Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

The Gen Z Law Regarding Boomers For Off Season Sake.

Seasonal jobs are a tough gig to jump into - UNLESS, in my "Boomer" days. ANY JOB was better than sitting on my ass with no job whimpering about the job market and living off welfare (placing in an app once a week to vouch for attempting to find work. I can look for something while working such jobs as a UPS "casual" laborer to a seasonal Forest Service position...

There IS work. Heck, Kalispell Target $17.00 an hour collecting shopping carts!

guest advocate (cashier or front of store attendant/cart attendant) (t1540)​

apply now save joblocation: 2365 us highway 93 n, kalispell, montana, united states, 59901-2558;job id: R0000310497
job family: Store Hourly - Front End
schedule: Variable
Starting Hourly Rate / Salario por Hora Inicial: $17.00 USD per hour

Yep, find roommate(s). Whatever, work the job while moving up with the company and (or) exploring trade school / community college, etc.
 
Having been in construction for 10 years, the answer is pretty easy...

There's a lot of stupid people in this world. Many tradesmen do NOT have what it takes to run their own business. Talking with a lot of guys in the field, it seems like a bunch of them "used to work for themselves" but work for a larger outfit now.

Of all the people who ever worked for me I could tell which ones would own their own business, which ones were capable but would never take the risk and which ones will work for someone the rest of their lives. Usually within a week of the day they were hired. The number of guys who worked for me who own their own business in the same trade now is greater than 20 and I’m happy for every one of them.

There are plenty of big companies out there that take care of their people enough to make it worth not having the stress of owning your own thing. When I sold my business in California in and moved to Montana shortly after I worked for a couple companies all the way till 2018, when I went back on my own, primarily due to the freedom not the pay.
 
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When I was a baby, my parents moved to Missoula County. My dad got a job at a lumber mill. My mom didn’t work until I went to school.
With only my dad’s income, they bought a house on 16 acres and both my parents always drove new or close to new cars. We weren’t rich but had plenty.

That’s not happening today.
Actually it is. My threes boys range in age from 25 to 30. They all have nicers homes than my wife and I did at that age and drive nicer cars.
 
Actually it is. My threes boys range in age from 25 to 30. They all have nicers homes than my wife and I did at that age and drive nicer cars.
Same here both my oldest daughters 1999/2001 are far farther along than their mother and I were at those ages. Drive better cars and do way more fun things than we ever did. One is about to get her masters, married, payed off 3 year old car, no student loan debt and works in the field she has a degree in. Other one went to work in a trade, payed off 2020 truck, 20k in the bank, her and her fiancé are currently home shopping in Bozeman. Some kids must live in a Parallel universe.
 
Actually it is. My threes boys range in age from 25 to 30. They all have nicers homes than my wife and I did at that age and drive nicer cars.
I didn’t say that young people aren’t doing well. I’m 33 and I am doing great.


Did you skip over the part about working in a lumber mill, having a stay at home wife, raising children etc? Or to elaborate… Saving for their kids college, their own retirement (and having union pensions)

The aprox $70k my dad made in 1999 is equivalent to $129,700 today.

Good luck buying this 45 year old house on less land and doing all of that named above on $130k.

 
Same here both my oldest daughters 1999/2001 are far farther along than their mother and I were at those ages. Drive better cars and do way more fun things than we ever did. One is about to get her masters, married, payed off 3 year old car, no student loan debt and works in the field she has a degree in. Other one went to work in a trade, payed off 2020 truck, 20k in the bank, her and her fiancé are currently home shopping in Bozeman. Some kids must live in a Parallel universe.

Dual income is powerful, especially when there aren't kids in the picture.

I didn’t say that young people aren’t doing well. I’m 33 and I am doing great.


Did you skip over the part about working in a lumber mill, having a stay at home wife, raising children etc? Or to elaborate… Saving for their kids college, their own retirement (and having union pensions)

The aprox $70k my dad made in 1999 is equivalent to $129,700 today.

Good luck buying this 45 year old house on less land and doing all of that named above on $130k.


A quick googling suggests a family should be making around 200k to afford that. I'll wager a guess that 200k is quite a bit above the median Montana income.
 
I will say, as a business owner, the same, narrow minded, set in their ways stubbornness that prevents many in the older generations from acknowledging simple statistical facts related to inflation, CPI etc, spills over into other areas and provides huge competitive advantages to me.

Technology allows for efficiencies and methods that my competition, who’s average age is nearly 60 years old, refuses to utilize.
Utilizing technology allows me to do a better job, and to do the jobs faster, which allows me to charge more. Charging more, combined with getting more work done in less time is good for business. I’m far ahead of inflation this way. But I’m not working 40 in a factory for a corporation, which used to provide Americans with a great livelihood.
 
I didn’t say that young people aren’t doing well. I’m 33 and I am doing great.


Did you skip over the part about working in a lumber mill, having a stay at home wife, raising children etc? Or to elaborate… Saving for their kids college, their own retirement (and having union pensions)

The aprox $70k my dad made in 1999 is equivalent to $129,700 today.

Good luck buying this 45 year old house on less land and doing all of that named above on $130k.

Land and housing in the rural east, say PA and NY is cheap. Culture is probably similar to Frenchtown when you were there. The west has become trendy.
 
I wasn't relating content specifically to what you were debating/discussing with another. I am not sure if it was your coment or another person's related to trade skills. I was curious as I know numerous electricians, etc that hold their family with a fiscal responsible position - time in service.

I was sharing the various trade skills and what people have available if they get off their ass and work instead of insisting everything given to them. (Boomer speak)...

The objective is to get inand work your ass off. As @cgasner1 shared there are those who press further and start their own business. Those dedicated have a much higher chance of success. I referred to that caliber of person in my comment quoted below.

Regardless: I'll revert to an earlier comment shared:
Gotcha. I think my buddy who’s working his way up through the ranks as an electrician will eventually get to where he needs to be financially, but they’re really putting him through the wringer to get there. The false narrative that there’s big money jobs easily and immediately to any low level employee willing to show up on time kinda of chaps my butt.
 
Is it fair to say that this thread is involving all the generations referred to....seems like all of you have plenty of spare time on your hands during the work day.🤣
I usually start at 6am, unlike all these lazy oldsters. ;)
 
A fun thought exercise for Boomers claiming inflation isn't a big deal-- let's pay social security benefits in 1972 dollars rather than 2024 dollars.
 
A fun thought exercise for Boomers claiming inflation isn't a big deal-- let's pay social security benefits in 1972 dollars rather than 2024 dollars.
What kind of “thought exercise” if that? I am really curious as to what you are trying to prove. Pitter patter.
 
What kind of “thought exercise” if that? I am really curious as to what you are trying to prove. Pitter patter.
It seems like one side of this discourse believes inflation relative to earnings doesn’t have a significant impact on millennials or Gen Zers. My point (although probably inarticulately made) is asking those folks to think through trying to survive today on a dollar that has 650% less purchasing power.
 
The false narrative that there’s big money jobs easily and immediately to any low level employee willing to show up on time kinda of chaps my butt.
I assume you're referring to an article or another? My comments have always shared entry is entry. Get in and work ass off. Time in = experience = $.

I think that narrative [big money jobs easily and immediately to any low level employee] may be sought by some that don't want to put in the effort - and complain about it any way possible to rationalize the "challenges" faced trying to make it in today's job market.
 
Is it fair to say that this thread is involving all the generations referred to....seems like all of you have plenty of spare time on your hands during the work day.🤣
Glad you stopped in to represent your generation. 🤣
 
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