I did a reverse pro forma on the computer for my son when he was making noises about moving out, maybe quitting school, and getting a job. Okay, let’s list your expense items and put a dollar to them. Rent, food, phone, the whole shebang, including a margin to save each month for when you need to buy new tires. A surprisingly (to him) exhaustive list.
Okay, now dollar amounts. Sum the column. That’s a pretty big number. Can we pare something down? Maybe you don’t get your favorite pizza five nights a week. Maybe you take the bus to work and sell the car. Reality check.
At 40 hours a week (holy crap, eight hours a day?) how much would you have to take home to cover this amount? Okay, if that’s your take home, how much do you have to gross to net the right amount? (Taxes?)
Big number, right? Now let’s calculate your hourly rate of pay, based on those 40 hours, that gets to that number. Shocking, that number is waaaay out of your skill set.
Pull your head out of your a$$, finish school, then decide on a trade or college.
P
