Working in town versus out of town?

[thegeneral]

You can make the money work, if you plan, budget, be smart.[/QUOTE]


I wonder if you work with me?

 

[tmo1620]

I know right......lol

WOW :/ lol

 

[Luke The Drifter]

I'm also on the 7 on 7 off, work 12hr day shifts 85km from home. But I take a bus to and from work every day. Having the long stretches of time off is awesome for projects, appointments, trips, the skies the limit. IMO the ideal shift is still the 4-5-5 because you get better usage out of your vacation time but this works good too.

As per home every night? For me, my life, my relationship, thats what I love and that's what I need. Individuals and relationships work differently but I love getting to come home to my house, go to the gym, see my family friends or boyfriend every night.

IMO your young like I am, if the work and the money is there take it, make a few year plan. Save it up, don't 'live it up' and spend all your cash. Get used to living on wages comparable to what you would make in the city and save the difference if not more. Then its not a drastic lifestyle change when the pay changes. For future relationshps and families, from what I've seen of friends/family situations, and knowing my own childhood, the memories and being there for them is what matters. You can make the money work, if you plan, budget, be smart.

That's the plan for me right now. Do 5 years of working away to get ahead. The only crazy spending I have done is i bought a new truck, and that was because my old truck was really showing its age/kms. With that said I should be on track to pay it off in 8 months. Keep in mind I took it on a 6 year loan to keep the payments with the intent to pay it off as fast as I can.

As for relationships, my girlfriend supports me fully but she also let it be known she doesn't want it to be a permanent thing.

My only major debts/expenses are my truck and insurance. I don't go crazy with spending and I make sure to keep adding to my savings each month.

 

[GYMBRAT]

Good plan forsure, BUT ones gotta live while he can, lifes too short to sit back and watch it got by

I was able to work in the patch since 15, own my own acreage at 19, everthing paid for AND take my summers of. Thx Oilpatch

 

[Luke The Drifter]

Oh I'm planning to go to Australia next summer to visit a friend and buying a new xm in the fall, no sitting back for this guy. Just no spend everything and finance everything. I hate payments as it is!

 

[white6]

haha noo probably not general. I'm up at shell albian sands.. 85km north of fort mcmurray

 

[thegeneral]

haha noo probably not general. I'm up at shell albian sands.. 85km north of fort mcmurray

Me too!

 

[DRD]

I'm away a ton, anywhere from a couple days to a month or more. Working on the road is all I've ever done though so I'm not sure how I'd like a job with "normal" hours. At the end of the day though it's still better than the stints my nephew has been pulling over in Afghanistan.

 

[the_real_wild1]

I am home every night and prefer it. The only issue I have with my shift right now is I have to work every third Saturday. I do two weeks days and one week nights which include that Saturday. I have been working 14 hour shifts that night shift week too to bring in extra cash. Well most days on the night shift are 14's, unless I get too tired or have an errand to do. Get there at about 7:30 am, go home at 10 pm.

 

[moyiesledhead]

After reading this I'm thoroughly convinced most of us are working wayyyy too much!

 

[mach123]

Well I had a deal with company that I would give them 2 yrs in ft mac leave 5am monday then work 8hrs when we got there and 14/15hrs tues/wed/thurs/ work 8hrs fri and then drive home(edmonton) did that for 2 yrs, made some good cash and then when 2 yrs was up I told them I was done and they told me you can't decide when and where you are going to work,hmmmmmm so I said oh yes I can a deal is a deal and that was the last time I worked for sombody again and was in 2003 and been on my own since then. So now I work in town out town and what ever I like to do, do what you have to do.................ENJOY LIFE.......

 

[OVERKILL 19]

I work shift work 45km from home. we are a 5 team 5 week rotation . so lots of switching days / nights. 3nights,2off,3days,2off,4nights. then for the next 3 weeks only work 2 days a week. So if ya only work your shifts u get lots of time off. But with the amount of turnover we get...u end up working way more.
Last year I was offered a gig in Fort mac, I was very close to pulling the trigger. I worked 850 hours of OT last year.plus the 2100 reg hours I was home in my bed every night. But in fort mac I would have made more $$ just working my reg shift hous then my reg and ot combined so at the end of the day I would have been home 850 hours more! Very tempting! but with a 3 year old and home in my bed every night made the difference for me...for now. 850 hours at home is alot. plus when your on your days off your ON YOUR days off, no called out to work on a weekend night shift. So that alone is huge. Cant tell u how many days I spend wondering when my phone will ring! This year I will tip 950hours of double bubble! But a lot of that was my choice due to this is our 20% retention bonus year.

 

[arff]

I work 2 10hrs days,then 2 14hrs nights then 2 off then same 4 days again then 6 days off. Its great, any other time i want off just find some to work for me

We looked at that type of shift rotation also.

We decided to go with 24 on 24 off 24 on then 5 days off. It works out to the same hours of work as yours.
also can do a lot of shift trades. Almost home every night this way.

 

[white6]

haha noo probably not general. I'm up at shell albian sands.. 85km north of fort mcmurray

Me too!

Oh! haha my apologies. Then yup we sorta do. Im on the MRM side.

 

[btcowboy]

I am on 10 and 4 right now, wishing it was a 7 and 7. I have been working away from home for 20 years now, the wife and me don't know anything different. I did work at home for a little bit and like Gymbrat says we get along better when we aren't in each others face all the time. Good or bad it works for us. 12 more years of this and I am will be semi retired. Oy workin because I want to and am bored.

 

[~Rowdy~]

I'm with a guy that works 2 weeks in and 2 weeks out, and although I don't mind it now, I could never do more than 2 and 2, and I don't want it to be forever. Being the person "left" behind is a lot harder than the person who is going away. I'd sure prefer him to be around than him being gone half the time and being a "part time" relationship. It's difficult because he works nights, and when he can talk I'm at work or just getting up to go to work and visa versa, not to mention even if we do get a chance to talk it's not for long and work is his priority while he's there.

Keep in mind your 2 week on and 2 week off schedule isn't like you are going to have 2 weeks at work, then 2 weeks with your future family for the most part. I always have to keep in mind that while he's at work, he's working, and when he comes back I can't expect that he will want to spend his 2 weeks with me. I've had time to myself, do my own thing and hang with friends while he's gone, whereas he hasn't. He's decided that his first day back and his last day before leaving will always be spent with me, which I like because it makes me feel important. I'm also lucky because we like almost all the same things, I like his friends, and he likes mine, so he doesn't have to choose between camping/sledding/hanging with friends and me.

Hope that helps give you a slightly different perspective. Everyone and every situation is different so do what is best for you and your situation.

 

[Luke The Drifter]

I'm with a guy that works 2 weeks in and 2 weeks out, and although I don't mind it now, I could never do more than 2 and 2, and I don't want it to be forever. Being the person "left" behind is a lot harder than the person who is going away. I'd sure prefer him to be around than him being gone half the time and being a "part time" relationship. It's difficult because he works nights, and when he can talk I'm at work or just getting up to go to work and visa versa, not to mention even if we do get a chance to talk it's not for long and work is his priority while he's there.

Keep in mind your 2 week on and 2 week off schedule isn't like you are going to have 2 weeks at work, then 2 weeks with your future family for the most part. I always have to keep in mind that while he's at work, he's working, and when he comes back I can't expect that he will want to spend his 2 weeks with me. I've had time to myself, do my own thing and hang with friends while he's gone, whereas he hasn't. He's decided that his first day back and his last day before leaving will always be spent with me, which I like because it makes me feel important. I'm also lucky because we like almost all the same things, I like his friends, and he likes mine, so he doesn't have to choose between camping/sledding/hanging with friends and me.

Hope that helps give you a slightly different perspective. Everyone and every situation is different so do what is best for you and your situation.

Thanks for the insight Rowdy. I make sure that I spend a lot of time with my girlfriend. And I do that not because I feel obligated to but I want to Currently she's in school right now. I've told her that me being away for 2 weeks really gives her a solid chance to focus on school. Having her dad on the road a lot growing up, she's fairly used to it but at the same she's very close to her family, something we both value a lot.

 

[goodngrubby]

I spent most of my life in the patch...hated seeing the buddies living life while I was stuck in some sh!thole working. I spent the last 9 years at home developing some new products for the blasting industry, which was fantastic....it afforded me the time and cash to hang out with the family. I got offered a ridiculous contract this spring, so I decided to whore myself out to the almighty dirty oil for a few years. I work a 10 and 4 shift, so I still have a full 3 days at home every two weeks. My kids aren't really impressed, but they are old enough to understand that we have a 5 year plan...full retirement by 46 (hopefully).

 

[Luke The Drifter]

Well I had a deal with company that I would give them 2 yrs in ft mac leave 5am monday then work 8hrs when we got there and 14/15hrs tues/wed/thurs/ work 8hrs fri and then drive home(edmonton) did that for 2 yrs, made some good cash and then when 2 yrs was up I told them I was done and they told me you can't decide when and where you are going to work,hmmmmmm so I said oh yes I can a deal is a deal and that was the last time I worked for sombody again and was in 2003 and been on my own since then. So now I work in town out town and what ever I like to do, do what you have to do.................ENJOY LIFE.......

This is another thing that I'm adamant on. I refuse to let a company bully me or tell me how it is at the sacrifice of my quality of life. My current employer who I've been with for 5 years now has been really good so far. They're willing to work with the employees as best they can should an issue arise. At the end of the day I have to do whats best for me and makes me happy. My old foreman always told me, "Be happy with what you do for a living, whatever it may be. Because if you're not happy its not worth it."

 

[brutematt750]

I'm also on the 7 on 7 off, work 12hr day shifts 85km from home. But I take a bus to and from work every day. Having the long stretches of time off is awesome for projects, appointments, trips, the skies the limit. IMO the ideal shift is still the 4-5-5 because you get better usage out of your vacation time but this works good too.

As per home every night? For me, my life, my relationship, thats what I love and that's what I need. Individuals and relationships work differently but I love getting to come home to my house, go to the gym, see my family friends or boyfriend every night.

IMO your young like I am, if the work and the money is there take it, make a few year plan. Save it up, don't 'live it up' and spend all your cash. Get used to living on wages comparable to what you would make in the city and save the difference if not more. Then its not a drastic lifestyle change when the pay changes. For future relationshps and families, from what I've seen of friends/family situations, and knowing my own childhood, the memories and being there for them is what matters. You can make the money work, if you plan, budget, be smart.

What's a 4-5-5- shift


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk while working extremely hard