Figure out a realistic plan to increase your earning potential. I remember working my ass off when I was around your age for near minimum wage. 10 years later, I make in an hour what I used to make in an 8 hour shift. All that overtime seems kinda silly now.

In the long run, you'll be much better off financially trying to find ways to increase your hourly wage. E.g., if you went to college, community college, or trade school while living with your parents. Working more than 40 hours per week would make you a little money in the short run, but it may or may not help with this goal.

Check out this article, which mentions that the median salary of folks with college degrees is $26k/year higher than for folks without.

If your parents don't make a high income, you could be eligible for a lot of financial aid for college.

The risk with a 4-year college, if you don't get a ton of financial aid, would be that you don't finish and wind up deeply in debt without anything to show for it. In which case, community college or trade school is much cheaper and would still lead to higher-paying jobs.

But obviously school isn't for everyone -- and you can always come back to it later, if you need some time to decide what you want to do.

Would you be okay earning just above minimum wage your whole life? If not, you should formulate a plan to increase your earnings. A second job is the most straightforward way, but you could also look into a different line of work or trade school. You are young enough where these changes can have a massive impact on your total lifetime earnings and quality of life.

You are 18 and earning minimum wage. You need to think about how to put yourself on a path for a much higher earning job. Learn about different careers, what they earn, what they do, how to train for them. Pick one that you think you could do and succeed at that is a reasonable for fornyour skills and interests and how/where you like to spend your time. Look into getting the training or education you need. Community College? Trade school?

You're doing business admin at just above minimum wage?

I'd be looking for a better paying job!

In this situation, no.

If your path is to become an HR manager, you’ll need to take classes and get your HR-related degrees and certifications. With your spare time now, you need to invest in your future with training an education, not a second job. This way, you’ll set yourself to earn more in the future and have greater career mobility.

It does not matter if your current job doesn’t have degrees or certified people in these roles today- you current company may not exist next year and you have to set yourself up for success.

If HR manager isn’t your career path of choice, find out what is and develop yourself in that area.

At your age with minimal expenses and no dependents, now is the right time to invest in yourself to lay the path to higher salary paying jobs in the future. So go to school or learn a trade. Everyone needs a plumber, electrician, teacher, nurse, firefighters, etc.

Either spend that time on a hobby or studying. Don't spend it wasting your time for money you don't need.

If you build your skills then in the future you'll make up the difference in no time.

I'm jumping in the comments to say that I admire you. Your ambition, planning, and desire to execute your vision efficiently is commendable. Keep going.

How much are you able to save up every month? What are your car payments?

Getting a second job isn’t easy unless you’re looking at something like retail or fast food where you’re hours can be strictly set to after 5pm and weekends.

Our minimum wage is 7.25, just above that is still nothing, if you like your job too much to leave, ask for a raise, otherwise find a job that'll either raise your pay quickly or start out strong

How much is minimum wage for your state? There’s a big difference between $7.25 and $15 per hour as a minimum wage.

My first thought is that should only work extra if you have a goal in mind - whether it’s learning something new, saving for education or a large purchase, etc. Having said that, I don’t feel like you can’t put yourself ahead financially if that is more important for you than hobbies, activities, socializing, dating, etc.

1. Set your bank to transfer 10% of your paycheck into another account. The idea is to pay yourself first. You be surprised how fast time goes by. That is how I managed to save for 6 months of expenses with little effort.

2. Try to go to night school or trade. It doesn't need to be Uni. Even a certificate for training. In this current times, documents proving a basic education/training are important. I've seen so many people being underpaid due to lack of "education".

3. Invest in ETF. Learn how to make your money work for you. Now it's the time, you are young.

Hey so I’ve been in your shoes when I was younger. At times I worked a second or even third job. If you have a goal your trying to save up for then it’s only worth it up until you reach that goal. So if want to save some money to move out, calculate what your target is and then estimate how many months you need to pull the extra work for and do not go past that. Burnout is real and you’re young and have plenty of things to enjoy that won’t be an option to you when you’re older. Just an example of what I did. I was working full time and my buddy and I wanted to backpack Europe over a summer. I needed an extra $6k. To do this I got a job as a barback, one shift a week on Friday nights. I worked Monday through Friday 8-6 at my regular job and then worked 7-3am at the bar. I did this for 6 months and reached my goal and then quit the bar job. Those 6 months were brutal, I essentially had 1 day off to recover and didn’t go out and hang with my friends much at all. But it got me to my goal and it was worth every hour I lost for the experience. So main take away - find your number, hit it, and then decrease your hours would be my advice.

I recommend the book call “Just Keep Buying”.

You are asking a lot of the right questions and I think it would answer many of them for you.

If you want a preview of the authors work, he has a blog called “Of Dollars and Data”. It is mostly investing related, but also on life skills.

Keep it up! You seem to be headed in the right direction.

I am 38 & work a good FT job & I have a weekend job. I enjoy it, the money is “not needed” but nice. This is the 3rd time in my “career” I have done this.

1st time I was getting divorced & sad & lonely/bored on the weekends. Had a small shortfall & adjustment period after losing spouse’s income. I worked in the vitamin department at the health foods store near my FT job. Worked there about 9 months & then I got a roommate to make up that gap for expenses.

2nd time I worked at Kohls during Christmas season. It was in the same parking lot as my FT job. It was such a short time just to make some money to put toward a home reno project. I had a light at the end of the tunnel & bonus Christmas shopping discount & it was sufficient for the small project.

I was very strict about this 3rd round.

Now I work at a small tiny family owned downtown candy shop. My spouse works for the airlines & is gone most weekends. I just moved to a new town & know no one here. I am very extroverted so I like being out & about. I can ride my bike to this job—so close so less gas. I have low stress & responsibilities at this job—I sell people candy & they generally are not Karens & then I leave. I had a little balance built up & just upgraded my phone & booked some plane tickets for February. Next extra project will be the plane tickets I’ll need in June.

(& yes I can receive free plane tickets generally but not for these trips. Trip #1 is with friends so we needed to book together & Trip #2 my spouse’s airline does not fly to this small city I have a wedding in).

Tl;dr: I have a job even though I don’t need it. There are benefits & needs to taking a 2nd job. & yeah probably some downfalls. But if you have extra time, it can be nice to have some more $. I’d rather work than weekend brain drain on Netflix.

If you’re on the fence about college

Take 1 class a semester. Over time those will accumulate. If this job pans out the way you want it to. Your investment in your education isn’t wasted and you can drop the school.

What’s more likely in my opinion is that you’ll get tired of this job and then you’ll have racked up some credits towards a degree and your time is not wasted.

If I did this when I was your age working a dead end job( I’m referring to my dead end job I’m sure urs is nice), I would’ve got my degree way sooner and honestly getting my degree changed my life. A lot of my stress about money is still there as i think it will always be, but my quality of life has increased 10 fold.

At ur age, you can spend 4 years busting ur ass in school and get a decent job you enjoy doing or ten years working to find out you’ve hit a wall or need to go to school.

Maybe instead of a second job are there any classes you can take to earn a degree or certification? You might not be making extra money as quickly but you might be able to earn more overtime and be more competitive when it comes time for promotions.

Is there a degree you can get that would advance your career and earn you more money? While working an extra job might get you more money now, getting an education can increase your hourly earnings for the rest of your life.

>Question: Is a 2nd job worth the stress? For example a weekend job? Or a night job? I've had mixed opinions as I don't need the money, but I'm willing to work more.

Possibly. I think when you're young, this is the time to do it. I know plenty of people who (out of college) got full time jobs but then did some amount of work on the side i.e. bartending, waiter, etc. Heck, even in HS I knew teachers who did that if they were young and new. But also, it is very common that people always want to move out at 18. Unless you have a bad relationship with your family, I would stay home and focus on long term goal i.e. what do you want to do in life? School? Trade work? Your extra time is worth more if you work towards a long term career tbh.

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Do I work more while I'm young? Or do I live more?

I guess I already sort of answered this, but work towards long term, otherwise live more. I know people (myself included) who worked a lot but also tried to have fun (right now is the time for you), and in the end it slightly hindered my long term progress. IMO work your 40 hours and have fun.

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And looking at your last edit, if you have no long term goals, then continue working at where you're at and become HR manager. It honestly doesn't sound bad, especially considering that some people go to school for 4+ years and then get a job after only to not be making much more. You're doing fine.

At this point, at 18, you are tremendously time wealthy. Every possibility is open to you. Really, i believe it is well into your 30s, 40s, maybe 50s or even later. But it's especially true for you. The most valuable thing you can do is the self exploration to find what will make you happy and sufficiently financially well off. If it were me, I'm not looking for a 2nd low paying job for money, rather I want experience and knowledge to help me define my path. That, OR, take a risk that can have a big upside payoff. You still probably have plenty of time to make money, but there ARE certain things may be much easier when you're younger. College, travel, study abroad, building a business, writing a novel, pursuing love. All more important.

But if money is especially important for you, I would reco reading up on the 4 types of millionaires. Maybe see which one you think you could be.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2022/07/31/i-spent-5-years-interviewing-225-millionaires-3-money-habits-that-helped-them-get-rich.html

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If the first job is providing enough to where you’re not struggling for money I would spend your free time coming up with a plan for how you will make money long term. What are you interested in? Don’t waste that precious time making a few more bucks for a job that will go nowhere.

A 2nd job isn’t the solution. The solution is getting a better paying job. So many places are offering 12-15 an hour now. You need to start looking for a better paying job. Target starts at $15, I believe Walmart starts at $14

Only do it for yourself, do it so you can travel see the world or set you up for the future. Getting ahead in life is great if no one else is going to do it for you

You need to aim much higher. As others have said, check into training, university or an apprenticeship. Think about what you like/dislike about your current position. Talk to some people you work with about what they do. Is there an accountant or someone in finance? You don’t need to “find your passion” in your job, but it would be best if you enjoy aspects of the work.

Rather than a second job, spend some time looking for a higher-paying job.

The trick is not to work more hours, but rather to receive more per hour, otherwise you'll be stuck in a series of low-paying positions and constantly exploited. If you are working a full-time job and intend to try and support yourself, then "$24/hour" is actual minimum wage. When you look at your current salary, look at it more as receiving minimum wage and then being required to giving money back to your employer as a thank you for letting your work there.

There's plenty of good-paying work out there. If you find some and can't take it for lack of qualifications, then maybe work on getting qualified. Focus on jobs that have a clear path for growth and promotion (and that will support you following that path).

You don't want to work more hours at minimum wage, you want to work the same or fewer hours at a wage that allows you to have a stable and fulfilling life while affording you the opportunity to save for the future.

Since your young, I'd say go for it if the second job adds any type of experience whatsoever. If you're working retail, don't bother getting another retail job unless it's different enough to add to your resume. I've always lived by the rule to never pass up an opportunity to learn something new.

I work two jobs, but one is a passion that I do because I love it. I work my regular job that is my main source of income, and then a seasonal job at a ski hill. This job allows me snowboard for free and while I work for them (I’ve worked my way up to a leadership) and I’m making bank there all that goes to savings/home projects/vacations because its just extra money that I don’t really need.

I highly recommend that if you’re going to get a second job that it be something you like whether it’s a store you like to shop at or something based on a hobby you do. Get a second job you’ll enjoy vs just getting a job to get a job, especially since you don’t need a second job. This will also allow you to meet more people that enjoy doing what you do

The better investment of your time may be education. Make yourself more valuable so you can increase your earning potential. Working more hours for low pay now, may not seem like it was worth the time 10 years from now

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You are far too young to be burnt out. Invest that time into yourself. As in look to get some sort of education and further your career for your future.

You will never get this time back. Live life the best you can.

What others said, and...

>I started as a business admin apprentice and have a set path to become the HR manager (my boss wants to retire).

HR Admins often have college degrees. HR is complicated. You are usually existing at the intersection of payroll and tax law, healthcare and benefits and related laws, employee relations including handling complaints and sexual harassment and related laws, dealing with workman's comp insurance, claims, and again related laws, and it has lots of writing and lots of communication.

While at the minimum a Junior College (Community College) degree would be helpful, a University Bachelor's degree in HR Management would be ideal.

Some small businesses will let a person learn-as-they-go, but what happens if that business closes shop or you make a mistake and you're fired or the owner sells and they want to merge their existing HR person into your role? You will have a hard time finding anyone to hire, even with your experience, without a degree.

You will be putting all your eggs into one basket, and that is if--and emphasis on "big IF"--when your boss retires the owners/boss's boss would put you in the position in the first place (as opposed to hiring a person with more experience, memberships in SHRM, an associated education).

So, what others said: you should be leveling up yourself like going to school while you have the good fortune of living with mom and dad and being young and employed, not worried about picking up a second job that will have you working 55 hours a week for min wage.

While your current income might feel like a lot, it isn't in the grand scheme of things.

Yes, get a 2nd job. You might find you do not like the career path you are in. Also since you didn't mention going to college I have a hard time seeing HR manager in your future. I can understand not wanting to work 7 days a week but maybe waitress 1 weekday night and 1 weekend night.

Are you in the US? Of course it depends on the area you live in but at 18 you can make much more than minimum wage. Even McDonald's starts people at $15/hr.

Just take a look around, opportunities always have a way of finding you. Experiences, even outside of HR directly, can always be leveraged for future jobs. You just have to be able to articulate it.

You are 18 even if you don't want to go to college there are plenty of opportunities to make more money. I work in a hospital where everyone is now making at least $18 an hour to start I believe for the non DR/RN jobs.If you are US based:Phlebotomy training 12 weeks or less and starts around 30K-35K depending on where you live

Job Corps residential training for 16-24 year olds to get a step up from HS grad money. Each sitehas different trainings and you can go to any site in your region. Your best options are the computer related training. Starting salaries are much higher

Electrical Alliance training to become an electrician you work and get pay and full bennies and take evening classes and Saturday classes. First year pays in my region over $20/hr with yearly raises and everything is paid for by the program except for the books. After 5 years you will have the equivalent of an AA degree (video for the Jacksonville, Fl program) Right now people who are doing the advanced Electrical Lineman type stuff are being offered incredible opportunities money wise in countries like Australia - you might find similar programs in HVAC and plumbing.

If you need money for college the Military or DoD (Coast Guard) all have the GI bill. A large percentage of jobs in the military are not front line jobs. You can study and retake the ASVAB if you don't do well the first time to have more opportunities.

A small life lesson people tend to get paid better when they jump to other positions or companies so don't be afraid to move on after a year or two

I worked 40hrs a week while taking 16 credits in community college when I was your age, not because I needed to work that much but because I didn't know what else to do with my time.

And, now I'm an adult without any established hobbies or deep friendships. There's a lot of great advice here about how to increase your earning potential, but don't forget that there's a hell of a lot more to a happy life than what you earn. You have the gift of time right now, that gift won't last forever. Make sure you're building a strong emotional and social foundation as well, because that support will carry you further than any minimum wage job can.

You need a degree. I would invest in college classes if you want to work in HR.

There is a lot of good advice here but there is one piece everyone has missed...

90% of binging successful is just showing up.

What that means is, you show up to work ready to tackle the day. You do all the jobs. This will let you get expirience in areas that you don't have yet.

Don't let the odd jobs at work become your actual work though, there is a balance. Once in a while, sure, mop the floor. But if it's every day then you need to talk to your boss about it.

My recommendation depending on the state.

Learn a bartending gig early if you live in a state where you can serve alcohol at 18. Nothing wrong with keeping it to one job but if you want to rack up savings quick it can be a useful backup for later in life.

Hey, not going to give you second job advice but I was in your shoes back in the mid 2000s. I worked at a hospital and my boss gave me the unofficial "assistant lead" title and said I'd be promoted to lead when there was an opening, then the general manager a few years later when she was ready to retire.

Long story short I got laid off 2 years later and none of that panned out. Promises are great but worthless unless you get it in writing. Not saying this will happen to you, but it could.

Advice would be to use the extra time to get a trade unless you are being kicked out I would not advise on going after just the money to move out and save get a trade or anything that will guarantee that savings in a shorter time span.

As I'm getting older, I really wish I got my life together while I was younger. Not only do I wish I made more money, but I wish I got off my rear-end and started career instead of a job.

Now, you have a path you'd like to go, so the career part seems to be coming along.

Before moving out of your parents house, I'd definitely recommend having money saved up (6 months worth of expenses IMHO), so I'm leaning towards getting that second job.

If Uber is an option (I'm not sure about age requirements), I really like that as a side gig to earn extra money as you only work when you want to. Feeling burned out? Don't turn on the app (or turn it off if it's already on). Have lots of energy and feel like making money? Drive all day! There's no "schedule" or boss calling you in when you just don't have it in you. YOU decide when to work. There's nothing worse than having a bad day at your primary job and being committed to a second job the same day.

At 18 you have a chance to live with very little responsibility.

Those days are fleeting.

Take advantage of the time now.

You don't want to wake up at 50 years old and thing, "Wow, I have done nothing but work extremely hard for my entire adult life."

I didn't even get started making any kind of money until I was 26 or 27 and now in my 50's I have a good job and can afford everything I need. I'm glad I took 7 years to finish college and I'm also glad I finished with a degree that got me hired.

Life is a marathon. No need to start sprinting for peanuts.

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Get your associates or bachelors degree or tech cert. Take a couple classes at a time. if your employer doesn’t offer tuition reimbursement then start job hunting for one that does.

as long as you’re working towards a better job. stepping stones.

A second job would not be taxed favorably.

I wish I had put money away when I was younger and let it grow in my IRA. It would be huge now. I say work through the winter, then play this summer. And put the money to work!

No bro stop working harder/ longer hours for an amount of money that people can make in one hour.

Bro do something to boost your earning potential (certification, university, license, trade school, community college, or even join the airforce or navy).

It's tough to make it out here with just a high school diploma you need a specialty in something useful. Working your way up from a minimum wage job is tough and takes long. You aren't guaranteed a higher position and it could possibly take several years to reach managerial-based positions. You don't wanna spend 10 years working overtime on a minimum wage just to finally get a manager position that makes $40k/yr. That's why you should go to school or get some type of certification because those only take a few months to 4 years max if you go to college.

You'd be better off spending some time on education. Look into community colleges that have online classes that you can do that are in the line of work you are interested in. There are lots of business oriented topics and degrees you can get, even two year degrees. Working up the ranks will be far easier once you have credential, and ideally you learn some of the skills that will be useful to you as you progress.

Plan on your higher education/trades.

I'd look for a remote data entry or QA job then go from there.

Play now, pay later.

Pay now, play later.

Your choice.

Use the time you would work a second job and instead learn a highly employable skill. Specifically in tech/engineering, legal, or medical. There are certifications that can virtually guarantee people upwards of 60k a year which is a significant jump from minimum wage. You don’t need a ton of school.

I was in a similar position in 2019 - minimum wage, living with parents, late teens early 20s. I started studying network engineering at night from 8-10pm every night. 6 weeks into studying got an internship at a tech company. 6 months in I had amassed 3 more certifications in my time there and got onboarded as a full time salaried employee.

Make more now than I thought would be possible in decades.

I’d pick up a skilled trade. Many will pay you while training and the trajectory of those jobs is very strong given how scarce good tradesman are now a days. ROI on college is overrated now with these horrific tuition prices.

Controversial opinion, instead of working another job get a AA in Business Administration (that is just what the degree is called it is not specific to being a business admin lol). Talk to your local community college and see if there are any local universities with a transfer agreement.

Community college isn't free, but is it very affordable and depending on your families current financial situation could be free after government grants, key word here is grant not loan. Grants, like FSEOG, Pell, and potentially any grants your state offers essentially cover the cost of tuition and potentially books.

Also, best case scenario: you enjoy what you are studying/learning about the business world, you knock it out of the park with your grades, and qualify for some merit based scholarship/grants. There are tons to help people transition from community college to a 4 year university.

At the end of the day, getting another job after already working 40 hours a week will get you money today but probably wont help you increase your future earnings.

If you want to become HR manager - go to college (start at community college) and get a degree. You might not be at this place forever, so you want to have that piece of paper

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Its good to have a job, but since your living with your parents you should focus on finding your self a long term career instead of a second job.

Stay. Home. As. Long. As. Possible. (As long as it's safe obviously). Get that 2nd job and save your money!

• worth is based on need, if you have no need, you already answered your own question

If you can start small business venture as your second job you can expand from there until you work for yourself. Solar panel cleaning is a thing. Can improve power generation by 40%.