cricket123

How have some of you been able to obtain financial freedom from your A? My degree is old and I have been raising my kids, one with some health issues – just enough to be a pain for any new employer.(RHA may help out if it does not interfere with his ot) I have been looking into getting certified in some things but feel like I am lacking direction and would hate to spend money on something that I will end up not using due to economy.

Thanks
crickets

lizatola

Well, I'm in the same boat as you. I've been homeschooling my son, he's 13 now and I haven't worked since he was born.

Things I have thought of doing are getting involved in some volunteer work so it's something to put on a resume, working part time at our club so that I can just get some experience and references, or going back to school for a career that I know will be stable in the future like medical billing or legal assistant type stuff. I was a stock broker and finance person before my son was born but things have changed so much so I'd have to start at the bottom. I still have a few friends in the industry, mostly with retirement services and I've contemplated touching base with them to see if I could try a part time job with them.

I've also thought of doing a pet sitting business. I have such a hard time finding a dependable pet sitter and I know others do, too. I pay my sitter $50 a night to spend the night at my house, get my mail, water plants, etc. If I just worked a few nights a month and took my son with me(for the experience for him) I could make a few hundred dollars.

My mom used to clean houses when I was in high school and that was great money but hard work and long hours. I used to help her in the summer for extra cash! My sister runs a daycare out of her house and she does it all by the books in the state of CO and she does pretty darn well for herself. It takes a bit of time to set it up with the state but she finds it rewarding as she loves children. Hope this helps or at least encourages you to know that you're not alone!

AlreadyAlone

I second Lizatola's suggestion around volunteering. Going back to school can be expensive, and a time commitment. Try to volunteer in different settings to see how comfortable your are in them, eg. A hospital setting, a charity, a school, theatre, or perhaps apprenticing in a restaurant? You might be able to better gauge in what kind of environment you'd be comfortable working. Also looks nice on a resume, helping to fill in any gaps.

SoaringSpirits

I'm in the same boat. I've been a full time mom for 14 years. I used to be a project manager in the internet/software industry, but 14 years is a lifetime in that world. I'm scared ******** about what's next as my AH and I are legally separating and although I'll get alimony, I've got "become independent" as my attorney says within XX number of years. I'm 43. It sucks. I washed clothes, wiped butts and vacuumed the Volvo out while my AH worked himself to the pinnacle of his career (and promptly slid down due to drinking...). I'm going from a yuppie housewife to hoping for a $30k/year job as someone's peon assistant.

I've been on the board of directors of a non profit organization for the past several years. Besides the experience and having this for my resume, I've made a ton of professional contacts. I think I could easily mine my fellow board members for job leads. Just yesterday, one (an Animal Control officer) asked me if I'd consider that line of work.

I've thought of everything from house cleaning (good money) to pet sitting to prostitution (just kidding).

But I'm seriously considering law school, as there happens to be a great law school literally 5 miles away and I've always been fascinated with anything legal and I can write. Who knows, maybe I'll become a divorce attorney who specializes in getting people out of marriages to alcoholics.

cricket123

Go for it! I will cheer you on.

Cricket