I have a part time job. I sound like I'm entering an AA meeting "Hi, I'm Heidi and I have a part-time job." But, you know it's not a bad thing.

Around October 2007 when I was still making $30,000/year and suffering financially because of it, I decided to go to my local gym to get a part time job. Adam - then boyfriend, now fiance - was a member because his office paid for 50% of his membership and while looking into memberships, I decided to ask about part time work.

A week later I was hired and worked anywhere from 1-4 days/week at nights and on the weekends for anywhere from 3-5 hour shifts. Sure $8/hour wasn't really a great pay, but for what I got in the long run, it was worth it.

Eventually, around August 2008, I took a hiatus. Wedding planning, marathon training, and working 9-6p in a job I was miserable in took it's toll on me and I quit. However, after getting laid off in March 2009, I went back. I now work about 12 hours/week there, get my free membership and so many other perks that make it worth it.

In this economy, with everyone pinching pennies, if you're feeling strapped for cash why not check out your local gym or favorite retail store for a part time gig working a couple extra days per week. My free gym membership requires me to work at least eight hours per week but really that's two days at 4 hours or so, which in the greater scheme of things isn't bad and puts some cash in my pocket, which, not going to lie...is much needed.

However, before commiting to a part-time job, think about all the pros and cons. Is it going to be too much for you to handle? Will your full time job allow you to be flexible? By that I mean, do you often put in late hours? If so you may want to consider weekends if you need a part time job. But, are you willing to commit to having something scheduled on the weekends that may interfere with you going out late on a Saturday night? How much time is it going to eat up? When I was getting home at 11:30p and had to be up by 7:30a I found it drained me way too much and I felt I wasn't getting enough for the effort I was putting out, thus me quitting first time around. The hours have always been a struggle but now, with me working in the mornings, it leaves plenty of time to do things the rest of the day.

For me, I get the best of all worlds. I've made a number of friends, which at the time, I lacked. I get inexpensive training, and massage therapy, as well as a discount on other gym services. It gets me out of the house, which as someone who's working from home is incredibly important to me. Finally, I get to stay in shape. I get to work with some of the cities best personal trainers, and use some of the best facilities in DC;  the gym I work for was voted one of the best gyms in DC for the past few years by Washington DC's City Paper.

Side note, if you're looking for a good gym in DC, I'm sure I can refer you to one.

Have you ever had a part-time job? Was it worth it?