Merchendise

bry ER is early release, meaning you leave your shift early but still get paid til the time you were supposed to work until, if you get me!

to be honest i didnt care what position i was offered, i just wanted 2 b out there!

xxx

 

Rent gets deducted right away, so minus taxes, rent etc. you have 100 bucks left a week to spend.
Who could survive on 25? lol I barely managed it with 100 bucks.

Julia

 

lol i could just about manage on $100 i think lol

xxx

 

Well us merch people wil just have to be really good with our money and not splash out too much

Helen x

 

I was worried then.... i thought "how the hell can i live on 25?!" lol. Nah i reckon i could live on 100 a week, will just have to save hard for the cruise lol

I agree wit u though, i am just happy to have the job! lol.

Bry

 

Sara ur gonna do great im sure you will love f and b... I didnt really care what job i got i wanted to goto florida....

Bry and Helen im sure we'll all get used to living on that little... Im a student right now so wont be much of an adjustment for me! Im sure theres always overtime in busy times like summer and christmas to make extra money for cruise/trips/clothes!

xxx

 

i assume so as stock is coming in all the time!

 

You should definitely be very nice to your parents before you go lol getting some financial support from your folks can never hurt!
I just about managed it with the $100, but for trips and stuff I had to use money from home that I saved up plus christmas, birthday money etc.

Julia

 

hehe thanks marie, oh well ill hava blast as im with all u guys anyway its all good! this time in 8 weeks if we r on the same as the others, almost b at atlanta now! how excitin lol

xxx

 

well i heard a rumour on here that mrech is very short staffed at mo, so there will prob be a lot of overtime! Also, the summer will be real busy till about sept, then it'll start again after thanksgiving till jan/feb times!

Bry

 

ER is early release...BUT...you only get paid until the time that you leave...not until your scheduled end. You only get paid your whole shift if they MAKE you go home early...which never happens because they'll just tell you to put in for an ER if they are really overstaffed...if you don't want to go...someone else will!!

$100 a week is after rent, taxes, etc. Don't join the union, that takes another $10 bucks or so a week that you could spend (as much as they will hassle you too!). It is semi-easy to live off of that a week, just drink a lot before you go out! But for trips and stuff, I also used money from home. I actually used A LOT of money from home. You make enough to save for one of two good trips, but for the amount you'll want to go on, you need another money source.

At the beginning, you'll be bottom of the list in seniority and all the OT will fall to you automatically, unless someone signs up for it first (so most of the time you'll get it!). Which means you could work 60 hour weeks...I kid you not. 6 - 10 hour days a week. If you are a 5 day cast member, you'll get paid OT for each hour over 8 you work in a day, and for the entire 6th day. If you are a 4 day, you won't get OT for working a 10 hour day, but you will for the entire 5th and 6th day. It can be VERY overwhelming to be working so many hours when you first get there, and it has been known to scare newbies off...but don't stress about it!! Work the hours, make the money while there is OT to be had and save it! OT won't always be around. Save it when you make it if you hope to go on lots of trips...even just around Florida or on the cruise.

Sorry, this has been long and lots of babbling...I'll stop now.

Shan

 

thanks for the tips shan!

xxx

 

Thanks thats really hepful!

Bry

 

Bry thats great theyre short staffed!

Im doing my finals right now i havent got time to work lots to save b4 i go. Im working as much as i can but mainly just to cover my first two weeks there... I think im going to have to pay off my flight gradually over the year. So im gonna be taking as much overtime as i can the first few months.

Shan thanks so much for your advice and info! Its so nice of u!
I'm hoping i can deal with 60 hr weeks ive done them b4 on other jobs... Whats the union? Also in the thing they gave us at interviews it said they take just over $12 tax for 35 hrs... Does that sound about right?
xxx

 

I've had an idea us merch lot will just have to stay in and make our own fun ;D
Ok that came out how I didnt want it to sound but never mind I'm up for a good year ;D ;D

Helen x

P.s thanks for the tips Shan

 

lol helen! what kinda impression are you trying to give of us merch lot!haha

xxx

 

haha, i dont know if i wana b involved with u merchies if thats wot ur gona do

xxx

 

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I read somewhere that once you move upto the tipping positions in f&B that your hourly pay drops down to $2-3 dollars an hour! Is that true and doesn't it work out to about the same amount that merch people get?
Ali

 

even when your pay drops you'll still be making more than a merch position as you can make an absolute fortune in tips!
xx