Alack. As the homebuying process turns out to be more and more expensive, I realize that it would probably be best if I could pull down some extra income prior to starting grad school. Grad school, after all, is not free, and even though I will be applying for Financial Aid (a fun, exciting, and easy-as-pie process, Folks) we will still have to pay that money back someday.

Added to the fact that we are now in a 30-year mortgage that we will ALSO have to pay back, provided we want to keep a roof over our heads.

So I’ve been scouring the interwebs. Searching for that perfect part-time thing that will also provide benefits. That perfect part-time thing with the flexible hours and the work-from-home option that pays around $30 per hour. Easy, right? Not so much.

I thought I would just establish myself as a freelance writer and collect all this crazy income, buy my own independent insurance, and be Free From Corporate Servitude. Sure, I’d still work my corporate job – because I like it, but I wouldn’t feel beholden to The Man, nor would I feel like the world was going to end when my job did.

Turns out it’s a little more difficult to establish oneself as a freelance writer than one might think. Thank God for Shell at TopTenz – he lets me write for him and keep my research skills sharp (plus I get paid), but practically every other thing has turned out to be either a scam or someone who thought they wanted a writer and decided they were wrong.

So then I thought, “Hey.” “Why not get a job someplace where I can get a discount?” I’d heard the Blockbuster gave part-time benefits, so I filled out an online application there. I had also heard that Target and Ukrops had part-time benefit options, so I applied online both of those places.

Nothing. Nada. I have heard zero from any of the places. Tomorrow I’m making it my mission to call each HR manager and be charming. Oh, and I’m going to apply to Lowes and The Home Depot, because a discount there would be sweet…