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I currently live in Scotland. Wife and 3 young kids. Work in India.
If you want some geniune advivce email me as I can't be bothered writing it just now.
I'll quickly say this though, it works for us. But the company I work for is very understading and helpful and I pay for nothing over here - that makes a BIG difference...
I see the recent posters points of view and agree but as a purely short term measure until a role in manchester that you can cherry-pick comes along it won't mean a jot in the grandscheme of things to kids.
3-6 months is nothing and longterm everyone will be happy.
Don't stagnate in one spot and as mentioned keep your cv fresh/moving forward. After a long period of being self-employed that alone can scare employers- put meat on your c v 🙂
Of course I want an occassional pad to crash at
For a couple of years there I was splitting my time between Akl and Wgtn (900km away - 1hr flight). My (now) wife lived in Akl but also worked in Wgtn - often she would be in the opposite city. It was weird, she would be living in my place while i was living in hers ! Sometimes we would synch up for the week. I normally did mondays/thu/fri so flew twice in the week. Thurs was hard as I was on an 06:00 flight and trained on a Wed night so was knackered. This was a temporary arrangement that lasted 2 years. Never again. I ended up physically broken - trying to travel, work, have a relationship and train for races ended up with a tasty does of something viral which wiped me out for 12 months. Only in a moment of clarity did a realise what i was doing to myself. At the time i thought it was a hoot but the shine wore off quickly and despite the (very) good money in retrospect I see what it did - friends were on the backburner as I was never in the right city, biking meant random rides either 5am or 10pm, too much restaurant food, too little sleep, too much stress. Furk that.
been thinking the same thing binners, haven't been forced into it yet but I think the writing is on the wall.
I wouldn't do it long term but the odd 6 month contract couldn't be that bad for the family could it?
it shouldnt be that difficult for me to get work up here but rates are probably an extra 100-150 squids a day down in that London village.
Binners don't bloody come down here; we don't want your sort here thank you very much. And if you come here, then bloody Hora will probbly come as well. No no, please stay where you are. Thank you.
The wife works in London 5 days a week and is home at weekends. Tbh it's horrible. It's tough on the wife and on the kids who are 1 and 5. There are no jobs up here (Liverpool) for either me or the wife and she has been doing it since June. Travel costs a fortune. The only other options are losing the house or moving down south. The last not being an option as we lived in Surrey and hated it, the eldest is settled in school and though the wife is originally a Londoner, she much prefers life up here.
We just have to hope that things pick up soon as it's no way for a mother with two kids to live. It's maybe easier for a man, I guess you'd have to try it. London is a bloody horrible place to live unless you have a few bob too.
London is a bloody horrible place to live unless you have a few bob too.
Bullshit. I'm skint and I love it. 🙂
I've worked away a lot. Probably every city in Britain I reckon plus lots of smaller places. The worst thing is when you're moving about a lot. If you're always in one place then you can establish a routine.
I've worked abroad a bit too and that can get really lonely. As someone has pointed out, drink beckons and it's hard to resist. As I say, the important thing for me was establishing a routine. Have a treat night like Wednesday where you allow yourself a few pints but the rest of the time, organise things to do. Luckily I get slightly obsessive about exericse so as soon as I found a cheap gym or swimming pool I could just go there all the time. Some places I'd take my bike but it was always difficult and a lot of hastle.
I don't enjoy London but I've spent an awful lot of time there so perhaps I'm a bit jaded about it. The channel Islands were pretty good, try there. 😉 Actually Newcastle was nice too, just a ball ache getting there but free pool, free gym, loads of good cycling, it was alright. (I don;t think everyone who works in Newcastle gets these things but try it and see) Apart from the work being terrible.
Do you live in council housing elf?
No way you can live on a average salary there interms of property- its glorified bedsit-land if you earn in the 20ks IMO
Buy one of these VW vans everyone is on about.
Drive down (cheaper than the train), stay in the van somewhere in the suburbs (not outside my house 😉 ) during the week, drive home again for weekends.
Sell van to a mountain biker when work picks up again in your own area.
MM
Currently I live in Copenhagen and missus and daughter in The Hague. It is hardest on her, as she has to deal with teenage tantrums. We did it before with commuting every weekend and that was a killer - you end up tired from travelling, rushed at the weekend, and no commitment to the place you live during the week. Now we commute less often and try to make the best of where we are - getting a social life in the place we live. Been doing it over a year and going OK to this point.
I work away for 3 months out of 4. That month at home is the most important thing for me. Where I am (Iraq) also means no biking, no freedom, no time off (typically 12-14 hour days, every day for the 3 months). I miss my little boy (he's 2 years old) like mad, but it pays well and means that my missis can stay at home with him. I've been doing it for a year now, but I previously did it for 2 years before taking a break. Things are much harder now we have Sam, but I'm doing what I have to do to provide.
For me at least, it didn't work, I missed the kids too much, but then it wasn't a case of work away or be on the dole
Greetings from Frankfurt. Paris next week. Etc.
I travel a lot, but I suppose it's a little different from the weekly commute. As such, I'm not always away for Monday to Friday, but spend a fair while away from home.
It's good for a few reasons (The duty free, the chance to see other places, the air miles, the not spending any money while away), but bad on others (social life can suffer, health can suffer)
A few tips that have helped me;
Don't dine early - Nothing sadder than a lone chap in an empty restaurant
Take a book - Always have a good book with you. A book is the best friend you can have on a lonely evening out!
Ask people - Ask friends, colleagues/anyone where to go. Did so last night and found a lovely "pub" type place I would never have found jsut strolling around myself!
Don't be afraid to talk to other people in your situation - They'll be easy to spot, dining alone with a book! 🙂 I've met some very interesting people on my travels.
Drink - By all means have a beer with dinner, perhaps one in the hotel bar before turning in, but don't start boozing solo in your hotel room!
Tug-TV - It's never any good and you can never claim it on expenses so don't bother.
🙂
i work away. im in the army, i live in southampton (work) my folk house in croydon and my Mrs lives in brighton. i go home every weekend either croydon or brighton.
i have just come back from a tour in the falklands which was very hard on us both. but when i came back our relationship was stronger.
hope that helps
shaun
Agree with most of flashy's tips. Except I hardly ever ate in the restaurant, preferring room service. Better to lounge around in my pajamas watching TV.
But +1000 for books. Actually, get a Kindle. Best. Thing. Ever.
Sod books etc. Internet pron can kill hours of boredom.
Its like a time-blackhole.
I've been doing it for about 7 years now. Its destroyed my relationship with my girlfriend and consequently my home life, I rarely ride my bike during the week and I'm in a position where I'm committed financially so I can't really stop doing it.
Needs must and if you need work there's little choice. But make sure you're working towards something, paying of a mortgage or debt so you don't need to be paid so much to live. Keep an end date in sight and keep to it.
Frankly I've wasted the last 7 years of my life and I'd rather be on the dole to be honest - my three hour commute this morning highlighting this...
I work with lots of people in that London who travel from all over. Scotland, Anglesey, Manchester etc etc. Most of them are contractors on mucho £££ though and I think some club together and rent a house.
Very timely thread as I fear work will run out for me in the next couple of months and I will be faced with commuting from NI to England.
I'd be interezsted to hear from anyone who had a parent work away when they were a kid and how it affected them. I have two aged 5 and 9 so they will be very aware of what's going on.
Do you live in council housing elf?
Nope.
No way you can live on a average salary there interms of property- its glorified bedsit-land if you earn in the 20ks IMO
You talk some rubbish sometimes Hora. 🙄
Depending on what part of London you live in, rents can either be expensive or incredibly expensive. 🙂
The suburbs/less 'desirable' areas can be a lot cheaper than the posh bits. Of course, if you want to live in a trendy area, drink/eat out all the time, then your money will disappear fast. But if you're careful, and know the cheap but good eateries and that, then you can easily survive. Of course, if you're silly enough to want a car, then you'll be skint very quickly.
Living in London might require you to change your lifestyle a bit, and you probbly will spend more on accommodation than most other areas of the UK, but the benefits are many, as long as you enjoy the urban environment. I can accept it's not everyone's cup of tea, but then I couldn't personally live out in the sticks. Each to their own.
Personally I'm happy to pay the premium for living in the Greatest City on Earth. 🙂
I was doing the Leeds to London drag Monday to Friday in 2000 - 2001 when I was 24. I was expensed so that helped, but as I was young and working with a team of people in the same situation there was never any dull social situations either. It was really hard being away from home all week though and I despised getting up at 4:30 to drive down south. I bit their hand off when they offered me a 50% pay rise to move down permanently. If I had to do it now I think I'd have serious reservations, my old man did it in the mid 90's after he was made redundant in his mid 40's and he couldn't cope with living away, I guess I've mitigated that by actually living here now.
My situation doesn't seem as bas as others on here, but I travel all around the country (Mainly London from Malvern) for most of the week. Spend roughly 1-2 nights away a week, and then travel with long days for the other days. I would rather travel for a 3 hour commute, meaning I can get home to help support the missus.
Difficult with a 4 year old child and a wife who loves her horses, which need nearly as much attention as a child in the winter months 😕
But I do actually enjoy the travel and the job involved, difficult situation as I would never get a job local which I would enjoy as much for the money, and we all need the money.......
Like working in London for a few days, but love going home to all the space in the country even more 😀