i need some help from the professionals of the southern section

i need some serious advice

some background first, im 18 working for my dad in the family business (construction elecctrician) currently making $9/hour last week i only got about 25 hrs. i still live at home so i dont have many expenses but i couldnt afford to move out if i wanted to (which i do, BTW) i only have car insurance($160), car payment($220), cell phone($50), and gas for my truck(approx. $200) thats about $630 a month im payin out. winter time is always slow business but this is the first year ive really had to worry about it.

the advice i need is what do i do about a truck and lack of funds.

i hava a 01 silverado 4.8/60e w/ 150k miles on it, is it worth modding, or should i save my money for another truck?

id really like to get a 4wd but i just cant afford to get one right now

just asking for some advice, kinda depressed ATM

 

Take it easy, save, save, save. Get your truck paid off first IMO then start saving for other stuff. Im the construction industry too but luckily I have some senority and get some of the better jobs so the winter doesnt effect me as much. If business is that unstable I would try and find something else to do with a bit steadier paycheck. I waited tables for a long time and it wasnt anything to come home with 150-200 a night but it was weather dependent and sometimes I won sometimes I lost so I got out of it and went to an hourly job. Look for construction testing labs, I work for a company called Terracon, they will start you off at 9.50/hr and after 90 days at most offices you will get commuting priveleges with your company truck and of course it gets used for other things like taking blocks to the machine shop and parts store runs etc. If you really want to mod your truck you either need to find a job with a company vehicle or get a second vehicle. I moved out of my parents house when I was 18, it was HARD at first, for the first year I had my truck it got some clear corners, billet grille, tailights, tint, K&N drop-in, exhaust and thats it. The only reason I got that was because of my tax return. Its going to be hard if you move out which unfortunately means little to no mods in your pay scale. ALWAYS be looking for something better. I understand its a family business and all but if they arent looking out for you then why stay? BTW, the job that I had when I moved out paid 8.50/hr and I could only get 40hr a week most weeks and my rent was 450/mo plus all bills so it CAN be done just takes alot of budgeting, of course I didnt have a truck payment but still had gas and insurance to pay also. Its all about money management in the end. Get your truck paid for then start modding and DONT let the credit card pay for mods you wil be neck deep in debt. I almost have my credit cards paid off and a mod will NEVER go on a credit card again unless it is just some crazy good deal. Im only 21 and in the 3 years I have been out on my own I have learned money management pretty well, if you are interested in maybe doing what I do shoot me a PM, I may be able to help steer you in the right direction. Good luck man, and an education will take you a long ways.

 

well im gonna keep my current job cause really LOVE what i do, its not that he doesnt want me working its that the contractor isnt building houses, i know as much about what goes on as he does, the only employees are my dad(bossman), me and my uncle. i guess im just venting and seeing what others are doing to fund their trucks

is my 150k truck worth modding or not

as far a gettin a 2nd truck, aint happening cant afford it, proabably what will happen is ill end up having to do a high-compression, NA motor for a DD or a radix'd and cam'd motor

id really like to have a black truck but im thinkin i may have to fix up what i got

 

How can you not justify buying another truck yet spending $6000 on a radix/cam/new tranny?

Also Cody that was some damn good advice.

I think it all depends on what you want in life and how soon you want it. I'm 18 myself and definantly not in a position to move out. I could if I had to, but I'm lucky enough to have my car payment and insurance paid for by my parents. I'm on scholarship right now for school so the only things I have to pay for are gas and food. I think the best advice I have heard as far as jobs go are to not get stuck in a job that you can't upgrade on. What I mean is that $10 an hour is not a bad living when you're supporting yourself, but fast forward to 5-10 years when you get married and maybe kids you're gonna need alot more than $10. You want to find a job that will start you off at an hourly wage and put in your time until you can upgrade to a salary.

Once my scholarship is up in 2008 I gotta figure out how to pay for the last to years of a 4 year school and then it's 2 more years of physical therapy school. It's alot of time and money to put in but I plan to be making over $60 an hour. That is assuming people still need physical therapists in 2012.LOL

 

well for that radix and stuff id probabaly have to save about 3years for the radix and everything associated with it

thanks for the advice so far.

i did forget to say in the first post that in proabably 10 years or so, when my dad gets out of the business, i will take over and own the business and id be doin pretty good then

 

I hate guys like you.LOL. My two best friends are in the same position. One of their dad's does flooring for comercial buildings and most of the multi-million dollar houses in Austin,TX. The other one owns a masonry business and profits $500,000 a job. He does at least 2-3 a year so go figure. One of the conditions of the guy who owns the masonry business is that my friend has to get a management degree from a 4 year school before he hands him the business.
****, I'd just put in your time with your old man. See if you can try and get a management degree from somewhere and have your dad write it off as training for his company.

Also just make sure it's a sure thing. My buddies dad had lived in his job site trailers and had to shower with a hose. He started his business when he was 19 and he didn't own an apartment or house until he was 25. Like I said, now he's pulling in a 7 figure salary and he works 2 days a week for about 2 hours each day.

 

i wont have it that good

my dad owns a residential construction electrical company we only do a commercial job every two or three years its mostly just wiring houses that pay about $1500 for around 3 days work BEFORE expenses are taken out.

NO SCHOOL, i actually had a chance to make big bucks, i had a connection to get in the electrical union at a school on nashville and start out makin $9 an hour, they get you a job, it costs NOTHING, and you are making $20+/hour when you get done in 5 years but it was a 70mile drive one way to school from where i live and i wasnt going to move to nashville, i cant stand the big towns, if its slow in one lane, 5-10mph under speed limit, and i cant get in another and speed up, im like someone thats claustrophobic or something i go crazy, and i couldnt stand the drive everyday, and i knew i didnt want to do that for the rest of my life

naw my dad just figures the cost of job and figures about $15 an hour for him to ride around and keep us something to do, but he is the cheapest electrician in town and id up the prices personally to be closer to normal

if it wasnt the family business id be gone for sure

 

Save your money, save your money, and say **** credit cards.

From the looks of it, you have a nice truck. I would keep it and put a built motor, trans, rear, dshaft, touch her up (dents, blemishes and paint) and enjoy it. Unless of course your truck is cursed, then sell it....Do it for me....cuz i cant sell mine.

 

the only thing against my truck is 150k miles,which means most things are worn out, and tan interior

 

Then upgrade SSS black leather seats and interior, Refresh your suspension and call it a day.