Reply to: How much of a rate tart are you?

[The Spartan]

Work hard, party harder I say

[yasockie]

What I found with London is there's lots of nice stuff down there, but its as much use as a chocolate tea pot if you are knackered and just go home, cook, eat, wash up, bit of googling and then bed. No different to anywhere else in the UK except the beer is more expensive. I've had much more fun on gigs - and it's all dependent on the team you are working with, not which city you are in.

So for me - being able to get back to my own bed and all the toys I've acquired is much better for me. Could do without the commute at all really. But that's what motorbikes were invented for.

Couldn't agree more with this - there is so much going on in London, it only gets you frustrated because you can't participate...

[The Spartan]

I think London will be my next stop after here and boy am I going to live it up there, Zurich is to sedate for me not to mention expensive I could kill for a steak

[psychocandy]

Fair enough.

[The Spartan]

Sure was my first contract was just outside Bath it only paid 250 a day but it was a start and I jumped straight from a permie job but now I'm a lot wiser and realise just how much I'm worth

[psychocandy]

Seems there's not much financial love for testers except in London and Europe

Bummer. Weren't you working in the South West for a bit though?

[Old Hack]

Moolah.

[IR35FanClub]

London Smunden. Did it last year, got more money than normal but spent more too. Had to endure sweat and stink of the tube, buses stuck in traffic, Friday night madness at Euston. Not worth it for the extra rate. I did enjoy the company of my landlady who I rented a room off as a Mon-Fri lodger. (Not like that you pervs). Much better than a hotel room and had full run of her flat for £450 / month.

What I found with London is there's lots of nice stuff down there, but its as much use as a chocolate tea pot if you are knackered and just go home, cook, eat, wash up, bit of googling and then bed. No different to anywhere else in the UK except the beer is more expensive. I've had much more fun on gigs - and it's all dependent on the team you are working with, not which city you are in.

So for me - being able to get back to my own bed and all the toys I've acquired is much better for me. Could do without the commute at all really. But that's what motorbikes were invented for.

[escapeUK]

What does ring in my mind is that ill be spending an annualised equivilent of £20000 plus to work away, part of me wonders if thats sensible but none of the cheaper options e.g. flat share, renting further out, really appeal.

You will be taking in £1600 extra a month with your £80 a day extra. Spend it on the place you want, where you are close to the action and can bring a date home without being embarrassed.

I bet you'll have a cracking time!

[stek]

Admitedly, there isn't a shedload of decent contracts in Bristol either but there are one or two.

Mate of mine was at Boeing on about £525/day recently, not sure where he is now!

There's ONS at Newport, DVLA Swansea, all paid pretty well (until recently at DVLA!) and that's all I can think of. Oh, Tax office at Telford?

All SC'd roles tho.....

[The Spartan]

Admitedly, there isn't a shedload of decent contracts in Bristol either but there are one or two.

Seems there's not much financial love for testers except in London and Europe

[psychocandy]

I did look there first but they were only offering 250GBP a day, which is why I opted for the gig here in Zurich. Would be great to be closer to home but I'm all the better for the experience of working here and the warchest I have now managed to build so I can be a bit pickier when this gig is up

Admitedly, there isn't a shedload of decent contracts in Bristol either but there are one or two.

[The Spartan]

Bristol mate - if you live close enough to that dark place they call england.

I did look there first but they were only offering 250GBP a day, which is why I opted for the gig here in Zurich. Would be great to be closer to home but I'm all the better for the experience of working here and the warchest I have now managed to build so I can be a bit pickier when this gig is up

[psychocandy]

As much as I would love to be closer to home I find the rates in South Wales are absolutely crap and it wouldn't be worth being a contractor as I wouldn't reap much from it. The whole reason I became a contractor was so that I could actually provide a better life for my family and so far it's paying dividends.

Bristol mate - if you live close enough to that dark place they call england.

[EternalOptimist]

why not forget being a rate tart. become a rate whore and take both