Any Moms that waitress as a PT job?

[Fall1]

I am thinking of becoming a SAHM, but I'd still need to do something parttime to contribute to our household funds. I am wondering if waitressing will make the cut. Ideally I'd need to make about $350/week doing something parttime. Do you think waitressing could do that? How many shifts??

Thanks!!

 

[ibdamamma]

I love waitressing! I am a full time student as is my husband. He works full time with the water company and I work for our local Chili's! I work about 4-5 nights a week, well I should say shifts. Sunday I usually pull a lunch+dinner shift so I usually end up with 5 shifts. I make about $100 per night in tips. Then I get a base pay of $5.41 an hour. That usually doesn't add up to much considering my tip taxes come out of that. I usually bring home about $110 every two weeks with my base pay. So I make about $2000 a month waitressing. And all that money is our "play money" because my husbands check covers the bills and my tips and checks cover extras. Its a nice bonus. I wish I would have started years ago. I am blessed to have a good job and a job I love! I say go for it sister! I consider me going to work a "night out" because I have so much fun!

 

[ajk912]

It depends on where you work and how many tables you can handle. Some people work at Olive Garden (for example) and can swing over $150 a shift, because they can handle 4 tables at at time (corporate policy is three tables at a time, but there is always a way to pick up a table if you could handle it!) but if you can only handle 2 tables at a time, you might only make $60 a shift..my sis was like that. She would only make about $250 a week serving, but she wasn't very good at it at all. You have to be very, very good at multitasking to be a good server.

 

[Lucky'sMom]

I work as a banquet server at a hotel. It pays a great hourly wage, $15-20/hour, but my hours fluctuate depending on business. I have a "Disney account" with direct deposit that all of my pay goes into. When I have enough, off to Disney we go!

 

[DMickey28]

I used to waitress and have gone back to it occassionally. I waitressed at the Olive Garden and then went on to manage there.

I agree with the poster that said you really need to be able to multi-task really well and not get flustered to be a good waitress. If you are good and work a few nights a week, including at least one weekend night or Sunday double you could make $350/week. About 7-10 years ago when I was working through college (it was THAT long ago??? Wow!!) I could easily do between $90-$150 a night with a Friday and/or Saturday night in the summer doing over $200.

I couldn't waitress now. My DH works long hours so I couldn't make it to work by the time I would need to to waitress a few nights a week. I also could not leave 100% of DS's needs to DH those nights after his long days at work. I would not want to work on the weekends when I could be home with my DH, since I barely see him during the week.

I think you can do it but waitressing is not for everyone. Good Luck.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Totally doable. I waitressed over 10 years ago and then I was making over $100 a night in tips. I never made less than that.

 

[budbeerlady]

Very doable, waitressing is great if you can pull it off. I did it thru college and would pull that $100 on a lunch in our sports bar area. Guys + beer = good money in the summer!

 

[CTdiznymom]

I waitressed in a diner years ago and made great money. Especially working the counter. Customers wanted their meals or coffee and doughnut quick so there was lots of turnover. Wish I had the stamina to do it now!

 

[mom2my3kids]

I waitress about 30 hours a week, It can be good money but its hard work. I can make about 350-400 a week depending on business and the tippers.

 

[MrsPete]

I'll throw this out: One of my old student teachers was a waitress, and when she got her first teaching job she took a SIGNIFICANT PAY CUT.

Of course, she was better off in the long run: As a teacher she has full benefits, including a traditional pension. And as a teacher she's moving up the salary ladder -- waitresses don't make better tips just because they've been in the job for 10 years. However, if you're looking just for a stop-gap, bring-home-some-cash job, you couldn't do any better than waiting tables!

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

I do ! I stay at home and home (virtual classroom) school my DD. I will preface by saying that some states will pay far less than the minimum wage so take that in to account. That being said it is rare that I do not make $20.00 an hour in tips,the trick is being there for more than a few hours. If you can get in and prove yourself, and start pulling "closing shifts" that's where the real money is. Currently I'm bartending and serving at a Red Robin. If you are fortunate enough to get into a union position you can make 40 -100 thousand dollars a year.

 

[roadtripper]

Did this for 5 years as a SAHM. Worked Wed, Thurs, Fri nights at an upscale Italian restaurant, then an upscale steakhouse. Never made less than 350/week, but I don't know if the economy has caused a downturn. The biggest problem with waitressing for me was having the cash on hand. If you can be really disciplined, and put it in the bank ASAP, it is great money.

The other upside was that DH and the kids developed their own routines-- he was a fully participating parent, not a babysitter. One of those routines, we kept, even when I went back to teaching-- I love me my pizza movie night on Fridays .

 

[holly7347]

A playgroup friend of mine worked at an Apple B's doing a double on Saturday and Sunday and made very good money. She basically worked full-time but only in 2 days. So she was home with her kids all week and her DH was home with them on the weekend when she was working. That way she could work when the place was busiest and she didn't need daycare.