August is a financially straining month for me. Birthdays include my wife, eldest daughter and mom not to mention Christmas is soon coming. So usually in July is when I start to panic about how much money I need to come up with to afford the presents.
So I sit down and attempt to figure out what I want to buy them. Tally it all up and try to figure out how I'm going to come up with the money (known as reverse engineering finance.) Since this occasion can translate into most "I need more money" situations, one way I increase income is by boosting my paycheck at work. I've written eleven ways in which I have milked extra money out of my "day job" without having to pickup a second job.
Milking Method #1: Stay a little late. Every fifteen minutes I stay late at work adds a little more to my paycheck. Sure, fifteen minutes isn't much but add it up over a two week pay period and it starts to show.
Milking Method #2: Show up a little early for a shift. Same philosophy as MM #1.
Milking Method #3: Skip a lunch here and there. It is pretty easy to eat WHILE working. Stash some food nearby and eat while being productive. Technically, you can't be deducted for a lunch if you didn't separate yourself from your work. Your results may vary.
Milking Method #4: Since I work at a hospital, I can choose to take "call." This means I am on a stand-by status when I am not at work just in case someone needs extra help. I get $3 per hour for being on call regardless of if I get called in or not. If I do get called in to work, I am paid 1 1/2 times my pay rate for a minimum of two hours, even if I only had to do thirty minutes worth of work.
Milking Method #5: Temporarily increase your tax deductions. You will have less taken from your check but make sure you reset your deductions as soon as possible or you will end up owing Uncle Sam.
Milking Method #6: Stop your 401k deductions. This is only in dire need. For every $165.65 I have deducted, my hospital matches me $82.83. So you may be putting money back into your pocket, but it will be taxed and you won't get the match.
Milking Method #7: Pick up an extra shift. I work four nights a week and the other three nights are covered by my friend Julie. Since she has worked at our hospital for about 15 years or more, she is more than happy to take a day or two off and let me cover her shift. This turns into overtime which is paid out at 1 1/2 times my hourly pay, as most overtime is paid.
Milking Method #8: I try to earn additional money while at work. Like blogging for example. If I am caught up on my work and can sit down and blog for a little bit, I'm hoping to eventually learn how to make money doing it. Another employee brings computers that he repairs for people and fixes them during down time. Other's pitch their merchandise from catalog sales like Mary Kay and Pampered Chef to other employees. I have also built websites from my laptop for additional income.
Milking Method #9: Offer to work on an additional project. Does the office need repainting? Is there a company project that is falling behind? Files which need to get thinned out and moved into storage? Make a list and approach the boss. Offer to do this stuff on your days off. It may make you look good to the boss and earn you some overtime.
Milking Method #10: Burn your PTO. Some companies will let you cash in your PTO but beware. Some don't allow full cash value. One hospital I worked at only allowed around 65% cash out. So for every $100 you cashed out, you only received $65 (and then got taxed.)
Milking Method #11: While burning your PTO (see MM #10), work at a different job. You can use two or three days PTO and use a Temporary Staffing Service to find a temp job at another facility. The trick is to notify the service that you are available. Once they notify you of an available gig, you book it and turn your PTO notice for those days.
Hope this helps someone make that little extra money they need.
Oringally written for Helium here.
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