# Sidejobs/Moonlighting



## chopayne (Jan 26, 2013)

How many of you hold sidejobs/moonlight at different jobs to make extra money? And what do you do?

Ive always wanted one, tried the stock market. Not the smartest move. Trying to see if there are any other things I should pursue.


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## Tuffdaddy (Oct 26, 2012)

I am a part time musky fishing guide along with my normal job. I've cut way down on the number of jobs I do a season now that my girls are getting older and love to get out on the water. Helped me pay for my new boat pretty quick though when I was guiding more often.


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## chopayne (Jan 26, 2013)

That sounds great, you get paid to be yourself. No overhead or anything since you use their own boat and all? Just your knowledge?


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## Tuffdaddy (Oct 26, 2012)

Definitely had overhead, so pretty much broke even in the long run, but it paid for my fishing habit  Makes it easier to get the wife's approval to buy new things.  Had a chance to build some great relationships as well with my clients, some who I still guide to this day (been guiding for 15 years). Nothing better than seeing the smile on their face when they get their biggiest or first musky.


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## Daamud (Aug 28, 2012)

I did pretty good picking up junk cars and trucks for scrap.

Most times people just wanted them gone, so they were free. I'd get them home and pull motors, trans, and what ever I could sell quick. Next day on my lunch break I'd take them in to the recycler for anywhere from $200 to $500, depending on current price and what ever else got tossed inside the car.

It's dirty work, but supported my hot rod car and truck addiction.


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## chopayne (Jan 26, 2013)

So you basically needed a trailer to put the car on and tow away?


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I make hand calls !!


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## Daamud (Aug 28, 2012)

An electric winch to pull the dead ones on the trailer helps too. But a guy could get by with a come-along.

Talk with a few scrap yards beforehand. Some have odd rules or procedures for buying.


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## chopayne (Jan 26, 2013)

Yea haha, I was about to say, many people make handcalls on this forum. Got to be pretty enjoyable too.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

well i was an auto tech for well over 20 years

when i was younger and not making that much money because i was new to the trade

i used to do alot of side work on cars

but as years went by and i started making more on the job and my sons starting getting older i found it was more imporatnt to spend more time with the family so i did less side work but still did it on occaison for friends

now i dont do any as even though my sons are now adults. as i realy dont enjoy working on cars any more at all

cars have changed so much in the last 20 years that it realy isnt all that practicle for doing work at home,especially if you dont have the right equipment.most modern cars are way to sophisticated for even the best "backyard" mechanic to work on with out messing up other systems,hell even the audio systems,wiper systems,heater sysetms etc are now all computer controlled

not that i dont have the proper skills(i hold two master certifactions from ford,not to mention 3 years training from vo-tech,and over 600 hours of ford training)but the equipment needed one realy cant afford to have at home.

most modern vehicles you have to pull engine and trans at the same time and from under the vehicle.

but i do make self bows,knives and knapped goods that i sell on occaision

now i will be going back to school and starting a whole new career driving truck so there wont be anytime for side work,let alone my hobbies.

but if any one in my area is looking to become and auto tech i have a COMPLETE set of tools,including a large tool box that i will sell.most all is SNAP ON, and/or MAC TOOLS.I will sell it all for approx 50 cents on the doolar.a hell of a deal.

it has everything you need to make a career of being an auto tech.


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## chopayne (Jan 26, 2013)

Geez, why the change in career?

I've thought about trying to be a consultant or the guide thing as some people have been. Seems like the way to go, but you have to be good at something before you can consult it!


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## Daamud (Aug 28, 2012)

SGB. I wish you the best on your new driving career.

I'm 1 1/2 years into driving truck and hate every fricking moment. Hope you enjoy it more than I have.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

Daamud, why dont you like truck driving?

what kind of driving do you do? local,otr,tanker,hazmat etc

i have always enjoyed driving

i have driven cross country numerous times and have always loved it,but have never done it for a living so i know it will be differant than pleasure driving. but we always did it non stop. mn to fla too many times to count,have also been to the east coast many times and out to mt. and wy. etc.all have been non stop drives with me doing the driving,only stopped for gas,food and toilet breaks

chopayne, you asked why the big change in careers.well like i said i have turned wrenches for well over twenty years.was let go from my job of seventeen years back in december and i am just plain burned out and turning wrenches.i used to enjoy working on cars and light trucks.now i cant stand even opening the hood on my own vehicles.it just wears out the body.ive had 2 shoulder surgeries,knee surgery,i have bad lower back now too,this was all from being a mechanic.not to mention i have arthirits now and working on cold cars for 6-7 months out of the year doesnt not help the arthritis

never take a hobby and turn it into a career if you want to keep enjoying your hobby.


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## Tuffdaddy (Oct 26, 2012)

The guiding thing is a good part time gig, but is tough to do full time. Most of the guys that do it full time are single or divorced. Many guys do it full time during the summer and then are teachers for their career. That way they get benefits and a steady income, and can guide to supllament their income.

I can say I've enjoyed 99.9% of the trips I've done so that's a plus, but now I only take out my regulars who book me a few times each year. Now it pays for new guns instead of a boat lol. But like SGB, tapering it way down as my kids love getting out on the lake and in the woods, so I make more time for them now. Matter of fact, they both got their first muskies last year at 5 and 6. They're spoiled....or maybe I am.


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## Daamud (Aug 28, 2012)

SGB
Much like you I turned wrenches most my life, and suffer from the pains as well. Most my work was mid to heavy truck and or trailer work. I grew tired of city living and moved north and got hired on with a logging crew (that was fun). They went under, and the only thing I could find was driving truck.

It was fun for the first month or two. Now its like I sit in a closet all day with a shop-vac running, while I think of hunting, riding motorcycles and building cool shit out of metal. Then when I get home all I have time for is a shower and dinner then off to bed. My weekends are full of house chores and a couple hours with the girlfriend... I'm home every night, but with the (wink wink) max allowable hours of driving time at work, it feels like I'm OTR and never home.

Sorry for the hijack.

O.P. find something you're good at, and relaxing. Then charge money for it!


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## Rick Howard (Feb 25, 2012)

Yupp... Hand calls. Have not seen a profit yet though... Proceeds keep turning into new tools for making better calls or materials to make more better calls lol.


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## chopayne (Jan 26, 2013)

I hate driving and flying. Ive driven and flown so much at 25, I seriously hate it.

When you guys say truck driving, are we thinking cross country, or just big wheelers that fly around the local state?


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

Me,i want to be OTR (over the road).i have e friend whom drives local right now.
We may put in as a " team ".


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## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

The only way to make any kind of good money OTR is to go O/O.

awprint:


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## Beerman069 (Nov 20, 2012)

I used to work at D&a truck lines in southern MN and I loved every minute couldn't beat the money for being in high school. Made more the than now! If you go owner operator go with a company that does eccentric hauls or extreme oversized loads. Kalmar out of Texas when shipping a container handler 1 way was 49k. Keep that in mind lowboys=$$$$$


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## Weasel (Jun 18, 2012)

I've almost always worked two jobs or at least hustled extra income on the side. For side jobs I've moved people, bought auction lots and resold the individual items, bought stuff at wholesle that I could flip for a profit and did a lot of loading/unloading trucks. At one time I was working over 100 hours a week and I ended up getting so weak and sick that it took a few months to recover. I wasn't getting much sleep and I wasn't eating right. That's when I went whole hog into buying auction lots and hand picking my side jobs. I'm retired now, but I make various game calls and knick knacks and I still look for bargains that I can flip for a profit.

If a guy wants to add a few dollars to his income there are a lot of things he could do.


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## chopayne (Jan 26, 2013)

Weasel said:


> I've almost always worked two jobs or at least hustled extra income on the side. For side jobs I've moved people, bought auction lots and resold the individual items, bought stuff at wholesle that I could flip for a profit and did a lot of loading/unloading trucks. At one time I was working over 100 hours a week and I ended up getting so weak and sick that it took a few months to recover. I wasn't getting much sleep and I wasn't eating right. That's when I went whole hog into buying auction lots and hand picking my side jobs. I'm retired now, but I make various game calls and knick knacks and I still look for bargains that I can flip for a profit.
> 
> If a guy wants to add a few dollars to his income there are a lot of things he could do.


Same here, I always look for ways to flip a profit. It just so happens alot of times I end up losing money = )

For moving people, did you just advertise that on craigslist?


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