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Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 12:49 am
by Walperstyle
BoBaCk1 wrote:I'm a heavy line technician for Mazda . But really wishing I didn't make my hobby a job .
This is the exact reason I didn't get into the trade. I love cars, I love technology, I love tinkering...I hate other people, and the way they treat the stuff they drive 8)

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:10 am
by kacam24det
I do collision repair and full restorations on new and old cars. My family owns a body shop, but im more into mechanics. I make about 400 dollars a week and about 100 of that a week goes to my car. I do anything to make money on the side I scrap metal. I stay late and get jobs done. I will detail cars, buff them, brake jobs all sorts of stuff. I also help my GF parents (not an ignorant one luckily) they go to auctions and garage sales and buy and resell things.....They make a killing doing this and I help them move things all the time.

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:06 pm
by kacam24det
I will add right before I got so indepth with the car I quit smoking 2 packs a day and its almost been 2 years now so figure 2 packs at 730 days at 6 bucks a pack 8760 dollars saved and yea its all in the car and then some lol

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:22 pm
by s14tilo
This thread is inspiring! Haha.

I make my money at Nordstrom full time and I do real estate part time. Problem is all the debit from student loans and CC debt from the fun I had while in college. Plus, rent here in Denver is not cheap.

I make it happen with penny pinching. I am ALWAYS trying to save a buck. Never eat out. Ever. Always buy the cheaper groceries and only the necessities. No junk. This is a good way to save money and eat healthy at the same time. Healthy eating is pretty cheap. It's the crap food that really adds to your grocery bill. Gas is another big bill too if you have a commute at all. Try and avoid unnecessary driving. Run your errands on your way to or from work to avoid the extra trip. Have your friends drive you when going places. Take care of your things and they will last longer too. Be aware of your utility consumption, avoid unnecessary costs like tickets, citations, late fees, bank fees, etc. this all can add up to more than you think.

If you have debt, focus on that. If the interest rate on the money you owe is higher than the money you save then you are better off putting that saved money towards your debt because it is technically giving you a higher return by paying of the higher interest debt, especially in the long run.

Just my 2cents...I have really been focusing on this lately. It has payed off too.

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 8:14 pm
by dj_smooth
E5 Aerospace Ground Equipment or AGE!!! Basically fix and deliver equipment that the specialist use to troubleshoot the jet on the ground. I started with 2 loans and 3 credit cards and finally paid everything off. Now I have $870 a month that can go towards my car which is paid off if I do choose to do so. I have finally learned the importance of saving for things to buy later than to have it now and live off of less monthly. My car has been a both a hobby and a pain in the ass. I blew my engine in 2008 and started to take an interest in tuning there after. The car now has a built block and is finally running in late 2011 thanks to the help of 8-bit and this forum..... Getting off subject. Lol...

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 12:19 pm
by sdaigle240
that must feel good!!!! i got 6 more years of payments lol

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 5:19 pm
by black diamond
pipe welder. I travel the country to power plants, oil refineries, steel mills, chemical plants etc. whatever is paying the money i want to make. Some jobs are better than others but its a lot of cash in a quick amount of time. Anywhere between 2 and 5 thousand a week. Just depends on the job. Hard to explain really. Great profession to get into if you can travel. I have no kids or wife so its easy for me. Plus you get to see the country in its entirety. So much stuff to see here. Very easy to make 80-100 thousand a year. If you bust ass and just work non stop you can clear some major cash. I like to make some cash and chill then go back at it. Kind of like I'm doing right now lol.

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 5:38 pm
by Marcus
black diamond wrote:pipe welder. I travel the country to power plants, oil refineries, steel mills, chemical plants etc. whatever is paying the money i want to make. Some jobs are better than others but its a lot of cash in a quick amount of time. Anywhere between 2 and 5 thousand a week. Just depends on the job. Hard to explain really. Great profession to get into if you can travel. I have no kids or wife so its easy for me. Plus you get to see the country in its entirety. So much stuff to see here. Very easy to make 80-100 thousand a year. If you bust ass and just work non stop you can clear some major cash. I like to make some cash and chill then go back at it. Kind of like I'm doing right now lol.
I got all my welding certifications out of a manu. plant in SEK. Ever work on some super boilers for chanute manufacturing?

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 5:49 pm
by black diamond
nope I haven't done any boiler tube jobs yet. Not sure if I want to since they are such a bi*ch. I mean I don't have claustrophobia but I don't like to be in jam up spots all day lol. Which I usually have to do anyways since I'm a "smaller" guy that isn't 50-100 lbs over weight lol. I think they get fat on purpose to be honest lol. I'm always picked to get into the hard to get areas......sucks. Especially when you still have to make a weld to pass x-ray or whatever other method they choose to use. But I'm sure one day i'll end up doing one. Plus if your buddy welder isn't a cool person you can get easily frustrated at work which means loooong days. It is what it is though.

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:37 pm
by Marcus
black diamond wrote:nope I haven't done any boiler tube jobs yet. Not sure if I want to since they are such a bi*ch. I mean I don't have claustrophobia but I don't like to be in jam up spots all day lol. Which I usually have to do anyways since I'm a "smaller" guy that isn't 50-100 lbs over weight lol. I think they get fat on purpose to be honest lol. I'm always picked to get into the hard to get areas......sucks. Especially when you still have to make a weld to pass x-ray or whatever other method they choose to use. But I'm sure one day i'll end up doing one. Plus if your buddy welder isn't a cool person you can get easily frustrated at work which means loooong days. It is what it is though.
'

LMFAO I hear ya. My most vivid memory was two of us pipe guys got sent down and got asked about claustrophobia. I shrugged and the the other gave a "idk". He crawled in and right back out 30 ft later with a face only a ghost would fear. I got the job lol.

Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 5:34 am
by Pjay240
I work a full time job Monday thru Friday 7-5. That check pays for my wife's Rouge, my house, bills, school loans, and any other necessity we may need. I fix computers and dj on as a side business so any money i make from that typically goes to my car.

Re:

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 11:34 pm
by 8-bit
AFKOUKI wrote:E4 in the airforce, Driving home to see the lady takes alot of my time and money. But I just paid off the 240 so I should have some more $ laying around. Too bad shes wanting me to buy her a ring lol.
I eat out more than I should. I really need to satart cooking more. Hard to do for a single guy though.
This post is hella personal. Hah! marry that woman. then she can help boost the 240! Dude. just show her how cool it is if she's not already into it. if you're married you could just enjoy the 240 together!

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 12:54 pm
by adamky
I slang crack rock on the side. Everyday I'm Hustling. Ya heard me?




No, but for real, I'm currently a Computer Network Engineer. I work for a large chain of hospitals in Kentucky. My team handles all of the switches, routers, and cabling for the entire corporation. Basically all of the Layer 1, 2 & 3 stuff.

No kids, no wife, no car payments = spare money to waste on my car. Well, it used to mean spare money to waste on the car. Right now I'm saving everything I can for a house down payment. Some health issues over the past year or so put a major hurting on my income, so right now I'm still in the hole with debt. Hopefully this year ends up being better and I can get back to a positive cash flow.

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:08 pm
by airman
Ahh, a fellow SINK - (Single Income No Kids) :D

Houses are awesome. Finding the right one is a pain, but over 6 months later I still walk around looking at **** in awe saying stuff like "I have a house. This is mine, this is mine, that is mine, oh and this is mine, that doorknob - yes, it is too, I'll go ahead and turn it just because it's mine. Switches, toilets, windows, the floor, all mine. This is mine, that is mine...this is mine, this is mine..."

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 9:43 am
by R34SR
I like this thread , you really get to see the struggles of everyone motivated by common goals, like a turbo 240....i remember when i used to work at autozone for $8 hr with only 18 - 20 hrs max per week given to me, i actually enjoyed that job but the hours just werent cutting it, made more by myself as a "mobile mechanic" doing brake jobs for $40 a pop cash. Then i got a job at home depot for $10.10 hr ( big leagues yea!! ) which helped me fund basic maintenance and insurance and gas for my 240, next i got a job with a jewelry company in manhattan for a jewish guy $10 hr off the books , i was bringing home over $500 per week ....its amazing what not paying taxes can do to a $10hr salary....then i managed to get a legit job cleaning floors in Mt. Sinai hospital of manhattan, $18hr to mop up blood and guts...i was happy. That job paid for my engine build and full suspension setup.....did all that while simultaneously in school to become a surgical technician at sinai. Graduated fast, ( it only takes one year of fulltime college ) cost me $11,000 in student loans but now it pays me $32 hr.....and thats how i paid for the turbo, megasquirt, and now my beater is a brand new nissan juke.

Just keep on trying, and keep on working hard, make sure to keep moving upwards, no matter how slowly or painfully, you will get there....now im looking to move to texas and buy a house there because i think i can take a pay cut to live somewhere thats way more affordable. NYC is amazing , but you have to be making boatloads of money to survive here comfortably. And in nyc $32 hr is nothing to even talk about when my rent is $1700 per mo.

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 10:54 pm
by shift_down
So I guess I should update my status.

I'm a paramedic working at one of the three major hospitals in my area. I work in the ER and they pay me about 19$/hr which is just enough to be comfortable with. I see some crazy stuff, and I see some annoying stuff. Ill be working on a cardiac arrest one minute, and then helping a 30 year old woman who has a headache to the bathroom the next minute. It's a fun job, but Its time to move up. I'm in nursing school now, and hopefully will be done in a year.

Can't wait!

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 6:08 pm
by R34SR
Thats awesome dude, nursing school should have been my next step after surgical technician....but im so damn lazy......depending on my lifestyle when/if i go to texas...mabe i can take some part time courses.....a nurse that graduates with a 2 year degree makes $80k per year TO START at mount sinai...its a good gig here in nyc, but many schools here require a minimum B+ average or you get kicked out automatically.....i wish you the best with nursing school bud, if you complete it you will make enough to forget the 240 and just get a GTR.

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:34 am
by adamky
R34SR wrote:.now im looking to move to texas and buy a house there because i think i can take a pay cut to live somewhere thats way more affordable. NYC is amazing , but you have to be making boatloads of money to survive here comfortably. And in nyc $32 hr is nothing to even talk about when my rent is $1700 per mo.
Wow, that's double what my rent is for a 2 bedroom, 850 sq ft apartment. Have you considered moving to Kentucky? We're ranked as one of the top 10 states with the lowest cost of living.
http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal ... htm#page=3
http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/the- ... ?a=viewall
Not a bad place to retire either: http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/06/retirement/best-states/

Louisville is a decent sized city, but we are small enough that we don't have those "big city problems" like constant traffic congestion, high crime rates, etc.

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 6:34 pm
by bmaddock
Figured I should add to this, recent Virginia Tech graduate (May 14). Worked at a local gym and Advance Auto while there and scraped together my KA-T setup. Now I'm off in the real world working as a steam turbine engineer. For those that don't know steam turbines are largely responsible for electrical power generation. It's nice finally having some decent income to fix what has needed attention but trying to pay off school quickly.

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:00 pm
by Walperstyle
Pro Tip to you guys: Don't Rent.

If you are in an area where there is too much competition for your job, and you are paying off someone elses mortgage, you are doing it wrong. I like big cities, but I'd much rather open up my own shop in a small town and be the only guy, getting all the business.

food for thought.

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:08 pm
by R34SR
This man speaks the truth.

But giving up the city life is very difficult as I'm coming to learn, especially when all your family is there.

Instead of leaving my job to jump to Texas, I'm gonna try buy a house a little further out of NYC and commute to my job. Hopefully then I can keep my ny city pay with affordable housing.....gotta sacrifice something, commuting it is.

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 9:59 am
by adamky
The decision to rent or buy is really dependent on a number of factors including how long you plan to live in one place. Buying a home and selling it 5 years later can often cost you more than it would if you would have just rented. It would be a lot less hassle too. This economy has really made the rent/buy decision less straightforward than it was 10-20 years ago.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/billconerly ... ownership/
http://money.usnews.com/money/personal- ... is-smarter

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 11:16 am
by R34SR
man o man these decisions are so hard to make, ive been looking upstate, long island, new jersey .....pretty much a 40 -50 mile 360 degree radius of manhattan for a house. And everywhere has its own issues, they are all overpriced or inconvenient or a commuters nightmare....trying to work in nyc and aspiring to own a property here while accommodating my parents is close to impossible.

Ive been saving boatloads of cash splitting rent with my gf but thats just a temporary solution , and frankly i hate living with somone ( its a pride thing ) Im trying to convince my parents to retire in texas where they have some family, this way i can rent and save a bit more in nyc and eventually leave for texas where i can afford 2 houses, one for me and one for the parents.

end rant/venting

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2015 7:34 am
by Sfourteen97
Plumbingg. Taught me to like gettin my hands dirty.

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 3:36 pm
by SoundEfx
Working for one of the major companies on the West coast, but it wasn't an easy road.

I loved cars ever since I could say the work car, but could never afford one, muchless have one as a project.
Until now where I find myself fighting not to buy more until one is done.

What everyone said before is true, never give up. Also, don't think that you're due anything. Meaning, have the mentality that after working hard for x years, that all of a sudden everything will be handed to you. It might take longer than you expected.

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2017 11:39 pm
by MortonMor
I am repairing cars and motorcycles :D , guess I am pretty good, always have some extra gig

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2018 6:20 am
by king82
I am blessed to have a good paying job and by trading and selling stocks.

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2020 3:54 pm
by PeterLight
Yup, trading stocks is a saving grace at this point.

Re: what do you do for funds?

Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2020 7:23 pm
by bobpaul
It depends on what you can do.
By the way,Thanks for sharing,It's useful for me