Having To Quit The Hobby.. :(

[Tolak]

Don't feel bad about cutting back with the intentions of picking it back up in the future. I've done this with fish every summer, as selling fish is slow. Half my tanks are either empty, or really sparsely stocked. In the summer I get back into guitar playing, then back into breeding & such as summer starts to end.

You can always buy more gear, and the knowledge you have about aquatics is something you will have for a lifetime.

 

[DanS]

DanS, it's not the price of the hobby which is bothering me. It's just right now I have to accept for a year or so I won't be able to live off my online earnings. After that year, as long as nothing goes wrong, I should be able to quit my part time 'real life' job, and turn my online projects into my career so to speak. Of course, once this is achieved I will be able to get back into the hobby.

Also about the education, I really, really, do not need it. There is no way on earth that eventually my job won't be online. For other people, A levels and degrees are necassary, but for me I am now 99% sure that nothing can go wrong. Further education has never appealed to me, and now I have the oppurtunity to miss this step out, and go self employed.

Cool no worries, you sound like you have yourself together and know what you're aiming for - which is a lot more than a lot of 16 year olds. I don't mean this to sound insulting or patronising at all, but I didn't need further education at 16 either, but 12 years later i'm still doing it

 

[cheesy feet]

Wow your already earning alot.You must have a bit of spare cash in your bank account atm!
I'm 13,and atm have 7 tanks and 5 vivariums.I want to become a zoo keeper,specializeing in exotics (fish,reptiles and even fluffy bunnies ) and such.Does anyone know what the pay is like?I pressume it's not alot

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

Wow your already earning alot.You must have a bit of spare cash in your bank account atm!
I'm 13,and atm have 7 tanks and 5 vivariums.I want to become a zoo keeper,specializeing in exotics (fish,reptiles and even fluffy bunnies ) and such.Does anyone know what the pay is like?I pressume it's not alot

Heh, yeah, I have a fair amount in my bank saved. But it's weird. 6 months ago I was spending hundreds each month on stupid things, like obcenely priced trainers and paying for me and all 5 of my friends to go watch a movie at the cinema. But recently my frame of mind has changed, as I know now I'm leaving education I need to start supporting myself a little more and saving for the important things I need.

 

[Canis-Equus]

I am in awe of your maturity - you beat me and ive got over ten years on you!

You are, however, NOT going to be able to rent a place that isnt crawling with cockroaches and has complete feckwits living around it, at 16, or 17 (although more likely)....

Private landlords just wont do it, its too much hassle for them unless you are a student. The only other places that would be available to you, are council properties and if you arent on the list and high priority you wont get those either.

Speaking as someone who moved out of home full time at 16, I can fairly safely say this is true and it is a major pain in the butt.

If you can stay at home, do so for as long as possible - save your money, pay fair rent but you will still save up.

In theory, having your own place is great (and in practice it is too).... but there are loads of hidden costs you need a fair whack to cover initially. Also you will find that even though you may be earning a decent wage, a really high wage even, if you are self employed you will struggle at your age to be taken seriously, financially.

If you could hack it, in your shoes if all is great with your family - id stay home til 21, earning and saving and building up the business.... and BUY your own place, not rent.

Thats something a friend of mine has done - had his mortgage at 20, as he really struggled to get anywhere younger than that, especially self employed.

The final bit of 'do as i say, not as i do.....' Even if you dont need it. Get a part time job.

Mentally will help you transition from 'school' to 'real world'. Looks good on paper if you ever need it (shows an employer you can BE an employee, something they like to know).

I have NEVER worked for anyone in a 'normal' job - ive done cash in hand when younger, ive done working for board and food, and im now self employed. If i HAD to go out tomorrow and get a normal real life job, my decent GCSEs, my personal business skills, my trade skills...... all completely at utterly meaningless. To an employer, i have no job history at all and i could be the smartest, best employee in the world (im not, thats why im self employed), but they will never find that out as i wouldnt even get an interview!

As a wiser person than i once said to me (and i totally ignored it).....

"Don't slam shut doors you can leave propped open for later"......

Em

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

I am in awe of your maturity - you beat me and ive got over ten years on you!

You are, however, NOT going to be able to rent a place that isnt crawling with cockroaches and has complete feckwits living around it, at 16, or 17 (although more likely)....

Private landlords just wont do it, its too much hassle for them unless you are a student. The only other places that would be available to you, are council properties and if you arent on the list and high priority you wont get those either.

Speaking as someone who moved out of home full time at 16, I can fairly safely say this is true and it is a major pain in the butt.

If you can stay at home, do so for as long as possible - save your money, pay fair rent but you will still save up.

In theory, having your own place is great (and in practice it is too).... but there are loads of hidden costs you need a fair whack to cover initially. Also you will find that even though you may be earning a decent wage, a really high wage even, if you are self employed you will struggle at your age to be taken seriously, financially.

If you could hack it, in your shoes if all is great with your family - id stay home til 21, earning and saving and building up the business.... and BUY your own place, not rent.

Thats something a friend of mine has done - had his mortgage at 20, as he really struggled to get anywhere younger than that, especially self employed.

The final bit of 'do as i say, not as i do.....' Even if you dont need it. Get a part time job.

Mentally will help you transition from 'school' to 'real world'. Looks good on paper if you ever need it (shows an employer you can BE an employee, something they like to know).

I have NEVER worked for anyone in a 'normal' job - ive done cash in hand when younger, ive done working for board and food, and im now self employed. If i HAD to go out tomorrow and get a normal real life job, my decent GCSEs, my personal business skills, my trade skills...... all completely at utterly meaningless. To an employer, i have no job history at all and i could be the smartest, best employee in the world (im not, thats why im self employed), but they will never find that out as i wouldnt even get an interview!

As a wiser person than i once said to me (and i totally ignored it).....

"Don't slam shut doors you can leave propped open for later"......

Em

Thanks for that. I understand it's unlikely I will be able to find a place at 16. I have worked out weekly board with my Mum and have been told I can stay for as long as I wish. It is kind of annoying though - I have easily enough saved in the bank to get my own place through renting, and although I may be mentally 'grown up' enough to rent, the sterotype 16 year old means we all get put in the same boat.

As for the part time job, I'll certainly consider it. At the moment I'm working out my monthly income and outgoings, and I'll make a decision from there. I have good social skills meaning it's not going to damage me as a person if I am totally self employed at the age of 16, but I suppose a 20 hours a week job will help me meet new people after leaving school. So perhaps, even if I am in a good financial state to support myself without 'real life' work, I may take on a job just for the social side of things.

 

[PlecMama]

ok, so I guess I'll move on and sell the two tanks I have been holding for you until your mum can run you down to collect them, huh?

Good luck with whatever else you're doing.

Regarding your bills, you're too young to pay council tax, you are exempt under one of our sections, so if you do decide to rent, make sure the landlord realises, you can not even have the council tax bill in your name until you reach 18. He would have to keep it in his name with an exemption in place until the date of your 18th birthday.

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

ok, so I guess I'll move on and sell the two tanks I have been holding for you until your mum can run you down to collect them, huh?

PM sent.

Regarding your bills, you're too young to pay council tax, you are exempt under one of our sections, so if you do decide to rent, make sure the landlord realises, you can not even have the council tax bill in your name until you reach 18. He would have to keep it in his name with an exemption in place until the date of your 18th birthday.

Yeah, I think I'll stay at home at least for now. Either that, or I'll rent my uncles spare flat for the time being, he only goes there 3 times a year.

 

[Kribster]

Well.. I'm now 16 and have to face facts that I'm leaving school in 2 months. Over the last year I have made to establish myself in the web development business, but as of now I am earning a few hundred pounds short of what I need monthly to live on. Therefor, for the first year or two I'm going to need a job. After thinking of how to do this without ending my hobby, I finally accepted it wasn't possible. sad.gif

So, over the last week I have found new homes for all my fish. I am keeping just 4, being the Moscow Blue guppies which are beautiful fish. I'm hoping that in a year or two's time when I earn enough online to be able to quit my (whats going to be) boring job. If that happens, I will be able to get back into the hobby.

No real reason for this thread, just wanted to tell you all that I'm going to be out of the practical side of the hobby for a while, but I'll still try to post here.

(I posted this in the Corydoras section too, as that was the species I most kept.)

Why not combine the hobby and a need for a job and apply for a job at LFS?

Exactly what i did. I work at Pets At Home, and now get paid 2 do what i did normally. all it means is cleaning out the tanks, feeding the fish, lifting heavy loads and dead fish counts.
Great!