tearseyes 0 #1 June 15, 2004 I am sure quite a few people have had or are having the same problem as me. I am a college student barely making ends meet with. I started AFF, but it has been 2 months since my last jump because money is so tight. Can anyone give me some advice on how you managed to get it done? Thanks a bunch Jana Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TALONSKY 0 #2 June 15, 2004 The best way to get through AFF is to save up enough money to get through (with a few possible repeats) then do AFF. Muscle memory works much better if there is not a huge lag time between jumps. Kirk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gemini 0 #3 June 15, 2004 Some people get part time jobs at the dz just to pay for jumps. And if they are not jumping, at least they are out there with all their friends. Blue skies, Jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tearseyes 0 #4 June 15, 2004 I am out at the dropzone every weekend learning everything I can. I was thinking about learning to pack and maybe that would help out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
damion75 0 #5 June 15, 2004 QuoteI am out at the dropzone every weekend learning everything I can. I was thinking about learning to pack and maybe that would help out. Winning plan! Go for it. Bear in mind that it does get a bit cheaper after AFF. So stick with it, and keep selling stuff on Ebay!!*************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bertusgeert 1 #6 June 15, 2004 I know what you are talking about bro. I had it easy though. Learn to pack, it helped me a bunch! That is how I became good friends with two other guys, who as I was packing, did their AFFI courses. Then I was their first student - (for numerous unpaid packjobs, without their request). The DZO also helped me out a bunch. I ended up with no gear rental charges, no instructor charges, nothing but jump tickets for me and the instructors. My only advice would be to learn everything you can, hang out with cool people, and maybe you will get lucky!Good luck mate! --------------------------------------------- As jy dom is moet jy bloei! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #7 June 15, 2004 Guess what, I'm a college student as well. I packed to pay for jumping, then I became an instructor to pay for jumping (well, that's a lie, I love instructing).--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aggie04 0 #8 June 16, 2004 I'm a poor college student as well!! And i just made my first aff jump last weekend. What i did is i saved up enough so i can pay for all of aff with a few possible extra jumps calculated in. I also started packing about a month ago. Spent 2 whole weekends just practicing over and over and now i have started packing for money. It helps alot not to mention I am there all the time so anytime there is good weather i can try and jump. Plus you get to spend lots of time with some very cool people. Good luck with everything!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A life without a cause is a life without an effect Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SublimeBreeze 0 #9 June 16, 2004 Not advisable but I used a credit card and every last fucking penny I had of financial aid as well as worked a part time job to get through aff and the rest. Credit card = VERY BAD but it worked for me. Anyways, Just think of everything you buy as a possible jump ticket. Always helps me keep budgeted. Good Luck! Oh yeah the best way is a sugar momma! (haven't found one yet but im a looking!) Sean Sean In Thailand Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #10 June 16, 2004 pack, or see if the DZO will trade jumps for stuff like mowing the lawn, cleaning, etc. or you could see if there is a static line dz around... it is usually cheaper. MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spatula 0 #11 June 16, 2004 I too have had (and am still having) issues with aquiring the cash to jump. I started a similar thread a while back. Check out what every had to say....lots of good suggestions, but packing is an awesome one. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=909213;page=1;mh=-1;;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JYorkster 0 #12 June 16, 2004 Two words.... Student Loans! Rock Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryand96 0 #13 June 16, 2004 QuoteCredit card = VERY BAD I can't stress this enough. This is how I financed all of my jumps at first. I was in college and broke. I ended up with so much debt that I had to quit jumping until I had it all paid off. Took me 2 years. Don't use your credit cards. If you do, make sure you have the money to pay it all off at the end of the month. Find a job at the DZ and use that to pay for all your jumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spatula 0 #14 June 16, 2004 This is so true!!! I've been battling with savings up the funds for jumping and used gear. A couple of times I've come close to just charging it all...BAD IDEA!!! Just go learky around the DZ (and be useful to the business) pack, manifest, clean planes, whatever...or just read this site 100x a day and save up the fundage!!!! Good Luck!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoRules 0 #15 June 16, 2004 see if you can work out a deal with the dzo to bring a bunch of tandems in exchange for free jumps. most dz's (at least in the northeast) have some policy that if you bring 15 tandems, your tandem jump is free. trust me, i wouldn't have been able to get through aff without it! and college kids are the perfect candidates for group tandems ~ * Life Has No Rules * ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lkolkin 0 #16 June 17, 2004 I was in the same boat. At first I tried to round together a bunch of tandems cause like someone else suggested, if you bring 15 tandems or so, you can usually work something out where one of your jumps gets comped. Since that only worked one time, I started an official skydiving club at my school. Our fliers headline was "Wanna get High??" It definitely caught attention. At the first meeting I had our DZ put together a nice little skydiving compilation video and showed it. I had my entire AFF paid for by bringing out new students. And it only took a handful of hours to design the fliers and pass them out. Its amazing how many people want to jump out there (well, not really amazing I suppose). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tearseyes 0 #17 June 17, 2004 Thanks you guys for all the suggestions. My drop zone does have the bring tandems and get a free jump. So I am going to try that and we wanted to get a club togther at my university. It is a long process to do, but I am sure it will be worth it. Thanks again!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstime 0 #18 June 17, 2004 I quit smoking... $5 per day in the the ole bucket and brown bagged my lunch another $5 a day in the bucket. It worked for me. But it really sucked to mug old people to buy my rig!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fundgh 0 #19 June 17, 2004 Credit Card = Good Idea Just know what you are getting into. People borrow hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy houses, cars, furniture, etc. I payed cash for housing (rent), cars, and furniture when I was in college. I borrowed money (credit card) to learn how to skydive and buy my first rig. Am I in debt? Yes. Can I afford my monthly payments? Yes. Was it worth it? Hell Yes! If you are smart with credit cards, you can get interest rates lower than any rig manufacturer financing, mortgage, personal loans, etc. Develop a plan, and justify your spending. If it is not worth the joy that you get from the sport, then don't do it. I refuse to stop having fun because I don't have money. Where there is a will there is a way!...FUN FOR ALL! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fundgh 0 #20 June 17, 2004 What is your major? If it is Liberal Arts...Don't touch the credit card. If it is information technology, pre-med, computer science, etc you may have brighter outcome and be able to afford to borrow....FUN FOR ALL! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #21 June 17, 2004 QuoteWhat is your major? If it is Liberal Arts...Don't touch the credit card. If it is information technology, pre-med, computer science, etc you may have brighter outcome and be able to afford to borrow. That's quite a generalization. Science or not, the college student must take care to keep the total debt to a reasonable figure. If they're staying on top of their monthly costs + the semester based ones, then charging $1500 to do AFF is a reasonable step. I'd be a bit more hesistant to pull the trigger on the rig, though. That might be the time to work the packing or recruiting angle to keep costs down for a while. If college costs are a slowly (or not) increasingly debt load, then I'd avoid the big credit charges. Find another way to pay, or wait. Even the engineers aren't guaranteed work when they get their B.S., and having a big debt burden can really limit your flexibility with work and living situations at a time when it's nice to be free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryand96 0 #22 June 18, 2004 Quote What is your major? If it is Liberal Arts...Don't touch the credit card. If it is information technology, pre-med, computer science, etc you may have brighter outcome and be able to afford to borrow. It doesn't matter what your major is, it is not fun to graduate college with a boatload of debt. Imagine graduating college and taking two years to pay off all your credit cards. You can't buy a new car, you can't buy a house, and you can't save a dime because all your extra income is being used to pay off the huge debt you acquired while in college where you spent a boatload of money you didn't have. I've done it and it's not fun. Plus there is no guarantee these days of getting that high paying job right out of school with only a bachelors degree, even in computer science or information technology. Those are over saturated fields anyway. I know people with computer science degrees who are working at Best Buy right now. I know others who are just bouncing from start up to start up getting paid in stock options that are essentially worthless. Edited to add: I'm actually rather glad I maxed out my credit cards. It taught me a great life lesson about financial responsibility. If you want to learn the hard way, charge away. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tearseyes 0 #23 June 18, 2004 I am a psyc major and going for my masters as soon as i graduate. I refuse to do the credit card thing because i will have enough debt with student loans. I had to laugh when a friend of mine told me to be come a stripper.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fundgh 0 #24 June 18, 2004 It sounds like you have your head in the game. Pack, strip, get an AFF instructor as an SO, do what it takes to stay in the air! Have Fun!...FUN FOR ALL! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fundgh 0 #25 June 18, 2004 I agree, but my point is that unless you are in a category that statistically has higher paying and/or more plentiful career outlooks, don't bet on your future income. I came out of college with an astounding 30 K credit card debt and 16 k student loan debt, I bought my entrance to skydiving with 75% credit cards. I only make 40K, which isn't bad, but it not great either, and I am in Escrow! My primary point is that financing you life is not bad if you can maintain some sense of control. I don't jump on credit cards any more, all of my debt is at 2.9% for life, and my income is greater than my outgo, so it can be done. I definately agree that freedom is the biggest sacrifice for debt....FUN FOR ALL! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
