Neurotic

My husband quotes a friend of his who say “The definition of neurotic is: you know 1+1= 2 but you just can’t stand it.” By that definition, look up neurotic in the dictionary and there will be a BIG frowning picture of me.

I am temporarily working from home and I hate it. No, the working from home doesn’t bother me, it is the temporary part. So, I have begun searching for ways to earn money from home without much success.

First, there are the websites that promise you can make up to $5,000 a week working from the comfort of your own home for just one hour a day! “I never knew stuffing envelopes was that lucrative,” I thought as I scrolled down the screen to read more. As I get to the end of the page, I am told that all the secrets to fast money, working from home, can be mine for just $99.95. I just figured out how that website owner makes their money.

Then there is the independent sales people pitch. You know them, they want you to sell cosmetics, cleaning products, nutritional supplements, etc. They are all eager to sign you up. They almost seem like robots in the lingo they spout. The scripts are almost identical regardless of the product they are trying to get you to distribute. If you scratch the surface you find out that, for them to make real money, you need to sell for them too. Then, if you want to make money too, you need to rope in some other poor sap. In most cases you find that, when you are done with this money making plan, you have just bought yourself $300 worth of vitamins.

Then there are the well meaning friends. They say: “You should try medical transcription/data entry/customer service, you can do that from home.” “Really?” I answer. “How would I do that?” “I’m not sure, but I bet there is information online.” is always their reply. When I go online, I find out that, once again, the secrets to these jobs can be mine for ONLY $49.95. This guy has got to get with the program, the other websites are charging $99.95, how does this website owner expect to feed his family with these ridiculously low prices?

I’ll keep searching for a legitimate way to earn money and work from home but if I haven’t found one by the end of my temporary contract, I’ll have a choice to make. Do I return to the office, the arduous commute to work and the shortened time with my son or do I quit my job? Being a one income household will mean we will have to cut down on those “extravagances” like bottled water and our weekly Sunday take-out ritual. Yes, with no cable, no fancy vacations, that’s what we “waste” our money on now.

The problem is, that neither solution works for me. Will I be happy struggling for money? No. Will I be happy missing out on playing with Josh? The thought makes me weepy as I write it. However, if I don’t find another answer I will have to make a choice and I hate that! What other reaction did you expect from a neurotic mom like me?