O/T-For the more "Experienced" Generations - How did/do you make your $$$$

So I've seen posts here about what your jobs are or have been etc. etc.

But I see what some of you guys have and wonder to myself...how did they acomplish all of that??
Some guys on here have garages twice the size of any house that I'll ever be able to afford. A bunch of nice Rods & Toys...and sweet tools t-boot.

It's not that I'm jealous of them (hey wait that smily is green, with envy?)
I just want to know how you were able to do it?

I know that I'm young - but sometimes my dreams seem so out of reach that it is depressing.

I currently have what I would consider a good job - with a decent salary, company car, and some other decent benefits (i.e. working from home) But I HATE my job. It is mundaine and boring - it poses no challenge and is the same thing day in and day out. I think about HotRods & Cars 99% of the time and it is like an obsession (i know lots of people around here feel that way too...so I guess i'm not abnormal)

I would love to have my own RodShop just like 99% of us here on the board....but alas I'm not Littleman or Jimmy White (but would love to get the expirience to do what they do and @ that quality-
And it seems that for all the pros of having your own shop there are twice as many Cons.
i.e. your hobby becomes your livelyhood....so does it become less interesting to you...some argue No..but I would say that if you asked most guys that are running rod shops that they caught up in the "job" and not in the Fun of it all anymore.

heck right now I'd settle for working for a landscaping company...or anything that is just manual labor...cause that is who I am...not this White Collar B.S., but it is hard to give up the $$$ & benefits of a white collar job. Especially when looking for a house & getting ready for a wedding.

So how did you get to where you are today??....Yeah I know "A lot of hard work", but sometimes a lot of hard work = no $$$ (i.e. you can work you arse off @ a factory...but you'll probably never get more than $25/hr which basically = $52k/year which wouldn't let you buy a lean-too here in the North East.

And what would your advice to me be about my "Nice Job" that I absolutly hate.

Sorry for the long post...I just needed to vent my frustrations with my job today.

 

I`m not going to post much, but I think GOALS are something you need in your vocabulary! I don`t think anyone here started out with everything they have, but had a goal or purpose to acheive what they where after. My wife says I what everything, but like you, first things first. It will come to you if you want it to. As far as jobs go, well, I`ve had my share and quit ones that I didn`t like. People that hate thier jobs are usually mean sprited and pretty hard to get along with. I`m sure you`ve ran across them at places, as their not hard to spot! Hang where you`re at and start looking for something else that you do like! Maybe buy a lotto ticket every once in a while! Someone`s gonna win, right! May as well be you!

 

Learn a skill, develop it into a marketable commidity and go on from there.

For me, I started in the Navy's Nuclear Power Program, spent my time in the Submarine force and went to every school I could. When I retired from the Navy, I went with what I knew and developed that into Glovebox design skills.

 

I do not know how old you are, but I'm 53 years old and do not consider myself rich.
When I was younger I had the same frustrations that you seem to have. The job I have now, I do not like. In the area where I live it is one of the best paying jobs for what we do. I would love to work at a job that I really liked, but they do not pay that much money. For me to have what I have and the toys that I have, I will put up with the BS.
I think about cars on the job, off the job and most of the time. It is the only thing that keeps me going most of the time. I look forward to the weekends when something is going on(car related) and that keeps me focused on my job. If I don't have it, the car related events would not help because I probably could not attend.
Hang in there, keep plodding away and start building a car. Start with something small and work your way up.

 

You don't have to quit your soul-sucking job to love life. Surround yourself with good friends who enjoy the same things you do, and make time to do those things.

I personally love my job because I am self-employed, but that comes with lots of pitfalls that can ruin a man if not careful. But Ido have good friends who are into cars and bikes and I get together with them several times a week. Sometimes we work on projects, but often we just go to the movies, head to a bar, have dinner, whatever, doesn't even matter because they are good friends.

PS: I'm 33 if that means anything to this survey.

 

sometimes you just have to make a drastic change. at the end of the summer i am packing up the family and moving to AZ. i have lived here in socal my whole life and came to the realization that i can never be able to afford a house that i want here. well, to be honest i dont care about the house i want some property and a nice sized shop to work on my rides. so i am going to give it a try out there. if it doesn't work out at least i tried. i know i would always wonder what could have happened if i dont do it. if i dont like it there i'll move somewhere else until i find what i need.

 

I couldn't have said it better. Some of us are lucky and enjoy our jobs and make money too. Most of us put up with the BS and think long term.

You could tell the creep to shove it but you still will be working on your car in the street. Or you can take the BS for a while so you can own a home with a fantastic garage.

 

I'm 27, and I have a nice house, a big garage, and the capabilities to get some stuff done. I did it buy buying an old house that needed a lot of work, and spent almost 3 years renovating it... when I was done with that, I built the garage that I wanted, doing most of the work by myself with the help of friends and family. I'm starting on my hotrod now.

I've also got 3 kids under the age of 4 and I don't make a lot of money, but I set my priorities and got stuff done. If I had tried to start the hotrod before I got the house and garage in order it would have been nothing but frustration, but I didn't, and now I have a comfortable place to work and sleep.

Hope that helps, I know how you feel, I've been there. About your job, find something you like before you realize you're 60 and you've spent your whole life doing what you hate. I've turned down more money because I like my job and I make it work.

 

Well being 5 years and 1 DAY older than you (November 7th,1975), I can say you won't always feel the way you do. Ironically enough, 5 years ago, I was no where close to where you are financially and bearly there today. What I did do was prioritize my life.
What's important to you?
What can you live with?
What can't you live without?

and whittle it down from there. To use an example from our hobby, the best rods and kustoms are the ones that pay attention to DETAIL, not how much crap you bolt to a car. To the outside observer, it may seem stock or 'different' but to you and a select few who know the difference, it'll seem perfect. The first step to any project in life should be well laid plans; go out screw those up and come up with something differentThe worst thing you can do is NOTHING!

 

I'm over 50 but too young to be retired, I am never the less, I have no other options at this point. I don't have two nickles to rub together and very little to show for my life.

But I did have a very good time getting this way, and if I had spent my youth trying to make a fortune I would still be the same physically and all the money in the world wouldn't replace everything that I did while I still could.

I'm not saying this as advice on how to live your life, for anyone that is young and dumb and full of ...I have to say put your nose to the wheel and try to at least build yourself a nest egg. As for trying to own the most or the bestest of everything unless that's your priority in life there is no reason to put yourself in that position. There will never be enough no matter what you do. You can take that to the bank.

 

i got you 7 years exactly, november 7,1968.

 

For Those that asked...
I'm 25 & I know that is young.

I think "haring" has the best point so far!
My biggest problem is that I do not know anybody in the area that is into cars/bikes etc etc and that is my age...or relatively close. I don't do the bar scene and my job keeps me quite busy most of the time. I wish that I could find Good friends around.

My other problem is that all my "car related stuff" is in another state about 100 miles away and I really only get to work on it Friday Afternoons/Evenings and Saturdays.

My entire work office and work is in my bedroom as I live with a family memeber in thier basement and don't have anyother place to relocate it. It is a depressing feeling that when you go to bed you're work is right there with you and when you wake up..it is there staring you in the face again.

Thanks for the comments guys.

 

I make a living with computers, have for about the last 10 years or so. I've owned my own Motorcycle shop and a bar or two, my new bar is opening this Friday. During the day I'm the IT Director for Student Media (newspaper, yearbook, radio station) at NCSU, been the IT manager for a Genetics Lab, network engineer at a couple of ISP's. I've always tried to keep myself busy, yeah I own a house with a 2500 sq.ft. garage (the house is 1940 sq.ft.) but I shopped around and moved out of the city for it. I'm 40 by the way. I would have been here a lot sooner had I payed attention earlier in life but I was to busy having fun. I mixed sound on the road for bands, played in bands, ran bars, raced motorcycles, managed a skateboard shop. Didn't get my shit together until I was almost 30. Lots of fun and I got to fulfill some of my dreams along the way. I'm more interested in living my life by my rules than trying to get rich....

 

What money? EVERY spare cent I have goes into my garage or my yard! Ha Ha Ha

I am not that experienced either, I am 32, but for some reason everyone thinks I am older than that.

I make almost 40 grand a year now, but I made a lot less when I started on the spacetruck. I think it is all in how you spend it. I have friends that make twice what I do and they wonder how come I have twice the junk that they have. Ha Ha Ha I don't go out very often, except to about 5 car shows a year, they go out every weekend and a couple nights through the week too. It all adds up.

I don't ever plan on quitting my job. I see a lot of people trying to run hot rod shops and struggle with it. I would rather just show up for work at my "OK" job and then go home and do what I want to do, and know where my money is going to come from every week.

I still often wander out to the garage and wonder how in the hell I managed to get 2 cars built in the past 4 years on what I make. Ha Ha Ha

 

oh and I don't want "everything"

But a TIG & a Verticle band Saw would be nice

 

I agree that goals are important and my mode of operation has always been to chip away at it and eventually get where I want. It seems like it took alot of years for me to get to a point where I have a bit of disposable income to buy parts and a tool from time to time. It doesn't happen overnight. I've been lucky enough to be employed at the same family owned (not my family) business for almost 30 years and worked my way up to a mangement level. I still don't have that nice, fully equipped, well lit, comfortable and clean hot rod shop that I dream of, but someday I will.......the only problem is that I'm not getting any younger and at 58 it's a little harder to crawl around under a car than it used to be. Hang in there, work at it, use your free time wisely and enjoy your friends and family along the way.

 

I'm 53 years old..
Owned my own biz for 30 years..
Work EVERY Saturday..every one..
So don't get to hang out at car shows on the weekend..
NO benefits..
My medical insurance,including the kids, costs $9456 a year...out of my pocket..and that's today,tomorrow it'll be more..
Only money I've ever spent that wasn't for the family or kids was spent on cars,bikes,music,or books...
I've made 20K a year,and I've made 70K a year.....and I've made 20K again...
The grass is always greener..
I've got about 1900 sq ft of garage between 2 buildings...
Anymore,most days I'd love to be punching a clock..
Oh yeah,I'll work about 75 hours this week,too...
If I had a REAL job,maybe I could finish some of my cars..
not trying to bitch,just be careful what you wish for....
I'd give almost anything to leave early on a Friday,and enjoy a weekend event...
Hell,around here,nobody hardly knows I play with cars........they never see me "out"..
There could be deuce roadsters the next street over,for all I know...
Work your job,save your money,dream about cars..
oh yeah,be careful about that marriage thing,too..
That's about to cost me all my garages real soon..

 

Those are 2 items I have yet to acquire as well. Set your sights a little lower, like a MIG and a sawzall.

They have seemed to work OK for me. Ha Ha Ha

 

Stunt cock/womb stretcher, thats were the big money is! Go for it!

 

Hot Damn

Sawzall, Mig and and some Fined Quarters = Lunar Lander!!!!!! sweet
HAHAHA
Just kidding man...I love all your work...especially Space Truck.

TIG and BandSaw just make things neater.

Myabe I'm just going through the motions.

 

Some very good points here.

I grew up in Connecticut, but chose to go to Kansas State for engineering school because out of state tuition was cheaper than in state in CT! I moved back to New England after I graduated and after 5 years I realized it was going to take alot longer to get a home/shop like I wanted, so I moved back to Kansas. Same job, same pay, alot lower cost of living. Sure I miss the ocean and New England landscape, but I don't miss squeeking by or all that damn traffic!

 

Well in my opinion you have basically two options:

1 - Do what you love for a job.

2 - Get a job that gives you the money, flexibility to do what you love away from work.

I took option 2, as it also provides awesome medical coverage for my little girls and myself. It has 401k to help me plan for manana, and all that other jazz..

I don;t love my job, but it aint bad, and it has helped get me to a point in my life where I can afford to do what I love, both time and money.

Im only 28, I spent my younger years partying my ass off, playing in bands..etc..Im trying to get it together now so that I can afford lifes hiccups, be somewhat comfortable, and still get to enjoy cars and bikes..and all that otehr shit..

I think setting realistic goals for yourself is very important, if you keep failing because your goals are unattainable you will go insane....trust me.

Anyway.. good luck dude.

PC

 

I really dig this post and hope more people add some good info on figuring out hotrodder life, I often wonder about these things myself. I live in Los Angeles, and it is damn near inpossible to actually buy a house. Having a place to work on project is becoming impossible too unless you have a cool landlord. I've had to put my car project aside for about 2 years and slowly work on it from a far when I can. Planning a project, saving the cash, then doing it right one time is the best and hardest learned secret. I've had to settle on working on custom motorcycles since space is limited and it's hard in LA to be such a pimp!J/K Goals, goals goals is the best thing to have.

 

I got a college degree, tried a job in my field and hated it (I think it was bad luck as I know there are some more enjoyable jobs in my field) and went back to working in a bicycle shop. I've been there for 6 years - 2 full time - and I love everyday (almost). There is something to be said for liking what you do and if you're gonna be there 40+ hrs every week, you may as well find something that you don't dread getting up everyday for. I make pretty decent money by Des Moines Iowa standards - it has afforded me a small house, 2 cars, and some toys. I will likely look to get back into accounting some day but it is hard to leave when you like what you do.

Priorities are key. I don't have a nice TV or super nice furniture or a huge new house or even a nice computer which are things most of society thinks are now necessities. I don't have these things because there is only so much $$ to go around and you can't have it all. If cars or starting your own shop are important enough to you, you will naturally make the sacrifices needed to afford them.

I always kind of think of it like this, when I look back on my life I know I will remember how much fun I had with the cars I owned but I probably won't remember which brand of TV or I had or think about how great my living room furniture was. Same goes for a job, I want to remember how much satisfaction I got from it, not how much I hated going in everyday.

I'm 25 if youre counting.

 

Male hand model. I also do toilet paper strength testing......Dont ask, its not a pretty job. Sometime I go home feeling shitty.

 

I'm not exactly old or rich and hard work did get me where I am today......basically as you get older the mortgage payments get ot be a smaller part of your salary, like you get paid more as your skill levels improve, you get promotion etc. In the UK the main focus of most people's lives is to pay off the mortgage after that you get to spend more on shit to play with!
To get the house I'm in I have moved 3 times, each time to a house needing work. Work done, sell house, fat profit, bigger house.
to get the car I have. 20 years of having and working on cars i didn't really want, OK there have been some cool ones but only in the last 3 years have there been rods as I can now afford what I want and have a reliable daily.
Still have a crappy garage.
I came in to some money (redundancy pay off and not that much! like less than your years salary) did some property speculation/developement with a couple of houses I didn't have to live in.....ened up with 3 houses (all with money owed), 2 crap cars and a job that caused 3 operations on my hands. So I sold the 2 houses I didn't live in, paid off the mortgage on the do. Changed my job last year, shit pay but loads a vacations as the pressure to pay out is off (to a degree).
I have always wanted to paint and draw rod pics but untill the net there was no way to get to customers but thanx to the HAMB there is now. Art stuff will probably never be a full time job but I've started on my dream.
If you want to work in a rod shop then build a rod and show people what you can do, if you don't have the skills then learn, basic welding and wrenching is available at most schools/college.
I'ts going to be hard work what ever you do but you might as well enjoy it. If you are good at what you do (you didn't say what) stick with it for now and use it for your own ends. You are, it seems to me quite "free" as regard time, working at home etc. Try to tie rod stuff up with work, if you go to a town with rod shop, drop by, get your self known by making stuff (shifters, pedals, trim etc) selling them will also make $$$. Good stuff will go well check out chromeRat's shifter knobs. Do rod shows with stuff you have made and buy stuff in to sell on (EBAY is great) It may not be all you want now but all the pro's have had to start some place this may be yours.
When you get a shop can i get discount??
Good Luck

 

By the way I'm 43 and that's not old at all

 

I'm only 27 but I am just now starting to feel like I am right where I planned to be. I set a goal before I went to college to have a job that would provide for my family and allow me to live comfortably. I never wanted to be rich, just comfortable. A year ago I landed my 4th job since college and I plan on retiring with this one. Even 2 years ago I felt like I was gasping for air, it'll all come in time. Do lots of networking with friends and family and you will get where you want to be with your career and life in general.

Mootz

 

I am 29 and live in Toronto, the place with the highest cost of living in canada. I pay 15% tax on everything I buy plus 33% income tax. This will be the first year I make over 50g's.

But, I have bought myself a little house (still 200K) with a garage in an area I like right on the Danforth in toronto . I have 5 cars currently, rent a shop north of the city, have some toys, some retirement savings, a nice set of tools (including a mig, tubing bender, etc) and some nice eletronic toys.

Best of all, I will have zero debt except the morgage by the end of next month. Its all about priorities and budgeting.

I still went out and partied, and travelled, and had a good time, but I stayed within my budget. When I was 25 I had my college tuition, car, and a bunch more owing. Now I owe practically nothing and have my own house.

If a knucklehead like me could do it, you should be able to too!

 

Today, I'm 45. 20 years ago Iwas working as a parts and service rep at a Mack truck dealer. The w-2 that year was around 14K. That was working 10-12 hours per day, 6 days a week. I made 1/2 again as much working on peoples cars in my shared 2 car garage. Every person who paid me recieved the best of my abilities for the entire time the clock was running. Instead of partying on most weekend nights, or watching ball games, I worked for free with folks who could and would teach me, or at least allow me to learn as much as possible from them doing fab work, body/ metal crafts, machining, carpentry,electrical or whatever was on the agenda. Community college and good ol' Lincoln Tech, in DesMoins IA helped too.
Somewhere along the line, a philosiphy of take on the job and get it DONE took hold. Use common sense and a concern for saftey.
With the correct attitude and skills that you must put forth effort to learn, many people will give you responsibility. With success, they will pay you well. With a bit of luck, the work will be steady because those that employ you will prosper.

Most projects over the years were sold for profit. The first house, purchased when I was 30, needed work. The sweat was put in, The materials were used frugally and a good profit was made. Same with the second home and this place I'm in now. The next house will probably follow the pattern, cause I've become a cheap bastard from neccesity.
At 25, the expense of moving up looks insurmountable. It isn't. Dedicate yourself to it, set goals and fear nothing, you will be there before you think possible.