Stressed Out About Work

[Panic57]

I'm a freelancer online so I work a couple sites to make a living.  One of my sites is closing down soon and I'm a little freaked out because it's one of the more reliable places to make some extra cash in between bigger paychecks.  I don't have a good substitute for it and the alternatives kind of expect you to work for pennies. Then I have a couple of other sites that I've been on for years that aren't consistant enough from month to month that I have to put it in my 'extra' change pile. It's just been a rough summer and this holiday season is going to be hard.  What about you?  Is work going well for you are does it have you stressed out?

 

[Alex]

There's so such thing as a job for life, and online work in particular. Maybe it's time to get a job outside of the home, because online work is a bare subsistence living. You should consider other options, and the danger with online work is people find it easy and comfy. Sadly, if you one day want to have your own place and a family you will need to get out there, even if you run your own business. While people do brag about making a lot online, how much of that is true? Often they sell you books, or you click on their referral links and who is to say that it's an honest way to make a living?

 

[DDNatureLover]

I agree, I think a lot of the talk of making huge piles of cash online is either bluster, or perhaps they're talking about a few people who did that in the past, but it seems those days are over. I used to make some decent money doing focus groups, but I have noticed a trend to paying less for the same type of requirements, if not more rigorous standards. I think the days of being able to make a decent living online are over. It's sad, because some of us aren't able to work outside of the home, and rely on these types of positions to make ends meet. I've also noticed it's becoming harder to make sales in my shops, and I've spoken to many others who are also experiencing a downturn in sales. They seem to be declining over the past several years. 

 

[clair02]

I'm a freelancer online so I work a couple sites to make a living.  One of my sites is closing down soon and I'm a little freaked out because it's one of the more reliable places to make some extra cash in between bigger paychecks.  I don't have a good substitute for it and the alternatives kind of expect you to work for pennies. Then I have a couple of other sites that I've been on for years that aren't consistant enough from month to month that I have to put it in my 'extra' change pile. It's just been a rough summer and this holiday season is going to be hard.  What about you?  Is work going well for you are does it have you stressed out?

I think I know the site you're talking about, and I can tell you that there are better alternatives out there. I've already found one and I'm making 10 times what I used to make at the previous site doing half the same work. PM me and I'll give you the details. 

 

[Aree Wongwanlee]

I'm a freelancer online so I work a couple sites to make a living.  One of my sites is closing down soon and I'm a little freaked out because it's one of the more reliable places to make some extra cash in between bigger paychecks.  I don't have a good substitute for it and the alternatives kind of expect you to work for pennies. Then I have a couple of other sites that I've been on for years that aren't consistant enough from month to month that I have to put it in my 'extra' change pile. It's just been a rough summer and this holiday season is going to be hard.  What about you?  Is work going well for you are does it have you stressed out?






 

Don't worry. I think I am also working on the same site you are talking about. At first, I was rather put out by its impending demise. It's like I have never really thought of looking for alternative sources of income. Still, I had to face the reality that that one reliable source of income would soon be history. So I looked up a couple of sites which I had not looked at for a long time. One was Digital Point. The other was Freelancer. Then I found Upwork via a Google search. When I tried to register for Upwork, I found that I had already done so many years ago. It was so long ago that I have totally forgotten about it.


Then I started looking for writing jobs. At first, it was disheartening. There were plenty of jobs but there were even more people bidding for those jobs. After a couple of days, I found a way to get ahead of the others. I just lurked in the site for a while. Sure enough, offers popped up here and there. I just chose those I felt I could do well. I didn't try to bid for everything. Neither did I try for the best-paying jobs. Instead, I went for the low-paying ones. Especially the ones which insisted on giving me a test.


I did a few tests, passed and got a few jobs. Not many but enough to keep me writing a few hours every day. The income? Well, it's just one cent per word but that's a lot better than the paid forum posting which I had been doing.


Give it a try. I am sure you can do it, too. Go and have a look at Digital Point, Freelancer, and Upwork. Lots of work available every day. 24/7.

 

[fuzyon]

Don't worry. I think I am also working on the same site you are talking about. At first, I was rather put out by its impending demise. It's like I have never really thought of looking for alternative sources of income. Still, I had to face the reality that that one reliable source of income would soon be history. So I looked up a couple of sites which I had not looked at for a long time. One was Digital Point. The other was Freelancer. Then I found Upwork via a Google search. When I tried to register for Upwork, I found that I had already done so many years ago. It was so long ago that I have totally forgotten about it.


Then I started looking for writing jobs. At first, it was disheartening. There were plenty of jobs but there were even more people bidding for those jobs. After a couple of days, I found a way to get ahead of the others. I just lurked in the site for a while. Sure enough, offers popped up here and there. I just chose those I felt I could do well. I didn't try to bid for everything. Neither did I try for the best-paying jobs. Instead, I went for the low-paying ones. Especially the ones which insisted on giving me a test.


I did a few tests, passed and got a few jobs. Not many but enough to keep me writing a few hours every day. The income? Well, it's just one cent per word but that's a lot better than the paid forum posting which I had been doing.


Give it a try. I am sure you can do it, too. Go and have a look at Digital Point, Freelancer, and Upwork. Lots of work available every day. 24/7.

Are you making $0.01/word on Upwork? I'm really trying to get more freelance writing gigs but a lot of the websites online are oversaturated by the content creators that have an already established presence and niches. Digital Point seems like a good option but I'm still doubtful.


I guess I should look at transcription jobs since those seem to be quite popular.

 

[kgord]

I think a lot of us are in the same boat there. It is stressful when a source of income closes down. I thought I had a creditable replacement, but it doesn't seem to be working out. There are some good opportunities out there, it is just time consuming to ferret through all the leads and find the sites that will work to boost your bank account! I haven't given up hope in that regard. I am also increasing my income in one of my offline jobs.

 

[WorkAtHomeGal]

I think I know the site you're talking about, and I can tell you that there are better alternatives out there. I've already found one and I'm making 10 times what I used to make at the previous site doing half the same work. PM me and I'll give you the details. 

I am going to PM you Clair02 if it is okay because I have been trying to find more ways to get some cash going too. With sites closing down it can be hard.


Since pursing online income in 2014 as close to fulltime as I can it has been scary for me. So I am very glad to have an outside job starting this week. I need something more persistent then what online offers. Sometimes it can get so stressful, in the sense of doing so much to save money but never feel like I am saving, being frugal and cutting coupons... I changed some habits to and still seem to scrape by sometimes.


If online continues the way it is for me, I will have to continue doing offline jobs but I will do online in the mean time as extra cash. It would be nice if I could get creative and open a store online or write and people enjoy it. I got ideas but haven't started them yet.

 

[Choochoo]

It really is stressful and with the holidays coming up it's a lot of extra pressure. I think a lot of people do feel a lot more stressed during these months. I myself am also worrying a little bit since this year my expenses got a bit higher than usual so I'm trying to compensate so I can still afford to provide nice gifts for the family during the holiday season. 

 

[HappyKoi]

I'm having a bit of that problem, too.  I'm waiting for the seasonal hiring to kick in so that I can get a retail job.  I hate Black Fridays and Christmas music, but having a bigger paycheck is nice.  I'm also hoping for more in-home caregiving jobs. One good thing about the holiday season is that it brings in a lot of work.  Most of it is gone by January, but at least it gives you a bit of time to find something else.  Have you checked on Craigslist for your area?  Some of the jobs are sketchy, but some are reliable.
It's hard to deal with money anxiety, because being out on the street is a real worry, and a serious one.  It's especially bad around the holidays.  Check in with some nonprofit organizations and churches.  They have more resources around the holidays and can provide help with food, shelter, or bills.