Overwhelmed! Need A Break

[AdmiralAluminum]

Thanks to the almost too good advice all over the forum, I find myself overwhelmed with success and metal and electronics. I am not able to and don't want to go full-time. I like the security of my day job and having insurance etc. However I have been so busy at both jobs for the last 3-4 months that I was seriously looking at a storage unit and thanks to the very nice man who gave me a trailer I have the oppurtunity to haul even more stuff in the near future.

I need to rearrange my business plan and my frame of mind on collecting scrap, I think. Has anyone else got in a little over their head? How did you deal?

I was thinking about only taking electronics and clean metals and phasing out appliances but now with the trailer the hauling and storing is no longer so much of an issue. Also, because of my day job it is very difficult for me to get businesses as clients as they always want daytime pick ups.



Any advice is appreciated, thanks in advance!

[NJSouth]

You could always bring on a part time helper who may need help. Last month I had a good scrap pile (for me, couple hundred $$ worth) Found out a guy in my church was also a scrapper and was down on his luck. Gave him my whole pile. Made a friend and will have help in the future if I ever need it. Maybe something like that.

[AdmiralAluminum]

I have help when I need it. Thank you for the suggestion. I think I really do just need a break to sort things out but I'm not the type to take breaks, LOL

[Mechanic688]

I have help when I need it. Thank you for the suggestion. I think I really do just need a break to sort things out but I'm not the type to take breaks, LOL

Yea but after 66 years on this earth and 5 times in the hospital, I sometimes just have to stop and smell the roses.

[pjost]

Yea but after 66 years on this earth and 5 times in the hospital, I sometimes just have to stop and smell the roses.

Ditto that.


My brother died of brain cancer 2 weeks ago, and I have a sister at Mayo Clinic who the Doctors just told she has just weeks to live at the most.

I have a garage full of scrap, and a bunch of other work related stuff to do. Yesterday I went fishing and didn't think about work once.

You never know when your time is up. I'd hate to look back at my life and all I did was work.

[AdmiralAluminum]

Thanks, that's some good advice. I actually do take Sundays off, kind of. The yard is closed so it's just a work around the house and clean up day. It's the 8+ hr days at work followed by 2-3 hours scrapping in the evening that is starting to wear on me.

[jiffy117]

If you are driven by the need for money (bills, retirement etc...) then your kind of stuck in this situation of not being able to take a break or decline new clients. I am trying to pay off a bunch of debt as fast as I can so I have to stay on the hamster wheel of day job/pt scrapping for now. If your doing this because you had too much success gaining clients/volume then I would find someone in your network to take over a few of your clients. You can still scrap but you might be able to take a break 2 to 3 nights a week. Or.. go whole hog and make the leap to full time, but as you say, insurance... security... plus if you get injured its hard to scrap and make the money.

[AdmiralAluminum]

My paychecks go to the house (read: wife, LOL) except gas to go to work. I live off the scrap money. It pays for everything from gas for pick ups to smokes and beer. I also have a pile of (s)crap in the garage and around the house that needs to processed and broken down. Unfortunately I don't have any clientele per se except some repeat home owners (one gives me 12-20 rotors at a time). So I'm always meeting new people who are: moving, cleaning out, or have something broken.

[justdon]

Congrats to you wish I had that problem after two months even with a trailer I have little to show for it.

[AdmiralAluminum]

Well it's a long weekend up here in Canada, so hopefully Monday will be a beautiful as it has been for 2 weeks and I can get a bunch of stuff done at a leasurely pace.

[DakotaRog]

pjost- Sorry to hear about your siblings. My thoughts and prayers with you. Yep, you never know when you walk out the door if it will be the last time.

Admiral- I got a storage unit (a small one) at the beginning of June and I'm digging it. I've been able to get my side of the garage organized (mostly) and the small space of a storage makes you stay organized when putting stuff in there. But have I made a profit with it?? Yet to be determined...

[submarinepainter]

Ditto that.


My brother died of brain cancer 2 weeks ago, and I have a sister at Mayo Clinic who the Doctors just told she has just weeks to live at the most.

I have a garage full of scrap, and a bunch of other work related stuff to do. Yesterday I went fishing and didn't think about work once.

You never know when your time is up. I'd hate to look back at my life and all I did was work.

your time with family is way more valuable than money, sorry about your losses

[Hypoman]

I say take a break. I have been having this same problem. I am overwhelmed and when I think "hey, I'm about to get caught up" I get slammed with more work...and I do this full time. I just picked up a property investment company with THREE garages packed with appliances AND I get all the cleanout work for their properties, a rehab company from Michigan that gets a TON of work in Indiana, and a realtor that I am meeting tomorrow, after I finish my latest cleanout.... This on top of my warehouse packed with ewaste after an Internet provider shut its doors here in town.

My two daughters both made the World Series for softball, 10u and 12u, one in Indy, the other in Columbus Ohio. I was so nervous for my business that I almost didn't go! Well, sitting here now after getting back from Ohio, my mind is clearer and I feel I can take on these challenges better. I needed this break so bad. It will do you wonders my friend.

[Copper Head]

Get and sell fast