Could a Saturday job be the solution to my problems? And do they actually exist?

[naturelover]

I'm a SAHM, it didn't make sense to go back to work as my salary would barely cover the childcare (plus I wanted to be home with DD). But really we have a 200 pounds shortfall every month. I could do freelance work evenings/weekends but what scares me is the unpredictability of it. I feel some months I would earn enough and other months I would earn nothing. Not to mention the unpaid hours of looking for clients and dealing with admin. I could charge 20 pounds an hour in my field.

In theory if I could be sure of getting regular freelance work I could manage evenings and weekends, or eventually put DD in childcare maybe one day a week (assuming the work was guaranteed - otherwise I'd be out of pocket).

Then I had an idea that if I got a "Saturday job" then perhaps that would be answer. I'm thinking something in a shop or a cafe. But then I started thinking: maybe true "Saturday jobs" don't exist anymore. After all, shops are open on Sundays too. I wouldn't want to work more than one day at the weekend or I wouldn't see DH at all. But one day might work. And at least there'd be no childcare to pay. And it would presumably be regular (guaranteed) income.

I'd appreciate any advice. Do you think this is feasible? How much could I earn in a day? And would my friends all look down on me (degree, professional diploma, 10 years' experience)? This last point doesn't matter to me very much to be honest. I just want us to survive financially until I can work proper hours (when DD is at school - 3 years' time). Thanks

Loads of employers look for weekend workers because they are so hard to find. Ask at your local supermarket, they're your best bet.

Our local library is currently looking for Saturday staff - so don't just think shops and cafes - check your local county council jobs too (and later when dd is at school, many councils do term-time only contracts).

Current National Minimum Wage is £5.52 per hour, so that's your worse case scenario.

I work saturdays at an estate agents, as a sales negotiator. I look forward to it, it's easy, nice colleagues and I get to look in other people's houses!
Pay is minimum wage, but I do earn bonuses. TBH, it saves my sanity
My colleagues call me "The Saturday lady"

Our local library regularly advertises saturday jobs. I work evenings but thought about doing it for extra cash, but dh often works weekends. Try the jobs section of your local authority website. I have seen saturday jobs in big departments stores too, try the job centre online vacancies. I'm guessing most shops put on the pressure to do extra hours at xmas but you could always make it clear up front this is a no go for you. I don't think you're looking at much more than minimum wage though.

x posts rubberduck!

my best friend has taken a cleaning job for 3 evenings a week (she's very intelligent and is capable of much more) at McDonalds a fast food chain - she loves it to bits, means she's still "at home" with the DC about from those 3 evenings - and it brings in just enough money to cover what they need.

She applied - thinking she wouldn't get it, but was told they were pleased to find a "mature" candidate (as most are spotty faced teenagers ) and she told them which nights she could/would work!

It also means that they (as a family) still get to spend 95% of the weekends together (she does Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday evenings).

I'm kind of in your position but worse, in that I want to work weekends but can only do 3 a month cos dh works one. So I can tell you that yes, categorically there are lots of sat jobs available, if you can really work every weekend! I even tried to find childcare one weekend a month, to secure a job, even though that eekend I'd be giving all my wages to a minder; but its impossible!

Also consider temp work at sorting office. Christmas is coming up and there's loads of ads for postal sorting - the shifts generally mean that it's early start, but you could be home again before dh leaves for work, maybe? Or do a weekend shift but still have most of the day at the weekend with the family.

The advantage of that is that shift work tends to be better paid.

Some great ideas here - many thanks!
For shops, where is the best place to find the jobs advertised? Or is it best just to ask in branches?

job centre online

Yep, I got mine thru job centre online

Yep, I got mine thru job centre online

if you've got any call centres near you I bet you can get sat/sun work and evenings too. most jobs pay £6-7 hour depending on where they are. Work can be repetitive, but if you're only doing it a few hours a week, you will probably end up being their star employee! usually there's free parking, nice facilities and you're not on your feet all day. Where do you live?

I saw saturday jobs advertised in the windows of our local bookshop and Boots last week.

Fish4jobs pick up the small ads for jobs in local areas - I've seen saturday jobs advertised for coffee shops, travel agents, markets, building societies, car dealerships, distribution companies, M & S, garden centres - local hospital has just advertised for healthcare assistants and ward clerks.
Where I work we sometimes have a night shift or Saturday work for packers/assemblers.
You could do bar work/waiting on - nearly party season for restaurants etc - you could get tips!!!
Councils have leisure centre/theatre jobs that are part time/casual. Or playbarns - they might need staff to help with parties/activities?
I know how you feel - I work full time and feel "looked down on" to an extent, as I am not earning anywhere near what my uni friends are on!
Wages wise, if you got £5.52 minimum wage an hour for an employed job, you wouldn't pay tax and NI unless you had another main job that took you over the personal allowance (which has just gone up to about £6k for this year) - if it did, then you would pay the 20% of gross wage in tax and 11% NI.
So 8 hours at NMW = £44.16. If taxable because of other earnings, you get £30.47 take home pay - or £3.81 an hour (£1584.44 pa or £132.04 pcm) So obviously you need something paying quite highly per hour to make £200 a month, as you also need to cover food/work/commuting costs from your earnings! Aldi stores usually offer £7-8 an hour. Hospital near me was offering about £7 ph and hours were 7.30 - 2pm or something - so you would still have some of the weekend left after you finished if you did hours like that - there is a national NHS jobs site.
Look on company websites, totaljobs.com as well, as company opening hours may give clues to whether they have weekend work - B&Q have jobs on their website, so do WH Smith at the minute.