Archive for September, 2008
The Best Worst Job I Ever Had
Thursday, September 25th, 2008 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Up until a horrible experience at age 20, I was as ignorant about money as anybody else. I spent everything I had, never making a budget let alone thinking about investing. Anytime I was about to come into money, whether through gifts, or starting a new job I would immediately think of things to spend it on. I went to college and took on student loan debt. I worked part time jobs, but all of that cash fled my hands as soon as I got it. My typical thinking with money was “Ooooh, that would buy me a nice video game/dinner/CD/movie/clothes/gadget”. My jobs up until this point had been all minimum wage, but when I was 20 I got a gig at working at a steel mill making $14 an hour. My eyes lit up with dollar signs dreaming about what I could buy. This was more money than ANY of my friends were making.
The Best Worst Job I Ever Had
I immediately went out and bought a new car (I had to have a reliable car to get to work, right?). The day before I began my new job I had $3.49 left in my checking account. And at the time, I didn’t see any problem with that. I enjoyed working at the steel mill for about 10 days, when I realized that it was a polluted sinkhole filled with angry, bitter people. But the money was good, and I stuck it out. I looked into spending my first paycheck on getting my car windows tinted to look cool (I ended up not doing it. What was I thinking??). About a month into the job, I had my “money moment”. It hit me like a sack of bricks: I could never do this for my whole life - the dirty environment, the malicious people, the petty politics of work. I realized that unless I learned how to save and invest, I would be stuck spending every paycheck I ever got, forever bound to my miserable job. I went out and bought The First Book of Investing by Samuel Case to try to learn more.
It wasn’t an easy process to learn about money, and it certainly didn’t happen in one night. But slowly I learned to take control. I stuck it out with the steel mill for a little over a year and then politely quit. My new car had by then been coated in a grimy layer of soot, but as I was driving away on the last day I rolled down the windows and gave the mill the finger.
What about you, reader? Are you stuck in a horrible job too? Do you spend everything you earn? Envision yourself there for the rest of your life, and maybe you will have your “money moment” too.
Maybe I shouldn’t have flipped the bird to the mill - it had taught me a lot. If it hadn’t been so bad, I would’ve never been spurred to change. And the $3.49 in my checking account? I photocopied that line in my check register and carry it with me today to remind myself of my past. It was certainly the best worst job I ever had.
Welcome to Chops Money
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Hello! My name is Chops and I am known for two things: my incredibly cool sideburns and my personal finance skills. This is my blog, Chops Money, where I will share my experiences with you.
Reasons to read Chops Money:
- You want to change your view of money.
- You are confused by personal finance.
- You want to see how another average person handles their financial life.
- You are sick of always being broke.
- You enjoy people with sideburns.
- You like witty articles written about money.
About Me: I’m a young professional working hard on building wealth and understanding money.