Medical sales is a tough gig.....if the guy is banging down 300K a year he must be great at his job. I don't care what someone does for a living as long as it is ethical and legal. Sales to me is one of the best occupations out there if you are good, Govt. work is just the opposite. Sales guys aren't going to get paid if they are lazy, no good etc.

Perfectly understand... I am only 25 so yes I still have a lot of learning to do but planning early and thinking through what you enjoy in life is what its all about. This is what me and my girlfriend love to do and we hope for our son to be a huge part of this as he grows. Once again this is a great post so we can really see the different dynamics of the boating economy out there. It really is all about zip codes weaved in with infatuation.

There are two schools of thought regarding how much boat to buy.

You could buy a smaller single engine and work your way up. If you are completely new to boating this is probably the way to go. For me personally, I have plenty of boating experience just never owned my own "performance boat". I just knew I wouldn't be happy unless I got exactly what I wanted. I thought about the losses I would probably take on every boat I bought and sold as a learning experience. I decided to just pull the trigger on a big boat and save myself the hassle. I'm glad I did.

If you start with a small boat you will eventually want to go bigger. Since 99% of us lose money when we sell, you should consider saving yourself that sunk cost and buying the boat you want to start with. Again, the big factor for me is where is the boat on the depreciation curve. But something a few years older if you need to. Just make sure you buy a boat that was loved.

At the end of the day, the difference in ownership cost (maintainence, fuel, insurance, etc.) between a 28' boat with stock merc power and a 38' boat with stock merc power is not that considerable. And many of the costs will even be almost the same (travel, food, dockage, etc). The difference in maintanence cost between a 28' boat with stock merc power and a 38' boat with 1100hp blower motors will be huge, however.

Wow, you guys are real thinkers. On my little fireboat pilots pay, I starve my kids, no trips or vacations, the wife is tied to the kitchen and I manage to save a few buck to get a boat. I put her to work when it neds repairs and if theres money for gas we might get to float it out, drift with the tide and have fuel for the return trip. One time we drifted too far and she had to row back. Hey, I had to steer didn't I?

Buy used, no payments, think it out what boat size and power is right for your needs, shop smart, there's loads of boats out there for sale in great shape. Doesn't have to be new, the biggest and fastest, it just has to be right for you. Payments suck while the boats in the yard for 6 months out of the year. Pay cash! My 2cts!

I agree, we are paid very well. Maybe too much, but at this point that's what our skill set is worth to the market. Most patients would be shocked to learn how much we influence their care. Spine surgeons are "clinical" experts when it comes to treating spinal pathologies. Our role is to be the "technical" expert in their treatment of patients. We decide lengths, widths, depths, heights of pretty much all the hardware that's going to put your back/neck back together. Spine surgury is expensive real estate, if I give the surgeon a screw 1mm to large in diameter. You might not walk after the case. If I give the surgeon a screw 5mm to long, you could bleed out before the damage can be repaired. If you mother is on that table, you want me there.

Who are you with; Stryker, Synthes....?

Medtronic

No kidding. A guy I know through a buddy who is a regional manager for Medtronic CV here in the Northeast.

I have friends that wonder why I would ever own a boat... BUT! It is simple, we enjoy it. Some people travel or go on vacations. We rarely go anywhere but spend every weekend on the boat. Take two to three decent vacations a year for a small family. Probably a total of $8-10K

Owning a boat plus maint. Isnt that much more.... It is simple black & white... Worth every damn penny to clear your mind every weekend!

I think cost of a boat should be related to your overall financial situation, not just your income. I have secure retirement plan and no debt other than the boat, truck and mortgage. I own 2 other cars as well. I have made some choices and could have easily had a bigger more expensive boat. Instead, I built a new house and put off buying a bigger boat. Its all about making smart choices.
BTW, my boat purchase price was about 2/3 of what I make annually. I had a good down payment from equity in a previous boat and the payment on the current boat is like having a car payment.