulance Association based on a handful of loose notes and lots of back and forth with your contact are just some examples. Regardless, if you have the time and inclination, you could certainly supplement a living doing this.
Also, with rising copper prices, scrapping is becoming more lucrative. I know because I do it. Washers, dryers, vacuum cleaners, old silverware, crt tvs and monitors (the tv’s can be dangerous if you don’t know learn how first. If you want to know more, ask, and I’ll teach you how to do it safely), etc all have significant amounts of copper. For example, let’s say it takes 20 minutes (which is generous) to tear apart a tv and get $5—$10 worth of copper out. Was it worth it? Well, depending on whether or not you can spot enough junk to scrap, you’re getting paid $15 to $30 an hour to turn a socket wrench. I know some disabled people would have difficulty with this one, but I don’t know what variety of disability this person has, so I included it anyway. Also, when you bring it to a scrap yard, they weigh it and pay you. Cash. That’s it. There’s no record of the sale, so there’s no requirement for any reporting of the income. Unless you feel the government deserves a portion of that. Regardless, that’s your prerogative.
Also, dumpster diving can make survival and even flourishing possible where starvation would have been the only option. Before you judge, I myself have recovered thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars worth of goods from dumpsters just in the last 6 months. According to the Supreme Court, dumpster diving is not illegal. Just don’t trespass on private property and don’t be stupid or leave a mess. Here’s a site that will give you a good intro: www.dumpsterworld.com
I have my own apartment and I live by myself. I have so much food, I give it away to the ambulance company I volunteer for and I put on dinners for my friends just to use it all. I manage to go to my EMT classes at least twice a week and I have heat, electric, and other basic necessities in more than sufficient quantities. I also go out to eat about once a week. I do NOT receive any variety of government aid, welfare or otherwise.
Here’s the kicker: I work about 15 hours a week at minimum wage. That’s about $350 after taxes. That’s the only official job I have. I manage all that because of the ghostwriting and the scrapping and the dumpster diving, so don’t dismiss it out of hand. It’s a life saver and things like that can be the difference between being comfortable and smug at your own cleverness and starvation.
Any questions, just ask,
-Dan
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