Lady Aerin Firehair (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} aerin_pegadrak) wrote,@ 2007-08-04 22:35:00 |
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I'm reaching an impasse with work, school, and such, and I need to make a decision soon. Unfortunately, it's not an easy decision. See, I've come to the rather embarrassing realization that I don't make enough money to support myself not living on campus. Simply quitting Disney and getting a better paying job is NOT an possibility; I've worked my ass off with this company and sacrificed a great deal to get to where I am, and leaving now would make all that effort worthless. So, given that, I do have some options.
Option 1: Wait and see what my hours look like as summer winds down. Now that I've learned Steam Trains, I should hopefully be getting a decent number of hours.
Pros: Minimum of effort. Prevents me from committing to a course of action that might prove detrimental.
Cons: Not a decision so much as a delaying tactic. Since I don't really make enough to live on even at 40 hours a week, not particularly feasible.
Option 2: Once summer ends, I revert my availability back to Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, the minimum for regular CRs. I then get a boring, well-paying 9-5 job like data entry or the like, standard office bitch stuff, to supplement my income. School happens on weeknights.
Pros: Dramatically increases my income, allowing me to pay off debts, start up savings, and generally live comfortably.
Cons: Never have free time ever. Potential scheduling issues once peak season hits and I have to be more available. Limits selection for classes.
Option 3: There is a separate status of CR that only works Saturdays and Sundays, even during peak seasons. I apply for that, then proceed with the rest of Option 2.
Pros: Frees up my Friday nights. Creates scheduling stability and allows me to visit family.
Cons: Conversion process is a pain in the butt, taking up to a month in both directions. Miss out on overtime and holiday pay during peak seasons. Will never have weekends ever again.
Option 4: Apply for full-time status.
Pros: Guarantees me 35 hours per week. Gives me a nice bump in seniority and benefits. Greater scheduling flexibility for school.
Cons: Conversion process is a pain in the butt, possibly taking a couple of months in both directions. Possible loss of previously accrued seniority upon conversion back to CR, which will be necessary when I return to Pomona. As previously noted, can't really get by on 35 hours a week.
Option 5: Request money from my parents. Not a lot, just enough to get me a little ahead on my bills instead of a little behind.
Pros: Minimum of effort. Immediate cash gain.
Cons: Hate asking for handouts. Parents don't have much money to begin with. Can do this on my own, dammit.
Option 6: Win the lottery.
Pros: Great deal of money, publicity.
Cons: Not particularly likely to happen.
I'm also investigating possible work from home options (again, data entry, though there are other things) that would supplement my income without requiring me to actually be in an office, but it's hard to separate legitimate prospects from scams. I really need to start looking at classes for fall, but again, money's a major issue. It would be really nice to sell some of my writing, but that takes a HUGE amount of time and effort, starting with the essential step of writing something marketable.
So in the end, I just don't know. I'll figure something out, because I always do, and it'll work out all right, because it always does. I just need to think, and to talk it out, and to scrape by as long as I can. But now, I'm going to bed, because I didn't get much sleep last night and had to get up really early this morning for my last day of training, and I have to move tomorrow. At least it's just the heavy lifting, no real packing or unpacking yet. I'll do some more thinking in the morning. For now I'm going to evict a kitten from my pillow and go to sleep.
Option 1: Wait and see what my hours look like as summer winds down. Now that I've learned Steam Trains, I should hopefully be getting a decent number of hours.
Pros: Minimum of effort. Prevents me from committing to a course of action that might prove detrimental.
Cons: Not a decision so much as a delaying tactic. Since I don't really make enough to live on even at 40 hours a week, not particularly feasible.
Option 2: Once summer ends, I revert my availability back to Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, the minimum for regular CRs. I then get a boring, well-paying 9-5 job like data entry or the like, standard office bitch stuff, to supplement my income. School happens on weeknights.
Pros: Dramatically increases my income, allowing me to pay off debts, start up savings, and generally live comfortably.
Cons: Never have free time ever. Potential scheduling issues once peak season hits and I have to be more available. Limits selection for classes.
Option 3: There is a separate status of CR that only works Saturdays and Sundays, even during peak seasons. I apply for that, then proceed with the rest of Option 2.
Pros: Frees up my Friday nights. Creates scheduling stability and allows me to visit family.
Cons: Conversion process is a pain in the butt, taking up to a month in both directions. Miss out on overtime and holiday pay during peak seasons. Will never have weekends ever again.
Option 4: Apply for full-time status.
Pros: Guarantees me 35 hours per week. Gives me a nice bump in seniority and benefits. Greater scheduling flexibility for school.
Cons: Conversion process is a pain in the butt, possibly taking a couple of months in both directions. Possible loss of previously accrued seniority upon conversion back to CR, which will be necessary when I return to Pomona. As previously noted, can't really get by on 35 hours a week.
Option 5: Request money from my parents. Not a lot, just enough to get me a little ahead on my bills instead of a little behind.
Pros: Minimum of effort. Immediate cash gain.
Cons: Hate asking for handouts. Parents don't have much money to begin with. Can do this on my own, dammit.
Option 6: Win the lottery.
Pros: Great deal of money, publicity.
Cons: Not particularly likely to happen.
I'm also investigating possible work from home options (again, data entry, though there are other things) that would supplement my income without requiring me to actually be in an office, but it's hard to separate legitimate prospects from scams. I really need to start looking at classes for fall, but again, money's a major issue. It would be really nice to sell some of my writing, but that takes a HUGE amount of time and effort, starting with the essential step of writing something marketable.
So in the end, I just don't know. I'll figure something out, because I always do, and it'll work out all right, because it always does. I just need to think, and to talk it out, and to scrape by as long as I can. But now, I'm going to bed, because I didn't get much sleep last night and had to get up really early this morning for my last day of training, and I have to move tomorrow. At least it's just the heavy lifting, no real packing or unpacking yet. I'll do some more thinking in the morning. For now I'm going to evict a kitten from my pillow and go to sleep.
