Wow, lots more of us country boys than I suspected.

Dealt with small square hay bales for $1.25 an hour which was Big Money in 1960/3/4/5 whenever it was.

Laborer on a dairy farm, feeding the critters and cleaning up after them, light tractor driving mostly related to haying.

Summer of 1955-56, on weekdays, I was the "Vacuum Tube tester" at a TV repair shop, when we were not installing a BIG TV antenna on a roof top. Rode a bicycle to the TV shop. $15 bucks a week.

On weekends, "Pin Spotter" at local Church bowling alley. With wooden pins, I quickly learned to keep my feet out in front and my hands across my chest. Rode a bicycle to the bowling alley. $2 a game plus tips.

Summer of 1957, I was in the Army.

Anything Legal really. Never played sports... was always working at whatever came along.

All kinds of lawn work, had about 40 yards to push mow along with my Brother, farm work, cleaning attics and basements, digging ditches, painting, janitor work like mopping and waxing store floors at night. Some repairing mowers and cars and working for my Dad's construction company in the summer.

I saved ALL the money I made, until I graduated High School at 18, then I got Married, bought a house and a brand new car and paid cash for it all. I was only short about $1000. That I borrowed from my Dad and worked off. Only regret is that first wife.

My wife and kids still wonder why I so much enjoy doing nothing now that I'm retired.

Grounds maintenance at a State facility in Utah.
Sporting goods/automotive clerk at Fred Meyer.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG228:
Sporting goods/automotive clerk at Fred Meyer.

I miss those old Fred Meyer stores. You could find anything you wanted there.

We had one in town called the B&B. Groceries, hardware, sporting goods, automotive, laundromat, restaurant, apparel,...you name it, they had it.

The usual: worked grocery stores, built and repaired bicycles.

The BEST: Summer senior year worked at a glass store installing mirrors in strip clubs. That was the best...

Not odd back then, today young kids working is odd.
I started at age 10

Paper route(s) - 3 different
Washed dishes > verrrry briefly
Cleaned up and helped in bakery
Grocery store - all HS years

plus always mowing grass or shoveling snow > mostly for free.

Bellhop and Busboy at an old style New England Resort, long out of business.


$0.75 Cents per hour and lucky to get it.

Before that I was a paperboy, 5 mile bicycle route 35 papers. Six days per week, Seven cents per week for each of the 35 papers.

Mostly sacking groceries, cleaning floors at a couple of big grocery stores. Also during the year, worked evenings at a quick stop type store owned by my friend's dad. The first summer between high school and college, was an insulator's (union hall out of Houston) helper on several job sites. Good money for a 17 year old in 1981.

Picked strawberries and worked the pea harvest out of Walla Walla Wa. in the summers. Did some hay bail bucking occasionally as well.

Pumped gas and did oil changes at a gas station plus delivered pizzas at night during the school months.

Jim

14 yrs old--town road crew in the summer(garbage weeds and tree limbs)
during school I was a
Jr. janitor at school (garbage, sweep mop, buffer)
17 yrs old--pump jockey until Army.

Mowed lawns.
Truly did some odd jobs, spread a load of dirt out by shovel.
Dairy Farm, weekdays/afternoons and later mornings milking cows, then whatever else was required.

15 years old: uncrating and assembling Triumph motorcycles. I was paid $5 per bike, but it eventually turned into a mechanic position at a large Triumph/Yamaha SoCal dealer, and eventually paved the way into a sponsorship for flat track racing at Ascot.

paper route
school concession stands - worked the popcorn machine
mowed yards
Baskin Robins ice cream
flower delivery
Desk clerk at motel
clerk for Southwestern Bell Telephone
my Dad started his company when I was 13. Worked as a helper in the warehouse or on a truck every chance I had. Found my 1st check last year. It was $7.50 which was huge money back then. I bought the company 1993. This is our 50th year and I will be retiring in a couple of years. Already planning my next business.

One summer I worked for a company that subcontracted for Sears hanging gutter...I HATED that job!...after that summer ended I worked as a bag-boy at a grocery store...I LOVED that job!...it was fun, made 3-4 times the money and met some nice/interesting people (Mitchell WerBell...first man I ever met that wore a kilt).

Paper routes from 12-16 then worked in a bakery. All aspects of baking, truck mechanic, scut work, dishwasher, doughnut fryer and roll packer. Basically a Jack of all Trades at $2.10 an hour. Learned a lot in those 2 years.

I worked at a local country club washing carts and picking the range. I made minimum wage but played golf for free.

Then I worked as a pharmacy tech at CVS for a few years into college. Solid job making ok money for a 17-19 y.o.

I also worked one summer for a surveyor and quickly found out that surveying was not for me. Hot and miserable cutting property lines with a Bush axe in July.

Got my first job with an architecture firm the summer after my first year in college.

I started with a paper route and had the distinction of delivering the Boston Globe during the Blizzard of 78 and also mowed lawns/shoveled snow.

As soon as I was old enough to work I got a job as a dishwasher in a local restaurant (Friendly's) then a bagger at a grocery store finally sold auto parts up until college

I also had a small biz doing snow ski tuning in the winters

Caddy at a pretty exclusive private country club. Paid really well for the hours spent, but two rounds a day carrying for 100+ handicapers would wear your ass out. Would really clean up when the country club held their tournaments. Even carried for Carol Mann once for a practice round. She was very tall and hit the ball with vengeance.

Also mowed lawns and did a bit of house painting (outside) working with an older gent who hated go up on ladders, so I was high guy and he took the lower.

A lot of other little odd jobs as well.

Worked shifts on the collator at a newspaper plant, inserting sales flyers and building the paper together. It wasn’t part of the press itself. Occasionally got to work press runs, forklift around big paper rolls.

And, like most..farm work. But that was free, just to be with my granddad.