Tips for living without a job?

[eistxist]

I do have a place to live and a means of transportation. My main concerns are food and money (in that order). I plan on starting a garden; I'll be growing carrots, tomatoes, spinach, some herbs and spices, and perhaps a date tree or a fig tree. I realize that this is not going to fulfill all of my dietary needs, so does anyone know of any means of obtaining cheap vegetables/fruits in bulk? This can be anything from joining a co-op to working on a small farm.

As far as money goes, does anyone have any tips for making some money here and there? I was thinking of making my bike a pedicab and giving people rides in the downtown Orlando area, but I'm not sure if you need a license to do this or anything (most of the companies I've checked say you must be at least 21). Other than that, I'm open to any suggestions for making small amounts money.

I will be trying to find a job at one of the veggie-friendly places around here, or somewhere where I can at least have some freedom outside. But until then, any tips, suggestions, or advice would be greatly appreciated! :]

Oh, and if there are any good websites with this sort of information, those would also be great!

[JessEpiphany]

My mother in law does something with http://www.angelfoodministries.com/
She pays $30 for $60 worth of food. I've never done it so I'm not real sure exactly how it works but it might be worth looking into.

[IamJen]

If you're into biking, you might be able to pick up some messenger gigs. Just be sure to wear a helmet!

[greensgood]

dumpster dive! its a great way to find tons of free food, it is not as gross as it sounds, many of the food was for sale not long before it ended up dumped. also fruit with peels is safe and most veggies with a good wash are not scary at all.
look for free stuff you can fix up and re sell, some stuff people throw out doesn't even need fixing.
collect cans and other recyclables and turn them in for cash.

use craigslist.org, it is an excellent resource for making money and finding opportunities.

are there any CSA's near you? http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ <---this is a good place to look for them. many have programs that offer you half off or free crops if you work on the farms.

http://www.foodnotbombs.net/ <---check here to see if there are any food not bombs chapters near you. it is a great organization to get involved with.

[DMZdogs]

Work part time in the produce section of a grocery store. It's like pre-dumpster diving....you'll have first dibs on anything that's going to be tossed. I once got 15 packages of rosemary that "expired" that day, but actually lasted a good week in the fridge. Have also gotten tomatoes, potatoes, salad greens, apples, melons, squash, etc. etc. A lot of stuff will have a bad spot or a bruised side....you just cut that part out and eat the rest.

[Skylark]

Living without a job? Heck, that IS life! Your time is your own!

But, life without a steady source of income to cover your expenses, on the other hand, that can get tricky.

[Irizary]

My mother in law does something with http://www...
She pays $30 for $60 worth of food. I've never done it so I'm not real sure exactly how it works but it might be worth looking into.

That's a service for lower income meat eaters who want to eat factory farmed meat to the same extent as middle class meat eaters. Every package is built around factory farmed meat. A vegan could eat for less than that with simple foods without charity.

[Skylark]

That's a service for lower income meat eaters who want to eat factory farmed meat to the same extent as middle class meat eaters. Every package is built around factory farmed meat. A vegan could eat for less than that with simple foods without charity.

I've seen the menus, too, and it's 90% meat. However, I have heard that many of the participants have no idea what to do with the dried beans and other veggie staples, so it's possible you could even get free beans and the like if you ask.

[Wishuponastar]

Here are some ways to earn quick money. They also allow you freedom to choose when you want to work:
~Babysitting
~Dogsitting
~Housesitting for people going on vacation
~Start a "pooper scooper" business...my cousin used to live in Orange Park, FL and he did well in this business. I guess there must be a lot of dog owners that don't want to clean up after their dogs.
~Cutting grass
~Dog walking
~Pool cleaner

[LadyFaile]

when i was buying groceries just for myself and was in college and had very little money, i would spend about $20 a week and ate pretty good

you could sign up as a rep for something like avon, arbonne, regal etc. you need a little startup money to pay the fee and to buy catalogues to pass around, but if you work hard and get a good area you can make a decent amount of money

if you wanted to taxi people on your bike you would need a license of some kind and insurance.

i don't know how it works down there but in ontario to start a small business you may not need to register it for taxes etc if you make under $20K/year, so a dogwalking job pooper scooping, babysitting etc would be ok. but if your customers want receipts (mostly for babysitting as you can claim your childcare expenses when you file your taxes) you will have to register and report taxes etc or you could get audited and be in big trouble

[zoebird]

i think that bike messaging would probably be a great gig if you like to do that, and also dog walking or pet sitting--which can be great jobs.

thi time of year, the pet sitting companies here are looking for people because of summer vacations. i worked a bit last summer pet sitting making $8 per hour. it was 'under the table' work too--though i wouldn't have earned enough to be taxed anyway.

babysitting is also an easy gig.

as for getting food, i find that whole sale produce shops are great. one just opened near us that carries more organics than the other one that we went to. so, we're saving a bundle there. for under $20, we get enough fresh fruits and veg to last us a good 10 days. and we eat A LOT of fresh fruit and veg (DH eats at least 6 piece of fruit a day, and i eat probably 8; he eats about 8 servings of veggies, and i'm about the same. so with $20 every 10 days, you could eat like royalty!

[rabid_child]

I'm just curious -- are you look to live without a job forever, or just looking for ways to survive in the interim while you're between jobs?

WRT food -- you could see if any friends want a personal chef. They buy the groceries you cook in exchange for a serving of whatever you're making. If someone would cook for me, I'd be happy to feed them!

I volunteer at my local co-op and get a big discount off my groceries (26%). They also sell produce past its prime for something like $.10/lbs, but you have to get there early!!

Try growing beans. Pole beans especially don't take up much space and are really easy to grow.

[eistxist]

I'm just curious -- are you look to live without a job forever, or just looking for ways to survive in the interim while you're between jobs?

Hopefully not forever; I'm only 18, haha. With that said, I don't particularly want a job which requires me to stay indoors for long periods of time (unless the business is veg-oriented). I wouldn't mind babysitting, as I've done that before and enjoyed it. But I did have a job at an ice cream shop a while ago and I absolutely hated that type of work.

But thanks for all of the recommendations so far! :] I'm going to look into finding a messenger sort of job. I've also found a few local farming organizations/co-ops that I'm going to look further into.

[vheogl]

Don't know if anyone else has mentioned this but an easy way to solve the food problem - freeganism! If you have any supermarkets nearish by, go raid their bins at night! They throw away stupid amounts of food. Especially bread and vegetables and you can sometimes get lucky with tofu and soy milk/yoghurt. Google around, theres a fair few websites with tips etc on. I have a student friend who pretty much lives in a food budget of nothing purely by going through bins a couple of evenings a week, just be careful how you do it.

[Veg Mommy]

That's a service for lower income meat eaters who want to eat factory farmed meat to the same extent as middle class meat eaters. Every package is built around factory farmed meat. A vegan could eat for less than that with simple foods without charity.

I have looked into Angel Food Ministries for my daughter and they do have a fruit/veggie box you can buy but it seems to be large quantities for a family of four.

I go to several forums for freebies, Walmart is one of them that has a freebie section that sends you samples of food, shampoos and other items. I realize they are just samples but every little bit helps that you can add to what you have.

Good luck on job hunting! :)

[hellparadiso]

We have used the Angel Food Ministries produce package before, and for $18 (in my Southern Texas city) we got a bag of onions, a bag of baking potatoes, two bags of frozen green beans, two bags of frozen diced sweet potatoes, 2 5-lb. bags of apples, and 1 5-lb. bag of oranges. It was a HUGE amount of food. We kept the fruit in the fridge, the frozens in the freezer (duh) and the onions and potatoes in a cool, dry corner of our pantry - it all lasted a really, really long time. I HIGHLY recommend that if you plan on consuming large quantities of produce.

Also, I'll have to throw my hat in the ring for dumpster diving and freeganism. They combine two of my favorite topics: free food and minimizing waste. My biggest haul was stumbling upon a crate of Romaine lettuce - the outer leaves had started to turn brown. I took it home, peeled off the affected leaves, and the rest of the lettuce was totally fine.

[Marie]

Date a well off guy.

jk

:p

[Wishuponastar]

How is everything going for you, eistxist? Do you have any updates?

[zzzeeep]

We buy our staple foods like beans, rice, lentils, etc. in bulk from our local organic food co-op. It's wholesale when you're a member, and since food prices keep going up, you end up saving even more money by stocking up.

Do check out Food Not Bombs - I worked with them for a couple of years in San Francisco, but you can find them in many big cities. If you volunteer some time, you get to eat a couple of meals, and take some leftovers home if you want them.

To earn money, consider consider posting on Craigslist, in the services section, offering general labor. Check out other people's postings for ideas. I know people who post and get work the same day, whenever they want it. There's lots of outdoor work, like yard work. If you're willing to work, you can pick up some gigs.

Good luck!