For those that operate their own small lawn care bussiness. Do you guys support you and your families off your Lawn care bussiness alone? Or do your wives also work? If she does work does she bring in more money then your lawn care bussiness?
Dual Icomes?
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that hurts
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My husband is a full time firefighter. We both do the lawn care. This keeps me from having to work full time for someone else. This year we will make more from the Lawn business than I would if I had a full time job working for someone else. It's pretty nice since I only have to work 2-3 days a week. My husband's income is still more than we bring in with the business, but next year, I expect to exceed his yearly income. I know that the bigger companies on the forum are making alot more $$$ than this, but for a part-time operation, we are finally doing pretty good.
We could, in the next couple of years, support the family with only the business income, but my husband won't quit the Fire Dept. because of the great health insurance and his pension. Also, you can't get much better job security than being a firefighter.
We could, in the next couple of years, support the family with only the business income, but my husband won't quit the Fire Dept. because of the great health insurance and his pension. Also, you can't get much better job security than being a firefighter.
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Maple City, I know he works his ----- off in Gary and the pay is not the best. I tip my hat to him. I grew up on the East Side of Chicago (right near Whiting/Hammond) and worked for Riverdale FD for 5 years.
I am now a LT and have been here in Packerland for 13 years.
There are lots of rumblings about cutbacks here too and we are nowhere as busy as Gary.
My wife and I work lawns 2 days a week in the mowing season and almost every off day in spring and fall. The lawn business is a seperate business and is self sufficient but it took some years to get here.
I have a great admiration for the folks here that do it to put bread on the table. It takes a special type of person to be as tough as that.
I am now a LT and have been here in Packerland for 13 years.
There are lots of rumblings about cutbacks here too and we are nowhere as busy as Gary.
My wife and I work lawns 2 days a week in the mowing season and almost every off day in spring and fall. The lawn business is a seperate business and is self sufficient but it took some years to get here.
I have a great admiration for the folks here that do it to put bread on the table. It takes a special type of person to be as tough as that.
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4,040 Posts
my wife works, but only part-time in the evenings 3 days per week. It is at a movie theatre, so free movies was a great perk until we saw "Gigli" or however its spelled or pronounced.The majority of our opulent lifestyle is supported by the lawn care business.
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151 Posts
My LCO is only part time so I work for the man during the day as an Infrastructure Analyst for Fortune 500 company. Would love to go full time with the LCO but I am taken my time plus my corp. benefits are great. So the answers is no my LCO doesn't pay for everything but the extra income is nice.
My wife works part time as a teacher. She says she enjoys doing it. It gives her an opportunity to interact with other adults and makes her feel like she contributes, and she feels it also gives me more one on one time with my kids.
I think even if I was grossing enough to live with out having to work anymore my wife would still work. She just loves teaching her little kids
Ron
My wife works part time as a teacher. She says she enjoys doing it. It gives her an opportunity to interact with other adults and makes her feel like she contributes, and she feels it also gives me more one on one time with my kids.
I think even if I was grossing enough to live with out having to work anymore my wife would still work. She just loves teaching her little kids
Ron
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175 Posts
I guess I am the odd man out here. The business is truly the wives.
I started it, and kept it going for several years for extra cash, then slowly she saw the potential and understood that she could make more than working for someone else and she could do it on her own schedule.
I try and stay out of it as much as possible now.
I go to the trade shows, I get involved in some of the construction stuff, I do the repairs and maintenance, and get to make the decisions on which equipment pretty much.
For a full time job I manage Hazardous Materials for the army as a private contractor. This job provides benefits and stability that I would rather not be without with 2 young kids.
Does "A Woman's Touch" bring in more $ to the household than my jobs income? Certainly during the summer it does, on an average over the year probably similar in cash, but more hours into it and no bennies which have a lot of value if you had to purchase them.
I started it, and kept it going for several years for extra cash, then slowly she saw the potential and understood that she could make more than working for someone else and she could do it on her own schedule.
I try and stay out of it as much as possible now.
I go to the trade shows, I get involved in some of the construction stuff, I do the repairs and maintenance, and get to make the decisions on which equipment pretty much.
For a full time job I manage Hazardous Materials for the army as a private contractor. This job provides benefits and stability that I would rather not be without with 2 young kids.
Does "A Woman's Touch" bring in more $ to the household than my jobs income? Certainly during the summer it does, on an average over the year probably similar in cash, but more hours into it and no bennies which have a lot of value if you had to purchase them.
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220 Posts
My wife is a full time nurse. It gives us the health and dental benefits that we need with 4 kids aged 10,7,4, and 2. Have you ever gotton a quote for health insurance? Blue Cross was like $1400 a month! I work the mornings from 6 until 1 or 2 and assign the guys work for the rest of the day. It works out pretty well. It gives me enough time to over see the biz, and I get to play Daddy with the wiffle ball games and tea parties. This year the kids planted our vegetable garden. I just supervised, You can't put a price on this stuff.
We earn about the same give or take a couple grand a year, But it does not matter who earns it, as long as the $ shows up. When you are married the $ should be ours, not yours and mine.
We earn about the same give or take a couple grand a year, But it does not matter who earns it, as long as the $ shows up. When you are married the $ should be ours, not yours and mine.
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7,940 Posts
I am a part time Grocery Store clerk. Been doing lawns far longer though. The grocery end provides excellent bennies for only 16 hrs/week in the summer. Then when the lawns stop in Nov. they use me up to the max. which is 35hrs/week AND then my usual 8 on Sundays which is time and a half. If they exceed 35 regular hours/week then that automatically jumps to time and a half.
Then the lawns keep me busy about 3.5 to 4 big days a week.
Works well.
Couldn't see spending BIG money on the benefits that I get for FREE, all while getting paid a pretty decent hourly rate.
Best of both? YEP!
Gotta go squeeze the Charmin!!
Then the lawns keep me busy about 3.5 to 4 big days a week.
Works well.
Couldn't see spending BIG money on the benefits that I get for FREE, all while getting paid a pretty decent hourly rate.
Best of both? YEP!
Gotta go squeeze the Charmin!!
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72 Posts
Well, my business pays the bills. My wife hasn't worked since March of this year since we had a baby boy. I pay the insurance (health, car, g/l, etc) and every other imagineable expense. Some months are good, others are really tight.
My advice if you are earning 100% of the house income, don't hire anyone until you cannot absolutely work anymore (meaning 50-60 hrs solo, full load). At that point you should be grossing a healthy amount, and can afford to hire a part-time/full-time assistant.
My advice if you are earning 100% of the house income, don't hire anyone until you cannot absolutely work anymore (meaning 50-60 hrs solo, full load). At that point you should be grossing a healthy amount, and can afford to hire a part-time/full-time assistant.
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7,542 Posts
I work full time doing lawn care for about 5 or 6 years. My income pays all the bills. My wife works for some lawn guy doing paperwork for free.
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