[DaniellaG]

When I was your age I waited tables and made pretty good money. There are so many restaurants and if you are willing to be flexible with shifts you should be able to find something. Also maybe getting a roommate may help with bills. Where do you live now?

[pifler]

how do you pay bills with 12 hours a week? exactly NOT

[Sharks With Lasers]

Originally Posted by michiganbob

You are looking at mostly retail or fast food jobs in the East Lansing area. Unemployment is still high here in Lansing, unlikely to change any time soon. Some high tech hiring, but doesn't sound like you have a degree yet, so your options are very limited. Also, a lot of competition for the jobs that do come up.

Check out the state's Michigan Works website for jobs in the area.

Actually, the Lansing area's unemployment in January 2011 was below the national average at 8.6 percent (the national average was 9.8 percent,) and tied at 146 out of 372 national metro areas. Ann Arbor was even better (6.9 percent, tied at 44.) The Grand Rapids area was also below the national average (9.4 percent, tied at 189.)

For some reason (maybe because it is or was a GM town) - a lot of people think that Lansing is in the same boat as Detroit, Flint, and Saginaw. In terms of unemployment, it really isn't. During the worst of the recession, the unemployment rates in Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo were similar, and lower than the rest of the state outside of Ann Arbor (which had the lowest.) I will say, though, that Lansing is having a more difficult time than Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo in terms of attracting and keeping residents. It might be starting to change, but I think it leads to a more negative viewpoint than reality.

[EastBoundandDownChick]

Waiting tables is good coin if you're at the right place. I managed to knock down 40K a year after taxes doing that full-time a few years back. Advice: go somewhere where people like to drink and have money that isn't kid friendly. Better to get 20% off of a couple enjoying martinis and racking up a bill than 15% scrubbing vomit and spaghetti noodles off the floor on $1.99 kids' night.