Flexible job with great pay

Low-key, flexible, low-pressure job as a live-in helper for a disabled woman writer in Portland, Oregon. Apply.

Responsibilities

Low-key, flexible, low-pressure job. Make simple meals, take care of the house (daily light clean-up, organization, maintenance—attention to kitchen cleanliness is very important), grocery shopping, a bit of watering and other plant care (you’ll learn how here), occasional errands, light laundry, and other tasks. A small amount of daily personal care. A car is essential (unless you take on the responsibility and costs of using a car service.) Must be 18 or older. vaccinated and boosted. Your most important part of the job is to be here and commit to helping make this a COVID-safe home and environment.

Pay + Benefits

$700 a week (a bit over $3,000 a month) salary plus free rent and utilities. You’ll have a living room and bedroom on the second floor by yourself. Rooms are furnished. Bonus of $3,000 at completion of each six-month stint.

Experience

General life experience. Most similar job would be a nanny (though your employer is very well behaved, promise).

Hours

Approximately 35-40 hours of work per week. The day usually starts at 10 am and, if you’re organized, the bulk of your tasks usually can be done in about 3 hours, though some days we might have a special project (unpacking a box, organizing some shelves, dealing with something unexpected), plus an hour or so at dinnertime, and 20 minutes or so at bedtime. A few times a week there might be an errand (like grocery shopping), or a special task, or just finishing up your work from the morning. There will be occasional small interruptions like bringing in mail or packages or helping me with something that only takes a couple of minutes. It’s life, so expect the unexpected, but usually things are quiet and routine. One helper described the afternoons as “having a lot of downtime.”

Start date

January 5, 2025, with a rock-solid six-month or longer commitment. (If you’re the person for this job but the timeframe doesn’t work for you, please specify that on the application.)

You’re perfect for the job

You are thoughtful, like to laugh, and understand how vitally important good communication is. Introverts are very welcome here! You’re careful, active, and flexible when little changes happen. You have a lot of integrity and make rock-solid commitments. You’re a body-positive person who just thinks bodies are bodies. You are highly observant, thorough, and absolutely trustworthy.

The job is perfect for you

You want to save a lot of money to make your dreams come true or to pay off your debts—and with no rent and utilities, this is your chance. You take online classes or have an online job, or maybe are an artist or writer—or you just want to have a quiet job without constant COVID exposure, commutes, customers, or pressure. Or, maybe you’re moving here from another state and want to ease into Portland. Oh, and if you have a (reasonably well-mannered) dog, that’s fine!

A previous helper spent her 6 months going online to finish her Master’s and teach classes. She saved her pay, bought a car, and went on to travel to Europe! Another helper is an actor who moved to Portland for this job and saved money while looking online for projects. A helper in 2023 wanted 9 months to just chill, self-reflect, devote time to being with her dog, and work on some low-key crafts and other personal projects.

This household is wholeheartedly non-discriminatory. We welcome LGBTQIA+ applicants.

Apply for this job

How you can help

Even if you’re not the person for this job, you might know someone who is! That might be a relative in college, a former nanny, a coworker’s sister, a “starving artist,” or a neighbor. The best way to help would be to copy the job description above and paste it into a Facebook post to your friends and family, including a link to this page so the perfect person that you know can apply directly. Thank you in advance for spreading the word!