Contractors, Self Employed nice cars? You earn far too much!
Discussion
mat205125 said:
have been asked by "financed brand new base model A3 bird" at work how I can afford something that expensive. She's more fresh air in her head than the balloon in her finance agreement that she chooses to ignore.
PMSLI usually drive an ordinary vehicle to customers premises, always have. But have a weekend car.
Nice balance I think
30 years ago my Dad took early retirement. A good deal for him and with the mortgage paid off a lump sum and a nice retirement pension he treated himself to a Volvo 740 Turbo.
He had no intention of being 58 and retired so he got another job. A niche role where he was brought in as staff but used for his experience, trouble shooting etc.
He was asked by the MD not to park his car next to the entrance where the management company cars were. The MD had been allowed by the board to have a 740 GLE, lesser managers for 740 GLs.
It didn't look right, he was told. So he continued to park there.
Years later I worked for the same firm. People were still going on about my 'rich' Dad. Despite them driving Range Rovers, Jags etc.
My Dad and the MD became firm friends.
I got Volvo funeral cars for his last journey. (It was a standing joke between me and my Dad about black
Volvos)
After the service I was saying goodbye to the now retired MD. as he drove off in his V70 he put the window down and pointing at the black S80 Limo said 'The bugger's upstaged me again.'
Companies to get very sniffy about nice cars. How you spend your cash is your business and it is very presumptuous to think that just because you hire someone that they rely on you entirely for an income,
He had no intention of being 58 and retired so he got another job. A niche role where he was brought in as staff but used for his experience, trouble shooting etc.
He was asked by the MD not to park his car next to the entrance where the management company cars were. The MD had been allowed by the board to have a 740 GLE, lesser managers for 740 GLs.
It didn't look right, he was told. So he continued to park there.
Years later I worked for the same firm. People were still going on about my 'rich' Dad. Despite them driving Range Rovers, Jags etc.
My Dad and the MD became firm friends.
I got Volvo funeral cars for his last journey. (It was a standing joke between me and my Dad about black
Volvos)
After the service I was saying goodbye to the now retired MD. as he drove off in his V70 he put the window down and pointing at the black S80 Limo said 'The bugger's upstaged me again.'
Companies to get very sniffy about nice cars. How you spend your cash is your business and it is very presumptuous to think that just because you hire someone that they rely on you entirely for an income,
The thing is, its not just the self employed/contractors that get this, I used to get it all the time when I had my Audi A3, and my Astra VXR (not even that expensive cars, just a lot for my age, which was 19). I always used to get how can you afford it, they are paying you too much here. I dont get it anymore as ive now got a 1990 Mazda mx5 
ive had "Why have you got rid of the Audi for that!" which I couldnt be bothered to start explaining about why I changed as its a lost cause! I know I am on a similar salary to the rest of our department, not any more. I think I know why they think that though.
Its because they dont see cars in the same way I do, for me I will happily spent the majority of my salary on my car and think nothing of it, as its my passion. To the "normals" a car is just another "white good" and they cant fathom spending the same amount of money as I do on my cars. They spend more on their flashy TV's, holidays, handbags, designer clothes, which is something I maybe wouldnt spend as much on.
Its the exact same as going to someone's house for the first time and thinking "god thats a big TV and a very expensive sound system", they must be loaded! That might just be their interest.
And they dont realise that!
ive had "Why have you got rid of the Audi for that!" which I couldnt be bothered to start explaining about why I changed as its a lost cause! I know I am on a similar salary to the rest of our department, not any more. I think I know why they think that though. Its because they dont see cars in the same way I do, for me I will happily spent the majority of my salary on my car and think nothing of it, as its my passion. To the "normals" a car is just another "white good" and they cant fathom spending the same amount of money as I do on my cars. They spend more on their flashy TV's, holidays, handbags, designer clothes, which is something I maybe wouldnt spend as much on.
Its the exact same as going to someone's house for the first time and thinking "god thats a big TV and a very expensive sound system", they must be loaded! That might just be their interest.
And they dont realise that!
A friend of mine in Switzerland used to contract and drove a new Audi S5. He parked down the road and walked into work so no one noticed what he was driving as most of the staff would question why he could afford such a nice car and obviously got paid too much, plus they where mostly anti-car as well.
My boss often complains about this, but then he has a 6 Series Gran Coupe, TVR Cerb, Ford Capri and a Ferrari Testarossa at the grand old age of 28. I'm not entirely sure what he expects! 
In all seriousness, it is really just jealousy from others to be honest. I don't understand it and I doubt I ever will, I suppose some people think "what a posh tosser" rather than "nice car". It's sad, but that is the way things are.
In all seriousness, it is really just jealousy from others to be honest. I don't understand it and I doubt I ever will, I suppose some people think "what a posh tosser" rather than "nice car". It's sad, but that is the way things are.
My stepson is self employed and has a successful though small mobile phone business.
He used to have a beaten up Honda Civic diesel he went out on sales calls in. Earlier this year he treated himself to an 11 plate 520d.
He was told by a customer recently 'I'm so glad you got rid of that Civic - we used to wonder if you were some fly by night operator but now you have a nice car we can see you're the real deal.'
The flip side of that is that for his 30th birthday we all clubbed together and bout him a nice watch - £7k worth (and no its not a Rolex). He went to a different customer who took one look at it and said 'You're clearly getting too much margin - we want a better price from now on!'
No matter what you do someone will always see one side of it and someone else will always see the other side. Just do what you want to and sod the rest.
He used to have a beaten up Honda Civic diesel he went out on sales calls in. Earlier this year he treated himself to an 11 plate 520d.
He was told by a customer recently 'I'm so glad you got rid of that Civic - we used to wonder if you were some fly by night operator but now you have a nice car we can see you're the real deal.'
The flip side of that is that for his 30th birthday we all clubbed together and bout him a nice watch - £7k worth (and no its not a Rolex). He went to a different customer who took one look at it and said 'You're clearly getting too much margin - we want a better price from now on!'
No matter what you do someone will always see one side of it and someone else will always see the other side. Just do what you want to and sod the rest.
Also non-car people don't know an expensive car from a cheap one.
A neighbour jokingly called me 'moneybags' the other day in the pub when I ran out of cash. Why? Because of my 'flash Range Rover' and expensive sports car, its a 2 year old 40 grand black Freelander and a 15 year old gold MGF..
Stil he bought me a pint to save me a trip to the cash point.
A neighbour jokingly called me 'moneybags' the other day in the pub when I ran out of cash. Why? Because of my 'flash Range Rover' and expensive sports car, its a 2 year old 40 grand black Freelander and a 15 year old gold MGF..
Stil he bought me a pint to save me a trip to the cash point.
dxg said:
I know a few construction trades people who have a 'site car' and something very nice sitting at home for the evenings and weekends. All to make sure no one on site thinks they're making too much.
I got flak for having a new mercedes panel van, even from one person who's five zero daily would have lost more value being driven over the dealers threshold than my vans outright purchase price, there's something really not right with our psyche.An ex-company UK President of ours spent the first 2 weeks of his new position in the building by taking a diesel Golf to work, so that he could make the point to the contractors. He hated contractors with a passion and couldn't stand the fact that some had nice cars.
Start of the 3rd week he rolled up in his brand new Aston Martin Vantage...
Start of the 3rd week he rolled up in his brand new Aston Martin Vantage...
mat205125 said:
Buy a crappy diesel rep mobile for visiting clients.
Don't rock up at a clients premises in an Aston Martin, and then complain if someone questions why they're paying £500 a day for your services.
This.Don't rock up at a clients premises in an Aston Martin, and then complain if someone questions why they're paying £500 a day for your services.
It shouldn't necessarily be this way but first impressions count for a reason and often they are reached before you've said a word.
It doesn't take much nous to realise that if you have to ritually explain to people why they've got the wrong impression of you, and that your car doesn't cost as much as they think, then you've probably made a bad judgement call rocking up in it regardless.
doogz said:
csd19 said:
An ex-company UK President of ours spent the first 2 weeks of his new position in the building by taking a diesel Golf to work, so that he could make the point to the contractors. He hated contractors with a passion and couldn't stand the fact that some had nice cars.
Start of the 3rd week he rolled up in his brand new Aston Martin Vantage...
What was the point?Start of the 3rd week he rolled up in his brand new Aston Martin Vantage...
I don't get it?
Durzel said:
mat205125 said:
Buy a crappy diesel rep mobile for visiting clients.
Don't rock up at a clients premises in an Aston Martin, and then complain if someone questions why they're paying £500 a day for your services.
This.Don't rock up at a clients premises in an Aston Martin, and then complain if someone questions why they're paying £500 a day for your services.
It shouldn't necessarily be this way but first impressions count for a reason and often they are reached before you've said a word.
It doesn't take much nous to realise that if you have to ritually explain to people why they've got the wrong impression of you, and that your car doesn't cost as much as they think, then you've probably made a bad judgement call rocking up in it regardless.
hing about you to their fellow permies about how "it's not right". Back in 2005 I got so much st about buying a brand new Porsche Boxster. So much money, you should buy a house, how can you afford such a car etc etc
3rd child was on his way so I sold the Porsche for nigh on what I paid for it and bought a Discovery 3.
No one said a thing about the cost.
Boxster £33,000
Disco3 £32,000
And to the buggers that said buy a house, that amount of money in London would barely get you a 10% deposit on a flat
t about buying a brand new Porsche Boxster. So much money, you should buy a house, how can you afford such a car etc etc3rd child was on his way so I sold the Porsche for nigh on what I paid for it and bought a Discovery 3.
No one said a thing about the cost.
Boxster £33,000
Disco3 £32,000
And to the buggers that said buy a house, that amount of money in London would barely get you a 10% deposit on a flat
All that jazz said:
But OTOH why should you use a snotter because your permie colleagues are too thick to go down the contractor route themselves?
Not really (at least for a lot) about them being thick, probably as many will be just as smart/ doing the same work. It's just what kind of risk/ reward you want to go for. Contractors much better paid, but high risk (effectively you're being paid to be easy to get rid of in bad times/ bring in external experience). Permie person is just going for lower risk picture.I have also recieved these types of comments, although usually not too confrontational. i usually drive my old E36 328 tourer to the current clients site which is a great low profile wagon, but occasionally when the weather is nice i will bring the 996.
It's by no means an expensive car, and many managers/permies here have much higher value exec barges. It's just the fact it's a shiny black porsche that people pick up and instigates the comments.
As others have put very well, contracting is by no means an exclusive club, and it seems that most people just cannot understand the risks being self employed carry, all they see is a nice car and make an uninformed assumption.
I went from permie positions with the same company for 17 years, made the change to contracting and to be honest it's one of the best things i have ever done.
It's by no means an expensive car, and many managers/permies here have much higher value exec barges. It's just the fact it's a shiny black porsche that people pick up and instigates the comments.
As others have put very well, contracting is by no means an exclusive club, and it seems that most people just cannot understand the risks being self employed carry, all they see is a nice car and make an uninformed assumption.
I went from permie positions with the same company for 17 years, made the change to contracting and to be honest it's one of the best things i have ever done.
NRS said:
All that jazz said:
But OTOH why should you use a snotter because your permie colleagues are too thick to go down the contractor route themselves?
Not really (at least for a lot) about them being thick, probably as many will be just as smart/ doing the same work. It's just what kind of risk/ reward you want to go for. Contractors much better paid, but high risk (effectively you're being paid to be easy to get rid of in bad times/ bring in external experience). Permie person is just going for lower risk picture.hing about my chosen path, earnings and choice of wheels because you don't have the balls to do it yourself! 
It boils down to jealousy, plain and simple. No-one likes people getting something they're not, especially when it comes to money - and double especially when you're doing the same job as them!All that jazz said:
In my line of work it is because most of them are too thick! I appreciate that doesn't apply to all industries though. Them going for the "lower risk picture" is absolutely fine with me but don't go bhing about my chosen path, earnings and choice of wheels because you don't have the balls to do it yourself! It boils down to jealousy, plain and simple. No-one likes people getting something they're not, especially when it comes to money - and double especially when you're doing the same job as them!
Have to agree, them complaining that you are earning too much when in theory they could do exactly the same thing is just stupid. Not a good time to be a consultant at all in my (the oil) industry at the moment. Company I work for has/ will get rid of around 1000 now.hing about my chosen path, earnings and choice of wheels because you don't have the balls to do it yourself! It boils down to jealousy, plain and simple. No-one likes people getting something they're not, especially when it comes to money - and double especially when you're doing the same job as them!Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff