Bought a new car

"driivng though in the new year I will have see if I can find something better paid, I am 26 and driving round in a £350 car so something has to change although I am not exactly skint."


I wouildn't knock it

live with it for a bit?

How you price your time and jobs is one of the most difficult parts IME.

 

And today has been of them days

Job 1: Neighbour so discount rates anyway, copied some files on her dying laptop onto CD, £10 20 minutes work

Job 2: Got there but his 7 year old computer would not even boot - on the phone it sounded like a straight forward virus job, picked up the computer and will work on it at home

Job 3: Sounded like a wireless fault on the phone got there and discovered there was no ADSL signal coming through, took of the master socket, did some tests, phoned BT they are now doing their own test and but luckily admitted there was a fault,. going back to tonight just to try a different router. Will charge £25 for this.

Job 4: BSOD got there booted fine, nothing in the error logs, regular customer was there 3 minutes told her if it happens again I will do some tests, no charge.

I will get paid for all these jobs, but today feels like I have been working for nothing, other days I seem to get a lot of money for doing nothing so it is swings and round abouts.

 

Some car pics





I have put new mats down and cleaned it inside since these pics were taken.

The centre consule looks like its had a lot of abuse (i.e none original radio) but the seats and door trims all look new.

 

Wow most of the cost of you car must have been the numberplate.

 

nice deal, I like the interior, always thought the Ford Ka was great inside - even though it looks like a jug kettle.

is that the Stockport area?

 

hehe blanked it out due to lurkers . Its Chorlton SME, it looks quite scruffy from that angle, the other side looks a lot nicer as you can see all the trees from the park.

Driving wise it feels exactly the same as any modern car I have driven, only difference is heavier steering.

I suppose I should clear the leaves of the tyres before driving it, they must reduce the grip.

 

Don't worry, I'm sure the speed that goes it'll make no difference. Tyres are designed to shed leaves and stuff.
When you're not worrying, do you worry about the stuff you're not worrying about?

 

Yes, it was really tricky when I was gardening.

I used to do bits of extra like filling petrol cans for mowing.....I never luiked to charge for this ( i got on really well with most of them) but my Dad thought I was nuts.

Thats partly why i got out, I just don't have the right mind for it. I like helping people.

 

from my experience for every one thats grateful, there's one that will take the pee! as a graphics guy I get asked for flyers, funny retouches, computer advice, wedding stationery, adverts, vinyl graphics, packaging or even my thesis once or a copy of my legal and purchased software (from sodding students that can buy it for nowt thanks to the deals they get), for oooh let me see, nothing.

 

Its not too bad for me, I get customers phoning up for advice but as longs as they are regular ones I don't mind it is good business sense.

It is getting the balance right and after almost 3 years of doing this job I have I have cracked it.

I have to cheap enough so that when people have a minor problem they phone me rather than do it them selves, at the same time I still have to earn a living.

 

Yes.

One of lifes many little balancing acts.

 

I am out all day [leaving car at home] so just started the engine and left it running for 5 minutes as I can't yet trust the battery. There was no smoke at all even though it was 2c outside. I then saw that Corsa I paid the deposit on drive past chucking out smoke every where, it seems some old woman has bought it I hope she is keeping an eye on coolant otherwise it won't just be a hew HG she needs, it will be a new cylinder head .

 

It was the same with me, I'm not hard enough at all, always feel like I'm invading peoples space when I went round to their houses too (daft ay!).

Could never do what sparkies, plumbers etc do and knock holes out of peoples houses - it's not in me unfortunately

 

I never get a tradesman to any job I know I can do myself!

 

Yes, AT.....leaves on tyres???

You're putting ME to shame here.

If you ARE a natural worrier....think hard about (the wisdom of)self employment.....

 

Just put a new blinking battery on it, AT.

Saves mucking about