[pylofm]

Well done Dai, you must have felt a great sense of achievement....hope you all enjoyed your camping trip

Dave.

[Paul Coleman]

Shiner, I rekon the bit about running a four colour was true. I did it for over thirty years good money but brainless job.

Well it was a lot easier than the 2 colour.  The 4 colour ran a lot faster but was very small sheet size.  The 2 colour took a massive sheet size but ran slower.  The slower speed was often negated because we had a lot of card jobs instead of nice thin paper.
It was a laugh there though.  I fitted in well as I was surrounded by nutcases.  One Summer on noghts when there were no women around, the forklift driver worked his shift wearing only shoes.  Probably the world's only streak on a forklift truck.
Tosh would have loved it.

[dai]

There has been a lot said about the efficiency, or lack of it, in the way we run our business.
All our circumstances are different. When I started back in window cleaning, I was 51 years of age, Just been widowed, Sharing my house with my son, and mortgage paid off. My only ambition at the time was to provide a level of income comparable to the one I had enjoyed, from the job I had just been made redundant from.
My son paid all the bills, so my income was almost entirely disposable.
I wasn't to know at the time that I would end up married again, with a wife half my age, and two kids to look after.
I set my store according to my needs at the time. I made the mistake of under pricing for the sake of having compact work.
If I had started as a young guy with a mortgage and kids, I would have done things very differently. When you get older you tend to settle for security. You do lose some of that burning ambition you have as a young guy.
If it wasn't for this forum, there would be a lot of more contented window cleaners. You plod along, thinking you are doing OK. You then read about some of the income levels you read on here. If you believe half of them, it begins to affect your self esteem, discontentment creeps in.
What it comes down to at the end of the day is having the balls to ask for the price. I believe that Tosh made this point about a year ago.
£200 was a big milestone for me, even if I never do it again. I was up there with the big hitters, even if it was only for one day.
Good luck to you premier league window cleaners who achieve this every day.
Most of us play in the lower divisions, and are still happy with our lot. Dai

[Paul Coleman]

There has been a lot said about the efficiency, or lack of it, in the way we run our business.
All our circumstances are different. When I started back in window cleaning, I was 51 years of age, Just been widowed, Sharing my house with my son, and mortgage paid off. My only ambition at the time was to provide a level of income comparable to the one I had enjoyed, from the job I had just been made redundant from.
My son paid all the bills, so my income was almost entirely disposable.
I wasn't to know at the time that I would end up married again, with a wife half my age, and two kids to look after.
I set my store according to my needs at the time. I made the mistake of under pricing for the sake of having compact work.
If I had started as a young guy with a mortgage and kids, I would have done things very differently. When you get older you tend to settle for security. You do lose some of that burning ambition you have as a young guy.
If it wasn't for this forum, there would be a lot of more contented window cleaners. You plod along, thinking you are doing OK. You then read about some of the income levels you read on here. If you believe half of them, it begins to affect your self esteem, discontentment creeps in.
What it comes down to at the end of the day is having the balls to ask for the price. I believe that Tosh made this point about a year ago.
£200 was a big milestone for me, even if I never do it again. I was up there with the big hitters, even if it was only for one day.
Good luck to you premier league window cleaners who achieve this every day.
Most of us play in the lower divisions, and are still happy with our lot. Dai

Too right Dai.
There are far more important things than money - though I suppose it's nice to earn the same with a bit less effort.
The only reason I'm starting to push myself more is due to a couple of wrong choices I made in life that brought me a lot of grief and loads of debt.  I'm 50 now.  I would like all debt clear (incl mortgage) by the time I'm say 57/58.  I will need to earn well to do that.  If it weren't for that, I would be quite happy plodding away earning a lot less.

[steve k]

There are more impotant things than money...but being healthy, debt and stress free, enjoying quality leisure time with your loved ones while still young enough to take an active part can only be the end product of either winning the lottery, inheritance or working hard and paying off your liabilities as early as possible in life.

A general example-insert your own figures

£100 a day is good in any working mans book...it probably keeps him treading water with the odd holiday thrown in...

£150 a day pays for better food, clothes, car, leisure activities...

£200 a day does the above and the exra £50 a day, £250 a week, £1000 a month extra payment on the mortgage pays off the mortgage in about 10-15 years less than the full term at normal repayments, saving you thousands upon thousands in compounded interest payments.

I aim to do this at 50 at the latest...47/8 as a target...

When your money is going into high interst bank account with no substantial outgoings, compounded interest multiplies your money rapidly...
Coupled with a regular invetment in a pension or similar fund and 55 should be a time to sit back and reflect on near on 40 years hard graft...

I have no idea what the wife will be doing...I hope she`s saving up

I at 55, I can ENJOY doing something for pocket money...then £50/£100 a day will be a bonus

[matt]

There has been a lot said about the efficiency, or lack of it, in the way we run our business.
All our circumstances are different. When I started back in window cleaning, I was 51 years of age, Just been widowed, Sharing my house with my son, and mortgage paid off. My only ambition at the time was to provide a level of income comparable to the one I had enjoyed, from the job I had just been made redundant from.
My son paid all the bills, so my income was almost entirely disposable.
I wasn't to know at the time that I would end up married again, with a wife half my age, and two kids to look after.
I set my store according to my needs at the time. I made the mistake of under pricing for the sake of having compact work.
If I had started as a young guy with a mortgage and kids, I would have done things very differently. When you get older you tend to settle for security. You do lose some of that burning ambition you have as a young guy.
If it wasn't for this forum, there would be a lot of more contented window cleaners. You plod along, thinking you are doing OK. You then read about some of the income levels you read on here. If you believe half of them, it begins to affect your self esteem, discontentment creeps in.
What it comes down to at the end of the day is having the balls to ask for the price. I believe that Tosh made this point about a year ago.
£200 was a big milestone for me, even if I never do it again. I was up there with the big hitters, even if it was only for one day.
Good luck to you premier league window cleaners who achieve this every day.
Most of us play in the lower divisions, and are still happy with our lot. Dai

dai, well done on the 200 quid,

you really dont need to explain yourself

the forums are a funny thing, we will meet people who earn 200 quid a day, thern in a few weeks some will earn 250 quid, so the trend continues, more and more higher earners come out of the woodwork

i earn X amount a day, im happy with a little bit more, thus i do 1 or 2 houses more and im happy with that

its easy to come on here and brag that you earn 5 K a week, we could all big ourselves up like that

[gordonswindows]

Stevie K

thank you i think that is excellent advice.

I am a bit unsure how or where to begin but i will try.

regards


Gordonswindows

[Davew]

Well done Dai there is more to life than money as you will be well aware with your history. It takes a jolt like a bereavement or serious illness to wake you up. I'm almost your age and had that jolt to myself three years ago. I don't blame you for feeling pleased with yourself for earning a good days wage - I bet you didn't think it would stir up so much trouble! But looking through the threads you can see just how money motivated a lot of us are - all a bit sad really.

[matt]

But looking through the threads you can see just how money motivated a lot of us are - all a bit sad really.

on no, that'll start them off again, you will get called jealous now

its more than a bit sad, that people on here are "slaves to the wage" sure, we work for ourselves, but a fair few wil not take a day off and enjoy life passing us by, they are so pre-occupied in earning all the money they can

[niceandclean]

But looking through the threads you can see just how money motivated a lot of us are - all a bit sad really.

on no, that'll start them off again, you will get called jealous now

its more than a bit sad, that people on here are "slaves to the wage" sure, we work for ourselves, but a fair few wil not take a day off and enjoy life passing us by, they are so pre-occupied in earning all the money they can

I enjoy window cleaning, but i do enjoy the money a bit more. Yes i work 6 days a week, and yes at the moment the money really motavates me. Im getting it while i can, im 31 and single and love looking at my bank balance each week. I know money is not everything, but when you start to earn good money you get greedy and want more, well i do. I dont drink, i dont smoke, im not into flash cars and high tec tv's ect, i just want to be comfortable in later life, so the money gets put away into isa, high interest accounts ect. There is nothing wrong with being pre-occupied in earning good money.

[Paul Coleman]

But looking through the threads you can see just how money motivated a lot of us are - all a bit sad really.

on no, that'll start them off again, you will get called jealous now

its more than a bit sad, that people on here are "slaves to the wage" sure, we work for ourselves, but a fair few wil not take a day off and enjoy life passing us by, they are so pre-occupied in earning all the money they can

I enjoy window cleaning, but i do enjoy the money a bit more. Yes i work 6 days a week, and yes at the moment the money really motavates me. Im getting it while i can, im 31 and single and love looking at my bank balance each week. I know money is not everything, but when you start to earn good money you get greedy and want more, well i do. I dont drink, i dont smoke, im not into flash cars and high tec tv's ect, i just want to be comfortable in later life, so the money gets put away into isa, high interest accounts ect. There is nothing wrong with being pre-occupied in earning good money.

Of course there's nothing wrong with it.  I don't have any of the material distractions or habits that you write about either.  My only concession is a fairly decent van but I only spent pretty big on that in the hope of reliability rather than it being some aching need.  I've only become more pre-occupied with money since circumstances and wrong decision making stacked up the debts.
There is a child in the equation too (not mine) who I like to treat well and that sometimes costs - but the joy is its own reward.

[AuRavelling79]

It's all about balance.

Ask yourself "How happy am I?"

Happy is good.

[nat]

again my point being the beauty of window cleaning!

want to work 2 hours a day and earn £50 then spend more time with your family then thats great

want to work 40 hours a week and earn £600- £800 then great to

want to employ people do no work make a load of money and take all the stress then thats great to.

I prefer the latter, money motivates me, i enjoy the buzz of success, i really wouldn't have it any other way, within this industry we are all capable of moulding our work round whats important to us, thats why its a great position/industry to be in.

[twt]

I have no plans whatsoever to be cleaning windows past the age of 45 (I am 40 in August)

£200 a day does the above and the exra £50 a day, £250 a week, £1000 a month extra payment on the mortgage pays off the mortgage in about 10-15 years less than the full term at normal repayments, saving you thousands upon thousands in compounded interest payments.

I aim to do this at 50 at the latest...47/8 as a target...

come on steve what age are you finishing work is it 45 47 48 50

[Tosh]

A nasty and immature little dig from you Tosh...what was one of the worst crime you could commit in the forces Tosh, drummed into you from day one recruit training...THEFT...there was no humour in my Regiment about calling someone  thief...

Steve, matey, lighten up!  I was just fishing for a 'bite' and you swallowed.

Yes, I also agree, theiving is a big no-no in the services and always frowned upon.  I had a mate who broke into the NAAFI at 'drunk 'o' clock' and stole two big handfulls of those skinny salami sausages (he had the 'munchies' big-style); ignoring the alcohol, cigarettes and Le Crueset pan sets (god knows why the NAAFI stocked them?)it was known locally as 'The Big Pepperami heist' and he went down for six months; discharged!

I was even shocked at his sentance!  14 days ROPs should've been suffice; or a good slapping round the back of the CSMs office.!

But I think homosexuality was the biggest crime you could commit in the regiments I served in though.

Things are different in the Paras I guess.

[Clive McDonald]

I know a couple of paras.
One a full colonel, he works in the Northampton recruiting office and retired this week. The other is my son.That hat is one of the most respected and hardest to get in the british army. The Jobs they have to do like in Helman province are beyond belief.

However I do have a complaint about the regiment, several birthdays christmass' have gone by with me repeatedly dropping hints about having one of those crimson Tee shirts with wings on. I would like to go jogging etc in one, and if someone asks I would be a bit vague and mysterious about my past.

However apparently I am not entitled to wear one. My argument is (to my son and I've had the colonel on this), you wear a liverpool shirt, but you don't play for them, so how is my wearing a para tee shirt different.

[Tosh]

The other is my son.That hat is one of the most respected and hardest to get in the british army. The Jobs they have to do like in Helman province are beyond belief.

You're right, mate.  Our soldiers who're in the current front line of Afganistan and Iraq deserve the same respect as the soldiers who fought in the Falklands.  Everything else inbetween was just a bit of fun.!

[matt]

The other is my son.That hat is one of the most respected and hardest to get in the british army. The Jobs they have to do like in Helman province are beyond belief.

You're right, mate.  Our soldiers who're in the current front line of Afganistan and Iraq deserve the same respect as the soldiers who fought in the Falklands.  Everything else inbetween was just a bit of fun.!

what about NI tosh, ive heard plenty of horror stories from NI

[steve k]

Phil...ideally 47/48 but more realistically 50...10 years from now.

I can assure anyone who might think I work 8 days a week...I do not.

I take my son to school every morning and pick him up every afternoon at 3.30pm.

I am home every day for a snack and cup of tea at about midday and sometimes end up staying in reading a book or taking Buster for a walk...

I never work weekends...it is all pretty balanced.

My best friends nephew(3 Para) died in Helmund a few months ago, Mark Wright from Edinburgh...class lad...

Dai...good luck to you...getting involved a second time is worthy of anyones pity...

Tosh, you are right...the say a soldier has his war every 20 years or so...I missed mine getting drunk in many locations around the world...wonderful times tough...every single second...not a day goes by when I do not miss it...

[Tosh]

what about NI tosh, ive heard plenty of horror stories from NI

3000 people, soldiers and civillians died in NI over a twenty year period.  I'm not knocking NI, I've spent several years there myself and even married a 'Bog-eyed Paddy', I've also been to Gulf War 1, Bosnia and Kosovo; I've a chest full of 'gizzits' (medals).

I could tell you loads of funny stories myself; I worked with the 14 Int for a good while; some of the stuff I heard there was quite unbelieveable.

But the lads in Iraq and Afganistan make all the above look like a daft NAAFI bar punch up in the 'Traff'!

I think it's time we took them home!