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Closing the OKC Rent Gap: High-Paying Warehouse Roles and Career Training · The 405 Payroll

• 0:13
  Welcome to The 405 Payroll.
• 0:16
  I'm Claire Brooks, and this is the lunch break show where we turn Oklahoma City
• 0:20
  hiring news into something you can use today.
• 0:23
  And I'm Miles.
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  Today's headline comes from Apartment List's October Rent Index,
• 0:28
  and it's one a lot of us feel.
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  Oklahoma City's median rent is now $1,114 a month, an all time high for their
• 0:36
  series.
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  That's up 1.2% from a year ago and up 4.1% since January.
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  One bedrooms sit at a median of $919, and two bedrooms at $1,139.
• 0:51
  Here's the part that explains why it feels tight.
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  Vacancy dropped from 7.65% to 5.73% over the past year.
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  Fewer empty apartments means fewer places to shop around, and less room to bargain.
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  So let's not sit in that.
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  Let's do the math, because the math is where the good news lives.
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  Say you earn $15 to $16 an hour.
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  That's roughly $2,600 a month before taxes.
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  And $1,114 against $2,600 is about 43% of your gross pay.
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  It's even bigger once you look at take home.
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  So rent eats nearly half of what actually lands in your account.
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  Which leaves very little for utilities, gas, groceries, and the surprise stuff.
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  That's not a you problem.
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  That's arithmetic.
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  Now flip it.
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  At $21 an hour, full time, you're at about $3,640 a month gross.
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  At $28, you're near $4,850.
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  And at $21, that median rent sits right around the 30% line that housing folks use
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  as a benchmark.
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  At $28, it's closer to 23%.
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  Same apartment, same rent, a completely different month.
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  So the whole show is about that gap, from $15 or $16 up to somewhere between $21 and
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  $28.
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  It's not a fantasy number.
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  We've got named Oklahoma City employers starting at $20.50 and up.
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  We've got six stops today: who's hiring, training that pays,
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  extra money this week, making a raise stick, and a closing story.
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  One note before we go.
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  Pay rates and prices come from current postings and program pages,
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  and postings change fast.
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  So confirm the details with the employer before you rearrange your day.
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  Good call.
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  And nobody here is saying you're behind.
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  You're already working hard.
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  We're just pointing at where the next dollars are.
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  Let's go find them.
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  Let's start on the south side, because a lot of this is down there.
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  Hobby Lobby's distribution center campus in Oklahoma City is over 10 million square
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  feet and handles more than 80,000 products for 900 plus stores.
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  And it has its own Hiring Center at 3700 South Council Road,
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  ZIP 73179.
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  Walk ins are accepted Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.
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  to 4 p.m.
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  What are the roles?
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  Distribution Order Puller at $21 an hour, full time.
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  Ecommerce Order Pullers and Packers at $21 on first and second shift.
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  Night Shift Stocker from $21.75.
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  And part time Truck Loaders at $17.50.
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  Do you need warehouse experience?
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  It varies by listing, so ask at the desk which ones fit you.
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  Full time roles list medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage,
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  a 401(k) with company match, and an employee discount.
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  One honest note.
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  Some of those Hobby Lobby postings showed as 30 plus days old on Indeed,
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  so ask whether they're still open.
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  Walking in settles that fast.
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  Second stop, SpartanNash, southeast Oklahoma City, ZIP 73129.
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  Warehouse Order Selector, full time, starting at $20.50 an hour.
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  You pick grocery products and run a motorized pallet jack.
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  And here's the part I like: the company pays for the equipment training,
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  and no prior warehouse certification is required.
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  So if you've never touched a pallet jack, that's not a wall.
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  How do you apply?
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  Search SpartanNash Warehouse Order Selector, Oklahoma City,
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  on their careers page or on Indeed, where it's listed as easy apply.
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  Have your work history ready, even if it's retail or food service.
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  Third, McLane Company, south Oklahoma City, ZIP 73149.
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  Warehouse Specialist One, full time, $19 to $23 an hour.
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  Experience with pallet jacks, reach trucks, or forklifts is preferred but not
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  required, and the training is on the job.
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  That's a real range, so ask where in the $19 to $23 you'd start based on what you've
• 4:49
  done.
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  Your reliability, your lifting, your customer service, all of that counts.
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  And if nights work for you, US Foods lists a Night Warehouse Selector at 10211 North
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  I 35 Service Road, from $23.64 an hour, Sunday through Thursday,
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  starting at 4:30 p.m.
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  They prefer experience, but apply anyway.
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  If you're at $16 today, that's a jump of more than $7 an hour.
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  Pick one and apply.
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  Now the next rung.
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  Say you're at $15 to $18 an hour and you want $22 to $28.
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  One local path is machining, through Francis Tuttle Technology Center.
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  Machining.
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  Like, making metal parts?
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  Right, cutting precision parts, the kind used in aerospace,
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  defense, energy, and precision tooling around the region.
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  Graduates enter jobs that pay $22 to $28 an hour and up.
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  Okay, what does it cost?
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  Because I'm guessing that's the scary part.
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  It's the opposite.
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  In state adult tuition at Francis Tuttle is $2.20 per clock hour.
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  The Manual Machining Assistant program is 480 clock hours, so $1,056 in base
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  tuition.
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  And time?
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  18 weeks full time, or 36 weeks part time, in a morning block,
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  7:55 to 11 a.m., or an afternoon block, 12:30 to 3:35 p.m.
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  That afternoon block could work around a night shift, honestly.
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  What about the full program?
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  The complete CNC Machinist career major is 960 clock hours,
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  $2,112 in tuition, one school year full time or two years part time.
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  Along the way you earn OSHA 10, forklift certification, and Precision Measurement
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  Instruments credentials.
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  So the forklift certification, which those warehouse jobs care about,
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  comes inside the program.
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  Exactly.
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  The Portland Campus is at 3500 Northwest 150th Street, and the Reno Campus is at
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  7301 West Reno Avenue.
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  Now the question everyone wants answered.
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  Can somebody pay for this without a pile of cash?
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  Often, yes.
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  The options include Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants,
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  and the Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant, which covers up to $480 per 480 hour payment
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  period.
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  There's also WIOA funding through Oklahoma Works and the Central Oklahoma Workforce
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  Innovation Board.
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  Together those can frequently cover all of an adult student's tuition and equipment
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  fees.
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  Frequently, not always.
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  So ask.
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  Right, eligibility depends on your situation.
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  Call Francis Tuttle's adult admissions and ask for financial aid,
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  and ask about WIOA through Oklahoma Works in the same week.
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  And do the math with me.
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  Say you go from $17 to $22 an hour.
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  That's about $860 more gross every month.
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  So even if you paid the full $1,056 yourself, a raise like that pays it back in a
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  little over a month.
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  And for a lot of people, the grants mean they never pay it at all.
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  Okay, extra money this week, because training takes time and rent is due on the
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  first.
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  Two ideas, and neither one is a get rich scheme.
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  Honest numbers are the whole point.
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  First, CSL Plasma, 716 Northwest 23rd Street, Oklahoma City
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  73103.
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  The phone number is 405 521 9204.
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  New donors can get up to $100 for the first donation, and CSL's promotional schedule
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  lets new donors earn up to $700 to $800 in the first month.
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  Up to is the key phrase, so check the current schedule when you call.
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  Payment loads onto a reloadable prepaid card right after each donation.
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  How long does it take?
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  The first visit is about two hours because of the health screening.
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  After that it's 60 to 90 minutes.
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  You can donate up to twice in a seven day period.
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  And what do you bring?
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  Nothing's worse than driving over and getting turned around.
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  Photo ID, proof of your Social Security number, and proof of local residency,
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  which a lease or a utility bill covers.
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  Second idea, Roadie, a UPS delivery platform.
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  Drivers deliver things like retail goods, tools, auto parts,
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  and luggage for partners such as Home Depot, Best Buy, Tractor Supply,
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  and Delta Air Lines out of Will Rogers World Airport.
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  The nice part is the pay shows upfront before you accept.
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  Local single trips pay up to $12 to $25, multi stop deliveries pay $25 to $50,
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  and big or bulky items pay $20 to $50 plus.
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  What's realistic take home?
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  Average per task pay runs about $9.60 to $11.65.
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  People driving routes they already take can bring in $50 to $150 a week.
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  That's before gas, so pick gigs that match your drive.
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  And when does the money hit?
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  Instant cashout opens after five deliveries and an account that's been active seven
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  days.
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  So sign up today, because that clock starts when you do.
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  Fun math.
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  Say you take the $100 plasma start and add $100 a week from Roadie.
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  That's about $500 in a month before gas, and you're still keeping your day job.
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  And both are flexible, so if one stops fitting your schedule,
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  you can drop it and keep the other.
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  Start with whichever is easier to begin tonight.
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  Raises are great, and the next challenge is keeping them when a surprise bill shows
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  up.
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  So here's one local resource and one habit.
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  Resource first.
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  Upward Transitions, 1134 Northwest 4th Street, Oklahoma City 73106.
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  They're a United Way community partner focused on housing stability in Oklahoma City
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  and Oklahoma County.
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  They provide emergency rent and utility assistance.
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  It's limited to one time, up to two months' rent, not to exceed $1,000.
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  Who qualifies?
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  Qualifying households with a child under 18 or a senior 55 or older.
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  So it won't fit everyone, but if it fits you, it's real money.
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  And how do you get in line?
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  Online screening opens Mondays at 7 a.m., and phone screening opens at 9 a.m.
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  The number is 405 232 5507.
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  Set a Monday alarm.
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  That's a real tip.
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  And here's a part people overlook.
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  They also help low income workers pay to replace a missing state ID,
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  driver's license, or birth certificate.
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  Which is huge, because a missing ID can stall onboarding at a new job or block you
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  from enrolling in a training course.
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  Sometimes the only thing between you and $21 an hour is a piece of paper.
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  So if a job offer is waiting on documents, call them.
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  Now, the habit.
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  Split direct deposit.
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  When you get a raise or steady gig income, send half of the difference into a
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  separate savings account automatically.
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  Here's an example.
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  Going from $18 to $22 is $4 more an hour, about $690 more a month before taxes.
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  Half of that, around $345, goes straight to savings.
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  And you still get to feel the other half.
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  That matters.
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  You should enjoy the raise.
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  Totally.
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  The savings is for the utility spike in a hot July or a slow season when hours drop.
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  At that pace, six months builds roughly $2,000 before taxes.
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  How do you set it up?
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  Ask payroll or HR about split direct deposit, or ask your bank.
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  Do it before the first raised paycheck, so the money never shows up in your spending
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  account.
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  Time for our closing story.
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  A quick honesty note: we don't have a verified neighbor's story we can name today,
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  and we won't make up a real person.
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  So here's a picture built entirely from today's numbers.
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  Call her Dana, which is a made up name.
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  She's at $16 an hour in retail, roughly $2,600 a month before taxes,
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  and rent in her building is right around that $1,114 median.
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  Step one, Dana walks into the Hiring Center on South Council Road before 4 p.m.
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  and asks which roles fit her.
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  She lands a $21 an hour order puller job.
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  That's about $3,640 a month, roughly $1,000 more than before.
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  Same rent, but now it's near 30% of her pay instead of 43%.
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  Step two, she sets up split direct deposit and sends half the raise,
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  around $500 a month, into savings before she can spend it.
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  Step three, she calls Francis Tuttle about the afternoon machining block and asks
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  about WIOA funding through Oklahoma Works.
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  Then she's on the path toward the $22 to $28 an hour machining jobs,
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  with forklift certification and OSHA 10 along the way.
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  What I like is that none of it takes a miracle.
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  It takes a first call.
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  And a first application.
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  Those small wins count, and they're worth celebrating before the big ones show up.
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  So what's the hardest step?
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  Honestly, the first one.
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  After that, the next one is easier to see.
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  Which brings us to your one action before the end of the day.
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  Pick one of the three employers, Hobby Lobby, SpartanNash, or McLane,
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  and send in one application today.
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  Just one.
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  Not all three.
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  If you're near South Council Road on your lunch break, the Hobby Lobby Hiring Center
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  is open until 4 p.m.
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  One application.
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  That's the whole assignment.
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  Everything else we talked about can wait until after it's done.
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  Thanks for spending your lunch with us.
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  I'm Claire Brooks.
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  And I'm Miles.
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  This was The 405 Payroll.
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  Go get that paycheck.