I'm broke...

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Cardiology, Medicine.

I'm an fairly new RN in my early 20's. I currently work in NYC. Payday's every two weeks, but with today's paycheck (minus RENT - yep, I live in an NYC apartment with two roomies-, utilities, and student loans) I'm down to $30 for the next two weeks. :o The next paycheck will be better because that's not the paycheck I deduct all these expenses from... BUT that's two weeks from now!

I know people survive on that amount of money.. I just don't know how. I called my supervisor about some OT... but I think the term "premature grays" will take full effect if I work more than 3-4 days a week on my floor.

I hate asking for help with money. I was blessed with a great family who would help me out.. but I just can't bring myself to ask (since.. honestly, as a nurse, I make more money right now than both my sisters.. who are older than me).

It's time to learn to budget.. but, what I need to ask you guys is whether there are any promising part-time nursing jobs in NYC. Does anybody have experiences as home care nurses? Nurses in doctor's offices? Thank you in advance for listening!

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Specializes in ICU, OR.

If you have a decent amount of experience, look into a staffing agency. You work as little or as much as you want for great rates. From my experience, it was not enough $ to do as my only job, but to supplement another job agency is great.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Good luck to you.

I know what you mean that it's hard to budget. Just make sure the next paycheck you cut way back so that it can last you some when the time comes to deduct all those expenses. Perhaps you can learn to spread out to expenses too. Like on the next check set aside your utility money, phone money etc. Look where you can cut back. I'm 48 and had to go on a budget this last year when I got a divoce. Fortunately I got a new job and with a little OT earned $10,000 more last year than the year before.

Anyway, I'll move this question to the NY forum, where you can hone in on some locals that can help you. It does sound like a good solution would be to find a part-time job.

Hang in there. I've been broke more times than I can count.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

It's funny (sad?) how my expenses seem to go up when I earn more money and go down when I am earning less. I have found that I can economize when I have to ... but I get less disciplined when I have money coming in.

Twice during my 30-year career, I have quit my job and gone back to graduate school. Each time, I have had to live off my savings while I didn't work and then live on a very meager income from a part-time job as I finished my degrees. I am always amazed that somehow, I adapt and learn to live on such a small amount of money and be quite happy. ...

Then I graduate and get a full time job again and earn lots more money and my expenses go up. Soon, I become dependent on that increased income and can't imagine living on much less ... and start worrying about financial health and job security.

My method of budgeting -- both when I have been poor and when I have been well-off -- has been to pay my necessary bills first (housing, electricity, etc.), then "pay myself" by putting a planned amount into savings each pay period. That happens before I spend a penny of "things" or "activities" for pleasure. The only money I spend on pleasure is the money I have left after paying all the other stuff. I base my lifestyle on the amount of money I have left after the necessary stuff is taken care of.

Good luck to you! Good luck to us all!

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