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Ask HN: Medical issues, might lose job. How to make some quick money?
I have some savings, so I can live a few months off it. But the medical bills are piling up and I'll likely lose my current job. I need at least $3k (after taxes) for the bills per month (not in US). On top of this, I have limited time as I have to care for dad.
Any advice on where to find work? I can put in 20 hours a week max. I can code in LAMP stack, do product development, project management and data analysis. I'll take any help I can get.
Thank You
- wsc981 8y agoI work through Codementor [0]. It’s possible with some clients to work 20 hours a week and the platform provides decent pay through CodementorX (freelance jobs), but you’d need to pass some tests and a Skype interview. —— [0]: https://www.codementor.io https://www.codementor.io
- justaguyhere 8y agoThank you. Do they expect high end programmers or is it normal stuff?
- wsc981 8y agoWell, they both have an unvetted platform (Codementor) and a vetted platform (CodementorX). Both unvetted and vetted developers can respond to the same projects. But of course for vetted developers there are some tests and interviews to make sure the developer is of decent quality. But I feel it's probably a bit less difficult to get into compared to Toptal for the average dev. I consider myself an above average dev, but not a super 1337 ninja rockstar.
- ddorian43 8y agoWhat's decent pay ?
- wsc981 8y agoI guess it depends where you live for what you consider decent. But suggested rates for freelance work are between 40 - 80 USD. But you can choose your own rates, so if you think you can ask more, feel free to ask an higher rate.
- auslegung 8y agoIn the US we can negotiate payment plans for our medical bills. If that is an option, that could help stretch your savings.
- jryan49 8y agoAre you sure you do not have disability insurance with your current job?
- justaguyhere 8y agoI am not disabled, my family member is sick, so I have to take time off to support them.
- jryan49 8y agoTo me, it's not that clear that you are talking about a family member. Do you work in California, New Jersey, or Rhode Island? You may qualify for paid leave. edit: if not FMLA may protect your job for 12 weeks, though it is unpaid https://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/ https://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/ https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28.pdf https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28.pdf
- justaguyhere 8y agoI am not in the US :( My dad has some insurance coverage, which will run out soon.
- jryan49 8y agoOh I'm sorry! I missed that part in the parenthesis. Good luck.
- mcv 8y agoIs it possible to hire someone to care for your dad part-time, while you make more money than the help costs? Are there any family or friends you can share the care with? Another option might be doing freelance work from home so you're close to your dad but still able to do work.
- saluki 8y agoIf it isn't your medical bills, I would think about contacting their billing group and see about making smaller monthly payments. If your relative doesn't have insurance look at getting them on gov healthcare or some other option. Don't feel you have to pay it all on your own. Considering keeping your job and hiring someone to fill in when you can't be there. Contact relatives. You might be more help to them bringing in some money to help them. Plus they probably want you to be secure and you're going to need a break from them. It might seem like you need to support them fulltime but you need to think about your future too. Ask your boss if you can work 30 hours per week for a while to care for a sick family member? Good luck with everything.
- a-saleh 8y agoFirst, as I don't know the system in your country, I would consider two things: 1) what is the safety-net available to you? i.e. in my country, if you file the proper paperwork you can get some support for caring for a disabled relative. Or there might be a possibility to make your health-insurance to pay for their problems 2) you say you are likely losing your current job. Can you first try to negotiate qith your superior for ammendment to your current employment? I.e. when my daughter was born I managed to negotiate 30h instead of 40h week, just to be able to help my wife with her. 3) W.r.t. 2) you could try to change jobs, it should be easier to negotiate 3k/20h in a new job where a corporation wants you for a position, than with your current employer. In your position I would be afraid to venture outside of regular employment. In my experience, when stressed with a family-crisis, I wouldn't be able to deliver consulting projects reliably, especially if I didn't have a pipeline delivering reliable well-paying clients. I wish you luck!
- roschdal 8y agoSave yourself first.
- jakobegger 8y agoI don't know where in the world you are located, but 3000 USD after taxes for 20h per week sounds like a lot of money. Some companies in major cities might pay that much, but it's going to be hard to find part time jobs -- companies prefer employing people full time. A possible solution could be contract work. Here in Austria, there are lots of small agencies that send developers to big companies and banks. Rates for experienced devs can be 80€ per hour, so at 20h per week you might be able to make 3000€ after taxes. I'm not sure how easy it is to get a job like that, though.
- imhoguy 8y agoJust tell people you know that you need some help. I mean not cash exactly but e.g. negotiate work from home, switch to more freelance position, ask friends/network if they can refer you to someone who needs your skills. They will be helpful, I am sure. Beware of quick money traps! Good luck.