Reply to: Contract with big bucks VS contract with average bucks but spend time with fam

[bobspud]

We dont live in a market town. We live in Manchester which has a wealth of things to see and do. I travel cos i have to, to work. We like living in a city and we like this city. People are friendly, there is lovey countryside nearby and our standard of living is great.
Why the hell would i drag us all to London?
Also my other arf has a damn good job up here.

And for the record I'm more of a 50 Sheds of grey person.....

Did some work up at the MEN many years ago. I Had the misfortune to get in the way of 100+ screaming fat birds on their way to a Chippendales night Manchester might have wealth but the culture grows in Petri dishes
I did like the way they marked Moss side with yellow and red signs to help the southern poofs out of it. Would be interesting to see what's changed. Chances are if you hubby has a good job up there he'd get a equally good one down here too.

For my part I'd quite like some time in York at some point.

[Pogle]

Nuff of your 50 shades of grey fantasies

Do you not think its important to show your kids that there's more to life than a dreary market town existence? It's noticeable where I live where the parents come from. The locals don't even like traveling into Bristol or Bath but then they are also the ones that are broke because local wages are crap. Nothing wrong with a sixth month stint to show the kids there is something more out here even if they say thank god I am home when you come back.

We dont live in a market town. We live in Manchester which has a wealth of things to see and do. I travel cos i have to, to work. We like living in a city and we like this city. People are friendly, there is lovey countryside nearby and our standard of living is great.
Why the hell would i drag us all to London?
Also my other arf has a damn good job up here.

And for the record I'm more of a 50 Sheds of grey person.....

[Old Hack]

...stuff...

Trowbridge is tulip, and always has been. Midsomer Norton, you might get into a fight, but very unlikely to be gang or drugs related, and I'd venture a fair amount of mney, that weapons wouldn't be involved as well.

You might see zero ambition, and good schools, but you're not looking in the right places, for I see ambition and good education.

As I said, London isn't the place to bring up a young family. London is a place to go to 3 days a week to milk.

[TheFaQQer]

Why? Spending 20k off your pre tax company profits to rent a second home for six months seem a no brainer.

I don't think I could be @rsed to work out the BIK charges that would create. I hate doing the P11D as it is, but when you have used company money to fund you family relocation, that sounds like a real headache to me.

[TheFaQQer]

Wait until they grow up, then they'd be upset when you stay at home

(See post 16 in this thread )

[bobspud]

So you'll switch schools every 6 months? Not sure that's going to benefit your kids much.

We moved to the West Country to get away from all that tulipe. Kids top of the grades, in some of the best schools in the country, less violence, more relaxed way of life. I moved here for kids were already being stabbed in schools in London.

My kids come to stay with me, wherever I am, outside of term time. That's enough experience for them. Could I afford a Barn conversion with plenty of land in London? Not a chance.

Trouble is, some think the smoke as a be all and end all, but most who've spent many years there, recognise it for the tuliphole it actually is.

yeah well, close enough for me!

Got be fair - Im with OH on this one. Wouldnt live in London for £2000 a day.

Yet you would let them grow up in the welsh valleys **** that I will take my chances with the yardies (by the way you might notice that they all seem to have disappeared since the eastern block came in...

Greg I think you are being overdramatic. I grew up and lived in a seriously rough part of London towards the end of my fulltime life there I drove round in a flash car and wore a proper suit and never got touched. Even as a kid when yes kids were stabbing each other even then, all it took was one punch up outside a chip shop with another schools kid to make sure none of them wanted anything to do with me.
For the most part Londons not rough its just full of frightened people and a scare addicted media. The nasty guys are not interested in kicking the likes of you around because there is no money in it for them. The mugs that will have a go at you are in equal quantity in the east end or Trowbridge or Mid-somer Norton. In fact I don't bother drinking in either of those later places but will happily wander in half a dozen dives outside the trendy parts of Hoxton...

What I do see down here are great schools but kids with little hunger or drive because everything is too easy...

[ChimpMaster]

Can't you do both contracts? Do the 95k one on-site (perhaps negotiate a day or 2 at home eventually) and do the 40k contract alongside whilst away from home.

[eek]

Got be fair - Im with OH on this one. Wouldnt live in London for £2000 a day.

I would happily live in Central London. I won't however do it until my Children have left school.

[MyUserName]

Got be fair - Im with OH on this one. Wouldnt live in London for £2000 a day.

I would!!!!

[psychocandy]

I didn't send my kids to a bad school thanks, they went to a private school, as we were both contractors, and the £25k wasn't a bind for the two of them. What I am suggesting, is that violence is part of everyday life in London and it isn't in rural Somerset, nor Devon. Gang culture infests life there, London, and whatever you say, you don't have much hold on what your kids think outside of your house. You may think you do, but once they get toa certain age, they tend to know more than you. Also, in Somerset, you can apply to the best schools, and know you'll get in, for they make places for the kids. South East Devon, has 3 of the top ten secondary schools in the country. We also have a very large house, with lots of gardens, soon to become bigger gardens (as such). None of that I could afford my kids in London. This afternoon, we're off on a long cycle ride on the levels. We couldn't do that, unless we packed the 4 bikes on the back of the car and drove somewhere in London, not safely anyway. We'll also struggle to see anyone on the bike ride.

The point I am making, is that living in London, whilst it has some upsides, is mostly tulip for a young family. Obviously, this is my opinion, but I chose to move, because I could see life wasn't as nice as it could be. I couldn't, literally, be happier with the change in all our lifestyles, so moving from London, was the best thing we've ever done. Others might think differently, and that's cool, but it's my view you have a better quality of family life living outside of London.

I kind of like the peace and quiet too.

Got be fair - Im with OH on this one. Wouldnt live in London for £2000 a day.

[wantacontract]

yeah well, close enough for me!

[eek]

Thats not a bad idea, except the wife would never have it. We bought our existing house 15 mins away from her home as she is very close to her mother.

15 minutes away from her mother is not that close. The next street is close, 15 minutes (walk or drive) is not.

Heck around here I know people who live next door to their mum, and their brother is a 2 minute walk away.

[wantacontract]

Contracting for me is about providing for your family. It's a given that your skills die and mutate rapidly compared to other industries so take the money when it comes. For what it's worth contractors that bleat on about their families rarely have the best skills because their hearts are not in it for the win.

I can't believe no one else has pointed this out but what you should be doing is keeping the current gig and then moving all of you up to the smoke for some different experiences and earn 150k then you have the best of all worlds.

Thats not a bad idea, except the wife would never have it. We bought our existing house 15 mins away from her home as she is very close to her mother.

[Old Hack]

What schools in London did you send your kids to?

Parents with a clue don't let their kids go to certain schools.

That's why you choose your purchase or rental area with care if you can't afford to go private.

I didn't send my kids to a bad school thanks, they went to a private school, as we were both contractors, and the £25k wasn't a bind for the two of them. What I am suggesting, is that violence is part of everyday life in London and it isn't in rural Somerset, nor Devon. Gang culture infests life there, London, and whatever you say, you don't have much hold on what your kids think outside of your house. You may think you do, but once they get toa certain age, they tend to know more than you. Also, in Somerset, you can apply to the best schools, and know you'll get in, for they make places for the kids. South East Devon, has 3 of the top ten secondary schools in the country. We also have a very large house, with lots of gardens, soon to become bigger gardens (as such). None of that I could afford my kids in London. This afternoon, we're off on a long cycle ride on the levels. We couldn't do that, unless we packed the 4 bikes on the back of the car and drove somewhere in London, not safely anyway. We'll also struggle to see anyone on the bike ride.

The point I am making, is that living in London, whilst it has some upsides, is mostly tulip for a young family. Obviously, this is my opinion, but I chose to move, because I could see life wasn't as nice as it could be. I couldn't, literally, be happier with the change in all our lifestyles, so moving from London, was the best thing we've ever done. Others might think differently, and that's cool, but it's my view you have a better quality of family life living outside of London.

I kind of like the peace and quiet too.

[SueEllen]

We moved to the West Country to get away from all that tulipe. Kids top of the grades, in some of the best schools in the country, less violence, more relaxed way of life. I moved here for kids were already being stabbed in schools in London.

What schools in London did you send your kids to?

Parents with a clue don't let their kids go to certain schools.

That's why you choose your purchase or rental area with care if you can't afford to go private.