Those of us who still have to work

[Emptymag]

I second the concern with increased break-in potential.

That is a 100% certainty. No economic collapse needed.

All the people who are forced to NOT work still need things. When they can't buy those things, some of them will absolutely turn to stealing them.

Then you have the borderline criminals (school age) who now have nothing better to do...

There's no question that crime will increase in the next few weeks.

[free]

I'm getting inferiority complex from everybody talking about being essential. I'm a construction worker, deemed unnecessary and forbidden from working. It sucks being stuck at home all day, doing housework while my wife works extra hours, even though her wages can't pay our bills, no matter how much she works.

I can put you to work doing some stuff that needs done around here. These jobs are all necessary and essential as far as I am concerned. I can't pay scale though. Some stuff off the top of my head:

For all of these jobs, you could look at the job first and decide if you wanted it for the pay I can offer. All jobs pay cash (or TP I guess) upon completion.

• All tools are on site unless otherwise noted (including rotary hammer and concrete mixer)
• All materials are on site unless otherwise noted
• Materials not on site I will obtain unless otherwise noted
• You're welcome to bring your own tools

These jobs are $200/each:
1). I have dirt that needs to be dug out and made nice so I can put up a small retaining wall. Job is complete when it is finished off to the point where I am ready to put in the small retaining wall. I'm about 1/2 way done with it. Job is mostly using a rotary hammer with a spade bit. But you also have to pour enough of a concrete footer to make a nice flat, level and hard surface for me to start putting up blocks. It could probably be finished in a long day, if you really busted ass on it.

2). Small block retaining wall. Part of the job is getting the blocks here from Lowe's or whatever. Concrete mix on site. This could be finished in a day or two, depending on how fast you are (I'm slow as shit, so it would take me a while).

This one is a $300 job, but it requires the first two jobs to get done first:
3). I have a small parking area (about 25' x 15') that needs to be made ready to surface. It WAS graveled over, but it got all torn up in the process of digging out the dirt for the retaining wall. So what this area needs is to be made flat, level and compacted. The goal is to make it ready for asphalt or concrete. I do not have the tools to do this "right".

The price on this job is by agreement.
4). Hard surface the parking area. Requires jobs 1, 2 and 3 to be completed first. You supply all tools and materials.

This is a $50 job
5). Help me with a fence. I took down a piece of my fence in the course of doing the dirt dig stuff. I need to put it back in a new place. This job involves helping me do just that. I'd want you to dig a hole or two for the posts and help with concreting them in and placing the fence sections up and doing whatever is needed to make it good.

These are $100 jobs:

• (priced a little low, but easy work) Build a deck-style front porch at ground level, about 6' wide by 10' long. Area is flat and easily accessible. Job would require going to Lowe's for materials but all tools are onsite. This is one I actually WANT to do, but it is low priority and so it is priced a little below value - but I would make it available to someone if they completed jobs 1, 2 and 4 above - as an extra enticement to come and work.
• I have some debris around my yard that needs to go away. Once it is loaded onto your truck, you own it. I don't care where it goes or what you do with it. Debris includes some old lumbar, old drywall, old concrete block, etc. Could easily all go in one pickup truck load, but you'd have to take it all even if you need two loads. Mostly all easily accessible from the alley.
• Yard cleanup. All leaves in the yard need cleaned up and dumped in the place I have for them to go. All branches, twigs and other stick scraps need run through the wood chipper. I have a chain saw. I have a cheap wood chipper, condition unknown (better if you bring one). Dog shit cleaned up and dumped in a holding box. If you can't do the wood chipping for any reason, it's a $50 job.
• Hard to describe...but basically amounts to small retaining wall. Someone tried to do something, fucked it up, and now it needs fixing. Will have to tear out some existing brick & block work and do it a different way. I'd go up to $200 on this if you do a little extra to get the result I want.

Vehicle Work. These are kind of out there. You'd have to convince me you know what you are doing first, and I'd have to be convinced I am not going to be left hanging. A lot of discussion and planning would be required before jobs 2 or 3 could commence. I do not have the tools for these jobs, other than a floor jack, electric impact wrench and jack stands.

1. This is a $50 job. Take a look at a car and tell me whether it is something simple, like a broken clutch cable of some kind, or more serious (like a new clutch is needed).
2. This is a $50 job. Remove the front bumper from my Jeep. Bring your rust remover or other material materials you may have.
3. This is a $200 job. Requires bumper removal job to be completed first. Remove the engine from my Jeep. You'd have to convince me you know what you are doing first. You'd also have to have away to put the engineless Jeep in front of my house (currently around back), in preparation for it being towed off somewhere. You'd ALSO have to help me put the engine and parts and such in my garage on some kind of engine holder (probably to be constructed from wood).
4. The price on this job is by agreement. Install a new reman engine in my Jeep. You'd have to convince me you know what you are doing first. You'd also have to help me put the core in its return shipping container and make it ready for shipping, with whatever that requires.

[JoshIronshaft]

^I like how you think. I was also wondering if I could find some folks who want to work for cash around my property trimming trees and moving dirt while they are off due to the virus, but I am balancing that thought with the desire to adhere to social distancing.

I too am stuck working for the time being, and doing my best to minimize contact with others and stay healthy. I'm starting to use my vacation days because I don't see myself using them for much of a vacation this year.

[mauser]

This is when that $99 Combat Armory 7" upper mated to a $129 PSA lower comes in handy.
When they confiscate it, at least you aren't out that much money.

But if you REALLY need it, how reliable will it be?