Reptile & Amphibian Forums

im really starting to wonder what type of jobs you all have that you can go out and buy all these deluxe tanks and heaters and such for your snakes. im a waiter making $2.13 an hour plus tips so it takes me about a week on average to save up for something over $100. what are you guys? molecular biologists or something?

My parents are supportive of my endeavors, this means if i can finance and care for the animals I can get them. I started refereeing soccer last year and bought a few things, now a year later I am 16 have a job, $7000 worth of boas, and kept in Boaphile plastics cages. The cost is a lot but with the right purchases, sell for a little more then get what you want with the money you made and reinvest.

I plan on going to school for Aerospace, or Nuclear Engineering,lol!

i am just lucky to have very good friends and great hook ups with these animals after being into these things for so many years (over 16 years) .. and thus what i have gotten is exactly what ive wanted and for the prices of the stuff i "DIDNT" want ... and still at this time i have over $10,000 of animals .. if i had to pay what they are worth id of wasted well over $25,000 .. and btw .. im a foreman at a construction company .. and get paid descent .. not what i should be but .. thats what i get for choosing to live in south florida .. lol

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NO BEAUTY LIKE THE BEAUTY OF A TRUE REDTAIL !!

I am 26 years old and have been working as a Mechanical Engineer for the past 2.5 years (since I graduated college). However, I live in the Bay Area in Northern CA where the housing prices and cost of living are outrageous, so it's tough for me, but I just try to make good buys when they are available to me.

Matt Crabe

I work in a hospital lab make ok money for what i do, but had to sell my soul sometime.

Well, I am an underpaid pimp. Sometimes when I see a snake I want, I have to pull some tricks myself. It's a sad, sad world I live in. It wouldn't be so bad but I refuse to shave my legs and that turns a lot of my clients away. O yeah and I'm pretty ugly in a skirt. So I have to hold a full time job as a cable guy - James W. Arnold

>>Well, I am an underpaid pimp. Sometimes when I see a snake I want, I have to pull some tricks myself. It's a sad, sad world I live in. It wouldn't be so bad but I refuse to shave my legs and that turns a lot of my clients away. O yeah and I'm pretty ugly in a skirt. So I have to hold a full time job as a cable guy - James W. Arnold

np
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www.chrisolsonreptiles.com
Naked I see the camp of those who desire nothing

I worked several crap jobs until I landed in an aircraft manufacturing job while the wife finished up college.. Now she works as an RN and I stay home and watch the midgets. Only reason I have been able to afford a few of the animals I have had was I went without the other things I wanted and opted for a new reptile over something else.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

I have to save up too. I could go buy a lot of the stuff I want, but I prefer having a home to live in, eating, and electricity.
I drive a 18 wheeler for a Major Soft Drink Company that shall remain nameless, that pays good, but doesn't mean anything when I get 5 or 6 hours a week. I'm looking for a new job now, but it is slow around here.

>>im really starting to wonder what type of jobs you all have that you can go out and buy all these deluxe tanks and heaters and such for your snakes. im a waiter making $2.13 an hour plus tips so it takes me about a week on average to save up for something over $100. what are you guys? molecular biologists or something?
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Tim W.

I'm 25 years old and I work graveyard security 70 hours a week. I get paid crap for what I do. I'm not very good at managing my money so when I see a new reptile I just buy it....maybe that's why I'm $36,000 in debt.....or were we talking about the positive things in life?
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1.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 Bolivian Boa
1.0 Western Hognose
3.0 Ferrets
2.0 Cats
2.0 Dogs
0.2 Rats

I'm 22 years old and work for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in his press/communications office. I have been fortunate enough to have met awesome people and become good friends with them in the reptile industry and landing a good job out of college was nice also! Don't get me wrong, I wish I could go out and buy a motley or sunglow arabesque and not blink an eye, but that's a few breeding seasons away. I think a large part is building an animal base, that produces for you, so that you not only get free (well free in terms of not having to pay for the babies even though you paid for the adults and tirelessley took care of them in order for them to breed)babies, but that selling some of your offspring will cover some/all of your expensives on future projects and endeavors. Coming out of pocket for high dollar animals, we've face it, we're not rich and there is no quick way other then the lotto to get these animals, its a process and those that hold steadfast and truely love their animals, it'll pay off. But rest assured nothing in life comes fast(well at least not in the snake world)

Best,
Justin Higgs
ECTOTHERMZ...

I work for a well known telecommunications company as a splicing technician.Average 90k a year because I dont mind working a little overtime here and there.I also live near SF in Northern Ca and homes are outrageous as is everthing else out here.I do not have elaborate caging setups.I use various sizes of sterilite tubs and regular racks you find in a target for 40 bucks and UTH pads from the Bean Farm to please my Boas.Thermostats and digital timers take care of the rest.175.00 is all I need to house 4 mid size boas like my Hog Islands.This does not include water bowls or hides or substrate.Now if I only had just 4 boas I might be OK.......Nope,not gonna do it.God Bless,Marcus

If you work for who I think you work for.
John
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"To be the best..........You must lose your mind."

How long have you been splicing? Also what company do you work for?
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True Redtails

Work for SBC in Cable Maintenance.Used to be a maintenance splicer,now I am a glorified repair technician.They still call me a splicer,but I dont think like one anymore.Just get them dial tone,dont fix your trouble.Good pay and not having to stay in the same office cubicle keeps me happy.Been with the company for 8 years now.

I am a Splicer as well as MDU, Installer, lineman and underground man here in Nashville, Tn. We are a prime contractor for Comcast.

James W. Arnold

Hey, I waited tables for almost 15 years (and tended bar, and ran catering jobs, and managed the night shift, and pretty much anything else in the restaurant world). I still managed to keep my snakes fed and housed (while I ate ramen noodles). It's all about the priorities... Now I work for a major Telecommunications company designing training curriculums (the pay is quite a bit better than when I worked in restaurants ). Patience grasshopper! I had to wait years before I could afford snakes I'd been reading about all my life. The money spent on easy to care for and to maintain safe caging (like racks and plastic cages) is well worth it- just have to make your budget and save up for it.

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Lora

I love those dang things. There's the invention of the wheel, the comustion engine, and Ramon noodles... in that order. My snakes eat better then I do (nutritionally.)

I.D.. whatever the termanolagy.

I agree that there were years where I was paying a lot more to feed my critters than to feed myself (working in restaurants did have it's upside). I still get a craving for Ramen every now and again though- ahh- MSG!
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Lora

I am in the military and I am a mechanical engineer.

I am not certain how old you are and how soon you are able to choose your path of success or lack thereof, but I will give some advice. If for some reason you are unhappy with your wage and current income/financial status, only you are responsible for your own life choices and outcomes.

As such, if you don’t like your waitering job, start a business, or get a degree that makes sufficient income (like engineering or accounting). With this income, perhaps you’ll find satisfaction or maybe you’d take it one step further to where you use this income as capital to start your own business. The and only then will you have the money to finance the toys and pets you want (unless you were born into wealth). Don’t wait for this to happen because it never will happen on its own or by accident. Plan to make it and MAKE IT HAPPEN because failing to plan is planning to fail.

That is just my $0,02. Best wishes in all your endeavors!

Matthew

I am a SBC Engineer. It doesn't pay much when you work for a public ulitity....But, I love my job. It is a great one. I will sacrafice some money for happiness.
John
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"To be the best..........You must lose your mind."

well apparently being an 11B in the U.S. Army isnt really a good career choice unless you plan on staying in. also, at a base with a 2 hour recall status (ft campbell) they dont give you much time to go to school or even do the online courses. however i got out of the miltary so im good on that aspect. the bad thing is i recently went through a divorce which pretty much wiped me out of (literally) house and home. had to pick myself back up from the bottom and get back on my feet again. one day (hopefully soon) i will move from this god forsaken town and move to a city where the employment staus and income isnt solely based on the payday of the U.S. military.

I know I'm not Matt.
But, best of luck. It sounds like you've been through some pretty tough stuff. You can do whatever you put your mind to. It's funny. I've heard that my whole life......Once I applied it...I found it to be true. Again, best of luck. May good fortune find your way.
John
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"To be the best..........You must lose your mind."

What kind of restuaraunt do you work in? I am a waiter making 2.13/hour but I usually average at least 125 a day. I can afford my reptiles. I dont buy the most expensive enclosures or have "top of the line" products but all my animals are healthy and thriving. There are things you can do to save money.heating pads 9.99 @ walmart,water dishes .99 at the dollar store, clamp lamps and light fixtures 5.99-19.99 walmart, plastic sweater boxes 9.99 walmart, your animals thriving with money still in your wallet, priceless.

and I don't mean hookers!!! One thing I am trying to learn with purchasing Boas is patience. You can't have everything all at once. I am trying my best at this patience thing. If you truly love your boas then you really should be happy with the animals that you have and can afford.

Happy Holidays!

Brett

well i am very much single. in fact, im happily divorced. oh im patient alright, the main reason i asked the question to begin with is because everytime i get on the forums with a simple question, somebody tells me (basically)that if i love my pets i will go out and buy them each a $2000 tank and im thinking that my snakes will be dead of old age before i can afford a tank like that for one of them let alone all of them.

Well I'm a telephone cable splicer contractor. I do work for most of the major telephone company's like quest and verizon. It pays the bill's and then some but Im not rich. I love my job but I have to work out of town and come home for the weekend and clean cages, I wish I had more time for my boas but I need to make money too.

-Dylan Keays
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True Redtails

another thing im wondering about. with all these splicers running around i feel safe in asking this. will a pig and an elephgant DNA really not splice?

>>another thing im wondering about. with all these splicers running around i feel safe in asking this. will a pig and an elephgant DNA really not splice?
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"To be the best..........You must lose your mind."

hmmm, maybe i need to start using spellcheck.
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"What do I look like? An employee?!?!

"The secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures"

I do tech support and make less than you might guess. I built all of my cages, and I don't have any super cool animals.
That's not true actually, I have some cool stuff, but I just scrape it all together bit by bit.
Here's a very pink (now at least) DH sunglow.

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Jeremy J. Anderson
snakepimp.com
gemstatereptiles.com
Email me!
Of course it's my opinion, I said it, didn't I?
No one in the world ever gets what they want, and that is beautiful. Everybody dies frustrated and sad, and that is beautiful. - TMBG

.

NP
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NO BEAUTY LIKE THE BEAUTY OF A TRUE REDTAIL !!

You live in Utah or one of those other "Right to work" States that treat restaurant servers like crapola.

Move.

Doug T

>>im really starting to wonder what type of jobs you all have that you can go out and buy all these deluxe tanks and heaters and such for your snakes. im a waiter making $2.13 an hour plus tips so it takes me about a week on average to save up for something over $100. what are you guys? molecular biologists or something?

and even worse, in a military/college town. Pythonis is my housemate and there have been weekends when the tips just don't roll in. And, there have been months when I get the rent from him in fives and ones! I have drawn the line at coins...

I own a Pet Shop so all I do is hang out with the critters... when I tell folks I just paid a grand or two for a boa they about have a heart attack. And they are right.. it is ludicrous to pay that much for a boa AND I'm lovin' it!
Matt

PS- I'm not trying to be rude(it comes naturally) but I'd say your first problem is that you have a job that pays only $2.13 an hour. So I assume you're either an illegal immigrant or your working for your family... both situations call for extreme exploitation on the employers part. My advice, get a new job.

ya know im usually not offended by anything but you came damn close with that last comment. i make $2.13 because im a waiter and NO IM NOT an illegal immigrant and i DONT work for my family. what i am is a recently divorced U.S. Army veteran (101st Airborne) that is working in a military /college town. as far as me moving away to get a better job...im working on it but it takes money to move.
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"What do I look like? An employee?!?!

"The secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures"

Really a slam on the situation. I just find it outrageous that your employer would expect you to survive on $2.13/hr. I realize that you probably make significantly more than that with your tips. Having a salary that is so dependant on gratituty has got to be very difficult. Tips shouldn't be considered when determining base pay. I think the national minimum is at least $5.75, your state is putting an unfair burdon on you. Again, my apologies and good luck.
Later-
Matt

actually it isnt just my state. $2.13 is the national minimum for servers. raise, you say? the only raise a server gets is if you (the public) tip us more.
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"What do I look like? An employee?!?!

"The secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures"

I am a high school biology teacher, which doesn't pay much. I was in business/management for several years making really good money but got out b/c I wanted a life outside of work. Hours were killing me too. Long story short...money isn't everything..especially sacrificing happiness or family.

Now I have my first kid on the way and I'm sure to have less money than ever to spend on herps but I'm happy teaching. My collection (as you can see from my signature file) is almost 80 snakes and has been an ongoing project for about a decade. I plan to build my own cages soon, as I just recently bought a few pwr tools to do so. I also will finish off a room for my herps in the next few months since I just moved and need a new herp room. I think this may be cheaper than buying from some company that charges 2000$ for a rack.

Also, I attend all herp shows in the summer, as well as surf online religiously looking for great herp deals. NEVER be afraid to ask someone in an ad for a little bit off their asking price, all they can say is no. No prices are set in stone in this hobby...its kinda like the stock market.lol. daily fluctuations. Plus, someone may have a deal fall through and they may get back to you wanting to work with your offer.

Anyway, set little goals for yourself. If you want a certain snake, determine what you must do to get it and be patient. I posted a short while ago about if hypo boas were ever gonna come down in price b/c thats what I want next. However, I have a baby on the way and cannot afford hypos at over $300 each right now. Maybe someday but hey...I'm 28...I have at least 40 more years of this hobby before all kinds of health or mental problems set in.lol.
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Sincerely, Jason
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My Website: www.members.aol.com/northeastsnakes
My collection...
BOAS: 0.1 Solomon Island Ground Boa, 1.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boas, 1.1 Argentine Boas, 2.2 Nicaraguans, 1.1 Sonoran Desert Boas, 1.1 Cay Caulkers, 1.0 Columbian Boa 100% het Kahl Albino, 0.1 Anery Col boa, 1.1 Hog Island Boas, 0.1 Hog Island Boa poss het patternless.
PYTHONS: 1.2 Green Tree Pythons, 2.2 Bismarck Ringed Pythons, 2.8 Normal Ball Pythons, 1.0 Ball Python 100% het Piebald, 1.1 Spotted Pythons.
COLUBRIDS: 1.1 Black Pines, 1.1 Northern Pines, 2.2 Bairds Ratsnakes, 1.2 White-sided Black Ratsnakes.
CORNS: 1.0 Blizzard, 1.2 Bloodreds, 1.2 Butters, 1.0 Ghost, 0.1 Sunglow, 1.0 Hypo het Amber, 1.1 Lavenders, 1.1 Miami Phases, 1.2 Reverse Okeetee, 0.1 Snow, 0.1 Striped Amel, 3.2 Okeetees.
OTHER: 0.0.3 N. Diamondback Terrapins.