matt770 Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Curious to know if any of you supplement your income on the weekends? My neighbor's mom had been admiring my landscaping for a while and wanted to hire me to do hers. I resisted at first, for several reasons....first, because the neighbor is a redneck jackass typical of this area (this is the one who shot a cat with a bow & arrow), even though the mom seemed nice, I feared what would happen if, say, a shrub died or something. People around here tend to like starting trouble because they have nothing better to do, and we were cordial with these neighbors even though we don't respect them. Another reason I was reluctant is that she knew I was able to get rocks for free at the quarry, and she wanted me to build some short borders and retaining "walls" (like 2 feet, tops) like I had done on my property. First of all, that is some tiresome work, and second, I'm not a professional landscaper and don't follow the proper procedures, so God forbid a wall collapses after I had planted a row of expensive shrubs and perennials behind it. Now I'm back over there redoing all that work for free. But, she kept asking, and I figured what the hell, I could use the money. I started two summers ago, continued last year and finished up some odds & ends this summer. The house is your basic McMansion in a new development that they had just bought and the builders installed the typical 7 or 8 cheap tiny shrubs and left it at that. A lot of the neighbors had gotten professional landscaping done, so the ones that didn't stood out. The soil was the worst I've ever seen, worse even than Georgia...100% clay slag with big chunks of building debris buried in it, and worse, those blue stones used in construction, hundreds and hundreds of them, all throughout every square inch of their property, mostly 1-2 inches but some larger. Their lawn was struggling to grow in that crap, and the shrubs were sitting atop puddles of standing water which I discovered when I dug them up, even though it hadn't rained in a week. I thought about every plant description I'd ever read, "Thrives in well-drained soil, rich in organic matter" and laughed. So like I said, I don't do this professionally but wanted to approach it that way. I used graph paper, mapped it all out, thought it over, and came up with a design. I had to add 10 yards of quality topsoil in total, for the beds in front and the lawn itself. I did create a short border/wall in the front of the house that came out great and they raved about it. I bought all the trees and shrubs at a nursery, paying retail of course, but they had no complaints about the prices. Got big specimens too...red-leafed plum, rhododendrons, steeds hollies, Nellie Stevens holly, serviceberry, Japanese maple, knockout roses, crape myrtle, arborvitae, nandina, golden cypress. I used all my favorites and did it like I would do my own house if I had an unlimited budget, which I basically did since they okayed everything I suggested. It was a ton of work, and I took my sweet time, working probably 7 or 8 whole weekends that first year, and made great money. Last year they put in a pool, and hired me again to landscape around it. It was another hugh job and I'm blown away at how it all came out and so are they. Again, really nice payday too. They are so thrilled, they let me come over and swim whenever I want. And, the funny thing is, the lady talks sh!t about her son constantly. She's actually a very nice lady, I suspect made some mistakes when she was younger which is reflected in this assh0le she produced and now wants to distance herself from him. I find it hilarious. She loves to say if he was her first kid, he would have been an only child because he's always been nothing but trouble his whole life. Unfortunately, now all the work is done and they don't need my services anymore. I was missing that extra money and looking for a new gig. Well sometimes fate smiles on us, my friends. I happened to be in line at Walmart buying an air filter for my truck when I overheard a guy having a very animated conversation with one of his employees. Her name was Denise, and she was being insubordinate. After he finished the call I struck up a conversation with him -- his name was Marcus, and it turns out he is local entrepreneur, doing very well for himself -- so well in fact, that he can't keep up with demand and could use some help. I told him I'm a project manager, certified PMP in fact, and maybe my skills could be of use. As it turned out he needed some help supervising Denise and a few of his other "bitches" as he called them, so that he could focus on his other businesses. I thought it was really funny the way he talked about Denise and the other women. He has a really colorful personality and I figured he'd be a blast to work for. Marcus works in real estate. He has an arrangement with several agents in the area where he rents vacant houses at a daily rate for his clients, who I assume are business travelers who have grown tired of the monotony of the chain hotels and desire an extra level of service. What is unique about Marcus's business model is he has these female employees who act as hostesses. It makes sense...I'm sure a lot of these guys are lonely, on the road all the time. These women keep them company, play cards, maybe smoke a joint, or even something stronger like crack or meth. And that's where Marcus helps out too...as he explained, it can be dangerous trying to cop decent stuff in an unfamiliar area. Marcus is kind of a one-stop shop. So, for the past 3 weekends, I've been helping Marcus by meeting clients at these houses, collecting their money and making sure the women show up on time. I keep the drugs in a briefcase, arranged in a neat display for the guys to pick out, and then I collect the money for that too. Then I sit in the front room with a shotgun and keep watch outside. The job is a blast, and what I like about it is it's a different challenge every night. One time a girl named La'Shon-Queefa wanted to leave early because her cousin called and said her kid was throwing up. Well, not so fast there, La'Shon-Queefa! As Marcus explained to me, these are important clients and they pay good money to be entertained. And, we have a reputation to uphold. Marcus said, on the streets, you got your bitches, your A-K, and your rep, and that's it. So, I pistol-whipped La'Shon-Queefa good, just like Marcus showed me. She finished her shift. Like I said, fate smiled on me when I met Marcus. This job pays a hell of a lot more than the landscaping, and most of it is just sitting around. Really curious to hear from the rest of you guys, I'm sure a few of you have side jobs to help make ends meet in this economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 I'd pass on the arrow-shooting neighbor's mom. Yeah, I definitely had some trepidation at first, but like I said, she turned out to be a great lady. Sucks me off like a champ too. I've always found that the post-menopausal ones really put some extra effort into it, since their business downstairs is all dried up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Thanks for pistol whipping La'Shon - the missing two front teeth only enhanced the sensation and experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 (edited) I have my real estate license but I really havent done much with it over the past couple of years. I keep it active but havent had many transactions recently. I bartend on weekends and that has kept me very busy. Almost too busy at times because my regular job is pretty stressful and getting no rest on weekends doesnt help matters. It also cuts into family time which sucks but the extra money goes a long way. I took a 700 dollar course and it has paid for itself many times over. I bartend at a banquet facility so its different than a tavern or club. 99% of the time it is open bar so I rarely have to handle money unless its making change for a tip but there are no tabs etc. The place pays 10 bucks an hour and although that isnt a bad suppliment to the job, we are all really there for the tips otherwise we wouldnt do it. It is busy season right now. I often do doubles on saturdays or sundays where I bar tend a day party and then a night party right after it , so I am basically there from 9 am to midnight. Shift pay for one shift after taxes usually is between 65-75 bucks . A double gets you between 125-140 (some parties have extended hours) The paycheck shows up every tuesday. Its usually in the 130-180 range. The tips are a hugh crapshoot. It depends on the size, age , ethnicity and guidelines of the party (some parties you arent allowed money on the bar and you are compensated directly by the host ) I have had parties where we made 12 dollars each in tips for a whole nights work and I have had parties where we have made 300 each in tips . I have had weekends where I made 300 including shift pay for 2-3 parties and I have had weekends where I made 700. It is very tough to gauge because it is banquest bartending. If you get a solid gig at a restaurant or club/sports bar/tavern it usually averages out to a specific number each shift. My brother has a primo bartending job at a beautiful Italian upstart restaurant in NJ. He does no less than 200-250 every sunday and many times leaves there with 350-475 for one days work. If you get a good gig, bartending can be a very nice suppliment to your income or even sole income in some cases . Edited June 28, 2011 by whomper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Been doing handyman work for years. I do everything by word of mouth. I take care of one persons rental units (7 of them) but they usually do not require much work anymore. I have developed a good amount of regulars over the years. Some months there isn't much going on and other months I am very busy. That is the case this month. I just built a 12 x 14 deck ($3000), jacked up the flooring under the kitchen ($225) and built a privacy fence ($2000) for a regular customer. I split the profits with a carpenter friend so we each made about $1750 over two weekends. I specialize in plumbing repairs (leaky faucets, running toilets, unstopping drain lines, etc) and charge no less than $75 for the first hour and $50 hour after that. I have a house coming vacate at the first of the month so I have to do some work in there. I think home maintenance is a good business. So many people can't do anything for themselves, but thats ok with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Been doing handyman work for years. I do everything by word of mouth. I take care of one persons rental units (7 of them) but they usually do not require much work anymore. I have developed a good amount of regulars over the years. Some months there isn't much going on and other months I am very busy. That is the case this month. I just built a 12 x 14 deck ($3000), jacked up the flooring under the kitchen ($225) and built a privacy fence ($2000) for a regular customer. I split the profits with a carpenter friend so we each made about $1750 over two weekends. I specialize in plumbing repairs (leaky faucets, running toilets, unstopping drain lines, etc) and charge no less than $75 for the first hour and $50 hour after that. I have a house coming vacate at the first of the month so I have to do some work in there. I think home maintenance is a good business. So many people can't do anything for themselves, but thats ok with me. it does truly amaze me how many people cant do simple plumbing, maintenance projects etc. , it must be the schools fault! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 it does truly amaze me how many people cant do simple plumbing, maintenance projects etc. , it must be the schools fault! When was the last time that you taught a child how to snake a toilette line? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 it does truly amaze me how many people cant do simple plumbing, maintenance projects etc. , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 So, for the past 3 weekends, I've been helping Marcus by meeting clients at these houses, collecting their money and making sure the women show up on time. I keep the drugs in a briefcase, arranged in a neat display for the guys to pick out, and then I collect the money for that too. Then I sit in the front room with a shotgun and keep watch outside. The job is a blast, and what I like about it is it's a different challenge every night. One time a girl named La'Shon-Queefa wanted to leave early because her cousin called and said her kid was throwing up. Well, not so fast there, La'Shon-Queefa! As Marcus explained to me, these are important clients and they pay good money to be entertained. And, we have a reputation to uphold. Marcus said, on the streets, you got your bitches, your A-K, and your rep, and that's it. So, I pistol-whipped La'Shon-Queefa good, just like Marcus showed me. She finished her shift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Yes. But I'm doing it Silicon Valley style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaman Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Been doing handyman work for years. I do everything by word of mouth. I take care of one persons rental units (7 of them) but they usually do not require much work anymore. I have developed a good amount of regulars over the years. Some months there isn't much going on and other months I am very busy. That is the case this month. I just built a 12 x 14 deck ($3000), jacked up the flooring under the kitchen ($225) and built a privacy fence ($2000) for a regular customer. I split the profits with a carpenter friend so we each made about $1750 over two weekends. I specialize in plumbing repairs (leaky faucets, running toilets, unstopping drain lines, etc) and charge no less than $75 for the first hour and $50 hour after that. I have a house coming vacate at the first of the month so I have to do some work in there. I think home maintenance is a good business. So many people can't do anything for themselves, but thats ok with me. Dude! How can I fix my kitchen sink? It's an undermount unit with granite tops. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Marcus works in real estate. He has an arrangement with several agents in the area where he rents vacant houses at a daily rate for his clients I have my real estate license Whomper = Marcus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Whomper = Marcus? It all makes sense now. <evil laugh> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Dude! How can I fix my kitchen sink? It's an undermount unit with granite tops. Thanks get rid of the granite tops. Mounting sinks to granite tops is one thing I won't mess with. imo it should be done by the countertop guy. I have seen some just stuck on with an adhesive and no brackets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I have a side gig (currently, a pro-bono effort, even though its not supposed to be) as CFO of a start-up manufacturing company. There is quite a long story about this; maybe some day I'll tell it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 When was the last time that you taught a child how to snake a toilette line? Trixy was here name..... Oh i forgot to mention, i am hired by lobby groups to invade and spam chat rooms on the interweb! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramhock Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 FF is my side gig. Hoping for the opportunity, this year, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaman Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 get rid of the granite tops. Mounting sinks to granite tops is one thing I won't mess with. imo it should be done by the countertop guy. I have seen some just stuck on with an adhesive and no brackets. Ugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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