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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'194 Hours Of Absolute Madness'—Seasonal Worker In Alaska Shares His Payslip And Says He Misses His Desk Job After Experiencing The Grind
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. A man working a seasonal job in the Alaskan wilderness shared a screenshot of his recent paycheck on Reddit, and it instantly started a debate over pay, burnout and whether grueling labor is worth it. '194.19 hours of absolute madness in the Alaskan wilderness. I miss my desk job,' the worker wrote on Reddit. The post included a photo of his July 7–20 payslip. Paycheck Tells One Story, Experience Tells Another According to the screenshot, the worker grossed $5,402.63 and took home $3,869.27 after taxes for the 14-day pay period. He didn't receive any benefits and had no dependents or contributions. Don't Miss: The same firms that backed Uber, Venmo and eBay are investing in this pre-IPO company disrupting a $1.8T market — $100k+ in investable assets? – no cost, no obligation. He explained that he spends around four months each year doing this 'hard-core work,' staying on site for roughly six months total. He pays $15 per day for room and board, half of which is refunded at the end of the season, and sets aside around $300 per paycheck for food and essentials. Despite the large number of hours worked, many Redditors were stunned by the pay. 'Not worth it,' one person commented, receiving hundreds of upvotes. The worker agreed: 'It definitely isn't. I'm keen on never doing this again. It's definitely helped me get back on my feet, though.' The job? Compliance work at a small salmon processing facility, where high turnover means staff often wear many hats. 'I'll see the process from start to finish on top of keeping the regulatory aspect in check,' he wrote. 'From tying the boats down to the docks to preparing for monthly state and federal audits. I dabble in environmental, quality control and assurance, safety, and still manage to get my hands dirty with the production side.' Trending: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can He also manages a small team and spends a significant amount of time training new hires. 'I'd say the majority of my job, in particular, is navigating the sleep deprivation while keeping things structured.' Most of the crew, he added, works 16-hour days doing grueling, repetitive labor like pulling fish guts or hauling heavy bags. The physical demands are only part of the challenge. From Adventure To Isolation 'It definitely started out that way,' he said when asked if the job was at least adventurous. 'I've gone on some amazing hikes and have met some incredible people from all over the world. I'm on my third year and my responsibilities have increased. I'm just here for work these days. It's become incredibly isolating and it's all just boiled down to routine. Not much adventure left to be had here.'Commenters had strong opinions. Many said they make similar or better pay with less effort in union jobs, trades or warehouse roles. Others who had done similar seasonal work described it as a short-term financial boost that wasn't sustainable. 'I worked in Alaska processing salmon for four months a year. 100 hours a week, around $2K a week,' one wrote. 'Definitely character-building work! I loved it. Work a cushy analyst job now but look back on my time in Seward fondly.' Still, most agreed with another commenter who put it like this: 'For those hours, I've earned more than double and wouldn't for any less. Know your worth.' Read Next: Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die."This article '194 Hours Of Absolute Madness'—Seasonal Worker In Alaska Shares His Payslip And Says He Misses His Desk Job After Experiencing The Grind originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
7 Paycheck Hacks To Build Wealth Faster, According to Jaspreet Singh
A Talker Research survey done for EarnIn found that the typical American spends 64% of each paycheck on basic needs and 16% on their wants. Unfortunately, that doesn't leave much cash to save for emergencies or invest and makes it hard to escape the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. See Next: Check Out: According to personal finance expert Jaspreet Singh, you can optimize how you use your paycheck so you grow wealth more quickly and not only have your regular payday to look forward to. In a YouTube video, he outlined top paycheck hacks you can start using today. Make Biweekly Mortgage Payments While you're probably used to making one monthly mortgage payment, you won't save on interest or get free of your mortgage debt faster that way. Singh said it's wiser to use your income to make half your usual mortgage payment every two weeks. So, if your payment is currently $2,500, you'd pay $1,250 every two weeks, adding up to 26 half payments or 13 full payments per year. For You: 'You're slowly chipping away at the principal balance even faster, which can save you six figures over the course of your mortgage without too much work,' Singh explained. Automate Your Money Keeping all your money in one account keeps things simple, but you'll likely find it easier to overspend and harder to successfully save and invest. That's why Singh said you need separate spending, saving and investment accounts where parts of each paycheck will automatically go. This practice lets you avoid relying solely on your willpower or memory, which can fail you. Set Up a Money System When automating your money, you'll also need to decide how much of your paycheck to use for each purpose. Singh recommended the simple 75-15-10 plan, where you use no more than 75% of your pay for expenses, at least 15% for investments and at least 10% for savings. Since Singh's suggested spending limit is a maximum, it's smart to lower expenses so you can put more money toward investing. A compound interest calculator by shows that even contributing an extra $300 each month at a modest 6% return would add up to over $132,000 in 20 years. Spend on Education 'What every investor and every wealthy person wants to do is they want to invest in their mind because your mind can be the best investment that you can make,' Singh said. He advised using part of each paycheck for one education-related purchase. While you could pay for a course, seminar or mentor, Singh explained that you can learn the essentials of business and finance for less money through books. He recommended getting five books in each of these areas: leadership, business, investing or money management, personal development and sales. He also suggested biographies as a bonus. Reinvest Your Raises Many people think that a bigger paycheck means they'll become richer, but a Bank of America Institute survey found that even around 20% of those earning $150,000 or more per year were in the paycheck-to-paycheck trap. Lifestyle inflation is a common problem, and your raise might tempt you to add new expenses or upgrade things like your car or home. Singh suggested investing your income boost instead of increasing your spending. That will set you up for a bigger account balance at retirement from your contributions, investment earnings and potential employer matches. Plus, it should reduce your financial stress. Wisely Use Credit Cards Unlike Dave Ramsey, Singh thinks that credit cards can be a helpful tool if you're not already in debt with them, you don't tend to overspend, and you don't plan to carry a balance with interest. 'If you use a credit card smartly just to make the purchases you would normally make, well, now those same credit cards could add some cash back or free perks for really doing nothing except using a credit card instead of cash,' he explained. To accelerate building wealth, you could cash out your rewards and put the money toward investments. You could also redeem rewards for statement credits that help cover your balance. Know Your Goal Singh recommended having specific investing, saving and spending goals beyond the paycheck allocations he brought up earlier. The targets will depend on your situation and needs. First, he said you should save up three months to one year of expenses for your emergency savings. The lower end can make more sense if you're single and young, while the high end is smart if you're someone with dependents and many expenses. When setting your investing goal, you could use a retirement calculator to see what you'd need to cover your expenses alongside other available income sources. Singh said you'll also need to decide whether to focus on making money through cash flow (his preference) or appreciation, as well as whether passive or active investing is right for you. He said your spending goal will closely connect with your investing goal since you'll need enough money to live your desired lifestyle. If you're happy living simply on $2,500 per month, your target investment amount will look different than if you want to travel in luxury. More From GOBankingRates 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025 3 Reasons Retired Boomers Shouldn't Give Their Kids a Living Inheritance (And 2 Reasons They Should) How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region This article originally appeared on 7 Paycheck Hacks To Build Wealth Faster, According to Jaspreet Singh


CBS News
26-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Teens won't get paid after south suburban program gets fraction of promised state funding
More than 100 teens who worked summer jobs through a south suburban youth program won't get their final paycheck after the program says it received only a fraction of its promised state funding. Dorothy Omokowajo and Ian Walker are both owed $1,000 on their last paycheck, which was supposed to come today. "I just don't have a clear reason as to why this is happening to us," Omokowajo said. She and Wlaker spent their summer working through the Career Compass Project. They were assigned to help a south suburban school district. "I was looking for a summer job, but I was also looking for a job with a purpose," Walker said. "I learned so much being at the district, and I learned so many skills I want to implement when I go into college," said Omokowajo. Yet the pair, and more than 100 other teenagers in the program, received an ugly life lesson about business. "It was like, 'Gotcha!'" Walker said. "I'm very frustrated at the state if they're the ones doing this," Omokowajo said. "I've never had to call students and say don't come to work because you're not getting paid," said Barbara Green-Kenan, project manager for the careers program. "Do you know how that feels? That's a horrible feeling." But Green-Kenan was forced to make that call this week when word came that the Cook County Southland Juvenile Justice Council, the nonprofit that pays the students, did not receive the expected state grant. "I'm upset with our state legislators," she said. "How dare you not release these funds to our kids? The Illinois Department of Human Services offers grants through the Illinois Youth Investment Program. The Southland Juvenile Justice Council applied for two grants, and the Career Compass Project uses those grants to find work for students who then should get paid. But in this case, the funds never made it. James Lyles, the CFO of the Justice Council, provided documents to CBS News Chicago which shows that in April the state awarded them two grants for a total of $253,000. But as of today, the state has transferred only $17,000. "One grant, we didn't get a dime from," he said. Lyles said now they can't make payroll until the grant comes through. "We need to get this money in for these kids and get them situated, and we don't need to leave a bad taste in their mouth when it's all over," he said. The 108 students are owed a combined amount of just under $100,000. The Southland Juvenile Justice Council has been around for 10 years and this is the third year for the career project, but the first time students did not get paychecks. The Council said it's working to get the students their money, but there's no word on if or when that will happen.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Biweekly earners see extra paychecks in May 2025
(NewsNation) — More money in May? That's right. Most everyone who gets paid on a biweekly schedule will receive three paychecks in a single month twice in 2025. If you received your first paycheck of the year on Friday, Jan. 3, you will get paid three times in May and three times in August. If you received your first paycheck of the year on Friday, Jan. 10, you will get paid three times in May and three times in November. Homebuying season: 4 things to know about the 2025 housing market If you are paid biweekly but not on Fridays, you can use a calendar to determine when you may see the extra paycheck. Mark the first day you received a paycheck this year and count every two weeks until you arrive at the first month where there are three paychecks. LearnLux, a financial software company, recommends treating the third paycheck as if it's a bonus you wouldn't normally get. 'Build your budget as if you were only getting two paychecks each month. This way, all your expenses will be budgeted based on a normal two-paycheck month,' the site said. 'When you get that 'bonus' third paycheck, you'll feel like it's a lot of extra money in your bank. If you haven't started budgeting, a three-paycheck month is the perfect excuse to get started.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.