Remembering My First Wage Packets.

[Theland]

I did all sorts of jobs whilst still at school, picking beetroots on a farm, selling bleach soap and pine disinfectant door to door, and carrying coal on the wagons at the age of thirteen.
Left school at sixteen, and had six weeks to kill before starting my apprenticeship, so took a job in a cotton mill for £9/week. Started my apprenticeship six weeks later for £4/week.
But I felt so grown up, a real worker and the world was my oyster.
Wage paid in a brown envelope, along with my wage slip, and a staple through it.
Couldn't get home fast enough to show my mum!
I gave her £2 for housekeeping and the rest was mine.
Gosh I was so happy!
So what are your memories of your first wage packet?

[EdmundD]

Summer 1967 working at a Cadbury's Marvel factory in the school holidays. Can't remember what I was paid but I bought Sgt Pepper out of my first one. Still got it.

[Theland]

Edmund - Yes mine was also the summer of '67, the summer of love, San Francisco, flowers in your hair, love and peace, and the sin shone down hot and bright every single day as I remember. And yes, I too bought Sgt Pepper :-)

[Theland]

Sun

[Peter Pedant]

oh I bought an overcoat with my first postgrad pay
but
eight years before
lab rat at porton, in lodgings salisbury, £32 a monf
and lodgings £7 a week - and four - - 5 wk monfs in the year
Jesus hand to mouf for two years

[Peter Pedant]

oh and hitch hiking
and you didnt get hit raped bonked or robbed

[Theland]

Ah yes, my favourite mode of transport in those days.

[SparklyKid]

It was £4. I was promised £12.50 when I was 21. I got £12.00. It took two weeks to get the courage to ask for the 50p extra. Happy days.

[margarettom]

My first job was apple picking in the school holidays.

[EdmundD]

After polytechnic I started my first "proper" job in Jan 1973 at a salary of £1181 a year. That was paid by weekly wage packets in cash. Still got the payslips somewhere.

And yes I used to hitchhike everywhere too. Carefree days.

[SparklyKid]

I do remember a colleague years ago saying he would be happy to retire on £1500.00 a year.

Peanuts now, sadly.

[EdmundD]

Another thing I used to do was sell newspapers at agricultural shows and the like on Saturdays in Shropshire and mid-Wales. I think the paper was 4d and you got to keep a ha'penny for each one you sold. There was usually enough for 3 or 4 pints and a packet of Embassy at the end of the day.

[jennyjoan]

I started work in the Civil Service at age 16 earning £9 a week. I gave it all to my mum and of course she gave me some back, however a year later I told my mum "I want to go on my own" - that meant I will only give you (mum) a certain amount and the rest is mine.

Well you can imagine the conversation, "why, for you to buy comics and potato crisps and oul junk" A very hard conversation LOL

[Ken4155]

Back in '69, it was considered 'normal' for those starting in their first jobs to tip their wages up to their mothers to pay for board, lodgings, laundry, etc, etc, and to receive a weekly allowance (about a third) from your wage. However, the very first week's wage was yours to do with as you wished. I did this until i joined the Army at 16.5 years old. Then, whenever i came home for my 3 weeks leave, i gave my mum £50 - even when i wasn't spending the entire 3 weeks at 'home'.

[emmie]

working for a magazine, a well known one in Bond Street London
first monthly wage packet, felt on top of the world. I can't remember the figure now, but it seemed a lot for a monthly wage. I had had jobs before that but this was a grown up work space. Get wages and mum says now you are earning you have to give me X which i guess was right but didn't feel like it at the time.

But went out and bought with first wages a sheepskin coat, felt proud as punch. Very much in vogue in those days
one night which was blooming cold put said sheepskin on the bed, next thing i knew our cats had weed all over it. The coat was ruined, i had it cleaned but it was never the same again

[Peter Pedant]

// I do remember a colleague years ago saying he would be happy to retire on £1500.00 a year.//

my parents did - on £2000 a year - no not each
big problem about war service and pensions. Those who stayed had much larger pensions ( continuity and 5 y extra service) and this caused a lot of bad feeling

My parents maxi earnings ever were £6000 because my first mortgage was on £5164/y and I got the max allowed £12 500.
The max inflation was 30% and occurred twice innit? - 77 and 79?

[dannyk13]

Started work at 14 as a joiners apprentice with a wage of 10s 6p a week.Gave the 10s to my mum and the 6p for spending money.Happy days.

[Peter Pedant]

// I gave it all to my mum and of course she gave me some back,//

my parents said to us -c an you tell everyone we are charging you £5 a week because that is what they want to hear. However where we came from (Bombay and Pretoria) parents never charged their children.

Good imperial memory huh?

[jennyjoan]

In 1978 I was giving £25 a week to my mum, boy she loved that wage packet. I had gone up the ranks of promotion so could afford it.

[Sqad]

LOL.. yes! yes!
Aged 14 paper boy 6 shilling a week
Aged 16 became a trusty, collected the money on Sundays 7 shillings.
Evening, errand boy 5 shillings week ( married woman tried it on in the storeroom)
Aged 18..Grant £900 per annum..food lodgings, the lot .Not a lot for London.
Aged 24 Night Nurse at Bethnal Green Hospital..can't remember pay
Age 25 First pay packet with NHS £3,200 a year.
Age 14 with 6 bob a week took Gillian S.to the pictures,icecream at half time then a sit down Fish and Chip supper....all on 6 bob.
I knew how to treat women even in those tender years.

[MargoTester]

I started work at 16 for the princely sum of £3 2s 6d