r/Millennials • • 9h ago

Discussion Are you tired yet?

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71

u/grandechode 9h ago

I worked at a tjmaxx making 5.15 an hour. What about yall

22

u/Mysterious-Carry6233 8h ago

Old folks home serving in the fine dining hall. I think it was $4.50 an hour. Couldn’t take tips even if they tried to give you one.

3

u/sgvla 5h ago

Same here, I think it was 5.75 back in 2006/2007.

3

u/rnelsonee 4h ago

That was my first job too! Since we couldn't get tips, we got paid a pretty good rate of $5.15/hr vs the kitchen who got the minimum of $4.25/hr.

There was always the rumor of a server getting named in a will. But nothing ever confirmed.

•

u/rachelface927 Older Millennial 20m ago

I worked in the kitchen of a nursing home, by then minimum wage was $5.15 but OMG - I went on to work a further 15 years in food service but I never worked BOH anywhere again. SO much work, for average pay. I remember feeling like the dishes took 2 hours, they might’ve. So it went clock in, get all the orders together, deliver the orders, break for the leftover bland (sometimes blended) food, then pick up dishes, run dishes through the washer, clean up everything and limp outta there knowing you probably only made $30 after taxes that day. I lasted maybe 2 weeks, only job I’ve ever quit without notice.

Went to work at Sonic as a carhop, made $5.50 an hour and took home at least $20 a day in tips.

1

u/TDCHEEKS11 4h ago

Flashback to the OJ & prune juice combo

1

u/twoturnipsinheat- 2h ago

I was a CNA - $9.38/hour in 2003

7

u/acelaya35 9h ago

Bussed at Outback Steakhouse for $2.15 plus tip share.  I would walk out with $30-40 a night.  I honestly don't know how anyone could do that today.  I feel for the kids.

3

u/soclydeza84 8h ago

You got me beat but my first "on the books" job I was making 6.50/hr, when my next job gave me like 7.25 it felt like I upgraded in life haha

3

u/RaccoonSamson 9h ago

$5.15 an hour with $0.25 withheld every hour for an on-shift meal. Dishwasher at a very busy local diner, shit sucked man

They left me alone to mop up at close, I stole so much goddamn food from the walk-in, we were having BBQs every weekend lol, fuck the entire family who ran that place.

2

u/Byzantine-alchemist 6h ago edited 4h ago

15 years old, Movie theater usher and ticket taker- $5.15/hr in 2002. Sometimes you'd find an unopened box of candy when sweeping a theater between shows, which was neat. 

1

u/iiTzSTeVO 9h ago

Same but at Piggly Wiggly. I'd bet we were working in the same state.

1

u/Hot_Ad_787 8h ago

$5.25 at Shop Rite

1

u/yogrark 8h ago

started at $2.50 an hour cleaning when I was 12.

1

u/EZE333 8h ago

Delchamps grocery store 5.15 as well. 6 months later my Dad hired me to be a shop helper at his metal fabrication shop. He paid me 6$ an hour. I was operating heavy machinery making 6$ and I thought I was doing good

1

u/Few_Wrongdoer4120 8h ago

Counter girl at a local pharmacy for $5.75/hr at 14.

1

u/Hung0ver_Hero 8h ago

14 in 1998 working at Kroger as a bagger for 5.25/hr

1

u/Tinfoil89 7h ago

babysitting at $5/hour but then when I turned 16 got a “real job” life guarding at the YMCA for nearly double the money (I think it was $8 or $9/hr?)! I was pumped

1

u/citizensofskyrim 7h ago

Damn I started at 7.50 it ducked

1

u/Current-Wealth-756 7h ago

that was my starting wage too. But gas was also hovering around $1/gallon when I drove to work in my old Accord

1

u/Less_East1439 6h ago

Another member of the 5.15 club at 15 or 16 (don’t remember )and was taking home around 78 dollars a week

1

u/Substantial_Bake_728 6h ago

Fast food at 14 making 7.25.

1

u/Gnarwhal8982 6h ago

I remember starting at $5.85/hr in ‘07 at Pizza Hut. I couldn’t believe it when it went up to $7.25 haha.

1

u/Oz1227 6h ago

6.15 at GameStop. We had a sweet disc resurfacer to fix scratched up games.

1

u/lumpyheadlmpylupyhea 6h ago

First job was McDonald’s making $8/hr I think. Might have been 8 and some change.

Earning $80k per year now and not struggling, but also not really able to afford much outside of a little investment stream. Finally got a job with a 401k so also got that.

But buying a house? Out of the equation right now. Buying a new car? Out of the equation. Ect.

I ain’t anywhere close to the best with my money, but it doesn’t seem to stretch very far.

Anyways that’s just my little ramble

1

u/DotesMagee 6h ago

Winn Dixie for 5.25 at 15 and was only allowed on weekends.

1

u/Snamdrog 6h ago

I started out as a janitor and have made my way all the way to line cook. Ive made great decisions in life.

1

u/Ur_Fav_Step-Redditor Millennial 6h ago

My first job was at Neely’s BBQ at the Grizzlies arena when I was 14 (can’t remember if it was the pyramid or the FedEx forum back then). I did that for like 2 months and never got paid 🤦🏾‍♂️

1

u/okiepunk98 6h ago

Albertsons. Same wage

1

u/knaimoli619 Millennial 5h ago

14- first job was at a Harley Davidson dealership in the clothes department making $6
14- Harley dealer laid of all part time so I went to McDonald’s making $5.25
16- local bakery hired at 16 and started there making $6 and left there almost 10 years later making $11

1

u/ccj4286 5h ago

Blockbuster I think $6.75

1

u/TooTurntGaming 5h ago

$5.15 an hour at Burger King. Lasted three weeks until I needed to leave a five-hour shift two hours early, because someone broke into my home and stole a bunch of shit, and the police needed me to be there to file a police report.

Was told I could either keep my job or go file the police report. So that's what I did. Which also resulted in nothing.

1

u/GreatQuestionBarbara 4h ago

I had a part time job after school and a paper route at 5-6AM every morning.

I think the paper route paid me like $300 a month, or something?

1

u/Pingadecaballo_ 4h ago

taco bell at 7.25 a hour ( New york) i was 16

1

u/ProBlackMan1 4h ago

Piece work in high school

1

u/Conscious-Start-4514 4h ago

When I was 14 I got a job as a busboy making $8/hr plus tips back in early 2000s. I worked 16 hours a weekend at a family owned pancake joint and made about $60 a weekend in tips (1% total sales) plus my paycheck. Frankly I was balling at that age. Plus I was out by 3pm so I still had time to hang out with friends that usually didn't get around until noon anyway.

I applied because my parents made me get a job. A week after I applied the owners son broke his arm. Just kinda got lucky lol

1

u/wizeddy 4h ago

6/hr as a porter washing dishes at the hospital.

1

u/xthedudehimself 4h ago

Hot topic for 7.15 an hour.

1

u/essdii- 4h ago

Laser tag arena 2004 7.50

1

u/jfk_47 3h ago

Washed dishes at a country club $6something. Worked 24hrs a week.

1

u/DoubleFamous5751 3h ago

Toys r Us overnights for fuck alll. Maybe 300 in a week

1

u/Proud-Ad9953 3h ago

12.00hr, The Sports Authority. Except I was a tech and built stuff. Apparently I was being paid peanuts as a part timer.

1

u/CraftsBoy2Craftsman 3h ago

yep. mcdonald’s. $5.15 an hour.

1

u/Boonune 3h ago

Felt pretty good about myself when I got a job at a vet clinic walking dogs and cleaning kennels for $7.25.

My friends were making $5.25 at a local grocery store.

1

u/UncaringNonchalance Millennial 3h ago

Subway, $7.00 in ‘07.

1

u/Madismas 3h ago

Taco bell $4.50, 6 month raise got me to $4.56 lol

1

u/darkwingdankest 2h ago

Old Spaghetti factor for like $2.50 or $3.50 (with tips) but still crazy the base was so low

1

u/OccultMachines 2h ago

Corner produce store. Family run. Owner's daughter took my tips. Paid $6 an hour under the table.

1

u/ApprehensiveGas85 2h ago

Was a cook at seafood restaurant. 15-18 years old I made $5.50 under the table. I considered it awesome money at the time. I sometimes only worked or was allowed to work weekends. Eventually I got to sneak more hours in but I remember I worked almost a full week and brought home like $350 and I remember telling my buddy I was going to retire by 25. I almost envy how naive I was back then.

1

u/Nearby-Beautiful3422 2h ago

Worked on a family farm. For free.

1

u/Extreme-Piano4334 2h ago

5.35 i think it wuz

1

u/Oldnbold22 2h ago

Gen X but dishwasher at a truck stop since 15.

1

u/GetRiceCrispy 2h ago

Leslie’s pool supplies

1

u/lostdemographic 2h ago

That was my starting pay too

1

u/oopsiedaisy-- 1h ago

An amusement park in a local mall for $7.35 and hour 😅 good times.

1

u/Saddam_4rm_Marbaqi 1h ago

I worked at a Kmart for 5.25. Asked for a 25 cent raise and got fired.

•

u/sneakyrob96 1h ago

Marshall’s. 7.50 an hour. This is like 2011 though

•

u/pigeonHank Millennial 1h ago

Pac Sun. Also 5.15 per hour

•

u/RunWild0_0 56m ago

On a farm breaking mustangs and taking out trail rides, I got paid tips only the first year 🤣

•

u/Aquatichive 51m ago

I got my working papers at 14 so I could work at an Italian pastry shop. 5 bucks an hour under the table. Cigarettes were only 3 bucks then!

•

u/rachelface927 Older Millennial 37m ago

My first job was Chick-fil-A, $3.50/hour babyyyy! I paid $305 a month for my half of rent, which included utilities.

Side rant, crazy that 26 years later the federal minimum wage has only gone up less than $4, I just checked and that same apartment has tripled in rent since 2000.

•

u/Baelenciagaa 35m ago

TJ Maxx making 8 bucks an hour

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u/CraftsmanMan 21m ago

Carvel, $5/hour, gave me cash in an envelope off the books