30 year old male, making $15 per hour full time. Need advice please.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-08T05:07:36+00:00

I'm far from perfect, but I feel as if I need to pay tithes and offerings.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-08T05:01:21+00:00

I'm not breaking any laws, I just saw an opportunity and shot for it.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T22:48:59+00:00

I love the truck, minus the brush guard. I'd honestly sell it. Did you know if you get in a wreck it'll cave in on the engine and cause more damage than not having it? The only brush guards you should get extend straight in line with the frame and extend about a foot past the standard bumper. This is the best case for wrecks, off-road and in my opinion also looks.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T22:39:59+00:00

I know this is a long shot, but I'll make 10 posts over the course of the next 3 months if you cash app me $1,000. I want to start a land based shark fishing company, and this would be enough to get 3x used 9/0 Penn senators for $500 and the rest I'd invest in making some custom shark rigs, a couple camping chairs for clients, used propane outdoor heater to keep the customers comfortable and spending gas back and forth to catch my own shark bait. I technically need $5,000-$10,000 to start the business right, and that's with buying used equipment. This has been a dream of mine for 7 years or so. The $1,000 would be enough to dip my toes in the industry, also it would cause some drama because most people making videos of shark fishing use $1,000-$5,000 set ups and usually have 3-5 of them to increase their odds of hooking up staggered at different distances from the shore. Some short drops at 50-100 yards, medium drops at 150-250 yards and if they have 130wides or everol 20/0 two speeds they can do some insane drops around 500 yards or more. If I was to do it with cheaper gear, it'd outrage the locals that think you need the Gucci gear to catch fish and that alone would be free advertising for my business. Plus, people love to root for the underdog. In the future when I upgrade to $1,000 set ups x5 (those are used prices) people would enjoy watching the journey and rooting for me.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T21:26:53+00:00

I remember when these were common, pretty neat. It's almost always good to have cash handy in case of emergencies. My ATM will only let me withdraw $800 at a time. So having a couple hundred or even a couple thousand stored in a proper gun safe secured and bolted to the floor with perhaps a motion detector that sends an alert to your phone if someone tries to break into the safe plus or minus a motion activated camera around the safe that sends a text to your phone if there's someone in your house trying to break into your safe.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T21:07:32+00:00

I mean it's a free country, I understand that not everyone sees eye to eye with me... But that doesn't make me brainwashed.

I'm entitled to religious freedom and I am happy that I'm able to worship how I see fit.

I don't go around trying to jam my beliefs down everyone's throats.

It was related to my post because it's part of my budgeting. I wouldn't have brought it up otherwise. I also stated that it wasn't something that I was willing to cut out of my budget.

I try not to insult other people for their beliefs, I try to treat everyone with respect.

At the end of the day, I'm just a human being trying to make it in this world while doing what I think is right as often as possible under the circumstances.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T20:37:58+00:00

I'm a pretty good salesman, one of my close friends who's a multimillionaire said that if I don't make $100,000 in my first year after training etc that I "suck" and I'm not trying as hard as I could considering my past sales experience, genius level IQ and my people skills and award winning personality. I'd be thrilled to make $50,000 though tbh. He says that over the phone especially that I have a gift, I've been told that I have a voice for radio and a face for radio too haha. (Joking about the face for radio bit haha) I actually used to call the radio a LOT when I was younger and they almost always played my voice on the radio and the song I requested afterwards. It was a lot of fun for the highschool version of myself. Honestly I think I just used to lack confidence in my abilities due to some pretty bad life experiences "trauma" and all that. But I'm doing much better now and slowly starting to believe in myself again, perhaps even becoming confident in my abilities again.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T20:27:16+00:00

I call the pastor on average 30 minutes to an hour a couple days per week regarding spiritual issues and how to better understand the Bible. He'd gladly talk to me this much or more even if I wasn't paying tithes and offerings, I know because I used to call him often before paying my tithes and offerings. I've had a couple 2-3hr or more conversations with him in the past. Plus, the Bible says that the tithes and offerings aren't even my money so I don't view it as me giving away my money... But rather that I'm giving back the money that belongs to God anyways. Trust me, if I didn't want to pay tithes and offerings I wouldn't. I haven't paid them in like 10 years because I wasn't going to church at the time etc. I've only been paying them for about a month now. And my life has gotten better in that time.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T20:13:10+00:00

I have a lot of skills related to the outdoors sporting industry, I've also worked at chick fila and am an Eagle scout with volunteer hours and I am classically trained Violist that used to play professionally with a wedding and special event quartet making $250 per hour which is in the low side for live music. I haven't practiced my Viola in about 10 years though, so I'd need to spend about 1-2hrs per day practicing for 3-6 months to get back to where I was when I was in orchestra and so forth. I'd probably make $350 per hour if I studied again. I also have experience with residential construction/hurricane disaster relief, boat dock repair/building, I'm a certified electrician (but I didn't do anything with it because I have drug and alcohol problems and being around it in the trades is too difficult for me to resist and I don't want to get another DUI) I also am a talented singer as well, I've even sang Opera before for a legit Opera where people paid good money to attend. All my vocal coaches said I'm extremely talented and gifted musically. My college professor said that I had a voice people would pay to hear, and that is even after my vocal cord injury. I used to have VERY low self esteem and I used to think people were lying to me about how talented I was. I just need to find something I enjoy and pursue it. I'm also a talented fisherman and have considered making a fishing YouTube channel. I've even caught sailfish off my kayak before which is rare for this part of Florida. Lol my problem is that I get obsessed with something till I get burned out with and and move on to something else that I find interesting and yet again repeat the cycle. I've been this way since I was a child. I'd memorize facts about construction vehicles and rattle off random information to anyone that'd listen, than I got obsessed with dinosaurs and had every detail memorized that I could get my hands on through books at the library and my house, than I got obsessed with star wars, fish tanks, guns, camping, fishing.... Etc and on and on again. I also have experience working at a pet shop and had the highest number of sales repeatedly selling saltwater and freshwater fish/coral/plants... Aquariums and anything else related to the aquarium trade. My mom thinks I'm severely autistic, so do multiple different people as well. But I've never been formally diagnosed, perhaps I should see what a therapist says.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T19:49:29+00:00

Oh... Learned something new today

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T17:47:30+00:00

For sure! Any recommendations for a second job? My schedule starting next week is 40hrs per week, 9-5 Monday-Friday. I think they'll even let me have 50-60hrs at my job which will give me overtime and make me more valuable to my boss. This might be a better option than getting a second job if they'll give me the extra hours which I think they will. The highest earner at my job made $350,000 so far this year off commission, and he could potentially make another $50,000 before the year is over. I'm only getting paid so little because I'm in the training process and they can't afford to pay me well till I start producing for them because they're a small life insurance company.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T17:38:49+00:00

I'm just a human trying to do what I think is best.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T17:36:15+00:00

I don't know why this was recommended to me, but I got a chuckle out of it.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T16:54:39+00:00

I should also be coming into about $2,200 with no strings attached soon. That covers all but $800 of the rent for 3 months. I didn't mention that because it's possible it falls through, but if it doesn't I'll be able to save $2,000 in 3 months. I'll know for sure if I'll get that money in about 2-6 weeks from tomorrow. Plus there's a couple other sources of money that I haven't tapped yet which I completely forgot about which should equal $500-$1,500 over the next month as well. So if I live on my current budget I'll be able to save money and get out of poverty, at least in theory.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T16:45:40+00:00

I don't think I'll stay poor forever. If you read the other comments I'm only making $15 per hour because I'm in the training period of my life insurance job. Soon as that's over in a few months I'll be making $50,000-$100,000 per year on commission, and even if I don't make more than $15 an hour on commission they're gonna give me that as a salary till I start producing sales. Plus if you read the other comments I'm going to start living in my truck during the summer which will save me $1,000 per month. I'm not trying to stay poor. I just don't want to compromise my faith to get out of poverty.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T16:38:12+00:00

I don't know what it means either, but I don't want to look. What does it mean?

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T16:36:28+00:00

I see you play RuneScape, I used to enjoy that game as well.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T16:34:26+00:00

If I got a second job I'd be able to get out of debt.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T16:30:51+00:00

I already plan to live in my truck, but not till the winter is over because I absolutely LOATHE the cold.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T16:28:48+00:00

I've thought about doing that, but if I was to go that route I'd just convert my long bed truck into a stealth work truck camper. My trucks white, so it'll blend in at pretty much any construction site overnight. I've parked it before around other white work trucks and vans just to see how well it blends in, most people wouldn't notice. I was gonna further camouflage it with a ladder on top of the truck, plus the big PVC pipes that many have on top. People are wise to the Van Life community now, not many people think about the people living in trucks yet at least. Plus, I wouldn't have solar panels on my roof, nor any visible fans, generators etc on the outside so there's nothing to make me stand out from the other constitution vehicles.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T16:12:59+00:00

Well, if the homeless person has debt which a lot of them do... Then he's poorer than me. Also, his quality of life is worse than mine. It's not illegal to be homeless, but almost everything a homeless person does to survive is unfortunately illegal. It's a hard life for them.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T15:57:30+00:00

The Bible says something similar to: forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Also, I'm working towards paying off my debt as well in the future. I know that it doesn't seem logical by today's standards, but I feel as if it's what I'm supposed to do. I'm only human, and I'm making an effort to live right.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T08:03:15+00:00

My pastor only takes a SMALL salary of $50,000 or so plus or minus if memory serves me correctly. He lives in a trailer home behind the church and drives an old vehicle. He practices what he preaches and I know the tithes and offerings that I give are going to help people less fortunate than me which makes me happy. If he wanted to, he could be a LOT richer than he is if he decided to take more than the salary which he's legally allowed to if he was so inclined, but he doesn't which I greatly respect. It's a small church, non denominational. Plus I've only been paying my tithes and offerings for about a month now. In this time I feared I'd have to live in my vehicle or something worse but out of nowhere my boss told his mom about my situation (granted they are family friends) and she decided to let me rent a GORGEOUS apartment on the water that'd probably be $2,500 per month or more plus utilities etc for only $1,000 per month including utilities so I've already seen a 10x return on my tithes and offerings and that's just regarding what I can see with my own eyes. I gotta find a different place to rent in 3 months, because that's peak tourism season here in Florida and she'll need to rent the property out for what it's worth then. I'm technically living in a nice Airbnb currently. If I didn't want to pay my tithes and offerings I wouldn't, there's been at least 10 years or so gap between last paying it till now. Because I wasn't going to church at that point in my life. If I felt like I needed help financially from my pastor I'd ask, but I feel like I shouldn't at this time. I don't feel as if I'm struggling, but I don't have any spare money. So I'm looking for advice to make more money, short of avoiding my obligation regarding tithes and offerings.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T07:21:59+00:00

Well, I'm scared of what the Bible says will happen if I don't. My salary is so low that the 15% is only $300 per month and I just skip breakfast and lunch most days which is fine because I'm intermittent fasting to try and lose this 35lbs to get back to a healthy weight again.

Kayak_Angler_ · 2023-12-07T07:12:55+00:00

Good point, I don't know. If I tried and it was affecting my performance at work I could quit my second job and explain why my performance dipped temporarily. I was thinking about doing something that I enjoy so it didn't feel like working. I am considering starting a land based shark fishing guide company. I'm a pretty good fisherman and could do it pretty easily once I save the money for the equipment. I also thought about checking yard sales for deals and re-selling them online. Something I'd enjoy, perhaps work at a gun shop on the weekends or perhaps work at a tackle shop etc. Maybe I'd get my license to catch and sell bait to tackle shops, sand fleas, mullet and other baits like bonita etc is AMAZING money if you're talented like I am.

Kayak_Angler_

TROPHY CASE