So I start looking for work and a house in Lubbock so I can be closer to Kalee sooner and hopefully have a better job. I get a good lead on a place that makes water pumps and I follow it up. Only real irritating thing about this job is that they insist on using a temp service and the temp service doesn't like me...they kept trying to put me at this other job that I didn't want to work at until they just stopped calling me. While going through that nonsense I get a call from a friend for a job in my current area working for a big name gas refinery joint...they tell me "we want someone NOW!" and the job was offering twice the start pay and similar benefits but not as much off-time...so I sent them my resume. That was 6~8 weeks ago. i kept waiting on them, though, but never heard anything. Left messages and called people and went and spoke with them and they'd never tell me anything.
Last week while visiting Kalee, her sister's husband gets a call up from the water pump people (he's my lead into the company...long time employee). It's one of the managers calling up to ask if I still wanted to work for them. I say hell yeah and he says he'll start setting stuff up with human resources and get the temp agency called and I'd hear something tomorrow. The next day, Friday, I get antsy and call the temp people up at about 2pm and ask if they'd heard anything. No, but they said i needed to come update some stuff. Bummed me out. But I took Kalee to work and figured the temp service would be open for another half hour and went by...I start filling out some forms and they give me a slip to take to some med joint to take a drug test. I ask what that was for and they say the water pump place called just after I did...they didn't see fit to let me know, though...thanks a lot...I hate temp agencies.
But anyway I get my drug test done and talk to folks at the water pump joint and find out that the manager I spoke to wants me to come in and that the other people liked my app and resume and they want me there, but they got to wait on one more person to speak up. Pretty much a done deal last Friday. I tell them I'm committed and that all I need to put in notice with my current boss is for this last guy to speak up. On top of that, we've found the house we want and it's in an EXCELLENT neighborhood with lots of cops living locally. Not a super big house....about 1500sqft with a BIG back yard (we have dogs) and it's got a lot of really nice extras...for 105k. So we're scrambling for the down payment...trying to conjure up 20% so if anyone would like to donate a couple bucks to help us get our lives started my paypal addy is makenzie71@gmail.com haha. I'm serious...
Today I get a call from the manager at the refinery. Lovely. Now they're ready to talk turkey with me. Wonderful. Not even interested, now, except they offer more money at the get go.
Which would you guys pick?
Water pump place starts at $8/hr while temping (6 weeks) then a raise but I don't know to what. I can get 18 hours every week of overtime. Standard work schedule is Monday through Thrusday...they allow 2 hours over every day and Friday is all overtime. It's an indoor facility so it's climate controlled. You get paid time off on holidays...like 2 weeks of it around Christmas. Lots of opportunities for advancement and they help you go to school if you're going to specialize in something work related. Kalee has a lot more job opportunities in this area and she's got a college education behind her.
Refinery starts off at $15/hr, 40 hours a week. They don't allow much overtime. It's field work in the Texas Panhandle so I'd be working in 100*+ around now and 10 under in the winter. It's welding and working on gas lines. They send you to school for work specialized education. There's a lot more room for advancement here...there's a lot of guys who start out the same and end up bringing in $22+/hr after 3~4 years. There's nowhere for kalee to work in this area, though.
Both have good insurance...which I'm happy if I could just get dental and vision because me and kalee both have bad eyes and I'd like to be able to get my teeth cleaned every once in a while.
Both, starting out, are about a $10k/yr hit on what I bring home right now, but I can't always count on finding good bikes and Audis laying around to be broken down, and if I'm in Lubbock I won't be spending $8000/yr in fuel and tires just to go see her. Unless they come up with something exceptional at the refinery, I'm set on moving ot Lubbock.
I'd take the refinery position so you have a skilled trade to fall back to ... the best move i ever made was to quit Pizza Hut (i was going to be the youngest assistant manager in the history of PepsiCo owning the chain ... woohoo lol) and go work with my Dad and brother doing heating & cooling . I have my own company now and a fairly comfortable living . I also learned a skilled trade ... most of the people i still know from my younger days that worked fast food & factories are over 30 and are competing for jobs with 18yo kids that are just as qualified as they are
Hell , 2 out of my 3 laborers went to school with me and got the same basic education i did
Oh for reference, the water pump job will be me learning how to operate lathes and giant CNC machines and stuff of that nature. It isn't a sit around and assemble stuff job...
And it starts at $9.13/hr...i wasn't informed correctly before.
Eh , it's still factory work versus welding :dunno_white:
Then again , if you have connections in the factory i guess that could help ... i just know i couldn't stand being in the same place all day long :mad:
Maybe it's just me ... i worked in a factory for a half day once ... 5 hours that seemed like 5 days
I would like to apologize for not minding my wording with the title, and thanks to who ever took the time to alter it.
I did Mak, I thought I'd take a liberty and change it & keep your thread going. :thumb:
Forget the factory. You're just a number there.
Go for the refinery work. You're still just a number, but you can make CONNECTIONS that will pay off. Oil is MONEY, and there's plenty of it.
With a little bit of networking you can do alot more with the folks at the refinery.
Above all, it's just a f%$king job. Keep the missus (or to be?) happy, do what's right by both of you. Keep your spending in check and save save save. Keep 6 months' salary in the bank and don't touch it. Then start saving for the house. You ride a bike and work with potentially dangerous shaZam! all day. Having a sizable cushion in the bank is a really good idea.
All common sense I know, but didn't want you to miss it with all the moving and stress.
:thumb:
$9.83 an Hr and a 100K house ???
Hope your girl makes some coin cause I don't see how you can cut it on that. Unless you LOVE Ramen Noodels and Kool-Aid
:thumb:
It's not an oil refinery...it's natural gas...more of a processing facility I guess. don't know what kind of generic term to give it and i didn't want to post their name up.
As it is, though, I already accepted the job at the waterpump joint. It's the Gould's facility in Lubbock. They do all the casting and such there...really spiffy place. I'll be working as a machinist carving out the pump casings and balancing turbines...aand since I'll have a giant lathe on hand I'll probably sneak some side work in as well haha.
Big thing is that I'll be closer to Kalee, now, and she has a $1100/mo job coming up this winter (her sister is having a baby and the lady's too much a work-a-holic to take time off for the kid haha). She'll also be opening a studio and maybe shooting some weddings (where the money is). She wouldn't be able to do any of that here.
Scott...we're scouoring to put around 20% down...which puts our payments in the vicinity of $800/mo. bringing home a little under 2k month should cover that. Plus, she does have a job...not much, but we don't need much. The typical cost of living in Texas is quite low in comparison to most places...especially in New England. my sister was forking over $1300/mo for a 1300sq ft house in Maryland until the Army finally got them on base. Also, after I get rid of the temp agency I get a raise.
it absolutely amazes me at the pitiful wages being paid to unskilled or semi skilled workers. another craw in my throat is the lack of universal health care in this country. which ever job you take i wish you the best of luck.
my advise to everyone is to stay in school
Quote from: frankieG on July 09, 2007, 07:05:22 PM
it absolutely amazes me at the pitiful wages being paid to unskilled or semi skilled workers. another craw in my throat is the lack of universal health care in this country. which ever job you take i wish you the best of luck.
my advise to everyone is to stay in school
Move to Canada
In all honesty, these aren't petty pay...especially for entry level positions. The only people who think it is are from California or New England where the cost of living is retarded.
Your cost of living can't be too far off from St Louis ... i think you may be running your budget a little tight after utilities and stuff Mak
You have to watch what you are actually gonna spend on a house . My house payment is like $850 a month on 96k borrowed @ 30yrs (and i got my house 5yrs ago when the rates were lower ... i got in at 6.84%). When the realtors/lender tell you your payment , they don't usually factor in escrow(the lender pays your property taxes for you) , insurance , PMI (Primary mortgage Insurance ... doesn't help you out at all , just covers the lender if you default in X-amount of time) , etc . I told the realtor i wanted my payments under $600ish a month , which they are ... until all the extras are added in . Less than $200 of my payments actually go towards the balance of my loan . If you can get the 20% , you may be able to get away without PMI , but that's really only like 50 bucks or so .
I don't think anyone's trying to upset you on your wages , i just think you may have to spend more than you think bud
Man that would be a Hard Choice for me. :icon_confused: I'm going to be in the Same Situation Probably in the Next few Months.I'm torn between working in a machine Shop as a Machinist or Welder (No Experience required) OR working as an Electrian. I hate working on a Concrete Floor 10 Hours a Day and I get Sick after about 8ft off of the Ground since I'm Hypsiphobic or whatever you call it. :dunno_white:
Quote from: genEricStL on July 09, 2007, 08:03:57 PM
Your cost of living can't be too far off from St Louis ... i think you may be running your budget a little tight after utilities and stuff Mak
You have to watch what you are actually gonna spend on a house . My house payment is like $850 a month on 96k borrowed @ 30yrs (and i got my house 5yrs ago when the rates were lower ... i got in at 6.84%). When the realtors/lender tell you your payment , they don't usually factor in escrow(the lender pays your property taxes for you) , insurance , PMI (Primary mortgage Insurance ... doesn't help you out at all , just covers the lender if you default in X-amount of time) , etc . I told the realtor i wanted my payments under $600ish a month , which they are ... until all the extras are added in . Less than $200 of my payments actually go towards the balance of my loan . If you can get the 20% , you may be able to get away without PMI , but that's really only like 50 bucks or so .
If we can arrange the 20% down then our payments would be a hair over $800/mo...that's everything. In Texas, you have to have your taxes and insurance and everything figured into your monthly note. If we can't wring out the 20k, we're out a hair under $1000/mo...phone, power, gas, water...typical bills...run about $500/mo in our area. Which leaves about $1000/mo between me and kalee to spend on food, fuel, and screwing around.
Just doublechecking with ya man , i'd hate to see ya get burned :icon_lol:
We paid 10% down with seller paid closing on our house with a 30 year note escrowing insurance and taxes our total monthly is 875. Be careful what you get into Mak. Fortunately My wife and I both have solid stable long term Job's. I am assuming 850 is total with insurance and taxes escrowed. You just don't ever want to get behind the 8-ball on a house payment. I spent 2 years running the AS/400 for a mortgage company here in town and let me tell you it is brutal trying to get caught back up.
working in a factory aint' really that bad. especially since i noticed he mentioned cnc machines. i'm a cnc mill operator for Crown. i just started at the mill operator position 2 months ago. i work second shift but i make almost $14 and hour. top out is $16 in my dept right now. after a year i can move to another plant, next town over and top out pay is close to $20. i had no prior machining experince for this job. all i'm saying is factory work ain't bad if you get the right company. i love my job! do what's best for you and your family though. :thumb:
I'd be working 3rd shift...but I live third shift anyway haha. Translating this to a 40 hour a week job it's like $15.20/hr to start. That's how they keep employees happy, I'm told. They keep the mandatory operating hours there short so people can pretty much take a break any time they want...but they make sure they have all the overtime they can take.
As a side note, not all temp places are crap either. i got this job through a temp place. i worked my ass off and within a month got hired in full time. :thumb:
That had nothing to do with the temp agency...
kalee's looking at rent houses, now, though, despite the fact that i hate the idea of renting...100% complete waste of money...but i guess it'd be better until we're good and settled.
My 2 cents worth, don't just let it come down to which job pays the best. You need to spend time with your lady & have some time for yourself as well. :thumb:
I told Gould's I would work for them when I thought they didn't pay as much.(http://gstwins.com/gsboard/Smileys/oldboard_smiles/thumbup.gif)
Sounds like your on the right track.
I always would have liked to get into CNC machining, but never got the chance apart from a training course during my apprenticeship.
yeah, family is first. gotta make sure ya got plenty of time for the lady. as for renting, i agree 100%. it is a waste of money but sometimes ya just gotta bite it. sucks. i know. we are there right now. i make enough to buy a house but the credit ain't great. what i do qaulify to buy i wouldn't raise my kids in! so we are waiting till after the missus has baby #3 and goes back to work. then hopefully we can get a house. guess we will see. anyways. good luck with your search. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
i've wanted something to do with machining for a long time...both because I really like the work and because I'm always having to have parts turned off a lathe. The stuff is literally like porn to me...
Quote from: jserio on July 09, 2007, 09:14:37 PM
yeah, family is first. gotta make sure ya got plenty of time for the lady. as for renting, i agree 100%. it is a waste of money but sometimes ya just gotta bite it. sucks. i know. we are there right now. i make enough to buy a house but the credit ain't great. what i do qaulify to buy i wouldn't raise my kids in! so we are waiting till after the missus has baby #3 and goes back to work. then hopefully we can get a house. guess we will see. anyways. good luck with your search. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
Ah 3 kids, you'll love it, it's all good. :laugh: We enjoy having 3 kid's so much we're having a 4th. :cookoo:
Crazy wombat-f%$king, kangaroo killer :thumb:
How are wages even Made in that country , im like just 20 and im on , 5,75 a hour , about 10 bucks i think , and i work maybe 30 hours a week , and can pull in around 1500 dollars a month , thats like converted , but im a dept supervisor , and ive been looking into working in a motorbike shop selling parts maybe helping the odd bit of work on the bike *hopefully my gs will be a lil rollin cv ) ive been assured i can get a job there by my friend who deals in finding jobs , anyways , ill be on 16k pounds a Year Uk , so thats 30k us , and then after maybe 2 years , i manage the shop and get 24k , or about 44k us ,
now im not a skilled person, pretty good grades from school , but still how come wages are so darn low in the us , i no the cost of living is alot less , but stilll ,
Mak , i thought u may have worked with bikes , as u have a amazing amount of Knowledge on the things ,
Good luck fella :thumb:
Quote from: makenzie71 on July 09, 2007, 09:17:33 PM
i've wanted something to do with machining for a long time...both because I really like the work and because I'm always having to have parts turned off a lathe. The stuff is literally like porn to me...
I miss being able to get on the machines, I wouldn't mind just getting a hobby mill & lathe, but have no where to put them. It may be porn Mak, but keep all fleshy parts clear. ;)
Quote from: spcterry on July 09, 2007, 09:20:04 PM
Crazy wombat-f%$king, kangaroo killer :thumb:
I told you before box head, it was not proven in court. :nono:
I hit up a lot of the bike joints around Lubbock and no one wanted to pay me what I needed...the Honda dealer literally tried to sit there and haggle with me to convince me to stay but their best offer was less then $18k a year...
Yeah but it was caught on camera and we know...........
Thats Discusting , 18k is a joke ,When i see u on here, your knowledge on one bike is insane , yet , looking on your maks Kitchen , You have some nice looking parts on it , Makes me want a Nighthawk lol
you think ill be starting on 30k us roughly , and that is a low paying job by london standerds , my friend is a job consultant , and hes on 40,000 uk so about 75k , us , and thats basic wage...
my grandad is a MD of a Bus company, he started a Bus cleaner many many many years ago , now hes on a respectable 115,000 pounds a year, crazy money really
you brits get the best everything. best wages for work done apparentlsy. and from what i've heard, bikes we can't get here in the states. :dunno_white:
Quote from: jserio on July 09, 2007, 09:46:38 PM
you brits get the best everything. best wages for work done apparentlsy. and from what i've heard, bikes we can't get here in the states. :dunno_white:
Dont forget about a crap cricket team, only 3 days of summer a year, mad cow disease, so they don't get the best of everything.
$7/gal for fuel, twice the cost of living anyone in theh states ever sees, and sardine lifestyle...
Two good job opportunities if you ask me. :thumb: Yes, rent. Give yourselves a chance to dream before you buy your ball & chain. What features would you like? Country or city? Depending on floorplan, 1500 sq ft is on the tight side. Skip the starter house, if you're paying for 30yrs it had better be your dream house. In fact, it had better be made out of steel. :icon_razz:
Thats Just it Mak , 20 Ciggerettes? 10 bucks , Big Mac meal $10 errm , Lets think , A pint of beer in a pub %6.80 a 70cl bottle of Jack, about 32 bucks ,
My 1996 gs 1600 Dollars ,
A one bedroom flat in london , about 200,000 Us
a 5 bedroom house, 60 ft garden about 40 miles from London ., 800,000 Us
6 Bedroom House 150 Miles from London, 1.1 million us ,
it doesnt seem that expensive because it all evens out i think
but yea , Enjoy!
Oh Bubba , who won the ashes?
damn u did . is my edit :( lol
Quote from: Jay_wolf on July 09, 2007, 10:12:17 PM
Oh Bubba , who won the ashes? i forget :thumb:
Us 5 zip, after we loaned it to you for 14 months. :laugh:
We also won the world cup too, I believe. :laugh:
Your so lucky uve got a lovely Looking Dog :thumb:
Otherwise :2guns:...
But u have Neighbours , the WORST programme known to man , :flipoff:
Quote from: Jay_wolf on July 09, 2007, 10:15:06 PM
Your so lucky uve got a lovely Looking Dog :thumb:
Otherwise :2guns:...
But u have Neighbours , the WORST programme known to man , :flipoff:
Struth, you must be about the only pom that doesn't like neighbours. :laugh:
It's absolute crap agreed, probably not the worst, but one of the worst. Dont forget about all these reality telly shows.
BTW you can keep Peter Andre ;)
Factory and CNC work can be fun as hell. I worked for a little bit in the former, and I'm on our CNC mill pretty often around here. Anyway, I totally know what you mean about cost of living. My parents house in a nice suburb of Dallas is around $200k and the house I'm renting here in Cali is upwards of $1 mil, yet far crappier. Anyway, if you're scrambling about the house, then just take your time with it. Buying your first house in a rush is probably a bad idea, especially if you're tight on money. Wait until you have a bit more security about where the money's coming from and also have some rainy-day cash tucked away that you don't touch, even for those pristine A4's that comes your way. I've had to resist the urge to buy profitable bikes/cars several times because I made school/work a priority over it. Yesterday I turned down a $300 deal for a 1990 GS500 with 28k miles with Progressives, kat shock, Yosh slip-on, SS lines, nice aftermarket paint job that only needed a front caliper rebuild, new tires/chain/sprocket/battery/throttle cable/choke cable. It's fun and it makes some dough, but you've got more skill and creativity than that :) And time with the significant other is valuable, especially when you're on third shift.
hahaha
yep Reality tv shows are rubbush , and the less spoken bout Peter *greaseball* Andre the better
What i want to no is , That You no the Digareedo, are all aussies good with there mouth and lips?. what do u Learn on ? :thumb:
Quote from: Jay_wolf on July 09, 2007, 10:31:12 PM
hahaha
yep Reality tv shows are rubbush , and the less spoken bout Peter *greaseball* Andre the better
What i want to no is , That You no the Digareedo, are all aussies good with there mouth and lips?. what do u Learn on ? :thumb:
What, can every Aussie play the digeredoo? Nope.
they can't? how disapointing...
So Mak, with this new job of your's, will you be anle to knock out a few bling pieces for the GS's. ;) :laugh: :laugh:
a goal on the list...not for a while, though...
I your going to rent find the cheapest peice you can. It's hard to save for a new place when your stuck renting. When you do buy, buy in a place that has $$ potential. With steady income it's not hard to fix a place up and flip it in a few years. I know people makeing 100K a year doing just one house. If you have no kids It's really easy. I'm doing it with 4, still not to hard. As for the job Good Luck!
If you guys find cheap bikes let me know dang I'll make the cash.
Thing is that to find a place to rent that will handle everything we need we're spending the same per month...so we won't be saving much...certainly not until next winter.
Then I say buy something you can sell in a few years and make some money on. right now inmy aera everyone is selling some the prices are dropping. They will pick up in a few years it always has. Just pick a good area.
That's what I would like to do. The house we want...if we got it now, in five years it'll gain at least 25% in value. If we diod that, though, we'd only come away with like $5000 in profit...so it's not really worth it to me to go at it like that.
Besides, when it comes down to it, we need a yard and a 2000+ sqft home and that's just not within ouor reach at this time. I don't like renting but I think it's a better bet for us right now.
I wish I had 2000sf to work with. I've got 1375sf and about 125 in equity. :thumb:
Just whating for the opprotunity to present itself. But if renting is your best option go for it. I've done it, I just feel the same way you do about wasting money.
We don't have much choice. We need room to set up at least one studio and an office...if we have room to set up two studios then we're much better off. That's part of our income and likely the only way we'll be able to put much back over the next year.
Cool I wish ya the best of luck :thumb: