What do you do for a living?

[revturbo9967]

Snake oil sales

 

[HankBuck]

I buy drinks and play golf for a living.

@YancyW - you’re a good guy to bump into at a bar (when I “forget” my wallet !)

 

[HookMeUpII]

@HookMeUpII - sounds like You have great Wealth - even if not a lot of $$$ money ! And you live well, have your priorities straight, value what’s important - Family, Health, etc.. I worked as an executive in retail clothing stores for 40 years - some selling very high end but my clothing (outside of work) was always Cabela’s, Duxbak, Carhartt, Woolrich, Filson —- that was what I valued and considered ‘functional quality’ and NOT a suit or tie that would be out-of-fashion in a year. While I could afford an expensive car - preferred a nice pick up truck. Hunting Africa is expensive but something I value for the experience..

Right with you on the pickup. I have a 19' Ram that is strictly my hunting/fishing truck. Own it outright. I drive my CX50 most of the time to work. I'm eating ramen but the wife is eating caviar with the new Tahoe. It's OK. I've had the "nice" cars before. Cadillac CTS-V, loaded Jeep Grand Cherokees, etc. They all lost their luster after a couple months.

We do well. The problem is our next step in terms of a home has another 0 in the price. Tough to justify a buffalo hunt in Namibia, facing down that expense. Actually, with that being said, I'd rather face the buffalo. We're getting there though.

We are fortunate. I'm self-employed, bills are paid, wife doesn't need to work. We have 2 beautiful, healthy kids. We have 8 godchildren. Our life is full, in a mostly a good way.

 

[towserthemouser]

Yep, divorcing the starter wife at 40 can be quite a set back… especially after children enter the picture..

Choose wisely…

As I constantly counseled my children: Study hard, marry wisely. Preferably both.

 

[HankBuck]

Right with you on the pickup. I have a 19' Ram that is strictly my hunting/fishing truck. Own it outright. I drive my CX50 most of the time to work. I'm eating ramen but the wife is eating caviar with the new Tahoe. It's OK. I've had the "nice" cars before. Cadillac CTS-V, loaded Jeep Grand Cherokees, etc. They all lost their luster after a couple months.

We do well. The problem is our next step in terms of a home has another 0 in the price. Tough to justify a buffalo hunt in Namibia, facing down that expense. Actually, with that being said, I'd rather face the buffalo. We're getting there though.

We are fortunate. I'm self-employed, bills are paid, wife doesn't need to work. We have 2 beautiful, healthy kids. We have 8 godchildren. Our life is full, in a mostly a good way.

@HookMeUpII - I have a ‘20 Ram Laramie and getting the leather seat upgrade was a Big Treat for me, I always went with base models for my pic up truck (F150 & Silverado) but as I’ve gotten older - started thinking “what am I saving it for?” My Wife recently reached my way of thinking and now we both spend a “Little bit more” on ourselves then we use to. We are aligned in thinking that a Special vacation would be more enjoyable then getting a new car and that brought us to planning an Africa Safari for mid to late 2026. It’s a dilemma and balance between being financially secure enough to afford it (without going into debt) while still young & healthy enough to physically enjoy it…and “health” is never a given - things can change suddenly and limit activities that were once taken for granted…I’ve seen that happen with close friends that can no longer hunt with me because they are either too out of shape or too sick. I know at some point my body will not keep up with my hunting ambitions - right now I’m still good to go !

 

[Camdog]

Upper middle management at a bank. Advice:
-One wife.
-One house.
-No debt.
-Late model used vehicles.
-Invest early and consistently.
-Live modestly.
-Christ follower.

 

[SETH RINGER]

THE OLD SAYING, WORK WITH YOU BRAIN OR WORK WITH YOUR BACK, I PAID FOR MY SAFARIS WITH SWEAT.
DROPPED OUT IN THE 10TH GRADE BECAUSE MY HAIR WAS TOO LONG AND I REALLY DID NOT LIKE ENGLISH CLASSES.
LIED MY AGE FOR A FEW YEARS AND WORKED AT AN ASPHALT PLANT, STARTED AS A SHOVEL MAN AND LEFT AS THE PLANT FIREMAN.
WENT TO WORK AS AN IRONWORKER WITH MY BEST FRIEND (45+ YRS AND GOING). STARTED OUT ON OUR OWN AFTER +/- 20 YEARS OF WORKING HARD FOR OTHERS.
SPLIT UP OUR BUSINESS AFTER A COUPLE YEARS SO WE COULD STAY FRIENDS.
USED MY OLDEST SON'S COLLEGE FUND TO TAKE OUR FIRST SAFARI AFTER HE DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, BIT DISAPPOINTING THEN BUT HE HAS ENDED UP TAKING OVER OUR LITTLE COMPANY AND I HAVE BEEN ON A DOUBLE FISTED HANDFUL OF INTERNATIONAL HUNTS AND HE IS HEADED TO AFRICA FOR HIS 3RD TIME NEXT WEEK SO IT HAS WORKED OUT FOR BOTH OF US.

 

[HankBuck]

Upper middle management at a bank. Advice:
-One wife.
-One house.
-No debt.
-Late model used vehicles.
-Invest early and consistently.
-Live modestly.
-Christ follower.

@Camdog: if you invest VERY early & EXTRA wisely - maybe TWO Wives?

 

[Doug3006]

Chippendale dancer.

 

[YancyW]

@YancyW - you’re a good guy to bump into at a bar (when I “forget” my wallet !)

I'll take care of ya!

 

[HankBuck]

Chippendale dancer.

@Doug3006 - pay for your Safari all in $ singles??

 

[Doug3006]

@Doug3006 - pay for your Safari all in $ singles??

Well, I’m on the senior tour. Mostly nursing home gigs. So it’s not much of a money maker.

 

[Phil Giordano]

I'm a gun dealer, so my job essentially trace my passion. Every day with the nose over rifles, side by sides, revolvers (more than semiautos), reloading stuff and so on.
A job I like, also because I like to be "on the road" : I mean, having a shop on the street level, let me live the city life, be right in the middle of it. I like it.
I would have also liked to be a Teacher of Literature in Classical High School, in my old School, run by the Irish Christian Brothers. Sadly, the Institute closed so, despite I was already in agreement with the Principal, I never did. I could have done it in another school, but I liked too much mine, so it went that way.
Still, my job is made of patience, explanations, can't be done without passion, and you don't get rich with it. Just like to be an High School teacher.

 

[mdwest]

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Still, my job is made of patience, explanations, can't be done without passion, and you don't get rich with it. Just like to be an High School teacher.

You love what you do. That makes you a very rich man indeed…

 

[Phil Giordano]

You love what you do. That makes you a very rich man indeed…

Absolutely so
I love my job
It's my life...
I'm very lucky to do it

 

[CM McKenzie]

I grew up looking between the ears of a cow horse, and building saddles. I went to packing mules for outfitters and the U.S. Government while building saddles on the side. I have been in law enforcement/ Saddle Maker for the last 10 years or so. I learned how fragile life is early on in my law enforcement career. I booked my first hunt in Africa shortly after I started in law enforcement. I have been living life ever since.

 

[Tracey Colson]

I have worked in Telecom for the past 20yrs, unbelievable amount of changes in that time.

My wife decided in her late 20s that she was going back to school to get her nursing degree, she was a CNA and said she was tired of doing all the work while the RNs were basically supervision at the nursing home she was working in.

Neither one us has ever been afraid to take a chance on our career paths. I worked for a small Telco and jumped ship because they did not want to pay going rates, moved to Wyoming for a way better paying job. Wife had an opportunity a couple times to move up the ladder in the nursing field so she did. We had kids early in life, not planned lol, but since our kids have been gone we have had to maintain two households for a couple stretches to allow us to move along in our careers.

We also run a part time BBQ business with a food trailer and doing some catering, it pays for most of our fun stuff. Her and I are the only employees besides the help we get from our kids for big events. She is also a Pampered Chef consultant and I am attempting to start a laser engraving business to get through the winters when we are not doing bbq. ..

Best advice I will give is not to be afraid to take a chance on YOU. If you see a an opportunity, sit down with a pencil and paper and discuss the pros and cons. Find a side hustle that you enjoy. It can help with taxes as well. My financial planning of hunts is probably a little different than others, but I figure I can hunt now and work later.

 

[Fatback]

I am licensed as a mental health counselor. I have been an administrator at a home for abused children for the past 25 years. I also have a private practice that I maintain a case load of patients at.

I’ve been investing for retirement since my first job at 18 years old, I’m 52 now. I’ve done pretty well with that and some real estate deals as well. I drive 2003 pickup, only debt I carry is my home mortgage, which is locked in at 3%, and a note on 130 acres I bought in 2021 as an investment and a place to hunt, trap and fish on. I have been able to hunt all over NA and will be heading to Namibia this August for my 7th African safari and I’m already booked for #8 in 2027. Both of my daughters went to a private Christian school through high school, I didn’t travel to hunt much during those years.

The best advise I can give is to prioritize what is most important to you and focus on making those goals a reality and don’t spend on things that get you further away from those goals. I’d much rather take good care of my truck and not have to buy a new one and use that money towards a hunt.

Also, if you like hunting and fishing like it seems like you do, save up and buy yourself some land that you can do that on. There is something extra special about having your own piece of dirt to do on as you please. They ain’t making any more land and for the most part it is never going to be cheaper than it is right now. Same with international hunts, for the most part, they are never going to get cheaper. So, if it’s important to you go as soon as you can and go as often as you can because you never know when you might not be able to go or the place you want to hunt or the animal you want to hunt might no longer be a viable option.

 

[KuduKiller]

Well let’s see, USN for 8 years and I worked in aviation for several years after that. I became a Police Officer for 10 years but I got tired of all the political B.S. and seeing the absolute worst things people can do to each other. I loved the job of actually helping people but I was hated by about 2% of the public just for wearing the badge! I literally had to wear long sleeves because of my tattoos of which, none can be deemed offensive also. I left there and now I work for a company that builds ford truck frames, F250 and up. I actually am a “Automation Specialist” which pretty much I take care of the robotics on the steel presses. Not too bad of a gig and pays damn well!

 

[lkydvl]

I'm not at liberty to say......