Cuttin Grass? ....for a living?

[Guardian]

Every now and then I stop, think about what I do (...what I used to do) - and I get a silly grin on my face

I can't believe I didn't start this SOONER! It took me 30 years to discover something thats almost too simple.

I love what I do - I make more MONEY than ever before (Retail mgmt and UPS). AND I AM MY OWN BOSS!!

I feel like someone's gonna catch me cause I am having too much fun.

........sorry guys, its my TWO YEAR anniverary in the business and I AM STILL PUMPED!!!

[cajuncutter]

CONGRATS!! I know the feeling all to well. Been doing this since I got my drivers license(15) DATS 15 YEARS NOW!!! I have never had a "real" job and god help me if I ever do. I am so spoiled!!!:o
I do have to say my wife isn't happy this time of the year, I get off while she works:D ...well I think I will get the fishing gear ready for in the morning..I have a little more vacation time to burn:p

[tsmiff1]

Hey Guardian,
I work for UPS too! I've been mowing part time since '97. We need to talk! You've got me pumped!
tsmiff1@aol.com

[jack D.]

Are you legit?

[Administrator]

Legit... seems like a personal question to me. Why would he want to discuss that .... even if he is or is not.

If he is not... well, that's not something you would want to post publically is it?

Either way... not much of an answer to that question.

JMO

Chuck

[Nelson]

GUARDIAN,

You have me pumped up also. It's wonderful for someone
just starting out to hear them kind of POSITIVE words......

"Good Luck" :blob3: :blob2: :blob4: :blob2:

[Guardian]

I had hoped this would be an encouraging post. I'm just glad to have found my niche. This is very "Do-able" business.

Thank you Chuck for fielding the one from jack. I would have never left a career like UPS for game of chance.

Tsmiff - I started @ UPS in 1995 working local sort. I left last July - I was a Cover-Driver. During my last year there, I passed up Regular Driver jobs twice. The reason, of course was that my lawn business was already proving to be better opportunity. Think about it - you know drivers - the hours they work, the CONDITIONS they work in. WHY should you wait in line for that? You got the keys in your hand for a better life!

I hope all you guys experience the success I've found - better yet - I hope you exceed it!

[TJLC]

Being self employed does have it's downsides, but the upsides FAR outweigh the downsides. I don't think I could ever go back to working for the man and hope I never have to either. It is nice to take time to reflect. I feel very fortunate to have a sucessful business that I built up myself.

[brucec32]

I agree. While I'm in my 11th year now and not as "pumped", I can't imagine going back to my old corporate job.

People with "real jobs" always ask me with a puzzled look... "but what do you do all winter?" I always say "plenty, I never have too much time"

One perk of all this time off in the Winter is that I have plenty of time to do things for myself that busy people with 50-60 hour/week corporate jobs, long commutes and 2 weeks off a year can't. It saves me a lot of money, so it's more than just time off.

For example, just this last year I've :

-painted my house inside and out, saving at least $4,000 in labor.
-prepped my house for carpet and tile(tearing out old carpet, removing staples, hauling it off, sealing tile grout, etc, etc, moving the furniture myself, picking up materials myself, etc), saving $800 in discounts from the flooring contractors.
-cleaned and resealed my deck and refinished my hot tub $400
-maintained my own 2 acre property at home (duh) saving $2,000 vs hiring someone because I worked all the time and didn't have the equipment.
-removed fallen trees from an ice storm myself $600
-saved $2,000 in commuting expenses
-saved $1500 in suits, shirts, and drycleaning expenses
-sodded parts of my lawn myself, $1,000 in labor saved
-changed oil, fluids, and plugs in our vehicles myself. $200 saved

That's $12,500 right there, and I may have left some stuff out. I'd have to EARN about $17,000 in salary at a "real" job to pay for all that , after taxes. No thanks.

In other years I've re-landscaped my yard, helped build my deck, built a fence for my dogs, etc, etc. I never had time or energy for that kind of stuff when I had a "job". My point is that there's more to it than salaries. Sleeping as late as I want all winter, having lots of time for hobbies and interests, and being able to travel in the off-season doesn't hurt, either. I'm not even counting things like maid services, pet grooming, restaurant meals, and car washes that today's time-poor busy people are forced to pay for because they lack the free time to do it themselves.

The only catch is that you can't be afraid of hard work. Thankfully, the world is full of people who are. Some of them we call "customers".

[tsmiff1]

What was just stated in the above post was exactly what I figured it must be like if this was a full time business. The way I look at is, I have my degree and experience and if things don't work out I can always go back to working for "the man". But just from my part time business I am more than sure that the numbers speak for themselves.
JACK D, believe me this guy is more than legit. I started with UPS in '96 and has since then worked my way up from a piss on loader to a full time supervisor with every experience in between. I have a month to go before submitting my two weeks notice and can't wait to do so. I know of several guys who have left this company and other white collar jobs for this type of work. I'm 26 years old, single, and no kids. WHY NOT??? I would hate to get ten years down the road with a family that I hardly get to spend time with and wondering everyday "what if". I'll keep you guys posted on this awesome site on how things work out for me.
Take it easy guys,
T.

[TGCummings]

Bruce,

It's kinda funny. I work for myself in order to make enough money to pay someone else to do all that stuff. The wife and I have had plenty of free time and all the right intentions over the years to do most of the same things to our house but have never gotten around to most of it. I made up my mind this last year that when I have free time to work on my house I'll make sure I schedule paid work instead and then just pass that along to a contractor to work on the house. ;)

I guess I'm just not a do-it-yerselfer...

[brucec32]

Well, you do have a point there! Actually, I do a lot of the work myself because I, believe it or not, start to miss the physical activity during the winter and know I need to do it to stay in shape. I also don't have that many fun things to do that I can't find some extra time for some chores. My wife has one of those corporate jobs, and she's not always around to do things with, and nobody I know has enough free time to hit the lake or travel or whatever with during weekdays. I enjoy leisure time, but too much tends to make it less fun when you do have some. Kinda like cake, I guess.

I was just pointing out that because of things like 33% federal and 7% state tax brackets, and 15.5% self-employment tax , I have to earn about double what I have to pay businesses to do these services for me. (if someone needs $4000 to paint my house, I have to earn $8000 to be able to pay them) And since most businesses and contractors charge at least as much as I make per hour, I just do it myself and save a little. If I were like some of you guys with a bigger company and could make more per-hour at my business, and still enjoy it, I would do that.

With my particular temperament (no patience for the lazy, stupid, or dishonest, and no particular love of coaxing people to do the right thing on a daily basis) , I unfortunately have not been able to find an ENJOYABLE way to make more than I do now in this business. I could make more and afford to pay people to do things for me, but then I wouldn't enjoy it very much. I could probably make much more in the corporate world if I wanted to return to my ulcer-ridden past life. But I don't. : )

[big james]

I drove a truck before going in this bizz ,been doing it now for four years and was feeling kinda burned out .Then I took a trip with a friend of mine who still drives ,after ten days back in that Kenworth I got real pumped about cutting grass again!:D :rolleyes: :blob2:

[jay warner]

Although the work is hard, I have to agree. The American way, a right to succeed.

[MATTHEW]

I feel the same as you guys. Sometimes, I can get a bit flustered, but overall, I am very happy. When I was working for the Evil empire, it was a lose-lose situation. The more you made, the closer to D-day you got. (meaning time to move you out and move in an $8.00/hr guy)
Now I get to see the kids off to school everyday. I can go to my sons ball game or whatever. I never have to ask anyone or call off when personal business needs to be done.
This rocks. I'm pumped. I think I'm going out and rev up my mowers!!!:blob3:

[cormierlawn]

PUMPED UP!!

You guys have me wanting to turn in my resignation NOW!!

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Pumped up

Just when I start to get board with mowing, I get all pumped up because I know the next part is around the corner "Leaves" the if it happens "snow" then, just as it get boaring again, I'm sitting at hope, and time for advertising again and get realy pumped up fot the next upcoming season!!!!!

And if it weren't for LawnSite this winter would be real boaring because leaf pick ups ended sooner than antisapaited because of a huge hail storm in October.

With my new add campain, new LCO, new image, and redirection of biz plans, I AM REALY PUMPED UP for this new season!!!!!!!!!!!

[riverdog]

Guess I have to agree with you. Went on 2 job interviews after considering going back to the 9 to 5 world. By the end of the second interview I was getting a claustrophobic feeling. The hard work is worth being in control!

[_GUNNER_8]

Hi,
For all the fellows that say they have time to see their kids off to school and ballgames and such, that baffels me!!!Normally day is up at 4:00a.m , start at 5 we might take 30 min lunch never finnish before 5pm,3 or 4 days a week expect to come in around 9. Every sat. is a must, 3 out of 4 sundays, also from march till oct. my crews can count on that!!Fellows just never seems to be enough daylight ours!!! When season hits my familly knows they want be seeing much of dad around,but when jan. and feb. they know its vacation time!!!



"Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect!!!!!":blob2:

[Guardian]

I guess I should've named this post - PUMPED UP!

Gunner, you must make a ton....at least I hope you do with those hours! I personally will not work like that. We have a system that is profitable, efficient and doesn't wear anybody out. ( I am NOT saying your system is bad )

So I will continue to earn what I want and manage my time how I want. This is the only business I've been a part of where thats possible.

I thank GOD for this all the time -