What do yall do for a living?

[Moe2Moto]

Hey guys, I started this thread on a different forum, asking people what they do for a living.

My question for yall is, how did y’all end up at the profession you’re currently in, what did you do in your youth to save money, and is there any advice you’d give to someone like me to nudge me in the right direction, or any direction for that fact.

[vreihen16]

If you search the forum site for the word "gigolo" using Google, you will find dozens of threads where this very off-topic has come up in the recent past.....

[allinon72]

I'm in construction and my wife is now a VP of her company, but we didn't start out that way, we worked very hard to move up in our companies. We're upper middle class right now, but the biggest transformation was getting debt free. We were a few thousand dollars away from being completely debt free when we came into a windfall, not a big one but money none the less, from a family member that allowed me to purchase an F80. Perhaps stupid at the time and people will point to that "jumpstart" as to why we're able to afford BMWs, but really it was hard work in our careers and elimination of a lot of student loan debt in particular, and a lot of sacrifices along the way, that enable my hobbies.

Beyond that, a stupid obsession with cars keeps me around

[Moe2Moto]

Originally Posted by allinon72

I'm in construction and my wife is now a VP of her company, but we didn't start out that way, we worked very hard to move up in our companies. We're upper middle class right now, but the biggest transformation was getting debt free. We were a few thousand dollars away from being completely debt free when we came into a windfall, not a big one but money none the less, from a family member that allowed me to purchase an F80. Perhaps stupid at the time and people will point to that "jumpstart" as to why we're able to afford BMWs, but really it was hard work in our careers and elimination of a lot of student loan debt in particular, and a lot of sacrifices along the way, that enable my hobbies.

Beyond that, a stupid obsession with cars keeps me around

What I’ve come to realize is that doctors that I’ve talked to, have also discussed their student debt that they accumulated by the time they graduated. Now I thought since this doctor I was talking to made good money every year, that he would have been able to pay off his student debt quickly. But when he told me, that 5 years after he graduated that he was still paying that debt off and finally paid it off when he came into some money from family. I was shocked. In his profession I really thought he’d be able to do it within two years.

I’m hoping when I graduate that I’ll be able to increase my obsession with cars.

[ezaircon4jc]

Retired Air Traffic Controller from the busiest area at the busiest facility in the world. When I was working, the facility handled 2.5 million operations per year among 5 areas (LA, SAN, BUR, ONT & Coast (the old El Toro).

[allinon72]

Also a data point on the topic of “how does one afford to own a brand like BMW” is the fact that they used to be somewhat affordable and attainable 5-10 years ago. That has gone away considerably.

[MassWholeBimmer]

45 years and counting with a very large defense contractor. Had jobs from an hourly machinist to my current job as an IT manager. Would be retired by now but this "working from home" ain't bad.. and I like my job..

[Moe2Moto]

Originally Posted by MassWholeBimmer

45 years and counting with a very large defense contractor. Had jobs from an hourly machinist to my current job as an IT manager. Would be retired by now but this "working from home" ain't bad.. and I like my job..

How did you come into this job?

[KevinC]

Certified drawbridge oiler and amateur gynecologist.

[MassWholeBimmer]

Originally Posted by Moe2Moto

How did you come into this job?

Well.....Graduated from community college in 1980 with an A.S. in Lasers. Got a job with my current employer. Worked as a laser machinist while getting my BS in Mechanical Engineering: part time while working.. and I'm a slow learner.. took me 8 years. Company paid. Graduated... Got a job as a Mechanical Engineer working on Designing Jet Fuel Controls. A few Masters degrees later and a few different jobs in the interim.. Now an IT manager upgrading our SAP system to S4 Hana.. SAP' s latest ERP system.. And here it is.. 2026 😀

[Moe2Moto]

Originally Posted by MassWholeBimmer

Well.....Graduated from community college in 1980 with an A.S. in Lasers. Got a job with my current employer. Worked as a laser machinist while getting my BS in Mechanical Engineering: part time while working.. and I'm a slow learner.. took me 8 years. Company paid. Graduated... Got a job as a Mechanical Engineer working on Designing Jet Fuel Controls. A few Masters degrees later and a few different jobs in the interim.. Now an IT manager upgrading our SAP system to S4 Hana.. SAP' s latest ERP system.. And here it is.. 2026 😀

Did you think you’d end up like this? Or your life would be different.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by allinon72

Also a data point on the topic of “how does one afford to own a brand like BMW” is the fact that they used to be somewhat affordable and attainable 5-10 years ago. That has gone away considerably.

Some of us purchase used/pre-owned and let someone else take the depreciation hit

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

Some of us purchase used/pre-owned and let someone else take the depreciation hit

My M4 Competition Xdrive Convertible, coming off a three year lease was $40,000 less than the same spec purchased new, with only 15,000 miles on the clock. I paid cash and could have paid cash for the brand new version. I'm an accountant by education and capital markets finance guy by trade. I'm mostly retired and invest aggressively and I'm not worried about running out of money.

Also, i drive my cars for 10 to 20-years and 150,000+ miles, while taking very good care of them, but nothing crazy. Service by the book and fix things when they break.

I can afford whatever car I that I want, but just feel like that early depreciation is like throwing money away.

[dcstep]

To the OP's original question, I started with an accounting degree, which led to my first job with an elite, international accounting firm at what would be a six-figure salary today.

Before I graduated, while working as a roofer in my summer job, I bought a VW Beetle rather than a BMW 1600 because I couldn't afford the extra $15 dollars per month for the BMW. The 1600 led to the 2002, which led to the 3-series, and you know the rest of the story about BMW, I didn't jump back on BMW until 2009 with an E92 M3, that was my DD for 16-years.

With my new job, I "moved up" to an Audi 100LS, which was a big mistake because Audi wasn't ready for prime time back then and it was constantly in the shop, so I traded it after only 18-months and started with a string of rotary engined Mazdas. (RX2, RX3, RX4, RX7) Those were great, very reliable cars THAT I COULD AFFORD, along with a house, a family, vacations, etc.

I was driven to succeed, became a partner, then C-level in a NYSE company, etc., etc. I was 21 when I started with that elite accounting firm. You're quite a bit behind at 24 and still searching. Nothing wrong with that. My brother is almost 5 years older than me, but knocked around in the army (back in the draft days), flunked out of a couple of universities, but finally found his way in his late twenties and succeeded in the roofing business. He happily drives Toyota trucks.

Most careers are not straight ahead with no detours. I've been fired a few times and always ended up better off for it.

Don't get hung up wasting money on status symbols. Buy cars that you can afford and are fun to drive. I've been driving competitively since that VW Beetle. I loved beating Nissan Zs and 912s with my RX2 sedan, with proper tires and shocks. Let the M2, M3 or M4 be motivation, but don't get ahead of yourself and let that "ultimate" car be your personal albatross.

General dentistry is a tough profession. Specializing mean more years of study and more education costs to recover. AI will probably make huge inroads into chemistry, so something with your hands is one good strategy, but you'll have delayed gratification with the route that you're on. My doctor friends have been happy with their investments in education and their late starts, but the stories vary widely from very successful to suicide (drug problems, for a potentially very successful doctor).

Drive is a very important ingredient, along with living within your means and always adjusting to whatever is thrown at you.

[chowser51]

suburban leo for the last 27 years. went to college to become a physicist. that didn't work out. asian family disappointed. lol

save money? does not compute.

was married 17 years, divorced now 13 years. three adult kids (one has 3 of his own kids) and I have one under 2 and another on the way.
there is no saving money. i have four baby mommas. smh

[Mason Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Moe2Moto

Hey guys, I started this thread on a different forum, asking people what they do for a living in order to afford the nice cars they currently have.

I’m 24 years old, in college majoring in Chemistry in hopes to get into Dental school. I’m currently unemployed and probably won’t work for a while until I finish my semester off so I can focus on school.

My question for yall is, how did y’all end up at the profession you’re currently in, what did you do in your youth to save money, and is there any advice you’d give to someone like me to nudge me in the right direction, or any direction for that fact.

You have posted this exact message before.

https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2224491

[Moe2Moto]

Originally Posted by Mason Hatcher

You have posted this exact message before.

I know, that’s why I said, I’ve posted this in another forum. It died, so I thought I’d ask again in a different group.

[Mason Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Moe2Moto

I know, that’s why I said, “I’ve posted this in another forum”. It died, so I thought I’d ask again in a different group.

Just go back and refresh the other one. Duplicates are very poor form.

[Moe2Moto]

Originally Posted by Mason Hatcher

Just go back and refresh the other one. Duplicates are very poor form.

I’m sorry, maybe I’m misunderstanding this, but why’re you being rude. It’s an off-topic forum with a wider range of people, I feel like I’d get more advice from different people. I honestly do no understand why some people on Bimmerpost can be so mean.

Again, if I did misunderstand your intention, then I apologize.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by Moe2Moto

I’m sorry, maybe I’m misunderstanding this, but why’re you being rude. It’s an off-topic forum with a wider range of people, I feel like I’d get more advice from different people.

The wider range of people already politely tried to tell you in post #2 to use the search feature, because this topic has come up ad nauseam in the off-topic section. You're not the first person in 2026 that's in college and trying to figure out how to buy a status symbol that you probably can't afford to come into the OT section and post this exact same thread.

The answer to your question from someone who has already paid their dues to society is that you should buy a clunker car...and put every last penny of your money until it hurts into a retirement account. You'll learn the important life skill now about how to wrench on a car to keep it alive, and thank me later in about 40 years when all of the money you would have thrown away in status symbol payments has compounded itself into millions of bucks to enjoy your early retirement.....

[3.0L]

Retired electronics tecnician. Came out of retirement and landed a
part-time job picking fly crap out of pepper shakers at local restaurant.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

The wider range of people already politely tried to tell you in post #2 to use the search feature, ...

See this guy's signature, "Recovering Perfectionist."

Never count on a perfectionist to solve a problem by getting something done on time. No offense, but that's just the way you are.