Making ends meet

Jason M. Rodriguez

Jul. 20, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Rebecca Filler always knew the value of hard work, having held three jobs on Coastal Carolina University's campus before the economy got tight. Now she has five jobs.

Filler, 21, works four jobs at the university and one as a cocktail waitress at Magoo's Sports and Spirits.

"I actually enjoy having this many jobs ... because it's always helped keep me organized and balanced," she said.

Though Filler's situation might be unusual, lots of Grand Strand and Brunswick County, N.C., residents are trying to earn extra money as gas, food and other expenses rise.

Here we share some income options -- the good, the bad and the unusual.

--Back to work for retirees: Retired aircraft designer Fred Platt compares coping with the current economy to an airplane crash: Quick reactions will help avoid trouble.

It's why the Connecticut native took on a part-time job as a van driver for the Grand Strand Senior Center in Myrtle Beach.

"Really, I took the job to make a little extra money," he said. "It's not to do those extra things. It's to help out."

Ruth Loughlin, a secretary at the center, is a retired teacher from Virginia. Although she originally took the part-time job at the senior center to fund trips she and her husband took before the economy turned sour, the money now is used to just get by.

"I think a lot of us, we were doing it for the extras before," Loughlin said. "Now it goes to either our grandchildren or our gas tank."

She said she's resorted to clipping coupons -- something she did when she was younger -- and consolidating her day's errands into one trip.

And as for dining out?

Unless it's a deal, forget about it.

"You think twice nowadays before you go out to eat," Loughlin said. "We're always checking the paper for the 'buy one, get one' deals. If they have that, then we eat there."

--Selling their stuff: Connie Wayne runs an eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) store from her Shallotte, N.C., home that she began about a year ago. The popularity of eBay, combined with a growing need for people to make a few extra dollars, allowed her to quit other freelance work and go into auctions full time.

"My customers are varied, but almost all sell out of financial need," said the owner of Sell Your Stuff.

"Primarily, I have customers that are selling to make ends meet," Wayne said, "and they are very honest about this. Most have a sense of urgency to complete the transaction."

Wayne said people are selling collectibles, family heirlooms and antiques, and luxury items such as unworn jewelry.

"The nature of my business brings me into contact with many people facing hard times," Wayne said. "Down on their luck, so to say. Not everyone tells me their history, but I can see it in their sad faces that many customers really do not want to part with their items."

Joseph Henderson, general manager of the three Dick's Pawn Shops along the Strand, said not only are the stores seeing more people, but a different clientele altogether.

"We're seeing a lot more older people," Henderson said. "It's no more just a man trying to make 50 bucks to make it to payday. It's older ladies who are cleaning out their old gold, which we have never seen before."

He said the price of gold is on the rise, and people have been bringing in items of sentimental value, such as rings and broken bracelets.

Sunny Hall was outside Dick's on U.S. 501 recently. Two friends were loading her only two televisions back into a minivan after the pawn shop refused to buy them because of cracks in the frames. Hall said she was trying to sell the television sets to make extra money -- they were the only two televisions she and her two children, a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, have at their home.

"I have two kids, I'm a single mother, and I need some money bad," she said. "These are the only televisions we have."

She said the rising costs of everything -- from gas to rent -- have prompted her to sell the family's televisions.

"I always figured there was a way around everything, but the way things are now, there's just no getting around it," she said as her children climbed in and out of the van. "They're just going to have to play in the yard and leave the entertainment up to their imagination."

--Capitalizing on payouts: Cpl. Charles Bowie, coordinator of Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry, which includes Georgetown County, said that in recent months, more people have begun collecting larger rewards for providing tips to police.

"The higher end of crimes that bring more money, like the ones between $750 and $1,000, are being collected more these days," Bowie said.

It's a trend that is growing nationwide.

According to a recent article in The New York Times, calls to the Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers hot line in the first quarter of this year were up 30 percent over last year. San Antonio saw a 44 percent increase. Detroit and Omaha reported increases of 25 percent or more in the first quarter, with tipsters telling operators they need the money for rent, light bills or baby formula.

--Stealing gas, copper: Police also are seeing a higher number of specific crimes, Bowie said, such as those cutting holes in the fuel tanks of 18-wheelers and the theft of copper, which is valued more these days.

Sgt. Neil Johnson of the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office said he has seen an increase as well.

"I think the biggest reason for copper is because the cost is so high," he said. "We've seen them taking copper from power plants and people's air conditioning units. We've even seen some catalytic converters."

--Bargain selling: Jesse Medlock, owner of the North Myrtle Beach Flea Market, said he is seeing new vendor numbers and new customers.

"More and more people are becoming vendors because people are needing more money to survive," Medlock said.

He said customers who vendors have not seen before are buying common items such as clothing and kitchenware.

--Back to the basics: Filler said her parents instilled in her the importance of being a hard worker, and her father still sends her books on how to save money.

She's also learning on her own how to cut corners to not only make it as a college student, to but survive in today's economic times.

"We've been carpooling when my friends and I do things," the Hollidaysburg, Pa., native said. "I've cut back on going out to eat and have been making sandwiches more for lunch."

TIPS ON SAVING MONEY: The Sun News newsroom staff offered tips on how to make a few extra dollars during rough economic times:

--Open a checking account at a bank that offers money to open the account.

--Go through old jewelry boxes and gather gold to sell. Gold value has been increasing for the last 10 years.

--Look to old appliances for scrap metal and recycle it.

--Clean out closets and have a yard sale. One man's trash is another's treasure.

--Shop at dollar stores first for groceries, then head to the supermarkets.

--Volunteer for psychology experiments that pay. Though area universities do not offer such programs, check online.

--Sell your old books and movies on amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) , eBay.com and half.com. On Amazon and Half, you set your price. On eBay, you wait for bids on your items.

--Explore timeshares. Many offer gift cards and gift certificates for area stores and restaurants for listening to sales pitches.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0119-26810999