Are your partners understanding of contracting?

[TheMonkey]

What an absolute PANTS thread...."My wife doesn't understand how I work"?

God help you all. You "under the thumb" types make me puke!

How would the "Little lady" react if you were sat on your arse in front of the telly in that egg stained string vest all day?

Arse

I actually did that for a while (6 weeks). She got the idea eventually.

[xoggoth]

Once one is in place and they are satisfied with your work I find that a 5 day a week on site contract can often be turn into part or full time home work or if there's security reasons against that, just squashing your hours into fewer days. Doesn't hurt to ask. I have a three day w/e at mo, which is nice.

PS Except I waste much of Friday on my other business.

[djfoot]

I negotiated a 35 hour week for the summer period. That way, I work a long day on Monday, shorter days on Tues, Wed and Thurs then take the day off on Friday. Still charge for 5-day week then enjoy a 3-day weekend with the wife and kids...hang on...I've got that wrong haven't I....roll on the winter...

[XLMonkey]

My other half hates me being away, but loves spending the money on new houses or improvement projects.

My defensive strategy to date has been to ensure that every new house purchase coincides with a major assignment far far away. When she says "why don't you work somewhere closer to home?", I say "But I have to take this contract in order to be able to pay for the new conservatory/kitchen/extension*". This has the combined benefits of keeping some kind of balance between the two of us, as well as ensuring that I don't actually have to deal with the hassle of whatever * happens to be.

* delete as appropriate

She's far too smart to fall for this every time, though, and keeps coming up with cunning wheezes to catch me out. Last time she even said "let's get that cheap mortgage, even with the exit penalty, since we're not going to move house for a few years." Then she used that as a lever to get me to only take contracts close to home; then she sprung "I've found the perfect house, we've got to move!" as soon as I'd done so.

I'll get my own back, though. The client's just cancelled the project I'm on and I've already lined up the next contract -- 200 miles away and safe from any risk of having to do DIY for at least the next 6 months.

[Numptycorner]

hmmmmm ..... have you been hurt in love? Would you like to share?

You raised a good point here, where can one find a right wing heartless woman with a heart?

[ladymuck]

XLMonkey - just how many times a year do you move house???

[simes]

Mine IS a contractor.

Sometimes she is away, sometimes it's me and, unbelievably, sometimes we're in the house at the same time.

All fine.

[Xenophon]

I'm polyamorous and therefore there is no issue.

[Dundeegeorge]

Polyamorous?

I'm polyamorous and therefore there is no issue.

That's disgusting.
So is it just parrots, or do you like a cockatoo?

Sorry, couldn't resist it.

[DodgyAgent]

My wife thinks my margins are too low