Belly up to the Bar (aka The Post Whorin' Thread)

[marko138]

Originally Posted by Trip

I'm with Marko. Time off is infinitely more valuable to me than being at work. I minimize my purchases and sacrifice comforts to make sure I can afford not working more than my 40.

I leave early nearly every Friday. I don't work a single weekend ever and never a holiday. I do get comp time on the occasional stint that we work past 5pm.

My job often sucks as far as subject goes. I mean I do shoot video of politicians but I took the job because of what I wrote above. I gotta live my life.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by marko138

I leave early nearly every Friday. I don't work a single weekend ever and never a holiday. I do get comp time on the occasional stint that we work past 5pm.

My job often sucks as far as subject goes. I mean I do shoot video of politicians but I took the job because of what I wrote above. I gotta live my life.

I wish I could say the same, but my job does require overtime and some call in work. Especially when the plant is in an outage or something bad happens on my equipment. I believe when I transfer to Hydro, most of this will disappear since I will be on projects/new modifications side of the house and not as much deadline pressure.

My job currently sucks hard as far as stress and subject. It's incredibly detailed and regulation oriented. Way too much paperwork. The job I have is hardly engineering, more like data clerk with a little engineering thrown in. Definitely not what I want to do, the new job should be much more interesting and getting back into true electrical engineering.

[Mr Lefty]

Originally Posted by Trip

I'm with Marko. Time off is infinitely more valuable to me than being at work. I minimize my purchases and sacrifice comforts to make sure I can afford not working more than my 40.

and yet you still own a home, have a paid off bike, just bought a new truck, wife has a newer car...

you make good money. it makes it easy to not work overtime when your base pay is nice, and it's easy to say that when you're time off isn't tainted with the stress of being in debt.

I know that a lot of it is personal responsibility with your credit, and my debit is my own fault. but trust me no one values their off time more than I do, I just have to pay this debt off so that I can afford to enjoy it.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Mr Lefty

and yet you still own a home, have a paid off bike, just bought a new truck, wife has a newer car...

you make good money. it makes it easy to not work overtime when your base pay is nice, and it's easy to say that when you're time off isn't tainted with the stress of being in debt.

I know that a lot of it is personal responsibility with your credit, and my debit is my own fault. but trust me no one values their off time more than I do, I just have to pay this debt off so that I can afford to enjoy it.

That's true, but I also keep older things til I can afford stuff outright without putting it on credit. If my pay was a lot less, I would be the same way. I wouldn't purchase things til I could afford them outright. I didn't purchase anything extravagant til after all my college debt was paid off. I lived in a cheap apartment to build a back up savings faster before I moved into a nice one. I had the same old used civic to save money I used in college til I upgraded to a base model used toyota tacoma instead of going for a really nice truck. Motorcycles have been my one vice where I spent a little more than I needed.

The house is Andrea's, lol, I am scaling us back when we sell it and move to Chattanooga. Although we did save a lot going the foreclosure route.

I could definitely spend a lot more money than I do, but I choose to live well within my means. My means aren't the same as anyone elses though.

[marko138]

Originally Posted by Mr Lefty

and yet you still own a home, have a paid off bike, just bought a new truck, wife has a newer car...

you make good money. it makes it easy to not work overtime when your base pay is nice, and it's easy to say that when you're time off isn't tainted with the stress of being in debt.

I know that a lot of it is personal responsibility with your credit, and my debit is my own fault. but trust me no one values their off time more than I do, I just have to pay this debt off so that I can afford to enjoy it.

I don't make that good of money. Honestly I don't. My wife is good with finances. I spend all our money. We are looking to buy a new house soon.

[Gas Man]

Originally Posted by Mr Lefty

and yet you still own a home, have a paid off bike, just bought a new truck, wife has a newer car...

you make good money. it makes it easy to not work overtime when your base pay is nice, and it's easy to say that when you're time off isn't tainted with the stress of being in debt.

I know that a lot of it is personal responsibility with your credit, and my debit is my own fault. but trust me no one values their off time more than I do, I just have to pay this debt off so that I can afford to enjoy it.

I couldn't have said it better. I make good money but when I transferred jobs to keep a job & also get a better job I lost $35k on the condo sale. That was a $450 loan every month for 5 years. Plus buying a new house.

[Gas Man]

Originally Posted by marko138

I really don't care about money like that. I value my time off and my life more than cash. That's just me though. I get where you're coming from.

Honestly this bugged me. Not offended just bugged me.

Understand. I don't choose to work this. I do it to keep my job, my job requires this from me right now. It should change, it's suppose to be a transitional period. I choose to keep my job and the 14 years I have vested into it. I'm really good at my job and have earned respect in the company and industry. This really isn't a job, and I shouldn't call it that, it's a career to the max. I knew when I went full time, I would work here to retire from here. I knew this.

Am I dedicated, cetainly. We get unlimited PAID sick days. In 14yrs, I've taken NONE/ZERO/ZIP. Why? Cause I don't work at walmart as a cashier. If I call off, one of my co-workers is loosing his day off to come in and cover. I don't do that to him, and the respect is returned, they don't call off. Probably also why we still have tt privilege.

I work too much. I've been trying for about 3 years now to get a better schedule and for 3 years now I have been let down by others. People I'm trying to train to do my job and either can't or won't get "it". My social life then suffers but damnit, the company pays for it.

Would I like more time off. You bet! Am striving for that, planning for it, adapting my plan, onto plan G... Damn right I am.

There is always a give and take. I do work too much, get paid extra for it, and that allows me to buy nicer things. I'm not broke, but not where I want to be. But as I roll into the 4th quarter of 2011, I'm better now than I've been in over 5 yrs. Its an awesome, freeing, and liberating feeling. Uma & I knuckled down and paid off major debt this year with all my ot. So we are rewarding ourselves with some new carpet in the house. And the best part about it. We are paying cash for the carpet! I'm pumped about that. Cash!

Sorry. Had to get some of that off my chest. Perhaps it enlightens some of it.

[marko138]

Originally Posted by Gas Man

Honestly this bugged me. Not offended just bugged me.

Understand. I don't choose to work this. I do it to keep my job, my job requires this from me right now. It should change, it's suppose to be a transitional period. I choose to keep my job and the 14 years I have vested into it. I'm really good at my job and have earned respect in the company and industry. This really isn't a job, and I shouldn't call it that, it's a career to the max. I knew when I went full time, I would work here to retire from here. I knew this.

Am I dedicated, cetainly. We get unlimited PAID sick days. In 14yrs, I've taken NONE/ZERO/ZIP. Why? Cause I don't work at walmart as a cashier. If I call off, one of my co-workers is loosing his day off to come in and cover. I don't do that to him, and the respect is returned, they don't call off. Probably also why we still have tt privilege.

I work too much. I've been trying for about 3 years now to get a better schedule and for 3 years now I have been let down by others. People I'm trying to train to do my job and either can't or won't get "it". My social life then suffers but damnit, the company pays for it.

Would I like more time off. You bet! Am striving for that, planning for it, adapting my plan, onto plan G... Damn right I am.

There is always a give and take. I do work too much, get paid extra for it, and that allows me to buy nicer things. I'm not broke, but not where I want to be. But as I roll into the 4th quarter of 2011, I'm better now than I've been in over 5 yrs. Its an awesome, freeing, and liberating feeling. Uma & I knuckled down and paid off major debt this year with all my ot. So we are rewarding ourselves with some new carpet in the house. And the best part about it. We are paying cash for the carpet! I'm pumped about that. Cash!

Sorry. Had to get some of that off my chest. Perhaps it enlightens some of it.

Brother, I understand where you're coming from and I certainly wasn't taking a dig at you. My point is I can't and wouldn't live like that. I'll be completely honest...I'd quit if that was my job. I know the economy is tough and all that but that ain't how I get down. I'd rather be homeless and unemployed that work weeks on end with no time off.

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by marko138

Brother, I understand where you're coming from and I certainly wasn't taking a dig at you. My point is I can't and wouldn't live like that. I'll be completely honest...I'd quit if that was my job. I know the economy is tough and all that but that ain't how I get down. I'd rather be homeless and unemployed that work weeks on end with no time off.

Youre a state employee now so youre on the gravy train

[Gas Man]

Originally Posted by marko138

Brother, I understand where you're coming from and I certainly wasn't taking a dig at you. My point is I can't and wouldn't live like that. I'll be completely honest...I'd quit if that was my job. I know the economy is tough and all that but that ain't how I get down. I'd rather be homeless and unemployed that work weeks on end with no time off.

I wasn't taking it as a dig. I just wanted to take the time to explain my position.

I know what/how you want your job. But there is a trade off to be had. If you had hours/pay/money on a higher priority, you could also have more toys or do that house upgrade you want.

I REALLY hope that we can get this transition and cross training done by next spring so I can have a decent normal summer/life. With this new $13M contract we just picked up at my location we may end up manning the facility 24/7 instead of a walk away. We also may increase our crew from 3 ops (I'm one) & 1 LTO (lead terminal operator/jr boss) to 4 ops & 1 LTO. If we do that and everybody is cross trained as well. I want to go on the same sked Caveman is on. 4 man rotation 12 hour shifts. Work 15 out of 21 days (night & day shift swing in there but never work more than 4 days straight), then get 7 days off (28 day rotation), repeat. That is more days off all around and with that 7 day off stretch, it's awesome. Add in after your 12 hour shift there, not on call. WIN WIN WIN