[Stooby]

As usual, I set off from my home in Essex at 4am this morning, to beat the rediculous amount of traffic that builds up from 5am on the A13 going into Central London. By 5am I'm 30ft up a ladder with the rain just starting. I complete the outsides by 6.30. Rush to second job to get access before cleaner leaves at 7am. Here I find myself hanging out of 5th floor (old, sticky, flakey painted) sash windows. Get out of there by 8am. On to a new job in Soho, wait outside 'til 8.30 and then realise (as 20-30 parking wardens come streaming out of the building I'm supposed to clean the 3rd floor of) I've only got £4.00 on me and I'm on a yellow line and I've left my wallet at home. I make a hasty retreat back to 1st job to do insides put £4.00 in meter (1hr parking) run around insides, ragging everything. Get back to van 3 mins to spare. Spot parking warden hiding around the corner waiting to write a ticket. On my way home by 10.00am. Money earned £75. Money spent: £10 deisel, £5 congestion charge, £4 parking not to mention proportion other costs eg public liability ins. van mantainance/tax/ins. etc. etc. etc. and now I sit here thinking "am I to old for this s**t?"  

[gibbouk]

your moan is an eye opener.
i always thought that working in the city was a good earner. another forum i was on made it sound like we all charge too little and should be on £35 per hour. here in rural norfolk i wish!! so today with an mot booked on my car i shot out and did £50 travelled about 30 miles. nice to hear someone be honest.

[Stooby]

On the whole I price jobs at £30 p/h but almost half will will disappear in overheads, however on a good day (which are few and far between nowadays) I can clear 20/25ph.
Being old (39) and lazy now, if I'm not on my way home by 10am its a bad day and this doesn't help profits.

[Biscute]

i never realised how exspensive london is, am from liverpool and its nowere near the price you have to pay, to help your moan you can have my pitty am sure that will easy you 5 am wake up calls

[jsm]

4 months now in North Wales having moved from Essex after 37 years - A13 , A127 , M25 man I miss them - haha

Used to Take me a hour to get home from Billericay to Rayleigh ( aproxx 12 miles ) every day . I would never do past the M25 into London - to busy and not worth the aggro

As usual, I set off from my home in Essex at 4am this morning, to beat the rediculous amount of traffic that builds up from 5am on the A13 going into Central London. By 5am I'm 30ft up a ladder with the rain just starting. I complete the outsides by 6.30. Rush to second job to get access before cleaner leaves at 7am. Here I find myself hanging out of 5th floor (old, sticky, flakey painted) sash windows. Get out of there by 8am. On to a new job in Soho, wait outside 'til 8.30 and then realise (as 20-30 parking wardens come streaming out of the building I'm supposed to clean the 3rd floor of) I've only got £4.00 on me and I'm on a yellow line and I've left my wallet at home. I make a hasty retreat back to 1st job to do insides put £4.00 in meter (1hr parking) run around insides, ragging everything. Get back to van 3 mins to spare. Spot parking warden hiding around the corner waiting to write a ticket. On my way home by 10.00am. Money earned £75. Money spent: £10 deisel, £5 congestion charge, £4 parking not to mention proportion other costs eg public liability ins. van mantainance/tax/ins. etc. etc. etc. and now I sit here thinking "am I to old for this s**t?"  

[thewindowcleaner1]

Wow your moan has cheard me up

I get up about 6am try to get out before 7.30am so that I can get to first job 10miles away before 8.00am if I hit the traffic it'll take another 15 minutes.
we don't have parking meters around here and normally if the local bobby see's that your're working and won't be to long leaves you alone (even greets you with a smile)

You can keep your fast city life and high earnings
I'll keep this slower life style with lower earnings, less stress,lower over heads and time for myself (not a lot if left to the missus)

Alan