Comments on: The First Paycheck

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:58:12 +0000

Sacking groceries in high school–taught me alot–especially how much alcohol was being consumed by the brethren!!—but I didn’t go out and buy a cool hat like some of our sons did with their first paycheck.

By: charlie s.

charlie s. — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:28:53 +0000

First paycheck was $48.00. Made $1.00 an hour, worked 6 days a week, delivering furniture. I was 10 years old. When I complained about child labor laws, I was told there was a family exemption as to rate of pay and hours worked. Never have looked to see if my Dad was telling the truth, but since he also paid for my meals and clothes I did not complain too much.
Continued working that job every summer through college, with some raises. I remember checking my bank balance in high school to discover that I was a sophomore and had over $3000.00, a paid-for car, place to live, paid-for insurance, and free food! I have never again been that rich!
Working with my Dad. Best job I have ever had.

By: Terry

Terry — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:38:01 +0000

I remember watching nine children for 8 hours at a time for 50 cents an hour. Did that for at least three years.
Recently, we have helped people get jobs that haven’t worked much in their lives. I am amazed when they get that first paycheck and there are all those deductions. They just can’t understand how you can work so hard and not get your money. Have to talk them into remaining on the job. But I sure do understand their angst.

By: Happy

Happy — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:16:50 +0000

i had a little paper route when i was in 6th grade. Not much of one but it paid for piano lessons and $.50 i needed to get in the movies. Plus it gave me a reason to go by Jill’s house and not look like a stalker

By: Katie

Katie — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:10:29 +0000

I worked the snack bar at the pool when I was 18. I came home smelling like grease every day, but I did get a tan…and some muscles from lifting those 5-gallon water jugs!

By: Chris Field

Chris Field — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:35:05 +0000

My first “paycheck job” was as a Little League umpire at the ripe age of 14. The best part of that job was the free cheeseburger they gave you when you worked two games in one night This job was not without some perils though. Like the 7 year old who started bawling when I rang him up big league style at my first game (oops) or the time I motioned safe while screaming “He’s OUT!!!” on a close play at second. Those poor kids just stared at me not knowing what to do next.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:50:49 +0000

My first anything means looking back eons, but my first ‘paycheck’ job was working in the kitchen of our local hospital. All I remember are trays and more trays of Jello going in and out of the big refrigerators. I worked 3 hours after school & Saturday mornings, and 2 very early hours Sunday mornings before church. At least back then our services began at 10 AM [dig, dig and hint, hint!] lol

My dad had me quit the job because it was interfering with my more serious job and the one I really loved – that of being my little [35,000] town’s official vocal soloist. I sang and was paid to sing at dinners, luncheons, meetings of the Elks, Moose, Job’s Daughters & Rainbow Girls, Rebeccas, Optimists, Rotary, Junior Chamber of Commerce, et al and every convention that hit town. Even had my own radio show for a short time. What fun, and good money for that time and my age. Lovely and cherished memories. Thanks, Mike for stirring them up out of passive memory.

By: Kent Dickerson

Kent Dickerson — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:40:10 +0000

My first real paycheck was when I was fourteen and working for Furr’s Cafeteria. (my dad was assitant manager) I was paid $1.45 an hour. Actually I worked three nights a week for five years before that in our Bar-B-Que place but pay was all mixed up with allowance and home chores. I was really into music and remember buying a transister radio and 45′s but don’t know if they were with the first paycheck. I am also sure some went for snacks.
qb, my brothers work in the summer for the forest service led to a lifetime career. I have heard some of the fire stories from him. Thanks for the memories, Mike

By: clint

clint — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:07:40 +0000

The first paycheck I remember was $1400.00 a week and that was back in 1976 – 77. I would get home from school and sleep for a couple of hours and then go to work from 7pm – 7am, I would get home shower and go to school. My grandfather was the head of the union and I would work turnarounds in the refineries. I paid cash for my first car a 1971 Thunderbird with a 429 and suicide doors.

Now you know how I ended up with a wife like Alana. Bless her heart she had no idea it would be all down hill from there. If I had only invested in Microsoft!

By: Byron bundy

Byron bundy — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:01:50 +0000

I worked for a bee keeping operation that an elder at our church owned. I was heading into 8th grade and worked for $3.25 an hour. Ag. work did not follow the laws of minimum wage in 1988, but it seemed to me like they were handing our money.

By: qb

qb — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:54:16 +0000

Fighting forest fires as a Hotshot for USFS. Being a GS-4 seemed to pay a lot back then (’85-86) – $6.19/hr – but we got tons of overtime, hazard pay, and Sunday differentials, and when we were on fires, we had ZERO expenses. So it added up in a pretty good hurry. Throw in some exciting helicopter rides, an 80+-hour/wk work ethic, some fresh California fruit from orchard owners whose property we were protecting, and some spectacular night shifts along Idaho’s Salmon River, and you’ve got a pretty good gig, all things considered. Not a bad way to enter the job force. Perfect summer job for a college student, incidentally.

(Of course, there were also the disgusting margarine-and-baloney sandwiches in NM, the scorpions on AZ’s Tonto NF, and the smoke from burning poison oak in CA, but why quibble?)

By: CarolinaGirl

CarolinaGirl — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:06:07 +0000

I wonder if there’s a difference between a “first job” and a “real job.” My first job was mowing lawns. Yes, as a girl, I mowed laws at the age of 12 to earn my first paycheck. I’d charge $10 for both back & front. I remember one of the most difficult yards at that time being directly across the street from where I lived. It was a corner lot and therefore quite large to mow. Sadly, I can’t remember what my paycheck went to that summer. I know some of it went back into my business as I had to buy the gas for the mower. Another side bar was having to keep the lawn mowed at home.

My first “real job” was as a car hop. I worked at a drive-in that had once been an A&W. That was a cool job and that summer, I put my earnings towards a bike.

My other “real job” was at the soda fountain located in my town’s drug store. That paycheck went to just about everything…I was in high school after all. My “real jobs” tend to date me somewhat.

By: Barecycles

Barecycles — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:46:53 +0000

Mine was for a landscaping company during my junior year in high school. My first day was spent cutting the grass at a local cemetery with a push mower. The cemetery was also where I had my first lunch break eating a pimento cheese sandwich leaning up against a headstone. Ahh, the glamor my first job.

By: Dr. Jim White

Dr. Jim White — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:46:00 +0000

Sacking groceries at C & E Super Valu. I made $1.60 an hour and worked a 40 hour week. There was no worry about fringe benefits or other perks. Just $64 a week before taxes.

By: Kathryn Worrall

Kathryn Worrall — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:18:37 +0000

Timex! I was a pinner on an assembly line of men’s watches….$50.00 a week! I was in “high cotton” as my Granddaddy used to say!