Tomorrow

[nomadd]

Well move to somewhere cheaper!!!

I would - but all the roles are in London!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT: Unless you know of somewhere far cheaper with lots of good contract roles available? Please do tell.

[pmeswani]

I would - but all the roles are in London!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT: Unless you know of somewhere far cheaper with lots of good contract roles available? Please do tell.

The Bermuda Triangle?

[oliverson]

I would - but all the roles are in London!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT: Unless you know of somewhere far cheaper with lots of good contract roles available? Please do tell.

I've tried that as well. Had a face-to-face out of London at a decent rate of £ 550. The guy turned me down on the grounds that he felt I was better suited to the City and I'd only get frustrated with working on his team!

Also, I only live in London mid-week when I'm contracting there. My home is 'up north'. There are plenty of roles up here actually, a surprising amount. However, virtually everything is web development. I'm sick of seeing ASP.NET MVC adverts even though I know it's a decent framework. So yep I can go down to £ 300-350 a day roles but I'd be competing with guys who's done this for years. My speciality is desktop development and server-side and my sector these last 9 years has been banking. It's difficult to escape!!

Regards the Jobserve role somebody posted I spoke to that agency yesterday regarding that opportunity and another one advertised the day before. The agent advised they only have one WPF role on their books.

There's a lot of fake roles doing the rounds and for those that actually do exist, many agencies are advertising them giving the impression there's more than there are. Of course, getting an offer isn't the end of the story. It can fall through as happened to me.

I'm still awaiting feedback on an IKM technical test I did last week. 96% and I still have zero feedback. Phone interview this afternoon for something out of London. Rate isn't fantastic but better than the £0 a day I'm on right now. The trouble is it involves staying away so if I'm away I may as well go where the best rates are which ordinarily is London.

Something has to give soon. This is complete madness. It's sending me mental!

Going to take some of your kind advice and take time off until after Easter. Thanks.

[d000hg]

you can't live in London on £60k

WTF are you on about? You could live there on half that.

Maybe you mean you can't live in a nice big plush house with a family of 4 and a couple of cars on £60k?

But £60k+ down the pipes every single year, that's just scary. You need £400 a day just to cover that!!!

[nomadd]

WTF are you on about? You could live there on half that.

Maybe you mean you can't live in a nice big plush house with a family of 4 and a couple of cars on £60k?

But £60k+ down the pipes every single year, that's just scary. You need £400 a day just to cover that!!!

You care to come and try? Otherwise, WTF are you on about?

3 bedroom semi-detached house to rent in Morton Way, London, N14, N14

That's a 3 bed semi, miles outside of Central London.

Rent per year, £21.6k

Add council tax, that's £23k.

Add commuting costs + buying your lunch each day in central London, that's £30k

Add gas, electricity and phone bill, that's £32k.

All POST TAX outgoings. For a SINGLE person.

Now, how much would you have left over from that PRE TAX £60k salary for a full years work? S.F.A, that's how much.

Working in London for £60k salary is fooking pointless.

Oh, and just in case you wanted to buy a very small three bed semi - try finding £500k+. Again, this is N14, miles outside of central London. In central London - double that amount.

[Hex]

London

There are alternatives to living in London. Trains from Essex go into Liverpool Street via Stratford. Ideal for Canary Wharf and a good part of the City. Billericay and Wickford are decent enough places to live. The train journey is just over 35 minutes into Liverpool St. from Wickford and you can always get a seat.

Property prices are less than half those in London. Renting a 2 bedroom house in a good area will cost about £750 a month - you can buy one for less than 200K.

It just depends what you want, but you can certainly work in London and commute in easily from affordable areas if you want to.

[nomadd]

I've tried that as well. Had a face-to-face out of London at a decent rate of £ 550. The guy turned me down on the grounds that he felt I was better suited to the City and I'd only get frustrated with working on his team!

Also, I only live in London mid-week when I'm contracting there. My home is 'up north'. There are plenty of roles up here actually, a surprising amount. However, virtually everything is web development. I'm sick of seeing ASP.NET MVC adverts even though I know it's a decent framework. So yep I can go down to £ 300-350 a day roles but I'd be competing with guys who's done this for years. My speciality is desktop development and server-side and my sector these last 9 years has been banking. It's difficult to escape!!

Yep, mirrors my situation exactly (except I stick to London full-time, as I have a cheap rental here.)

Hence why my only option is to stay here a couple more years and grab the contracting cash while I can. Then retire back to the North West.

[nomadd]

It just depends what you want, but you can certainly work in London and commute in easily from affordable areas if you want to.

Not on a motorbike in the middle of Winter, you can't.

(I don't use Tubes or Trains.)

[oliverson]

Yep, mirrors my situation exactly (except I stick to London full-time, as I have a cheap rental here.)

Hence why my only option is to stay here a couple more years and grab the contracting cash while I can. Then retire back to the North West.

I have a rental as well, though not cheap, well I did have, renting with another contractor mate from the north west. My situation is now impacting him as the tenancy is up for renewal and he can't commit to it while I'm not around to share the expenses. What a situation. Has to change doesn't it? Please tell me it will!!

[nomadd]

Please tell me it will!!

It will!

Seriously, things usually pick up once the new tax year starts in April. I've found May/June/July to be pretty good in the past. Stick at it.