So, if you have been paying attention you know that things have been a little rough for us in our goal of accomplishing our dream. We knew before we started that this would not be easy and man, we called that one. hehe. The obstacle we have had is finding jobs so we could fix up our bus has now turned into needing jobs to just live here. That was not what we anticipated. So as you can imagine, not having money doesn’t mean you don’t have expenses and we actually sank into a small debt. In the last couple of weeks I have managed to score a job that looks like it is sent right from heaven although that could still be wrong. I have not been able to work yet because of legal paperwork but it will soon be done and I will report on how it is going. Hopefully it is as good as it appears.

Two days ago we were driving past the restaurant that “hired” Avira and noticed that the restaurant signs are down and they have been replaced with “for lease” signs. I guess that means Avira’s job that we were waiting for has officially fell through. It was probably a really good thing that I took the opportunity to pitch the idea of hiring Avira to my new employer because a few days before that they decided to hire her too. We are no going back to Los Angeles (probably next week) for her to take the class I took two weeks ago. So if this job is as good as I am hoping it will be, then it will be twice as good because we both will be doing the same thing. The good news is that we should have money to start working on the bus soon and it may be much more money than we ever made before which means the bus will be getting done quickly. We aren’t giving our hopes up yet but just taking it one step at a time. Keep us in your prayers as we continue on this crazy journey toward a new lifestyle. Maybe we will look back in a few months and think this was only a small trial to test how bad we wanted this. Yesterday I sat in the bus for a few minutes imagining how it will look when it is all done and on the road. My heart welled up with joy. I think it is going to take much much more tribulation than what we have gone through so far to make us give up on our dreams.

So I got one FINALLY. A very bizarre market I knew nothing about. It is a straight commission sales job but requires some explaination. So here it goes…

Every month, all gas users pay a surcharge of only a few bucks that is usually percieved to be a tax. It is actually a federally mandated charge that the utility companies are required to charge to provide programs to assist low income energy users. On thing it does is help lower the bill for people who are low income. It also helps increase the efficiency of their home to lower their bill. That is where the company I work for comes in. Though the utility collects and holds that money for their program, they do not advertise it nor do they tell people about it. They contract with independent companies, like mine, paying them for each person who they sign up for the program. Not only do they pay them to sign them up, they also pay to have them do the work on the home. Change light bulbs, ballasts, seal windows, check a/c and heater for leaks, attic for ensulation and so on. Whatever needs to be done to make it more efficient, they do it absolutely free. Well, not free because they pay out of their bill each month, but free in the general sense. They just have to be low income and qualify for the program. Pretty amazing huh?

My job is to appoach these individuals and try to get them to sign up so my company can come out and do the work. The program is not very successful and they need a certain percentage for the Feds to be happy, so they pay pretty good to those who can get it done. I will get a descent chunk of money for each person I get to sign-up for the program. Thats it. I am basically “giving away a free service” for poor people to make their home more energy efficient and make their air conditioning work more efficiently. For doing that, I can make serious money. I am not kidding. The money is almost too good to be true. Today when at the office getting hired, my manager (who is a really really nice guy) showed me how many people he signed up in half a days work. Lets just put it this way, he worked half a day and would have made $375 if he wasn’t on a salary for being manager. Catch my drift? Good money.

To do this job I have to spend a week in Los Angeles taking a class with the ultility company to become a licensed contractor so that I can do this job. Have to pass the test of course but it sounds pretty easy. Then I start the following Monday basically giving away a service for profit. Now, if you are thinking this is too good to be true, I feel ya. I am like, NO WAY. However I have spent many hours researching this company and it is legit. The people are very nice and I am still waiting for the catch. They are paying my trip down to LA, hotel and food. When I start working they give me a $300 gas card to spend every month to get around that is in addition to my pay. If I spend any money for the business, they cover it. So, there is litterally no risk unless they don’t pay me back like they claim, if so, I leave. It isn’t costing me that much money to do it. 

I am still waiting for somebody to pinch me and wake me up from this dream I am having right now. We will see what happens and I will keep you posted.