# Are side jobs REALLY worth it???



## 2buckcanuckjr. (Apr 28, 2011)

I'm doing a side job in my home town which is great. But the last few days i've been there until 11:30 -12:00 at night each night. I think it'll be worth it but what do you guys think about taking on that late working job. Is it REALLY worth it???:thumbup:


----------



## ding (Jan 19, 2011)

if you are useless during the day and are risking your full time job then no. But someone else can give us that answer :whistling2:


----------



## DSJOHN (Apr 5, 2010)

If you are upfront with the side job owner about how long it will take because of your day job and they are understanding-go for it--dont burn yourself out--and make sure Dad isnt mad!!!!!!!


----------



## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

Prob not, The 40 hr week is there becouse it just works, If you do extra then over a year or so you will get run down, tried and worn out, Then you work slower, you think your not but you are, So then you need some time off or you get sick more often so then you loose the gain you think you got, But its a dirty dirty life cycle we live in now, Most need more than 40hrs, The cost of living is so much higher, so you work more, loose family time and quility of life and those hobbies you did have, kiss them goodbye. By the sound of things i have it better here in nz than you guys do.
I dont know what the answer to it all is, I have worked extra all my life, I guess im ahead compared to people my age but that comes at a cost, Im aiming to slow down so i dont miss my daughter growing up :yes:


----------



## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

2buckcanuckjr. said:


> I'm doing a side job in my home town which is great. But the last few days i've been there until 11:30 -12:00 at night each night. I think it'll be worth it but what do you guys think about taking on that late working job. Is it REALLY worth it???:thumbup:


Your boss isn't paying you enough in your day job, you'll have to stand up to him and say...look hear you fat little f#ck (assuming thats what he is :whistling2, I want a pay rise or I'm leaving for New Zealand to work, I would rather work for fine strong upstanding people that love their employee's as if they were family than a tightarse unappreciative mongrel like yourself (assuming thats what he is :whistling2. :jester:


----------



## cdwoodcox (Jan 3, 2011)

I used to moonlight all the time when I was younger after awhile you get sick of working all the time and just say no. The occasional side job is good.


----------



## joepro0000 (Jun 14, 2008)

2buckcanuckjr. said:


> I'm doing a side job in my home town which is great. But the last few days i've been there until 11:30 -12:00 at night each night. I think it'll be worth it but what do you guys think about taking on that late working job. Is it REALLY worth it???:thumbup:


 
I did this once with my wife before we had our own business. We were working 7-3's and then a 4:30/5 - 9 for 1 month 5 days a week, then 1 8 hr day on sat. It was a pain, but it then end, it was well worth it. We got a big chunk of money they we were not counting for, and ended up buying another car with it!:thumbsup:


----------



## SlimPickins (Aug 10, 2010)

Kiwiman said:


> Your boss isn't paying you enough in your day job, you'll have to stand up to him and say...look hear you fat little f#ck (assuming thats what he is :whistling2, I want a pay rise or I'm leaving for New Zealand to work, I would rather work for fine strong upstanding people that love their employee's as if they were family than a tightarse unappreciative mongrel like yourself (assuming thats what he is :whistling2. :jester:


:laughing:


----------



## pigrock (Apr 10, 2011)

I have been doin side jobs for 7 years now , and I find that you can get burned out in a hurry.
What I try....:blink:try to do is space out the jobs.


----------



## chris (Apr 13, 2011)

2buckcanuckjr. said:


> I'm doing a side job in my home town which is great. But the last few days i've been there until 11:30 -12:00 at night each night. I think it'll be worth it but what do you guys think about taking on that late working job. Is it REALLY worth it???:thumbup:


Hell ya its worth it :thumbsup:


----------



## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

Kiwiman said:


> Your boss isn't paying you enough in your day job, you'll have to stand up to him and say...look hear you fat little f#ck (assuming thats what he is ), I want a pay rise or I'm leaving for New Zealand to work, I would rather work for fine strong upstanding people that love their employee's as if they were family than a tightarse unappreciative mongrel like yourself (assuming thats what he is ). :jester:


HHHmmmm 6 ft tall, 245 pound 2buck punch 2buckjr in head, stuff him in box, and put on airplane to New Zealand,,,,,,hide your sheep

Were at 60-40, I got the tools, transportation, the good name,and pay for the gas etc.....

When I was a young 2buck, I busted my a$$ on side jobs to get all the tools, build my name and so forth.

He's 29, no drivers licence or vehicle yet, and not enough tools to go out on his own yet, and he's been with me off and on since he was 17.

I'm not going to get all personal about things, but if I dropped dead tomorrow, where would he stand ?????? He's not my real son, but I'm his adoptive mother, Sdrdrywall knows what I'm talking about:thumbsup:

So he can start taking all the side jobs I turn down when people come knocking at my door. and start getting ahead.

My advice to any young buck under age 30 is "suck her up princess", and do those side jobs, gain experience and KNOWLEDGE, and invest in bloody tools. I know you young bucks won't like to hear this, but you know it's true. H.O. and G.C. prefer to hire us older farts. So well your young, become good at your craft, so when you you become 30 or older, and people take you more serious, you will be ready, to be one of the best tradesmen out there:thumbsup:

Do those side jobs while your young, not old.........

And if nobody hasn't noticed yet, 2buckjr is a







Time for him to man up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Workaholic (Dec 13, 2010)

OP:Yes side jobs are worth it, invest back into the trade by buying your own tools, I assumed you aready had your own tools but big 2buck is saying differently. 



> When I was a young 2buck, I busted my a$$ on side jobs to get all the tools, build my name and so forth.


Absolutely. I am sure many of us did the same thing. 



> He's 29, no drivers licence or vehicle yet, and not enough tools to go out on his own yet, and he's been with me off and on since he was 17.


Suspended? If not make is ass get one.


----------



## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

Workaholic said:


> OP:
> 
> Suspended? If not make is ass get one.


Nope he never got a license.


----------



## Workaholic (Dec 13, 2010)

2buckcanuck said:


> Nope he never got a license.


Withhold a percentage until you drive him down to get one. :whistling2:


----------



## rhardman (Jul 7, 2009)

Fully agree with 2buck about the young guys working hard. It's a great investment in themselves. At 29 he has about 10 minutes to decide where he's going to end up. Big 2buck sounds like a guy with a big heart that won't put up with a "child" forever.

(Don't get "bent" junior, if you're getting bashed around, it means we consider you an equal...well...maybe after you get a driver's license. What kinda piss ant, whiny little kid doesn't have a license?)

_That was fun!_ 

For me, the side stuff typically ended up being for friends so I could save them a little money. After a while I realized they didn't appreciate it so I don't do that anymore.

But...
I still do side jobs for toys. Wanted to get into the Paragliding and couldn't rationalize the $5-6,000,00 for the equipment. So I found a local Paragliding forum online and offered to trade drywall/plaster/paint/tile for the equipment. An instructor that also sold them let me remodel his basement in exchange. He got a 30% discount on the equipment and we were both happy. He paid for the lessons too!








That's the wing, me and the guy who had the basement is taking the picture.:thumbup:

(Junior...maybe you could trade side work for a car? Throw a dart and see what happens!)


----------



## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

2buckcanuck said:


> HHHmmmm 6 ft tall, 245 pound 2buck punch 2buckjr in head, stuff him in box, and put on airplane to New Zealand,,,,,,hide your sheep
> 
> Were at 60-40, I got the tools, transportation, the good name,and pay for the gas etc.....
> 
> ...


I think most of us have had to do the hard yards and long hours at some stage, usually to help bring up a young family that you are too tired to appreciate, then when you are financially secure the kids have left home and the mrs....well, you know. 
What I want to know big fella (assuming thats what you are:whistling2 is how does JR get to and from his night job, does his adoptive mother wait out in the truck to pick him up at midnight?


----------



## Northtown (Jan 3, 2011)

Yes, side jobs are great if you bid them right.Be professional in appearance(this alone will get you a premium price .If your client feels comfortable with you .) ,zipwall the areas for large patchwork or just cover the floor for small,and use 20 min. fast set mud,vacuum sand areas . For even small repairs like a door knob hole in the wall I can get 150.00 in less than a hour.
I have about 25-30 guys working for me so I need to have alot of time during the day to babysit . So i bid my side jobs high and make sure they are small so I'm in and out. I made around 4,000 in around 20 hrs work last month.


----------



## 2buckcanuckjr. (Apr 28, 2011)

the truth is that i'm sort of terrified of driving so thats why i've procrastinated this long. Now i see all my fiends driving and i'm tired of walking or relying on others. so i'm seeing through the fear and going to overcome it. I simply must. @buck is absolutetly right, Time to man up. When i do I'm taking a nice trip to nz so shine up the sheep Baaa


----------



## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

Kiwiman said:


> I think most of us have had to do the hard yards and long hours at some stage, usually to help bring up a young family that you are too tired to appreciate, then when you are financially secure the kids have left home and the mrs....well, you know.
> What I want to know big fella (assuming thats what you are:whistling2 is how does JR get to and from his night job, does his adoptive mother wait out in the truck to pick him up at midnight?


his adoptive mother has to drop him off at the job, then he has to walk his skinny a$$ home in the dark, which he is afraid of that too.

I think he's afraid of taking orders too


----------



## jmr (Mar 22, 2010)

pretty easy to save some cash for tools... considering how much money you can make right off the bat, they'll pay for themselves right away. 

i've been working drywall since i was a kid with my pops, started doing service work full time at 21.. got enough money to buy my first set of tools.. quit doing service work, started subbing houses from the dude i serviced for and its all been (uphill/downhill from there)... that was 6 years ago..

now i'm thinking i shoulda took that money and put it into school haha.. hindsights 20/20..


----------



## Jason (Feb 27, 2011)

If by 'side job' you mean working for a HO, then no. I don't need to piss off those builders who are my regular source of continual income in order to go do magnifying glass quality work on the cheap, weekends and holidays, at The Most Important House in the World.


----------



## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

Will I get screwed?? I did many side jobs. got taken on a few.
NEVER WORK FOR A$$ HOLE BUDDIES. those favors seem to vanish over time.


----------



## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

2buckcanuck said:


> his adoptive mother has to drop him off at the job, then he has to walk his skinny a$$ home in the dark, which he is afraid of that too.
> 
> I think he's afraid of taking orders too


Aaaah, you are a good mother 2Buck, they give you grief in their young days but it's all worth it in the end :thumbsup: 
Hey JR, wear a hockey mask on the way home at night...then you'll be the one to be afraid of.


----------



## ding (Jan 19, 2011)

29 years old and is afraid to drive and afraid of the dark  2buck give the poor kid his stones back and introduce him to some of that canadian beaver:smartass:


----------



## Final touch drywall (Mar 30, 2010)

moore said:


> NEVER WORK FOR A$$ HOLE BUDDIES. those favors seem to vanish over time.


:thumbsup:Ain't that the truth,only time I have ever gotten screwed,was from,so-called friends.


----------



## Final touch drywall (Mar 30, 2010)

How does 1 do a side job without transportation:confused1: 
I would say money is money,no matter how you make it.:yes:


----------



## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

Get a drivers license dude. make more money,,, buy more STUFF:blink:


----------



## 2buckcanuckjr. (Apr 28, 2011)

Thank you for all of your kind posts. I'm happy to report that it was worth it. apparently i've landed 4 extra jobs while doing this one. And they do understand i've got a day job now and now knowing that they are ok with it. Thanx for all of your support guys!!


----------



## Cratter (Sep 6, 2010)

I do side jobs all the time. Why wouldn't you wanna make a weeks pay in a 1/5 the time? 

Thats how you get ahead. Use that extra money to buy auto tools, texture sprayer, etc. Not to mention you get the intrinsic value of learning to deal with customers and how much to bid. Then you always have a "backup" plan knowing if you get laid off or lose your job you can still make money. Start advertising in the newspaper, use google adwords, etc. Then start calling the homebuilders. They are always looking for new people


----------



## carpentaper (Feb 28, 2009)

it depends on your lifestyle in my opinion. i have been doing side jobs for three years. i pretty much picked up taping on the side and it has afforded me lots of tools. i almost exclusively do taping for side work. i rarely do carpentry side jobs. they get too big. taping side jobs for me are usually 4 to 6 days of work and fairly easy to price and make good money on.
honestly though i am getting burned out and i am losing time i can't get back with my young family. i would not do it if i didn't have to but bills don't get paid if i don't. the more i am away from my family the more determined i get to never do side jobs again unless extremely worth it. i am in the process of paying off debt and eliminating costs until we can live off of what i make and that hopefully will be coming sooner rather than later. i miss having a life but part of it is learning and i was a bit of a credit virgin up until four years ago and now i know. beware buying what you can't pay for.
i also agree with an earlier post about spacing side jobs out. it's not so bad if you have a life in between them. i've made the mistake of not saying no to jobs and wound up losing six weekends in a row a few times. it SUCKS. take on only what you can handle and don't be afraid to say no. 
a general rule for me too is if i can't coat it in one night its too big. don't kid yourself we all know taping jobs are almost always time sensitive by the time we get there("i need it done in three days!!":furious so if i cannot complete it in the same amount of days somebody else could during the week they really have no reason to hire me. some people find scheduling with us moonlighters to be a little inconvinient.
this is just a bit of my experience. my answer is yes they are worth it but it takes a bit of time to figure out which jobs are worth taking.


----------

