What was your first real job

[motion]

So I'm having a little argument with my son while ice fishing on Friday. He says it's not fair that I get to use my portable sonar in my hole and he has to fish "blind". I try and explain that the units are not cheap and that we have to share the unit. Well he goes on about how if he had the money for it he would buy it.

 

Well, he's 15 years old and I would like to see him earn his own money. I remember my first job working in a factory (where my mom was working). I was only 13 and I was earning a whopping $1.65/hr but I worked the whole summer and was even able to buy my first 10 speed racer with my own money. Man what a feeling.

 

I think the younger generation these days expects to have things handed to them (for the most part). I wish they would put their PS3 and Xbox games away and look for a way to earn some money. Just my rant for the day.

 

So lets hear your stories of your first jobs and what you used the money to buy.

 

Cheers.

[dave524]

Born 1950, started cutting a few lawns grade 7 and 8, including a neighbour who had a very large fruit farm in Niagara. Going into high school he asked if I would like to work on the farm, made a $1 a hour, 11 hour days during cherry and peach season. At 16, bought a real nice over and under shotgun, came out of the same factory that Browning bought to make their Citori guns later, paid $300, a lot in 1966. By the time I finished high school had a lot of good fishing tackle, bettter stuff in some cases than Dad's. Got a 19 year old here now, unemployed, live in Grimsby ( fruit farm country) , I tell that story and suggest farm work and all I get is

[vinnimon]

Well I was born in 1970 and my dad had a firm hand.If we wanted something specifically we had(I) had to work for it.My younger brother was kinda spoiled.I recall wanting a dinky car(the general lee)I was destined to have it.Well it cost me a half a cord of logs to split.Well I grew up the old fashion way.I didnt speak english until I was 4 or 5.It was hard and to this day to a degree.

 

As for my two girls, just plain jane spoiled these days.You cant tap them in the butt without someone having an issue about it.I stay away from that personally.But I will stand my ground!

 

God forbid I take the wii game away as punishment.Spoiled Bratts!But I lovem.

[irishfield]

Besides cutting grass and shovelling snow... first real job.. working for the competition a 1/4 mile down the street.. at 12 years old.. sorting bottles and stocking the shelves... .95c/hr.. 1974... I got all the way to 1.95 by the time I was 15 !! lol

 

And you're right Vince.. you can't tap them in the butt.. but ya sure can spank them !!

Edited January 31, 2010 by irishfield

[Rich Clemens]

I picked up a paper route and made about $14.00 / $15.00 every two weeks. I did that for quite a few years in Junior High and right up until I graduated High School. Some days, so local business would have advertisements for in the papers, for which we were paid a penny a piece.

[vinnimon]

My first jobs were cutting lawns, turning the soil and shovelling snow for a buck a shot.Mainly done for the oldtimers that were friends of the family.

[motion]

Oh, and they think that debit cards and credit cards are great...........when they have you pull them out. Had my first car at 17 and paid the $2500.00 with my own money. Times have changed it tell ya!

[irishfield]

What's a debit card... I still don't.. and won't have one ! If you don't have it on you.. you don't need it !

 

I resurrected my first car at 14/15.. 1969 Fury II with 159,000 miles on it and fenders flapping in the wind. Did all the body work.. and then got my gf's father to paint it with a wagner electric spray gun and I'll tell you it came up pretty spiffy....let my sister Wendy drive it until I got my licence..well legally anyhow! lol Blew up the 318 on purpose and stuffed a 426 in it and dragged it at Luskville Qc.. and light to light on Carling Avenue on Friday nights as well. Second car.... at 17, I talked my father out of the '69 SuperBee that was tucked away in the garage (that he'd scared the crap out of himself in and parked!), for $3,600!

Edited January 31, 2010 by irishfield

[vinnimon]

Besides cutting grass and shovelling snow... first real job.. working for the competition a 1/4 mile down the street.. at 12 years old.. sorting bottles and stocking the shelves... .95c/hr.. 1974... I got all the way to 1.95 by the time I was 15 !! lol

 

And you're right Vince.. you can't tap them in the butt.. but ya sure can spank them !!

Not infront of walmart my friend.

[irishfield]

Not infront of walmart my friend.

 

Then stop shopping there! I remember the first women that told Leah she could spank one of our daughters, while standing in line in the grocery store. That women is probably still seeking mental aid....

[outllaw]

unloading boxcars of lumber by hand. we got .75 cents an hour.. man it was the cats meow to get that pay envelope.

[DanD]

Grew up on a tobacco farm; as soon as my father determined that I could handle a certain job; I got it. There’s always something that needs doing on the farm.

Turned 16 and had a blowout with my dad about staying in school. When he figured out I was determined to screw up my education; he found me an apprenticeship at a local garage. He then gave me three choices; take the apprenticeship, go back to school or move out of the house. I started the apprenticeship at $4.25 an hour and have been in the automotive repair trade now for 34 years. Every time my dad hears that I’ve finished another set of up dating classes at Fanshawe collage; he laughs and says, I thought you were done with school.

As for the younger generation wanting things given to them; that’s our fault. Who gave them their play stations, Xboxes, Cell phones or all the other crap they don’t need?

I’m just as guilty, I gave my kids all that stuff; but when they wanted something; I’m the one that got paid. Paid in grades that is; no increase in their grade a school, they didn’t get.

My daughter is now at first year law in Ottawa and my son will be graduating this year with his automotive engineering degree. He has interviews lined up with General Dynamic’s here in London.

So for me it’s not what was given to them; it’s how it was given.

 

Dan.

[vinnimon]

Then stop shopping there! I remember the first women that told Leah she could spank one of our daughters, while standing in line in the grocery store. That women is probably still seeking mental aid....

I stopped shopping there.And for the one that criticize me.She was mental for sure.Welfare mama.Telling me what I cant do!I handed her my cell and dialled 911 myself.I told her to think about what she said.And she may need the peremedics.Welfare mama with 4 bags of junk food and her kids with her!I guess thats 4 gourmet meals for the kids.

[pike slayer]

born 87. started doing papers at around age 9 and it payed for bikes, skateboards, and snowboards all that i needed at the time!! the day i finished high school i started a construction job making $10 per hour and they worked me like a dog. i got it pretty decent now!

[Spiel]

I've been buying my luxuries since I was 12, paying rent at home since I was 15 (cause I quit school) and on my own since I was 17. First house purchased at 19.

 

31 years in the steel mill now, with numerous layoffs and and a few strikes inbetween. Never asked anyone for a dime!

 

I've done pool instalations, snow remoaval, lawn cutting and leaf raking, interior painting and roofing to get me through the lean times.

 

My daughters now at 15 and 17 have both been working for a over a year and my son who'll be 15 this year will be working soon. Far to many kids have a sense of entitlement to things not earned. I refuse to allow my kids that lazy pleasure!

 

On top of this they have maintained scholarship grades.....thank the good Lord.

 

Steer the course and teach him that the guilty pleasures are earned, not handed to him.

[TJQ]

When I was 12... I ran the kiosk at the local mini putt for $1 a day, plus a free lunch and all the mini putt I could putt!!! When I was 15, I ran a bait shop for $3.50 and hour and counted worms for the most part. At 16 I learned how to set blasting caps and worked a hand shovel on construction for $3.85 and hour.

 

As far as I'm concerned, I'm in no huge hurry to make my kids go to work. They are gonna get to work their whole lives... If they need extra cash.. I got lotsa jobs for them. There's plenty of time to go to work for dickhead bosses in the future, and Im sure they will have plenty of those "opportunities".

 

Id rather show them how to make thier own money and not be dependent on the whims of employers and unions.

[fishing n autograph]

Started out cutting lawns and shovelling snow...also helped with my fathers security company locking doors and checking buildings.

 

 

But my first real job was when I was 16 I worked for a sporting apparel store Most Wanted for minimum wage....left that in a hurry and worked for a local amusement park and zellers...

[SlowPoke]

Sunoco Gas bar, $2.xx/hr and bought a used Yamaha RD 400 when I was 16

 

http://www.manualesdemotos.net/catalog/ima...YamahaRD400.jpg

Added drop bars, a Rickman fairing, expansion chambers and rear controls. It would eat the early Honda 500 Interceptors and spit 'em out!

 

Ahhh, good times and many tickets.

[danbouck]

I had the usual paper route for a few years, pumped gas in grade 10. In grade 11 I took a construction co-op which let me work all afternoon and evening and still get my school credits. Grade 12 I suckered them into letting me do the same thing again (this is the year I was rich) Math and auto shop in the AM and work the rest, it was hard

 

Didn't work at all while I took Mechanical Engineering in College then I saw an opening at an elevator company and decided to drop off a resume even though I really didn't want that job. Now many years later I am a manager there lol.

[bigugli]

First job was 13 working for a family friend. Went to Simcoe for the summer helping in the tobacco fields for board, spending money and great fishing weekends on Long Point. Quit school at 15 and did every scab job that came my way to make a buck. Some of those early jobs were fantastic even if they didn't pay well.

Went back to school at 18 after my first round of back problems.

[smitter]

I grew up on a farm, so I've been working for as long as I can remember. Our farm when I was real little, neighbours when I got a bit older. Doing hay, barn work, field work, whatever.

 

When I was a real little kid, there was only 1 farm job we would get paid for, the rest was pro bono., picking rocks, 50 cents/hr. I remember at the end of the season, my dad handed me a check for 14 dollars. I planned on buying a "transformer" robot watch with the money, but when I went to the store to get it, I just remember thinking about how hard I had to work for that money and how the watch was not worth all that work. I left the watch in the store and put the money in the bank. It was a real pivotal learning lesson in my life. I think I was less than 10 years old at the time. Since then I've always been a real good saver.

 

Now I have a son, and I plan on teaching him about money the same way I learned. If you don't work for it, you're never going to have it.

[grt1]

When I was 12 (1958) I worked at one of the local bowling alleys setting pins, and got .03 per line of bowling, so on a league night I would make (5per team x 3 games bowled x 2 teams per pair of lanes x 2 leagues per night) equaling $1.80.

 

When I started with the Bell Telephone company of Canada in 1965 I was up to the whopping rate of $65.00 per 40 hour week.

 

Of course you could go to the movies for $1.50 back then.

[lookinforwalleye]

First real job was in 1975 as a bag machine operator I think I made 2.50 an hour and with no bills to pay I thought I was rich.

After that I got a job in a warehouse doing shipping and recieving and I am still with that company working my way up through the years and now on my 34th year and making alot more money but you know something I think I had more disposable income in 1975. LOL

[motion]

On top of this they have maintained scholarship grades.....thank the good Lord.

 

Steer the course and teach hin that the guilty pleasures are earned, not handed to him.

 

Amen! We can only guide them through life, we can't be there beside them always to make the right decsions. Thank God my son has taken on fishing as his favourite pass time. Gives us pleanty of time for bonding.

[Leecher]

Born in 63.... My first job was a paper run, I was 12 back then. Was making $8.00 a week and was able to bye hockey sticks with the hard earned money Back then the Sherwood PMP were $7.00