The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Yonco on June 07, 2015, 01:49:51 PM
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I work a day job, CNC programmer, machinist. I get excitement about seeing a product being made by my own hands. I like my job, i love it. Someday i might even own the shop, my boss and I are working on a long term agreement to transfer ownership. I also have a passion about lawn care. This seems weird to say, but i LOVE mowing my yard. The same passion that goes with machining and making a perfectly toleranced part is something that i have for making a property look good. I have a commercial mower and the equipment, so i figure why not mow someone else's yard. I enjoy it, i may even make some extra money. I would even do it for free if money/work wasnt in the way. I mow my own lawn every 3 days because i enjoy it. I have yet to start my own business, but i feel like i should load my equipment on my trailer and start a lawn mowing business on Sundays. I work 6-6 Monday through Friday and 6 hrs. on Saturday as a machinist, but i get bored on Sundays(i can only watch a few NASCAR races a year on antenna TV). I end up watching videos on youtube of people mowing grass on Sunday mornings. Should i add to my workload trying to start a new business, or leave a break in my day because i already manage enough work/people and do 60+ hours a week. Future goals would be to payoff my house(2 years, $45k) then transition into outdoor work. I just dont have anything to do with my free time because i enjoy what i do. Other things to mention are that i am 26, single with a live-in girlfriend, only debt is $45k on a house, $75K income.
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If you enjoy both your paid work and the lawn work hobby (and can get paid for that too) then I'd say you're pretty much set for now. Go do the lawn stuff as much as you can handle and bank the extra cash - that's awesome!
Just be aware when it starts to not feel like as much fun and keep your options open for hobbies/interests that might be nice to add in if the high level of enjoyment starts to fade.
You're one of those rare people that have found things that they love to do and can get paid for doing it, so congrats!
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You aren't alone! I love ironing and could happily iron for hours. I have a touch of OCD so I like to organize and straighten things too. I have to stop myself from straighten products in retail shops. One of my favorite jobs was reviewing clinical data that had been entered in a database and I was looking for and correcting errors (quality control). The sight of the data that had been "cleaned" and I knew was correct fill me with me with WAY more joy than I should admit to. 😗
It sounds to me like you'd be smart to start a part time landscaping business since it is clearly a passion of yours. Your lawn will thank you as mowing every three days is a lot!
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If you love it, do more of it!
Who cares if people say you need 1 day off a week to relax. If you don't need to, then do something productive.
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Wrong forum?
Anyway, congrats. You've figured out this site isn't about quitting your job.
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I mow my own lawn every 3 days because i enjoy it.
Do you live across the street from me?
Seriously - as a neighbor of someone who appears to be obsessed with mowing their lawn - start your own business and go mow someone else's lawn. Your constant lawn mowing is noisy and annoying.
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Okaaay.....
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My only concern would be that one area would get half assed if I got to busy. So I would like to start small, and get a feel for it. So far, there were no posts that sounded like horror stories of not to do it, I was just waiting for that one guy in my shoes to come along and share some thoughts that I may have overlooked because he took the plunge. I already do a few yards on the side here and there, We are in a more rural area where it is all 2+ acres, and in the past when the elderly neighbors end up in the hospital, I take care of it till they're back up and running, but it has always been on my schedule. I ran this idea past my father and he jokingly says, "Buy a bigger property, that will keep you busy." Although... it could be a good investment. Thanks for the input! -Jon
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I end up watching videos on youtube of people mowing grass on Sunday mornings.
It's Monday morning and I've already read the funniest thing I'll see all week.
Not mocking you, do what works for you, man. You and I are different people.
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I would mow more lawns as others have said. I wouldn't listen to people in real life saying its a bad idea to get outside and get some exercise on the weekend when almost 1/3 of the country is overweight.
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I kinda like mowing the lawn but not to your extent. I have a theory that people who push mow outlive people who ride mow by 3-4 years.
So I wouldn't do it as a business just yet. The problem is rain around here. You may not have that problem? It makes just mowing on Sundays a bit difficult.
So you're working 65 hours per week already?
You realize of course that you have a bit of a chemical thingy going on there right? Not that it is bad. You just need to know that being obsessed with mowing to the point of watching others mow on TV is pretty far out of societal norms. It isn't any better or worse than watching sports of course. I could easily choose watching lawn mowing over football. In fact, at baseball games I'm more fascinated with how they achieve their patterns.
We have a soccer field around here that would love to latch onto you!
You could focus on your lawn as an extension of your desire.
Do you have a sprinkler system?
Have you considered making part of the lawn a putting green? (I have)
Do you sharpen your blades frequently?
Do you mow a cool pattern?
Do you do meticulous landscape?
Truthfully, if I had the energy and desire that you do, I would seriously consider putting in a putting green surface for either putting or croquet. There are lots of web sites focused on this and it can be done relatively cheaply if you do all the labor.
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A wise old friend of mine advised me when I was young to pursue hobbies that generated income instead of cost money. He raised cattle for fun. I like to grow vegetables. It sounds like you have found something fun to do that can generate income for you.
I find that as I get older, I enjoy manual labor more and more. The Spring landscaping work - trimming trees, mulching the property, tilling the garden, is something I look forward to. Get a couple of customers and see how it goes. You will need a contingency plan though for rainy Sundays. Two of those in a row and your customers will want to know when you'll be by to mow their jungle.
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I say go for it! Turning something you love into a side hustle--and maybe someday a replacement gig or a part-time retirement business--sounds like a great plan.
That said: don't undercut your competitors. There's probably a going rate for mowing services where you live; don't price yourself way below them just because you enjoy it more. Heck, even at a higher price, you probably stand a good chance of gaining a reputation as someone who really cares about doing a great job, and you could end up with more clients than you expect.