Do you spend your own money on work supplies ?

[fastfredracing]

On one of those awful morning shows this morning, they were saying about how schools are short of funds, and teachers are dipping into their own pockets to the tune of about $500.00 each for classroom supplies at the beginning of the school year .
They were saying how this is not commonplace in other industries and how teachers are being short changed .
I let out a big boooooo hoooooo.
I guess they never heard of mechanics, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc...
I spent $157.00 on a swivel, two torx bits,. and a coolant tester adapter yesterday and that was a light week for me toolwise .
Not that I don't have respect for teachers and what they do .
Is there anything you have to supply for yourself, that your employer does not reimburse?

[asphaltgambler]

Fred - I'm certain that auto / truck / heavy technicians are the only skilled blue collar workers who have to supply all of their own tools out of pocket. I cannot think of any other hands-on profession that requires that.

Also, teachers paying for school room supplies is nothing new. I remember overhearing 2 teachers talking about this same subject @ 45 years ago.......................

[Sooner or later]

I bet I didn't spend 50 bucks over my entire career in manufacturing. Later, when I owned my business, I reimbursed my employees for any needed work expense.

Teachers should be reimbursed for mandatory supplies that are required to do their job.

[widebody911]

I'm in DevOps and I've bought a few things over the years, mostly hardware that's better than what the company provides, and it goes with me when I go. It makes my life easier so it's worth the minor expense.

Teachers paying for school supplies is shameful, but it's become an accepted practice now.

[stomachmonkey]

The difference Fred is those things you spend money on generate revenue for you, they are a cost of doing business, a profit center for you.

Disclaimer: my wife is an educator so yeah it comes out of my pocket and I get nothing from it.

[Crowbob]

Union electrical contractors provide electrical meters & testers, power tools, and/or specialty tools. Non-union electrical contractors provide some of those, but require their electricians to provide basic electrical meters and power tools. All electricians are responsible for basic hand tools.

[svandamme]

hell to the no.

Teachers in Belgium from what I hear do it too.
To me it sounds like a defect in their thinking

I'll buy stuff, to show how good of a teacher I am
And then I can complain bout how I have to buy stuff out of my own pocket.

No you don't have to buy anything out of pocket.
You can just show up in class and teach with what you have.

If you keep buying sj1t yourself, the mgmt will never ever ever feel the need to buy that stuff for you and your class.
You solved their problem, with your own paycheck.

And they all do it, because well, they all do it and think that then entitles them to certain views and complaints.


Teacher are a messed up bunch that way, and in general, they have never lived in the real world.
They grew up in school, went to college, and went back to school.

It's a closed loop of closed minds, yet they for a big part walk the world with attitude of "we know everything".
Except they never did anything in the actual real world. And that world works differently in many ways.


And don't shoot me for it, I know I'm generalizing quite a bit myself here.
I do know exceptions exist, and a I do know a lot of em work hard and really mean well.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Union electrical contractors provide electrical meters & testers, power tools, and/or specialty tools. Non-union electrical contractors provide some of those, but require their electricians to provide basic electrical meters and power tools. All electricians are responsible for basic hand tools.

There is a difference between tools you buy and take with you when you leave and supplies that are used in the performance of the job.

Do electricians purchase the wiring, connectors, and conduit required to complete the job?

[pete3799]

Yes.
I use my own tools, lathe, welder, garage etc. to work on town equipment quite often. Have never billed them for any of it.
Use my own vehicle for town work related tasks also......no charge.

[GH85Carrera]

A agree with Fred. As a lifetime photographer, working only in the Photography field, I have had to buy a lot of camera equipment, darkroom equipment and supplies. And I was often working 6 or 7 days a week, all year long. I did not get spring break, fall break, weeks off from Thanksgiving to New years eve, and three months off in summer.

Most weddings are on Saturday, so as a wedding photographer kiss your Saturdays goodby. Football games are Thursday night for Jr High School, Friday night for High School, and Saturdays for college. Good money was made from them.

Yea, teachers get the short end of the paycheck. That is mostly because the administration is 2 or 3 times more staff than they need. The day the administration is reduced, and crappy teachers can get fired and off the dole, the school system will be able to pay the teachers lots more. That will happen right after Congress gets together and works to the good of the country, and not only to damage the other party.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

On one of those awful morning shows this morning, they were saying about how schools are short of funds, and teachers are dipping into their own pockets to the tune of about $500.00 each for classroom ...

Meh....everybody needs a good Stihl chainsaw anyways to build a log classroom

Methinks a lotta tho$e essentials are decorating the room, etc. and they aren't tapping available outside $...but I dunno?

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

Fred - I'm certain that auto / truck / heavy technicians are the only skilled blue collar workers who have to supply all of their own tools out of pocket. I cannot think of any other hands-on profession that requires that.

Also, teachers paying for school room supplies is nothing new. I remember overhearing 2 teachers talking about this same subject @ 45 years ago.......................

Oh, come on. Many trades require employees to have their own tools. Some exceptions are painters, plasters, dry wall tapers, and that's for sure not talking about self employed to stay consistent with teachers being largely employees.

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Union electrical contractors provide electrical meters & testers, power tools, and/or specialty tools. Non-union electrical contractors provide some of those, but require their electricians to provide basic electrical meters and power tools. All electricians are responsible for basic hand tools.

^^Just one example. Cement finishers usually have their own trowels and knee boards. Carpenters always have their own bags. Same with iron workers. This list goes on. And everyone in the trades has to buy their own boots. My wife even had to wear steel toed boots when she was out on the docks or aboard a ship and her company didn't give her a nickle. They did provide a vest and hard hat. She was in the office 3/4 of the time, but for inspections of this and that she needed to be outside.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

A agree with Fred. As a lifetime photographer, working only in the Photography field, I have had to buy a lot of camera equipment, darkroom equipment and supplies. And I was often working 6 or 7 days a week, all year long. I did not get spring break, fall break, weeks off from Thanksgiving to New years eve, and three months off in summer.

Most weddings are on Saturday, so as a wedding photographer kiss your Saturdays goodby. Football games are Thursday night for Jr High School, Friday night for High School, and Saturdays for college. Good money was made from them.

Yea, teachers get the short end of the paycheck. That is mostly because the administration is 2 or 3 times more staff than they need. The day the administration is reduced, and crappy teachers can get fired and off the dole, the school system will be able to pay the teachers lots more. That will happen right after Congress gets together and works to the good of the country, and not only to damage the other party.

That was your business. You were compensated for your work. If you would have had an assistant would they be required to bring film for the cameras and not be compensated by you?

Most of you are missing the boat. They are buying pencils and paper and protractors for the kids use during the school year.

They are not burying projectors and desks that they take with them at the end of the school year.

[VincentVega]

but I dunno?

correct

In a poor area many go without. Teacher wants to help, so they buy notebooks, pencils... School system 'wants to help' so they pay for prom, yearbooks, books, pencils...

In a mixed area teacher and school ant to 'help' and equalize so some kids get supplies, financial support...

Generally, and much more so in low $$ areas, school is much more than school. Its food, distraction, mentoring and some learning. Hopefully.

I buy office supplies for work since figuring out the works system is way more complicated than amazon.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

That was your business. You were compensated for your work. If you would have had an assistant would they be required to bring film for the cameras and not be compensated by you?

Most of you are missing the boat. They are buying pencils and paper and protractors for the kids use during the school year.

They are not burying projectors and desks that they take with them at the end of the school year.

When I started in photography, I was just another employee. I worked for a local pro, but we had contracts at the newspapers, Time Magazine, the news wires, and anyone that called. I was just making a flat salary. Photographing riots for the newspaper is something I will never do again.

Yea, now I own my own business. But for the vast majority of my life, I worked for someone else.

I see the horrendous waste in the local school system. They will spend millions of dollars refurbishing a school, and expanding it, then close it and build a new school from scratch. The bloated administration of way overpaid employees is the reason our teachers are screwed. Since we own our house, we "get" to pay a nice fat tax bill each year. I see what the money goes to, and the schools are a major hunk of it. I pay a lot of money that is wasted faster than a drunk congressman.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

When I started in photography, I was just another employee. I worked for a local pro, but we had contracts at the newspapers, Time Magazine, the news wires, and anyone that called. I was just making a flat salary. Photographig riots for the newspaper is something I will never do again.

Yea, now I own my own business. But for the vast majority of my life, I worked for someone else.

Did you have to supply the film when you worked for the local pro?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

On one of those awful morning shows this morning, they were saying about how schools are short of funds, and teachers are dipping into their own pockets to the tune of about $500.00 each for classroom supplies at the beginning of the school year .
They were saying how this is not commonplace in other industries and how teachers are being short changed .
I let out a big boooooo hoooooo.
I guess they never heard of mechanics, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc...
I spent $157.00 on a swivel, two torx bits,. and a coolant tester adapter yesterday and that was a light week for me toolwise .
Not that I don't have respect for teachers and what they do .
Is there anything you have to supply for yourself, that your employer does not reimburse?

I'm not sure it's the same. You buy those tools and keep them. In your case, I believe it's your own business, but even guys that work in someone else's shop buy a tool and then take it with them when they go. I don't think the average mechanic working for someone else is buying their own paper towels or oil filters or hand cleaner.

I have had to pay for "uniform" when I worked at fast food places when I was younger.

Originally Posted by widebody911

I'm in DevOps and I've bought a few things over the years, mostly hardware that's better than what the company provides, and it goes with me when I go. It makes my life easier so it's worth the minor expense.

Teachers paying for school supplies is shameful, but it's become an accepted practice now.

Right, I think it's different to buy a tool that you own and will keep for a long time versus buying consumables for students to use. I have my own keyboard and mouse (trackball) that I use at work, but when I leave, those are mine. I wouldn't buy printer paper for work.

If teachers are buying chalk or markers or paper or pens or pencils or whatever they need to do their job, that's horrible. I don't think this is a teacher buying a $100 scanner that they then own for digitizing children's work.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by masraum

I'm not sure it's the same. You buy those tools and keep them. In your case, I believe it's your own business, but even guys that work in someone else's shop buy a tool and then take it with them when they go. I don't think the average mechanic working for someone else is buying their own paper towels or oil filters or hand cleaner.

I have had to pay for "uniform" when I worked at fast food places when I was younger.


Right, I think it's different to buy a tool that you own and will keep for a long time versus buying consumables for students to use. I have my own keyboard and mouse (trackball) that I use at work, but when I leave, those are mine. I wouldn't buy printer paper for work.

If teachers are buying chalk or markers or paper or pens or pencils or whatever they need to do their job, that's horrible. I don't think this is a teacher buying a $100 scanner that they then own for digitizing children's work.

This is correct

[john70t]

Fred, you work for a company, right?
What if the company bought that equipment as an expense? same as it pays the mortgage, etc?

(grain of salt: not an accountant or tax anything but is there an additional level of separation in a partnership scenario?)

With a real estate LLC it's a bit easier.
I pay for tools etc but anything that is permanent to the property is an expense.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

Teachers should be reimbursed for mandatory supplies that are required to do their job.

+1

I think Fred's situation is different than teachers and classroom supplies. Not saying one is right and the other isn't. But somehow a teacher paying for pencils and scotch tape isn't the same as a mechanic paying for tools.