Ways I've earned money.

Growing up, my parents always provided us with the necessities of life. However, we knew that if we wanted many extras we would need to earn some money. I started finding ways to do that in elementary school. I have never felt that there was anything wrong with working. I learned to take pride in a job well done and to find something to enjoy about almost every job.

These are in no particular order, I'm just recording them as I think about them.

• Thinning sugar beets (10 acres) with Dad, Kelvin and some of Uncle Kenny's family.I really hated this job. I would have to be really hungry to do that again. However, I gained quite an appreciation for migrant workers and others who do that type of work.
• I sold a painting for $200 in the early 1980's and a few others for about what it cost to make them.
• Picking cherries with Dad and Kelvin to raise money so we could boating at Lake Powell. I think we did this for about two weeks somewhere north of Lagoon.
• Delivering papers for Deseret News for several years.
• Babysitting for two young boys for a few weeks. Got fired because I couldn't find them one day. I was thrilled to be done with them.
• Washed walls and painted walls for an older lady in our ward. She was nice but thought shadows on the ceiling were places I had missed painting and made me redo the painting for free. 
• Did light cleaning for Aunt Gayla a few times.
• General care at a nursing home. It was probably equivalent to what is now a CNA, but I had no formal training, just on-the-job.
• Gathering eggs at the Stake chicken farm (see other post).
• Sold greeting cards door-to-door.
• Folded laundry for the physical education department at Brigham Young University in Provo.
• Custodian at the Health Center at BYU in Provo. Met Dot Dean's mother, Ruth, there and became friends with her. She was a nurse and was on the night duty when I was working (4-7 am).
• Read text books onto a tape recorder for a blind student at BYU in Provo.
• Made macrame items for retail (see other post).
• Sold crocheted items at Mormon Handicraft and a few things in Pocatello.
• Tupperware dealer. I wanted quite a few Tupperware items and this was a great was to get them and earn some extra money along the way.
• Right after Heather was born I worked in a friend's day care. It didn't last very long because Heather would start crying when we arrived and not stop until we left. I had done some volunteer work for this friend while I was pregnant.
• I worked in Homecraft at Deseret Industries in Provo and for a very short time in Pocatello. I quit Pocatello when I got pregnant with Heather.
• For a short time I worked at a fabric store in Murray, Utah. I really enjoyed that job. The manager was angry that her daughter hired me while she was on vacation and gradually gave me so few hours that I had to quit and find something else. She never criticized my work, just said they didn't need me very many hours.
• Custodian with Kelvin at a men's store in a mall. 
• Sold corn dogs in a trailer. Only corn dogs. No fries, no drinks, just corn dogs.
• Occasional babysitting.
• Cleaned some filthy apartments with Dad. They were next to Uncle Ron's butcher shop. I had no idea people would live like that.
• Substitute teaching for Pocatello School District 25. 
• Many, many years at the library.
• During sixth grade I sold milk in the school lunchroom to kids who brought sack lunches. I didn't earn money, but I did earn my hot lunches for the year.