Creative Income!
With savings dwindling and the house in Alabama not selling, we have gotten creative in generating income! My husband has taken a paper route. Yes, he has gone back to his childhood days, except now, on the paper route, he is driving a car instead of a bike. He and our oldest daughter get up before dawn, about 3:30 am, to faithfully deliver the papers to our little town. This has become special father/daughter time for them. On the weekends, the other children alternately go with them in twos to help with the inserts. They started with one paper route to fund her college and added a second and longer route when it became available. This second paper route is stretching our living expense money. Talk about creatively generating income!
This paper route has become part of our frugal living family adventure! The other children love going on the weekends. The only problem so far is car sickness. When rolling a paper to put a rubber band it on it – you must not only look down ,but, keep looking up, or otherwise…
Do you take the paper? If so, do you tip your carrier? We did not receive the paper so I had never thought about this before! It is amazing to see how nice some people are. Everything from money, cards, cookies and a ham have been left in mailboxes as tips! Many people have special requests as to where and how they want their papers delivered. If you are one of these, please understand that every special detour not only costs time but also money in gasoline! Whether you have special requests or not, consider that your carrier is up and out, way before the normal hour to get you your paper, on time, 7 days a week – no exceptions!
My husband, with his chemistry background has turned these routes into a science. He has determined the most efficient route both for time and gasoline. He checks weather to see if bagging is necessary because they too (like rubber bands) cost money which comes out of the profit.
It is easy to take for granted the people behind the scenes. I definitely have thought more about those who provide me everyday services, such as, mailmen, trash collectors, UPS deliverers … you know the ones who serve you. Yes, these people get paid, but often the base pay is not that much. Even so, a tip of any kind will brighten their day and show gratitude.
Photo Credit: © Depositphotos.com/robertbyron
What a great idea! Not only is this something that your hubby and daughter do together but they have their very own business. Good way to teach kids about entrepreneurship when they are young.
Very well said – I think that we take so many of these individuals for granted. How wonderful that your husband has this opportunity to share these life lessons (and special quality time) with the kids!
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! Wow 10 kiddos! Your my hero!!! I’m following you back. Can’t wait to read more about ways to save $$$. I could use all the help I can get!
Thanks for visiting my blog. It is always great when family can pitch in together and help! I am also following you back.
Hi there~
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’m now following your RSS feed. 🙂
Great post by the way.
Wow, that is something else. But I bet with the way the economy is going there are a lot of Americans taking on small jobs like this.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. How nice that the route has become father/daughter time.
Thanks for stopping by, I’m following rss/face book fan. Good luck on the Business to Blogger venture.
Koodos for you! Way to roll up your sleeves and do what needs to be done. It’s tough for a lot of us right now, we need to do whatever it takes to get through it. I know it will get better too, but it’s still hard now. What an inspiration you are to me… Press on my friend. :~
Thanks for visiting from Friday Follow! I’m your newest subscriber!
Very interesting! Yes, I too take people behind the scenes for granted. Good for you guys for making it fun. We have a building sitting on the market. Well, actually it’s off now. No use beating a dead horse. But it’ll go back up in the spring. *sigh*
Thanks for stopping by my blog! 🙂
We took a half year break in our paper subscription and recently started up again. Our paper has a new philosophy going. If the weather is bad or a paper goes missing, we are given a code to access an online version of the paper. They will not be putting drivers on the road in hazardous weather. Not sure what happens if you don’t have computer access.
Even though it isn’t much money, at least it is a lesson for the kids and time well spent with their dad. We don’t think about the little people too often. I watch that CEO show, where the CEO went undercover in his own company for trash collecting… the women can’t stop anywhere to use the restroom on their trash collecting route. They have to use a can! Can you imagine doing that?
Is a wonderful idea but we received the newspaper at our home.
Do you have other alternatives for another income?
Have a good day.
What a good way to create income, I am happy for you
Hey there! Glad the paper routes are going good for you. I did a paper route when I was a kid and loved it, I walked from door to door though, real slow. I tried a paper route like you guys and yep, I couldn’t do it because of the sickness. Thanks for sharing!
You are so right on this. Many people that have “small” jobs get under paid and a tip is a great way to say you appreciate them. Especially when many of them are people you never really see.
That’s nice father daughter time. I never really considered a paper route because I’m sooooo not an early morning person. If I could deliver it between 11:00PM and 1:00AM, it might would be okay for me. Oh well. 🙂
That is a wonderful idea, theres the quality time aspect as well as generating income and also I think we all sometimes take for granted all of those who serve us, this post is a good reminder, thank you for that!