Ten ways to help IT Contractors retire early

Contractors Retire Early

Contractors retire early if they get their actions right.

Too many contractors are spending too much money on going drinking at night – especially when working away from home.

Contractors retire early if they look after the pennies. The pounds will look after themselves.

Here are ten tips on how to save money when out drinking with your friends and colleagues:-

1. Always buy the last drink

If you go out in a group of four or five people always buy the last drink. That way you are unlikely to have to buy two rounds. There are some people who like to get kudos with the group by asking everybody what they are drinking when first walking into a pub.

It‘s only right that they should pay for that kudos by buying an extra round.

If you find yourself first going into a pub simply hold the door open for your buddies to let them through.

2. The only exception

to the above is when there will be quite a few other people joining you. Let me give you an example. You are going out after work with some of your colleagues. You and a couple of others are part of an advance party. The others will be coming in ones and twos later.

In this circumstance you should buy the first round. The others who are with you will know that you have already bought a round. Those who come in later will not know whether you have or you haven‘t. They‘ll only know that they haven‘t.

3. In the round just before you are going to be buying one

(that should be the next to last person) just take a half pint. Don‘t go any slower. You want to be finishing that one when the rest of the crowd have only got about a third of the way through their pints. Then announce ‘It‘s my round now. What does everybody want.’

Some people are likely to skip your round or order just a half. Few people like to sit with a pint and two-thirds in front of them.

4. Drink more expensive drinks

Obviously drink lager rather than bitter as it costs a little more. Even better order a spirit with a soft drink, like vodka and tonic. If you feel up to it order a cocktail. If you are a women you will be able to get away with a bit more.

5. Suggest a kitty

It makes it easier to order more expensive drinks then – especially if you take extra turns of going up for them.

6. For bonus points

suggest a kitty after a couple of people have bought rounds already. This would work best on an occasion, as in number 2, where a few people come early but are joined by a crowd later.

Let your two buddies buy a round and then when the rest of the gang come in suggest a kitty. Your two buddies will hardly ask to get out of the kitty when they have only bought drinks for a couple of people. They would look really tight-fisted if they did.

7. If it is in the evening

bring your wife or girlfriend with you. It‘s a cheap night out as wives and girlfriends often aren‘t expected to pay. It kills two birds with one stone. It works especially well if you leave the buying of your round to last (bar your girlfriend or wife). They‘ll hardly expect her to buy the next one.

It also saves you taking her to the cinema, the theatre or for dinner, so that‘s a bonus – and she‘ll be nicely merry on other people‘s money.

8. Make sure that you regularly order nuts or crisps

when it is someone else‘s round.

9. If you are all going to a nightclub,

to a restaurant, or even a more expensive pub, make sure that you work it out so that you are buying the last round before you go. It is always much more expensive in those other places, and a round there could leave you severely out of pocket.

10. Lastly, if you do go for a meal afterwards

make sure you imbibe of the more expensive wine rather than the lager and have one of the more expensive meals along with a starter and a desert.

At the end, when the bill comes round then say, ‘What shall we do – split it between us?’

Nine times out of ten they‘ll agree.

So there you have it. That’s how contractors retire early. If you follow all of these you will be able to retire a few years earlier than your contemporaries.

This article, by the way, is dedicated to a number of people that I‘ve worked with over the years.

Contractors retire early if they get their contracting career right.

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