Does contracting cause loneliness?

[Gibbon]

I only do 4 days if away from home. Last gig away was a breeze, arrived Mon noon, finished Thurs noon. That was in some ways better than 5 days at a local site. Worked until 8 every night and in at 7. Finished work, pint and a paper, chat to barmaid and hey presto bedtime.

I also started OU 9 years whilst away, but be careful it becomes more additive than tinder, I'm now half way through a Masters. Birbeck do evening classes though, pick a language course, always full of females.

[xoggoth]

I'm now half way through a Masters

What's that in Gibbon? Ancient Greek history?

[jds 1981]

Find a Shed – UK Mens Sheds Association

[Gibbon]

What's that in Gibbon? Ancient Greek history?

Classical studies, Greek, Latin etc.

[PerfectStorm]

The solution is to live and work in London.

A fighting chance at being available for most of the gigs in the country, and you get to go home each night.

Plus as a contractor you've got a sniff of being able to do so.

YMMV

[jds 1981]

The solution is to live and work in London.

A fighting chance at being available for most of the gigs in the country, and you get to go home each night.

Plus as a contractor you've got a sniff of being able to do so.

YMMV

And even if your gig of outside of London you have the advantage of traveling against the flow..

[GJABS]

Or you could just join an adult dating site.

The local whorehouse is there for lonely contractors

[GJABS]

Generally my mode of operation is a hotel for the time it takes me to rent a flat

I'm thinking of doing that. But I think I'm right in saying that most flats for rent are for minimum periods longer than the typical 3-month contract, so you are running a risk that you won't get extended (actually you are running a risk of early termination in all cases)

[jmo21]

I think it does cause loneliness. I've lived in our house for 21 years and first started taking contracts away from home about 19 years ago. Since then I've managed 4 years where my contract was commutable from home - and by commutable I'd class a 100 mile round trip as a commute. There are some jobs that crop up locally, but they are scarce and never seem to crop up when you need them - and the rates can be woeful

Generally my mode of operation is a hotel for the time it takes me to rent a flat - that way I can at least have some of my home comforts around me and it's not as miserable as being stuck in a single room with a TV. It also means I can cook for myself.

10 years contracting, 10 years no more than about 1hr 20min commute (car/train/walk)

I'm not actually sure I could do the working away from home thing.

That being said, one of the reasons I started contracting was because the consultancy I worked for wanted to send me away from home for a job. So I quit and started contracting.

[BoredBloke]

I'm thinking of doing that. But I think I'm right in saying that most flats for rent are for minimum periods longer than the typical 3-month contract, so you are running a risk that you won't get extended (actually you are running a risk of early termination in all cases)

That's the risk you take - I almost had my fingers burnt the last time I rented in London. 2 months into the lease for a flat in Victoria Docks the end client ditched the whole project and I was left with a flat with 4 months left to run on the lease. In the end I paid the rent until a new person could be found to take it over and all her advertising costs (which were not much)