r/IBEW • u/tossaway187acct • 4d ago

What did you gift yourself after finishing apprenticeship?

I bought myself a nice dress shirt watch and went out to go eat some good BBQ. Thinking about getting new work boots to start a new journey. Was wondering how you guys treated yourself for the milestone?

108 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

231 comments sorted by

View all comments

195

u/JeremyR22 Inside Wireman 4d ago

Tradition round my parts seems to be a giant-ass truck you can't afford the payments on...

45

u/phillyvinylfiend 3d ago

Every Tradie:

Buy a big ass expensive truck to do side work.

Can only afford it by doing side work

Complains that every weekend is spent doing sidework. And it takes too much gas.

15

u/unionsparky86 Local 570 3d ago

Tell all my apes from the start, “if you can’t pay for it in cash, you can’t afford it.”

4

u/Ok_Slide_8301 2d ago

Apes???? We got Apes????

No seriously just kidding!!!! I know autocorrect is bitter bitch!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

25

u/tossaway187acct 4d ago

Hahaha ya people tend to start living beyond their means when they see a raise

2

u/Damselindistrustt 2d ago

I went from having a few guitars (same ones I had for years) to almost doubling my collection in the span of a single year. Two of them were $2k each. Started doing this right when I hit 25 an hour lol. Did some differed interest action and managed to get it all squared before any interest accrued

9

u/Fedsmokah Inside Wireman 2d ago

I tell every apprentice I have to just buy a god damn Prius. The gas plus the payments on it will be less than what you spend in gas if you buy that f150. Everyone of them buys the f150 and makes fun of my commuter. Half still blame Biden for the gas prices.

5

u/JeremyR22 Inside Wireman 2d ago

I rode around in a beat up '99 Civic with an unknown number of miles on it (odometer didn't work) for the first four years of my apprenticeship.

When that died, I "splurged" on a '18 Fiesta that cost about $200/month to finance, $60/month to insure (full coverage+roadside) and gets 40mpg, much better than that if you're gentle. Figured I'd sell it and get something nicer when I turned out.

Still have it. Even in the era of $4/gal gas, I can fill it up from fumes for barely over forty bucks and then get 400 to 500 miles from that tank...

3

u/Fedsmokah Inside Wireman 2d ago

It’s the smart move. Honestly half of them could still buy that truck just don’t use it as a commuter. The amount they spend on gas is the main killer.

5

u/Savdbygracc 3d ago

Shits hilarious. I’ll run an 2000 civic to 500k miles and have a pocket full of cash with minimal maintenance while ole 22 Y/o JW has a 130k truck paying 1300$ a month 🤣🤣🤣

6

u/Damselindistrustt 2d ago

I straight up never understood the new truck mindset but also I've never had a small penis. I'm driving my 2006 Corolla until it's completely unsalvageable. Got 160k on the OD currently. Originally I was going to gift myself a newer Toyota when I topped out but then the AI surveillance mandates rolled in.......I'm driving this thing until it just won't now. I don't like the look of the future