How Do People Do It?

[kristenmichie 0]

Where does everyone get all their money from? I work a decent job, and dont shop or buy anything I dont necessarily need, and yet, I struggle through this sport. I dont get it. How do you afford new gear, tons of vacation time, boogie money, and money for 500+ jumps a summer, and money left over to survive? Sorry for the whining, just sucks when your in a rut.

Any advice on money situations?

We're here for a good time, not a long time.

[turtlespeed 226]

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Where does everyone get all their money from? I work a decent job, and dont shop or buy anything I dont necessarily need, and yet, I struggle through this sport. I dont get it. How do you afford new gear, tons of vacation time, boogie money, and money for 500+ jumps a summer, and money left over to survive? Sorry for the whining, just sucks when your in a rut.

Any advice on money situations?

Easy -
1) Eat nothing but Ramen Noodles
2) wear your clothes multiple times so as to avoid unneccessary water and soap
3) that's about it.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[Randy_H 0]

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Any advice on money situations?

yeah.... get married and have a very understanding, NON-SKYDIVING spouse!

010010010110010101100001011101000111000001110101011100110111001101111001

[Nutz 0]

Aren't there a couple of movies about this? In one of them the skydivers were smuggling drugs and in another one they were robbing banks. Not much help I know, get used to being broke.

"Don't! Get! Eliminated!"

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

Very simply: I instruct to defray the cost of my sport jumping. If you are not going to "give back to the sport" then you can expect to go broke skydiving, at least if you hope to accumulate any great number of jumps in a year.

Skydiving is a very expensive sport.

Chuck

[kristenmichie 0]

Your right about this. The most I do right now is edit tandem videos, which does help. I just look at some people who just literally kick ass in so many ways, and i think...how? Thanks for the advice too.

And if I decide to start selling crack, do I have any buyers?

We're here for a good time, not a long time.

[Vallerina 2]

I live with my parents!

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[Rebecca 0]

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some people who just literally kick ass in so many ways, and i think...how?

Ah yes, being a master at multiple ass-kicking methods is something I aspire to as well.

My fav is when you're walking next to someone, and you just bend your knee and twist so you slap 'em with the side of your foot... yeah that's fun.


And skydiving is very expensive. I suggest selling your entire body as advertising space. We know they'll pay...

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[Darius11 12]

My credit card was almost down to nothing.

Now they are all maxed out. I spend money on nothing else. Still there is no way I will be able to do 500 jumps this year. My plane is 200 if I am lucky.

So don't feel bad man. I am in the same place as you are right now. Broke I hate Feb.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[Chrissay 0]

You may want to take a look and see where you are really spending your money. For example, I use to spend a TON of money on eating out. Now I only eat out once or twice a week and always bring my lunch at work. I also rarely go out to the bar anymore and I have stopped my shopping sprees.

Do you have credit card debt that you can consolidate and transfer to one with 0%? Also, this year I decided that I am paying cash for all trips, no more credit cards. So I have been taking out $100.00 out of every paycheck and setting it aside for this season, so far it is working out well. I have also sold some gear that I don't use anymore and I sell stuff on ebay, ie CD's, tennis shoes which helps out a little.

And don't forget, you can always sell yourself to science

[mailin 0]

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yeah.... get married and have a very understanding, NON-SKYDIVING spouse!

Exactly!



Jen

Arianna Frances

[flyingferret 0]

If your profile is right you have 130 jumps in one year, which is not bad at all by my standards.

I started as a college student and it was save 50 bucks, jump, save 50 bucks, jump. I guess I got about 50 jumps my first year, used student loans to buy gear at jump number 11. Now I have 500+ jumps (dont really log anymore
It really all depends on the person. I have guys on my team that rack up hundreds of jumps a year, but don't pay for anything else in there life. I know other guys that jump once a month, and have the other 3 packed with rock climbing, motorcycles, rock band work, etc. It is all perspective, I think. I know people that can do things in a hundred that took me 200 jumps. Part talent, part body type, part currency.
So, you look at someone with a 1000 jumps, are they over 2 years? 10 years? TM jumps? working dives? It all makes a difference.
During my first trip to Eloy after some coaching from some of the best freeflyers on the planet, our team came up with a little slogan about jumping problems: "Nothing that a thousand jumps won't fix" So, hang in there on the kicking ass part, sometimes it is just time in the sport. Sometimes if you sell everything or if you are a lawyer, you can make 1000 jumps a year. But most people can't. A lot of us can't make every boogie, or 500 jumps a summer. The sport is about so much more than that. It is about enjoying the weekends you do have.
20 years ago, people with a few hundred jumps were incredible. So, if you want my opinion, forget the money, find a mentor and make half the jumps count, and just have fun with the other half.

--
All the flaming and trolls of wreck dot with a pretty GUI.

[brierebecca 0]

STUDENT LOANS!!!! Great interest rates, you get it all in bulk so you can buy blocks of jumps for cheaper, and banks don't complain when you write them and ask if you can take out an extra 5K this year.



mua!

brie

"Ive seen you hump air, hump the floor of the plane, and hump legs. You now have a new nickname: "Black Humper of Death"--yardhippie

[GTAVercetti 0]

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Where does everyone get all their money from? I work a decent job, and dont shop or buy anything I dont necessarily need, and yet, I struggle through this sport. I dont get it. How do you afford new gear, tons of vacation time, boogie money, and money for 500+ jumps a summer, and money left over to survive? Sorry for the whining, just sucks when your in a rut.

Any advice on money situations?

Each payperiod, I put into my savings account the amount in my checking account that is in excess of my paycheck. For example, if I get 200 dollars a week (just using a number, I would easily go broke with that amount around here!) and I already have 100 dollars in my account, that 100 goes right into my savings.

That money is used for gear and trips. The money from jumping is just factored into my budget. I figure I will spend at least 250 at the DZ a weekend (on average for the year).

It can be juggling sometimes but I am proud to say that I have no credit card debt that is out of control (meaning the amount is quite low). On the other hand, I am certainly not able to make 500 jumps a summer, but I find that the amount I do is just fine. Especially since I pack my own chute and that shit is tiring in the hot summer!

Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing.

[AggieDave 6]

I flat out bust my ass at the DZ to pay for skydiving. I started busting my ass as a packer, became a coach then a TI.

1) its a hell of a lot of fun to instruct students
2) it gives you a good feeling instructing students
3) it pays for skydiving.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[kristenmichie 0]

Thanks for all the great advice. You are all so right.

I dont have any debt which is a bonus. And i pay cash for all my trips too. Theres a start.

I just have to be patient, i know. But im too excited sometimes. You guys worked hard to get were you are and I appreciate that. So thanks for listening, and by all means keep the ideas coming.

(Chrissy you can buy my body anytime...)

[mnealtx 0]

That's the way to do it for the long run (coming from someone that is trying to get ~60k in debt paid off)

Of course, I've heard discussions about selling kidneys on Ebay for jump tix, too....

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Chrissay 0]

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(Chrissy you can buy my body anytime...)

[napoleon dynamite] Yeessssss. [/napoleon dynamite]

ps
Awesome job at not having any debt, don't start now! You must be one of the few out there without any.

[windcatcher 0]

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Where does everyone get all their money from? How do you afford new gear, tons of vacation time, boogie money, and money for 500+ jumps a summer, and money left over to survive?

haha, I'm wonderin the same thing!!! Course, all I make during school comes from a minumum wage, 12 hr. a week job; try buying gear, AND jumps, and all the little toiletries and stuff on that amount

Well, I hardly buy anything for myself ( outside skydiving) unless it's necessary.You just gotta see where your prorities lie; if ya really wanna jump and travel to boogies, ya gotta save.
This summer I'll be working 2 jobs, but I should have $ to go to WFFC!!!!

Mother to the cutest little thing in the world...

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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Very simply: I instruct to defray the cost of my sport jumping. If you are not going to "give back to the sport" then you can expect to go broke skydiving, at least if you hope to accumulate any great number of jumps in a year.

Skydiving is a very expensive sport.

Chuck

I'd love to do what you're talking about and AggieDave...I don't have the talent though. I feel it's very important for me to be completely honest about that; I declined taking the coach course because I really don't feel that I'm good enough to teach anyone...Gawd I wish I could though, because I have about 3 jumps left on my account at the DZ, then the party's over.

I was hoping to feel more confident by the end of February so I could register for the coach course in March, but it just isn't going to happen. -And video editing is done by the vidiots at our DZ, so I couldn't get in on that either. Bummer!! Some day I'll get there. One of my biggest goals in this sport is to be a TM...I absolutely love seeing people take their first jump!

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[goose491 0]

Woa there Kristen!!!

I think you may very well be infringing upon one of the unwriten skydivers code rules.

"Don't ever ask how that unemployed dude or dudette can afford to drive such a nice car to the DZ and make so many jumps each weekend... Beleive it, you are better off not knowing."

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[chaoskitty 0]

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I live with my parents!

So do I! And I have more room to myself in their house than I would if I lived in an apartment, even though I travel for work so much it doesnt matter. Plus its nice and FREE! And I actually LIKE my parents.. go figure.

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[justinb138 0]

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I live with my parents!

Same here. It was either pay for an apartment and school (no skydiving) or pay for school and skydiving (no apartment).

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[sunshine 2]

I pack for extra cash. Drive a car that is paid off. Live in a small apartment. Don't have cable. Eat cheap.

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meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

Become a minimalist...liquidate everything you have on Ebay..that worked for me. I decided that if I wasn't emotionally attached to something, it was for sale. It was a cleansing experience to free my life of *stuff* and clutter

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