We created an ad in our local newspaper advertising deck staining and labor work. Our friends laughed, but to theirs and our surprise, someone called about staining their deck. They asked for an estimate. So we said sure, and we drove to their house the next day to estimate the price. We pull up and two 19 year old kids get out of the car. We meet the customers and walk around back to see their deck. They ask what it would cost and without making a single measurement or looking at anything really. I blurt out “$300”. Clearly they were very happy with this price as they immediately said yes. This was our first lesson in doing market research before buying or selling a skill or service.
We went on to stain 4-5 more decks and complete other odds and ends jobs around the community that summer. We definitely improved upon our presentation, skills, and negotiating along the way. We made some money but nowhere near what I made at the Coke plant. But… I was time rich again.
We were able to work when we wanted to. If we wanted to go to someone’s pool because it was hot, we wouldn’t schedule any work that day. If one of us was going on a vacation for a week, we took the week off. Once I got a taste of this freedom, I wanted more.
Expensive Pieces of Paper
After 3 and a half years, I eventually finished my undergraduate degree in biology. This was very different from the engineer/tech group who makes up the majority of the financial independence space. However, I had always known this degree was just a piece of paper that deemed me qualified to apply to physical therapy school. A very expensive piece of paper, but that will be saved for a future post.
Physical therapy school was the most expensive and rigorous work I have put into my life. I unfortunately did not work during school, as this was the route of nearly two thirds of my graduating class. In hindsight, exploring different school employment opportunities may have benefited me significantly.
Hindsight is always 20-20 though. I ended up graduated physical therapy school in May of 2017, passed my boards and started working my first “real” job later that month. I was in a lot of debt, but I was still frugal and I finally had begun my accumulation phase towards financial independence. The rest should be easy, right?
Feel free to comment below with any questions or if you have specific or personal questions feel free to contact me here!
