What do you do for a living?

I worked my junior and senior years in high school (full time in summer and part time during school year) at a bowling alley snack bar making $1.60? an hour. Originally we made less than that but one of the employees reported the boss for violating minimum wage laws. This was in a small New Mexico town in 1971-1973 and nobody tipped or tipped very little. I saved enough to buy a '68 VW Bug and put away some college money.
 
Last edited:
daylatedollarshort said:
My current job is uncertified financial planner for one household.

BTW Sarah, my first babysitting job paid 50 cents an hour from the family across the street. The last time I sat for them was for 45 minutes and the mom prorated the time and carefully counted out 38 cents. (They weren't poor, just cheap). I am sure if we'd had half pennies she would have made it 37.5 cents. :)
Click to expand...

That is well and truly the cheapest thing I've ever heard of! :facepalm:
 
Sarah in SC said:
That is well and truly the cheapest thing I've ever heard of! :facepalm:
Click to expand...

my parents had friends so tight that they didn't use the car radio cause they thought it increased fuel consumption - this was in the 50s
 
travelover said:
$5 an hour! Such opulence! I made $1.25:wiseone:
Click to expand...
That's where I started too in 1967 pumping gasoline and doing light mechanical work on cars. (Oil changes, balancing tires, replacing leaking coolant hoses and the like.) With the money I bought a '66 Yamaha Twin Jet 100 cc motorcycle for $300 that would go 70 mph downhill with a tailwind. Or 40 mph uphill. Had a ball with that thing.
 
Sarah in SC said:
Hey Mulligan, maybe he was just a better dishwasher than you! :)

I'd mention my $5 an hour first job, but I think it would bring on the Four Yorkshiremen from somewhere!
Click to expand...

:D Minimum wage out of high school was $1.25/hour. Big bucks was $2.18/hour on the green chain at a Weyerhaeuser lumber mill. Boeing paid 8k/yr for newly minted engineers back in the day.

All praise to time in the market not market timing. And of course ST. Jack and 'Bogle's Folly'.

heh heh heh - love dryer sheets and Yorkshiremen! Got a Monty Python Tee shirt at a thrift sale the other day. :greetings10:
 
unclemick said:
:D Minimum wage out of high school was $1.25/hour. Big bucks was $2.18/hour on the green chain at a Weyerhaeuser lumber mill. Boeing paid 8k/yr for newly minted engineers back in the day.



All praise to time in the market not market timing. And of course ST. Jack and 'Bogle's Folly'.



heh heh heh - love dryer sheets and Yorkshiremen! Got a Monty Python Tee shirt at a thrift sale the other day. :greetings10:
Click to expand...


What I find incredible is the wages that were available back in the day for union teen hires. While I was making my $2.30 an hour, teenagers who got hired at the local brick refractories were making $10 an hour back in the late 70s for summer help. Many people 30 years later still cant get a job that pays that much. Of course those local plants are long closed and moved overseas or below the border.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Had some pretty poor paying jobs also

Worked my way through high school as a corn de-tassler and Target store retailer. Worked my way through undergrad putting in piers one summer (yuck), McDonalds, YMCA camp counselor, and bartender.
Became a teacher in the 1980's, earned two Master's Degrees in the 90's and 2000's. Been a school principal for a while and am planning on retiring after this school year.
Having some not-so-great jobs as a youth truly motivated me to get a good education. I regret none of it (well, maybe pier installing).
 
Arif said:
We're in our early 40s but we're concentrating on the FI rather than the RE. I've got plenty of flexibility working for myself so I don't see much changing when I retire.
Click to expand...

I love this idea and it's how I've been thinking about our savings. DH and I have jobs we love; I'd be hard-pressed to quit because it brings so much pleasure to me. But I'm not averse to being FI, so that's what we are working toward.

We are 41/42. DH is a software engineer in the embedded systems field and has worked for the same company since graduating from grad school.

I work 2 part-time jobs: I am a regulator (health inspector) for our county, and I also teach at our local community college, in the culinary arts department. I love the teaching job so much I'd probably do it for free. It's the best job I've ever had and I can't imagine how it could ever be better than it is.

We have 2 school-age children (hello, PTA & Girl Scout & Cub Scout & AYSO volunteer jobs, plus I'm president of the HOA at our rental property, which I manage as well).

We save about 45% of our take-home pay in retirement and home-equity. We save another 2% or so in college and emergency accounts. This comes out to about 32% of our gross income.

My goal this year is to get our after-tax savings rate to 50% or higher. Since I just came up with this goal we won't make it this year, but we will in 2016.
 
Air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Admin. Did ATC for about 4 years in the USAF and got out and was immediately selected into the FAA. Gross about $82,000/yr now with shift differentials but accepting a transfer soon closer to family at a much larger airport. Should start around $137k with differentials after certification.

Pension eligible at age 50. Mandatory separation at age 56. Will begin maxing the TSP once I make the move. For now I contribute to the match, and pay into the pension plan.
 
ATC Guy said:
Air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Admin. Did ATC for about 4 years in the USAF and got out and was immediately selected into the FAA. Gross about $82,000/yr now with shift differentials but accepting a transfer soon closer to family at a much larger airport. Should start around $137k with differentials after certification.

Pension eligible at age 50. Mandatory separation at age 56. Will begin maxing the TSP once I make the move. For now I contribute to the match, and pay into the pension plan.
Click to expand...
ATC Guy, as a pilot using flight following, I just want to thank you for all that and your coworkers have done for us. I fly missions for Angel Flight and you people are a great help.
 
I spent 50 Years in aerospace. i was a field engineer all over the world, a Project Engineer, a Program Manager, and a Contract Administrator.
I have dealt with Boeing, Airbus,Cessna, Raytheon, and many other manufacturers.
I am now retired, and fly for Angel Flight, Civil Air Patrol, and Pilots & Paws.
 
DW and I are mid 50's. She just stopped working. I still work as a chemical engineer for a paint co. My job is to support our customers' industrial paint systems. I have about 1.5 years to RE, but am really FI now. I currently save about 20% of my pay, but in past years that has been as high as 30%. Also was in the market over some very good periods. We could save more, but just don't need to. We are enjoying a lot of travel and some home improvement with the $ instead.
 
Not counting jobs before college, AF Pilot, Commercial/Residential Real Estate Appraiser (independent, and manager for bank department), MIS director, retired.

Participated in each retirement systems. However, the military was key. Not only do you participate is SS, the pension is COLA'd, and healthcare for life. For the most part job security, I know, nothing guaranteed, but it allows you to save more. Our emergency fund evolved into our retirement funds. You grow rich slowly.

LBYM, fund pension/saving plans, enjoy life!
 
DW and I have spent our 23 year careers to date as a lobbyist for conservation nonprofits and government (her) and a fundraiser for conservation nonprofits and higher education (me). No kids. 50 now and we'll FIRE in 5-9 years, if plans go right. We've been saving well all the way and last year socked away about $60,000 aiming for $75,000 this year since we added makeup provisions, etc.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
 
My partner and I have semi retired by selling our property and teaching English online, after a year working in China. We invested the money from our property but it is not nearly enough to support us through full retirement.

We now work 15 hours a week each (through choice) and earn 2000 UK pounds between us. I don't mind telling you what we earn - it may seem a very small amount to some but it works for the lifestyle we currently want to live.

We house sit long term which keeps our living costs to a minimum. Right now we are looking after a luxury six bed house with pool in the Alpine region north of Melbourne, Australia and next month we'll be looking after a beach side property in Fiji. So the travel side of our life now fully meets our original expectations. (not all house sits are this luxurious!!)

While supporting ourselves in this way we are trying to figure out a way to make more money online for the future - that's the harder bit! Like many others I think, we have been through a number of courses to develop our skills and it's a slow process.

But we have any amazing freedom lifestyle and have plenty of time now to brainstorm and tryout ideas. The teaching does provide a great way to supplement our income and we can decide exactly when and what hours we want to work.
 
You have a very cool, adventurous and unique lifestyle Vanessaanderson. Hats off!


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
 
Anesthesiologist

Former grocery bagger, bone marrow donor, lawn mower, etc...

I've attained FI, will consider RE when I have 50x expenses in the nest egg, 5x expenses in the DAF.
 

Attachments

  • KC-135_refueling.jpg
    KC-135_refueling.jpg
    52.4 KB · Views: 24
Absolutely nothing for the last 22 years of ER.

I really really do not understand how 'doing nothing in particular' can have been so busy.

:LOL: :dance: :greetings10: :rolleyes:

heh heh heh - :cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Janet H
  • Sticky
Forums 101 - posting, accounts, basics (revised for 2024)
Replies
22
Views
240
Janet H
Janet H
S
Crazy how much things can change in less than 10 years
Replies
13
Views
817
Surewhitey
Surewhitey
N
Article: 'I'm too young to retire': What forced these workers to retire
2
Replies
46
Views
4K
meleana
M
E
Five Years Retired: Lessons Learned
2
Replies
37
Views
5K
fishfactory
F
G
Early Retirement SS Benefits Reduction due to Income earned questions.
Replies
8
Views
874
glasswave
G

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom