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Is One Job Enough?
The
vast majority of American wage and salary workers today fall
into the middle class. That means an annual income of somewhere
between $30,000 and $50,000-before deductions for social security,
federal and state (and sometimes city) income tax, Medicare,
health insurance (if you're lucky enough to be offered it),
and a 401K plan. The federal minimum wage is still stuck at
an amazingly low $5.15 per hour, providing half a million minimum-wage
workers with less than $12,000 a year.
One Way Out
Given these figures, it is not difficult to see why one in 17
Americans, or about 7.5 million, work two or more jobs. It's
called "moonlighting." Sounds romantic, doesn't it?
Minimum-wage earners
moonlight just so they can pay the rent and put food on the
table. Middle-income workers cite different reasons, such as
- to attain a higher
standard of living
- to pay off debt
- to save for a home
- to save for the
future-their children's education, their own retirement
Some moonlighters' extra
jobs are part-time, but others work two full-time jobs, or three
part-time jobs or some other combination. Obviously, it can
be pretty stressful. Moonlighters don't see their families much,
because they average 75 hours a week at work. It's an especially
sad situation for single parents.
More
Disturbing Statistics
According to an August, 2006, report on CNN Money.com, "...most
workers have not seen wage gains keep pace with inflation during
the current economic expansion." And the New York Times
reported that while the median hourly wage for American workers
has declined 2% since 2003, while prices have increased 4%.
Prescription drug costs alone have soared out of control: Americans
pay the highest prices in the world. Although corporate profits
keep climbing, their employees' shares of those profits-in the
form of increased wages-is declining.
Meanwhile, the median
price of a home in the US is $208,000, shutting out the possibility
of homeownership for millions of hardworking people. That leaves
rentals, and they too are going up in price. Added to the woes
of the middle class is the tendency to rely more and more on
credit, driving many into depths of debt that seem inescapable.
If you're a average-income
worker still hoping to move up in your company, you may want
to keep in mind that in the past ten years, there have been
9.7 million job cuts. You know all about it-downsizing, outsourcing,
not replacing people who leave and expecting the ones left to
pick up the slack. Most of the time, you'll have no clue that
a layoff is about to happen. There's always unemployment-but
in most states it replaces only about half of your lost income,
and to make matters worse, you'll have to pay income tax on
it come April 15th.
A Better Way
Spending
75 hours a week watching the minutes creep by on a clock at
work isn't appealing to anyone. But what if you could work in
the comfort of your own home? Picture this: You have dinner
with your family, and then, while everyone is watching TV or
doing their homework, you're close by on your laptop-making
the extra money you need. You can even take your job with you
when you travel.
While this may sound
"too good to be true," the Internet has made it possible
for millions of people to supplement their incomes and beat
the economy at its own game. You may need to put in as little
as five hours a week to replace the income you'd make from a
grueling 35 hours of moonlighting time at some dead-end second
job. And you can put those hours in when and where you want
to and deduct many of your expenses on your income tax return.
You may become so successful at your "second" job
that you'll be able to ditch the first one and work at home
full time.
Before you even think
about taking a second job away from home, consider the advantages
of being your own boss...of being able to go to bed at a reasonable
hour...of not having to deal with yet another boss and set of
corporate rules.
Do it for yourself.
A home-based business
could change your life. It costs nothing to explore the possibility.
Just fill in the form below for free information.
Sue DeBrule
1-800-606-0613
Email
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