Classic Hedonistic Contractor Tales

[Weltchy]

Can't comment as my girlfriend would string my nuts up on the washing line, left purposefully low for my cat to claw at whilst roasting my feet over hot coals.

[Viktor]

I once worked my usual weekend in McDonalds and seen my ex buying junkfood there - I only got her extra fries and still got laid.

Milan.

[lukemg]

Thing is, we are not talking real big money, just a bit more comfortable than avg permie. Within reason, you get a slightly nicer car, house, holiday, telly. Thing I like is forgetting about money as in you don't have to think about buying things you want, there is enough coming in to cover it so you just get what you want (within reason) without the 'can I afford it' issue coming up.
You can blow a big stash, but so can a permie and pay it back later, life changing renumeration is generally a myth in this game, own business/serious city job is required.

[wendigo100]

You're on about the eighties. Contractors are far more sensible now.

[Mr Crosby]

Speak for yourself

[IR35 Avoider]

The only expensive luxury I ever wanted to buy was my freedom from having to work. (Well my flat was quite expensive, and luxurious, but as I have to live somewhere I'm not sure that it counts.)

Next to the cost of freedom, everything else is insignificant baubles. Freedom requires 300K plus the cost of a paid for flat, so 700K in London or 400K if you are willing to live anywhere in the world. These amounts are the minimum - to feel secure you probably need a bit more. (Or to have a wife whose career starts to take off just as yours is winding down. )

I try to tailor my spending to what I can afford out of investment income. Any new contract income is entirely allocated to increasing capital, i.e. the spending of it is intended to be spread evenly over the rest of my life.

In the early years I just tried to lead an average life, though living alone could be considered an unnecessarily expensive luxury.

The most I've ever spent on a car is 7K. The most I've spent on a holiday was about 2.5K, taking my wife skiing in Canada.

I've been indulging in my version of rampant consumerism recently. While writing this post I've take delivery of a Mordaunt Short MS-309 subwoofer which was sold off at half price because a new model is coming out. Trying to resist the urge to replace my Toshiba DVD player with a Denon 1720, currently heavily discounted for the same reason.

[Bagpuss]

I once had two Ginsters sausage rolls in one day, that's the kind of mad spendthrift I have become

[el duder]

anyone remember the pa i used to sit next to who used to chat to me on msn at work?

she used to send me dirty messages and then disappear to the toilet. when she returned she would say she had just used the disabled toilet, got completely naked and w*anked herself silly in there while thinking of me...

ahem. contracting. dont do it. its bad for your health.

[Bagpuss]

Did she have a cock?

[ChimpMaster]

The only expensive luxury I ever wanted to buy was my freedom from having to work. (Well my flat was quite expensive, and luxurious, but as I have to live somewhere I'm not sure that it counts.)

Next to the cost of freedom, everything else is insignificant baubles. Freedom requires 300K plus the cost of a paid for flat, so 700K in London or 400K.......
....etc

I am thinking in similar lines, but it isn't easy once you factor in the wife and then kids. Also as you get older you'll find that your tastes/requirements change and yes you no longer want the £150 trainers but instead you want a nice suit or briefcase or supercomputer (or wub-woofer lol).

300k is not a lot of capital to expense your freedom. Bearing in mind your flat would be fully paid, you would still have pay council tax, bills etc. 300k is £1k a month in interest at 4% (less tax, and of course subject to inflation at 2%+/year).

Even if you had a whole £1k per month, surely your £400k flat in London would take that all in council tax!

Also at £1k / month you can't afford anything you want to buy.