So true, Heartland!
In 2015, I had two jobs, both minimum wage, in the nearest town. I'd wash dishes in the morning at a truck stop (loved that job!), then dash over to Pizza Hut and deliver pizzas until dark. But some days I had to drive the 100 miles for 4 or 6 hours on the clock, at minimum wage. And gas was pushing $4 a gallon, so I was spending $10-$15 every day on gas. So for a 4 hour shift, plus 2 hour commute, I made $40, less $10 for gas. Working for considerably less than $7 an hour after gas expense. And every dime was taxable, and the commute wasn't deductible. And on the days when they weren't busy, they might send me home after just two hours, so I wouldn't even earn enough to put gas in the car to go back the next day! I put 2,000 miles a month on my car just commuting.
Between the two jobs, I'd shop a gas station or a fast food. I might have to drive another 100 miles to get to those, but I would make more on one or two shops than I would working on my feet the rest of the week. Really, it seemed thrilling to make the same amount auditing a gas station as I made standing on my feet at the dishwashing machine for over 4 hours.
So driving 400 miles to do 5 shops and earning $520, compared to washing dishes at minimum wage? I'd have to wash dishes for almost 2 weeks to get a paycheck netting $520. But I worked one fiercely long day shopping, then took the next week off.
No contest. Shopping allows me time to visit friends, garden, read, indulge in TV, all that stuff. Working two minimum wage jobs, my life was WORK -- my life revolved around trying to get enough sleep to work the next day, cleaning my uniform(s), driving to work, and driving home.
And I'd probably have to work 4 part time jobs to make the same amount as I do shopping.
I'm sorry, I'm feeling a little defensive, and it's kinda bothering me. I LOVE Nebraska, I love the people, I love the relaxed pace of living. I COULD move somewhere else, but this is my HOME.
Things are relative, you know. I probably couldn't make enough money in southern California shopping to live on. I can live here quite nicely on $1700 a month. That probably wouldn't pay for a decent place to live in southern California. And in months like this one, when I'm on schedule to earn over $2,000, I can pay down my debts a little -- debts I have accumulated since last June, when my car broke down. I basically couldn't shop from June 1 until after Thanksgiving, when my car was FINALLY repaired. In December, I made the grand total of $80 mystery shopping. But I'm working NOW, and that's the main thing.