Contractors, Self Employed nice cars? You earn far too much!

Contractors, Self Employed nice cars? You earn far too much!

Author
Discussion

C7 JFW

1,205 posts

218 months

Monday 22nd June 2015
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This is ALL about perception - and part of the reason I realised that a silver, mk4 4door VW Golf was the ideal runaround car (for me).

It is also about being able to get from A to B with as little fuss as possible. You can supercharge or turbocharge many cars whilst retaining a factory look from the outside - so you get minimal hassle and only an enthusiast will spot the differences.

I tend to shy away from bringing the sportier cars in to work now.

Foliage

3,861 posts

121 months

Monday 22nd June 2015
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I just tell people that I get an allowance from my parents.

Its a blatent lie, I get paid a modest amount, don't have kids or a spouse, rent and am pretty good at getting a bargain.

DS197

992 posts

105 months

Monday 22nd June 2015
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Moonhawk said:
This is the biggie for me. I don't have kids and my car costs between £2000-£3000 a year in tax, insurance, MOT and servicing.

According to some estimates, a child can cost a lot more than this (around £3500-£4000 per year by some estimates) and many people have two or three kids. Throw a couple of family cars into the mix that may still cost £1000-£1500 each to run and the costs rack up even further.

A family with three kids and two family cars could be spending around £12,000 a year on their particular "lifestyle choice" - over 4 times what I spend on mine!
Perfectly summed up. People get married, have kids and once the novelty wears off, you're stuck with two little brats and a cow that won't put out. Well that's the way im lead to believe your life ends up. And then the only thing you can do is get pissed of at people that don't have these problems. That combined with jealousy is why people come out with snotty little remarks imo

richarda0109

313 posts

164 months

Monday 22nd June 2015
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I'll take your ferrari or any other sports car and top trump that with private education x 2. Yet another thing not to mention when at a client site.

Rgds
Richard

jonny996

2,603 posts

216 months

Monday 22nd June 2015
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richarda0109 said:
I'll take your ferrari or any other sports car and top trump that with private education x 2. Yet another thing not to mention when at a client site.

Rgds
Richard
Yip school fees are a brand new 911 plus running costs each child! I should have called my offspring "targa" and "GT3"

V8forweekends

2,481 posts

123 months

Monday 22nd June 2015
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W4NTED said:
Am I the only person to get this at work? I am a self employed contractor and work within a blue chip organisation along side of people who are employed by this company. There are some nice car's in the car park but when people realize my car is mine they always come out with "you are paid far too much" or my manager will come out with stuff like "you don't need a rate increase this year do you".

I mean WTF? Why this negativity? A colleague has a £9,000 BMW 645ci Convertible in Black (2004, 125k miles)- he really looks after it (clay bar, polish etc) so it looks amazing and has nice wheels etc and we were laughing a lot this lunchtime when he told me he get's the same st day in day out from colleagues. An old lady just bought a Fiesta which is worth more than his BMW and she hates him for having that car biggrinbiggrin

How do you deal with idiots like these?
I used to deal with it by going to get a Mars bar from the machine, and a Coffee from the Cafe, smug in the knowledge that in the time it took, I had made about 6 times what it cost. If this stuff bothers you, you aren't cut out to be a contractor, and you aren't earning enough.

SidewaysSi

10,742 posts

233 months

Monday 22nd June 2015
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RobM77 said:
wormus said:
Limpet said:
Similar to me (currently a pre-sales Solution Architect working for a global tech company). Bored, and wondering what the next move is, as I'm really struggling to get excited about doing more of the same for someone different for the next 25 years.

A mate contracted in web development for about 10 years and did quite nicely out of it, but has just gone perm after getting a decent offer.

It's not the risk that bothers me at all. No permanent job has any security nowadays. It's the lack of holidays, pension etc and having the discipline to do the right thing with the extra money. Logic suggests whack it off the mortgage rather than buy a nice car. But I'm rubbish and it wouldn't happen biggrin
I contracted as a software developer for 7 years from 1993 to 2000 through the dot com years. It was amazing time, I had more money than I knew what do with and at that time I was getting offered jobs over a single telephone interview. Then the bubble burst and I went perm. At the time the money and ease of work attracted a lot of numpties so the market suddenly became flooded with idiots. A really tough time to find decent work of any kind.

It took a little while but within a couple of years my earnings overtook what I was earning as a contractor and I had all the other benefits that come with being a permie. I'm now a powerfully built director with a well known brand and doing rather well. It's not for everyone but in the long term you get so much more from investing in your career and climbing the slimy pole. Yes it takes effort but as a contractor, your prospects are limited as you are hired help and the first to go as the business restructures, which they do every 2 to 3 years.

This is very different to being a consultant where you are being paid very well to do a specific job that very few other people can do.
yes I agree - it completely depends what you want. I worked as a permie for 5 years and have been a contractor for the last 9 years. I'll only go back to being a permie if the market dries up and I have to (or the salary balance changes). I made a decision in those 5 years as a permie that I stand by now: a career ladder doesn't interest me and the effort vs total lifetime earnings isn't worth it. As you might guess from that, I'm not working in an area that I have much interest in at all (IT), and I merely want to do what I do now to a high standard, deliver a bit more than what's expected and get paid what I do now, which is enough for my mortgage and bills as well as holidays and fun stuff. To embark on a successful career requires committment and a certain satisfaction and enjoyment from what you do. I could have that in a couple of areas of work, but I've worked in those areas and they don't bring in the money that I want to enjoy my life, so overall I wasn't as happy, as secure and as satisfied as I am now.
Agree. I am in a permanent role in Financial Services and am climbing the greasy pole. Yes, I could earn more as a contractor and it tempts me all the time but I will only do it when the pole runs out or I feel no longer want to push myself in my career (nothing wrong with that at all).

Limpet

6,292 posts

160 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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DS197 said:
Perfectly summed up. People get married, have kids and once the novelty wears off, you're stuck with two little brats and a cow that won't put out. Well that's the way im lead to believe your life ends up. And then the only thing you can do is get pissed of at people that don't have these problems. That combined with jealousy is why people come out with snotty little remarks imo
I love being married and having kids, but of course it's not for everyone, and it takes a lot of effort, and occasionally requires putting yourself second, or not having "stuff" you want, at least when you want it. For a few people this turns into jealousy of those who do have "stuff", which makes them more unhappy and resentful, and makes the home situation worse, and so on. These are the sad individuals who are jealous of your car or your watch, and they have issues that go way deeper than that.

Jealousy and selfishness are very closely linked, and selfishness is generally incompatible with good parenting and a decent relationship in my experience. Therefore I suspect the people bleating about how awful being married with kids is are either the kind of people who should never have done it in the first place, or those who have simply made a really crap job of it, married the wrong person, or treated the right person in the wrong way, and have grown resentful of others due to the horrible home life they have ended up with as a result.

Edited by Limpet on Tuesday 23 June 07:56

Ghost91

2,964 posts

109 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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It happened to me again last night when my nosey colleague was looking at my phone at break time as I was scrolling eBay for 7 series BMW's - around the £4,500 mark, 02 reg or thereabouts.

Yes a lavish car when new, maybe fairly pricey to maintain, but I could run it for years for the price of this blokes Audi A6.

He said 'a 7 series? They're paying you far too much'

Never gets old does it....

Somehow a 13 year old sub 5k car is considered extravagant when a brand new Audi isn't!

Interesting cars or cars that people don't know much about often get these kind of comments I find...

I'm in my 3rd year as a contractor now and it bothers me less and less as each Friday goes by and my wages go in

Dog Star

16,079 posts

167 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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Back in the 90s when I was contracting for BT Mobile in Leeds I sent a spoofed email round to the IT Dept that basically said that permies should leave the row of car park spaces nearest the little bridge into reception free for the use of contractors, as they all drove nicer cars and it would look better to any visitors. Caused great outrage, that did biggrin That was a place with a lot of healthy banter, though (Mrs DS is actually my bosses sister, all from that very contract).

maurauth

749 posts

169 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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Not a contractor but I get it from colleagues, employees and managers, I don't have kids and am usually very good at sniffing out a bargain.

red_slr

17,122 posts

188 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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Dog Star said:
Back in the 90s when I was contracting for BT Mobile in Leeds I sent a spoofed email round to the IT Dept that basically said that permies should leave the row of car park spaces nearest the little bridge into reception free for the use of contractors, as they all drove nicer cars and it would look better to any visitors. Caused great outrage, that did biggrin That was a place with a lot of healthy banter, though (Mrs DS is actually my bosses sister, all from that very contract).
Which building were you in?
I did time at Elland but often went over to Leeds.
Mid / late 90s.

Studio117

4,250 posts

190 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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Ghost91 said:
It happened to me again last night when my nosey colleague was looking at my phone at break time as I was scrolling eBay for 7 series BMW's - around the £4,500 mark, 02 reg or thereabouts.
Why did you let them touch your phone?

Dog Star

16,079 posts

167 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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red_slr said:
Dog Star said:
Back in the 90s when I was contracting for BT Mobile in Leeds I sent a spoofed email round to the IT Dept that basically said that permies should leave the row of car park spaces nearest the little bridge into reception free for the use of contractors, as they all drove nicer cars and it would look better to any visitors. Caused great outrage, that did biggrin That was a place with a lot of healthy banter, though (Mrs DS is actually my bosses sister, all from that very contract).
Which building were you in?
I did time at Elland but often went over to Leeds.
Mid / late 90s.
Arlington Business Centre, as it was then. I was there from '94 to '99 - the happy days of contracting.

red_slr

17,122 posts

188 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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Ah yes been there a few times.
I also spent time at Bath Road and Buck House in the 90s.
It was indeed the golden days!

Ste1987

1,798 posts

105 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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Great topic! Love the perception that an old, flash car must be expensive. Slightly relevant, my brother paid a visit and noticed my recently acquired '03 Celica on the drive and asked me if I bought it brand new. Numpty! Mind you I've always liked the Celica for looking well ahead of it's time

pherlopolus

2,087 posts

157 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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red_slr said:
Ah yes been there a few times.
I also spent time at Bath Road and Buck House in the 90s.
It was indeed the golden days!
My second and fifth contract were cellnet/o2 at brunel way and then when they moved the internal helpdesk to slough business park. Great fun!

Streetrod

6,468 posts

205 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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jonny996 said:
richarda0109 said:
I'll take your ferrari or any other sports car and top trump that with private education x 2. Yet another thing not to mention when at a client site.

Rgds
Richard
Yip school fees are a brand new 911 plus running costs each child! I should have called my offspring "targa" and "GT3"
Yep! School fees for two kids kill me as well as my better half pointed out to me yesterday during one of my regular daydreams on the net pricing up a new McLaren 570S. Too think one of these would be within easy reach without the school fees does bite but not for one moment do I resent my kids or the decisions I have made.

But as the Global Talent Acquisition Manager for a FTSE 100 company part of my job is to employ you contractors on a regular basis. The funny thing here is that the permies cars on average are a lot nicer than the contractor’s ones.

One of the perm guys was showing off pics of his new Maserati Gran Cabrio around the office last week, what was nice was that everyone was happy for him. As for the car park it is regularly filled with high end sporty metal. Resentment does not seem to be a factor here



Edited by Streetrod on Tuesday 23 June 11:28

Mike22233

822 posts

110 months

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
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Streetrod said:
Yep! School fees for two kids kill me as well as my better half pointed out to me yesterday during one of my regular daydreams on the net pricing up a new McLaren 570S. Too think one of these would be within easy reach without the school fees does bite but not for one moment do I resent my kids or the decisions I have made.

But as the Global Talent Acquisition Manager for a FTSE 100 company part of my job is to employ you contractors on a regular basis. The funny thing here is that the permies cars on average are a lot nicer than the contractor’s ones.

One of the perm guys was showing off pics of his new Maserati Gran Cabrio around the office last week, what was nice was that everyone was happy for him. As for the car park it is regularly filled with high end sporty metal. Resentment does not seem to be a factor here



Edited by Streetrod on Tuesday 23 June 11:28
Of course - less of an issue when the staff are on very good dosh as well.

Allanv

3,540 posts

185 months

Thursday 25th June 2015
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Well it is my turn to be shunned, like I give a fk.

old car 55 BMW new one 58 plate BMW.

The car park is full of leased cars and some are sporty some are normal there are lots of BMW's and a few other nice cars but a lot are leased.

I will never understand the permie mentality towards us.

Edited by Allanv on Friday 26th June 06:42