This isn't working. What do I do? (payment, find a job, career)

[That Guy You Met Once]

Until this month, I was working 11-hour days at two jobs.

I quit the second one because I hated it, it left me no time to work on my side projects (a novel and a screenplay) or the freelancing career I want to start, and my manager kept telling me I was underperforming anyway.

I moved up to 39 hours a week at my primary one. They don't want to give benefits, so that's the most they'll let anyone do.

They tell me I'm doing an excellent job, I'm much happier with my workload now, and my side projects are going well, but there's one major problem. My income's been cut to $1100 a month, $800 of which goes to rent, bills, payment on a loan, and car insurance. I've also decided to save up at least $5,000 over the next two or three years so I can move back up north, find a better job, and pursue an education.

I'm trying freelance writing and photography on weekends. but it's not working out yet. I found several assignments, but all of them either stiffed me on payment or decided they didn't want me at the last minute. I know it'll work out with time and patience, but I kind of need the extra income now.

In the short term, I can't keep living like this. It looks like my choices are either:

A. Take another second job and go back to being miserable and having no time to do any of the things I love.
B. Move in with a bunch of random people from Craigslist for $300 a month yet again.
C. Take up my friend's offer to sleep in his living room.

There is a possible fourth option: Sell my car and get my security deposit back (which will leave me with about $3k) and move up north right away, but that would basically be gambling that I could find a job within a month or two, which would probably be stupid.

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

Life is all about trade offs, isn't it? It sounds like you value your passion projects (writing and photography) more than the security of a high income. If that's the case, sleeping on your friend's couch seems to be the most palatable of your three options.

[charlygal]

I value privacy so I would take option A.

Sometimes you have to suck it up and do the things you don't like to do. Working a second job for 6 mons. or so won't be the end of the world. Save the money and move.

[ImtheBrilliantest]

I'd take the first option. It'll definitely suck, but the faster you get your $5000, the faster you'll be able to move back up.

[mostie]

Originally Posted by Arthur Digby Sellers

Life is all about trade offs, isn't it? It sounds like you value your passion projects (writing and photography) more than the security of a high income. If that's the case, sleeping on your friend's couch seems to be the most palatable of your three options.

omg, no truer words were ever said!

[beera]

What about option D? Find a higher paying job? I'm not saying it'll be done overnight, but the best way to make more money is have a job already and then find one willing to pay you a bit more

[That Guy You Met Once]

Well, I've only been in this one for three months, and the one before that (my former second job) for six. My last job was a seasonal position. I think having more than three jobs in under a year would look terrible on a resume.

Also, I'm possibly on track to become a manager. My direct supervisor is leaving sometime within the next year and I'm the only one in our department who has the potential to fill the position. (Because "our department" is just me, the current manager, and one other guy who doesn't give a ****.)

There's always the potential that they'd bring someone in from another department or hire someone from outside, though. But I at least want to wait and see what happens.