Ways to Make a Little Extra Money
I know that I've mentioned how poor I was many times, but I've always gotten by budgeting and even working additional jobs. And in radio, there are many areas where you can add some dollars to your checking account.
When I was working at KGVO, Missoula, I did the afternoon shift from 2-7. At the time, I was also working at Godfather's Pizza, driving a school bus, DJing dances on the weekends, and I even wore the KGVO moose suit. Nobody wanted to wear a heavy furry suit (complete with a non-ventilated moose head) when they're outside for three hours in August at some car dealership.
I got an opportunity to do play-by-play for high school basketball games. My buddy, Bob, was the best basketball player that I knew so I made him my color guy. I recall making fifteen dollars per game and five of that went to Bob.
Before each game, I'd interview both coaches with my handy dandy cassette recorder then play back their comments at halftime. It helped fill the fifteen minutes of halftime and second half warmups.
I did both the boys and screaming over you. I was nearly hoarse after that but it's a great memory.
I also remember the first quarter of the first girls' game. The score at the end of the first half was 4-2. I had to do some creative filling in that game.
Those smalls towns loved those games on the radio. They didn't have the internet to watch from home, so the airwaves were all they had if they couldn't get to town and watch in person.
I don't do play by play anymore, but I make more than fifteen dollars a day. It's almost double that now.