The Frugal Duchess: Recovering My Frugal Groove: I Cashed My Check at the Bookstore: The Pits & Perks of Extra Money

Friday, April 06, 2007

I Cashed My Check at the Bookstore: The Pits & Perks of Extra Money

I loved my part-time job at Rizzoli bookstore in Manhattan. Located on 57th Street in Manhattan, the bookstore was a magnet for celebrities like supermodel Naomi Campbell and designer Karl Lagerfeld. I met several Broadway stars and other performers at Rizzoli. Working at that upscale bookstore expanded my grasp of music, literature and international news. And the store had great books, which was one of the perks and pitfalls for me when I worked there part-time.

Books at a discount represented a major problem for a bookworm like me. I often spent my entire paycheck at the bookstore. Why did I even bother cashing my check at the bank? I should have just signed it over to Rizzoli.

The same thing happened to me in Pittsburgh when I was hired to work part-time as a petite run-way model during the seasonal in-store fashion shows for the petite clothing line. On the day of the fashion shows, I received an employee discount. It was a generous discount and I generously shopped away my modeling paycheck at Saks.

Tired but Broke addresses that issue in a recent comment left on my post about part-time job opportunities.

"One thing I must add is that a part-time gig should not be at an establishment that will tempt you to spend the part-time pay check."--Tired but Broke

Of course, there are many perks of part-time jobs. This excellent piece from CNN.com. has a helpful list about part-time job perks. These benefits include:

1. Free tickets to cultural events (Ushers for plays, cinemas and museums).
2. Discount passes for theme parks or exhibits.
3. Employee shopping discounts: (books stores, clothing stores and other specialty retailers)
4. Free food: waiters and employees of catering firms, cafes and restaurants often get free meals.
5. Mentors: I've learned a lot from different co-workers at various part-time jobs.
6. Career advancement: I know of one bank executive, who began her career as a part-time receptionist during her college years. The contacts and knowledge that she acquired during her part-time stint led to a full-time, high-powered career move.
7. Extra money.
8. Enhanced time management skills: Anyone who works part-time while working or studying full-time becomes well-schooled on the ABCs of time management.
9. New skills: My son picked up extra organizational skills while working the cash register at a local pizza shop. Likewise, my stints as a part-time waitress also taught me a lot about efficiency and focus.
10. Appreciation. A second job really opened my eyes to the difficult tasks my parents faced while working extra hours in addition to their full-time professional careers as educators. Working along side seasoned cashiers,waitresses and clerks also made me sensitive to the financial difficulties faced by minimum wage and low-salaried employees, who work full time in stores, restaurants and other jobs. They often do a lot of work for little pay.

Here are the other part-time income stories I've written:
Different Types of Part-Time Jobs
How to Make a Part-Time Job Work: Tips from My Dad
How to Make a Part-Time Job Work: Tips From College Students
Putting Extra Paychecks to Work

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