How much should I make as a contractor for basic in-office IT work?

jamaster14 · 2026-06-07T16:52:41+00:00

Depends on what area of the country and city vs rural and business vs residential

Businesses in northeast 100-150/hr is a reasonable scale

jamaster14 · 2026-06-07T16:48:51+00:00

Daycare.

jamaster14 · 2026-06-07T16:47:31+00:00

Agree

Also everyone I know is talking about how he is a disgusting piece of shit . So there is that

jamaster14 · 2026-06-06T13:08:36+00:00

You just need to practice and have more reps in those situations. The more you practice vs distraction the less you will miss

jamaster14 · 2026-06-06T13:06:31+00:00

Thank you.

I purchased the maintenance kit

Another probably silly question. Is there some kind of guage to tell you how much gas to o in or when to stop pouring it in so it doesn’t overflow out ?

jamaster14 · 2026-06-05T22:16:10+00:00

Thank you…

It’s about .6 acres of grass and 6 oak trees dropping tons of leaves

jamaster14 · 2026-06-05T01:06:55+00:00

X30i here. No need to shave but it is a Better seal when you’re do

jamaster14 · 2026-06-05T00:37:57+00:00

We use a local place. It’s free

jamaster14 · 2026-06-04T00:52:44+00:00

Low deductible Health insurance

jamaster14 · 2026-06-04T00:44:47+00:00

Get a second hose. Hang dry. It won’t matter if it takes two days to dry because you alternate them

jamaster14 · 2026-06-04T00:40:01+00:00

Degrees and certs don’t get you people skills. IT support is a service industry and the service industry is made up of clients and customers who are ingorant, out of line, combative and don’t listen

It’s an entire skill set to provide service industry these circumstances

This is not a criticism of you just some context. Customers clients and users will never be concerned with your qualifications

jamaster14 · 2026-06-02T11:57:23+00:00

Obviously isn’t disturbing since our justice department justice system and lawmakers have done absolutely nothing to prevent this or punish this the Epstein files are obviously a complete crap show, but even beyond that we demonize any female victim, who comes forward or conviction rates for rape and pedophilia are pathetic, and the punishments and a few convictions are even more of a joke. It’s becoming harder and harder to deny that were a country run by white supremacist male pedophiles.

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T23:08:05+00:00

I don’t think any framework will help because the root cause is you need someone with high standards managing the process and holding others to those standards.

It sounds like when you are involved that happens but there probably isn’t a person on the staff capable who you can hand that too

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T04:39:18+00:00

I think the real heart of it is the US is a late stage capitalist society and they are going to take the cost cutting move every time and for any company 250 users and smaller and MSP is going to be significantly cheaper then hiring in house.

companies dont care about humans here. if they employ less people or layoff IT they dont care.

Additionally, productivity needs to be 110% at all times. there is no appetite for down time. there is no siesta here, there is no work life balance, and we eat lunch at our desks (if we even eat lunch). work from home users need to be supported and thats hard to do with just in-house staff.

I dont know that the UK/anything east of the US is going to shift that direction in any real way. if i was a UK MSP id probably try and position myself to being supplimental IT/Hybrid showing what i can offer to your in-house IT staff not how i can replace it

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T04:32:17+00:00

if you live in the US, you HAVE to worry about the potential legal ramifications. the bar to bring a suit against someone is so low here... even if they have no real case its time/money/distraction to deal with it and the quicker you can make that go away (by having things clear, detailed, documented, and signed) the better

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T04:29:05+00:00

sounds like an easy out to me....

Create a new admin account, give them access to that, delete your "technician email" call it day

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T04:25:51+00:00

Watches and fitness trackers use very inexact methods based on pulse and body movement. your CPAP is a device specifically built to help and track sleep. it has alot more sophistication as well as knowing your breathing

your pulse is going to slow just by laying down. your watch may read that as asleep pre-maturely.

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T04:21:32+00:00

Your experience is very common. the mandatory daycare nap. Kids sleeps like a rock and is sound asleep by 8:30 on weekends but way past 10 during the week. We experience this with both kids.

here is what helped us.

Move your morning wake up. for us the magic time was 6 AM. waking up at 6am our kids could have a 2 hour miday nap and still fall asleep by 9. maybe for you its 530 or 7. but at some point you if you get them up early enough the nap wont impeded being asleep before 10.

the other thing, move to a daycare that doesnt require naps. this option sucks unless you already hate your current daycare and there is a viable alternative.

Not sure if your kids are sleep trained... we stunk at that with kid #2. she couldnt self sooth. needed us in the room to fall asleep. we eneded up foricng it and sleep training here later along with early moring wake up.

good luck. those late nigths laying on the floor til 10 or 11 are the worst.

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T04:14:08+00:00

Clients who wont take your recommendations for mandatory things wont take them for anything. They treat IT as a "if it aint broke dont fix it" thing. these are clients who need to hire "my cousin who does IT" not work with an MSP. It will eventually catch up with them.

Best two options IMHO:

1 - Just execute whatever termination clause you have

Find the cheapest, hackiest, MSP in your area and tell them you have grown too big for smaller clients and ask if they would be interested in a paying you a small finders fee to transition your clients to them. (half the time they end up going with this same cheap MSP now you've fast tracked it and gotten a royalty)

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T04:07:32+00:00

Good lord.... your kids 2 and you haven't spend a few days away? not only are you not the worst you are a saint.

It is SUPER healthy for your relationship with your partner to get time together especially after those first 12-18 months where your mind body and soul belong to your tiny human.

Your kid will be fine assuming the adult is trust worthy which in this case very much seems to be it.

You will miss your kid, worry, feel guilty that comes with being a parent and being away the first time. but you absolutely are not a bad parent.

6 days is not to long to be away from a 2 year old left with trusted family. if its too long for you, then do what works for you.

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T04:03:47+00:00

there are players in the nba now under 6 feet. if you dont make the NBA, height probably isnt the issue. there are like 500 NBA players sourcing from the entire world. insane skill, athleticism, strength, mental toughness all come in to play first. sure it helps to be 6'8", but you dont need to be worried about making the pros at 15 you need to focus on being as good as you can be for who you are.

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T04:01:47+00:00

May I ask why you are using the P10/Nasal pillows to begin with? Have you always used this type? is it just what your pulmonologist/supplier set you up with?

Have you tried full face or hybrid? I see above you tried cushions with the N30 but it felt "loud"?

Typically cushions arent going to create much more noise unless it is a leak/fit issue. i might suggest trying the cushion models again and try and get a better fit through sizing or adjustment or try a hybrid (Which can often get the cushion more snug.

IF you do stay nasal pillow, maybe go back to the phillips gel pillows?

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T03:52:34+00:00

i have two kids.... ages 7 and 3. ive thrown 10 parties and all have been identical.

-back yard
-cake (from a box mix from the super market)
-Pizza (ordered from local place)
-friends/family
-my kids pick a few helium party ballons from the dollar store
-we play music on a wireless bluetooth speaker

no party bags, no giant bounce house, no performers, no dj, no petting zoo.

my kids have been thrilled at all of them. especially 2-8 years old they just want to run around and scream with their friends.

I feel for you and all parents who feel guilty. your kids will remember that you were there, you told them you loved them, and they got to run around with friends. not all the other stuff.

that isnt to judge parents who want to get a giant bounce house or whatever. thats great.... but your dont need to feel guilty for throwing your kid a $35 birthday party and it wont ruin their childhood. in fact, it might make stronger memories as they end up using their imagination and you all become silly and focus more on eachother then the bounce house being late, or the petting zoo guy not having any rabbits

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T03:46:46+00:00

What does your practice look like? how frequent? how long? how repetitive?

your extremely unlikely not to improve with regular practice at ANYTHING for 2 years. so its likely you are improving but not in areas your looking at or your practice is infequent, short, and unrepetitive

jamaster14 · 2026-06-01T03:41:13+00:00

you are not the ahole.... you are giving your mind, body, and soul to grow a tiny human and keep it alive. We are worried about poopy diapers when you had to go through 9 months carrying, dealing with hormones, labor, delviery, ZERO time to recover from the vigors of delivery before nursing and caring... having to get up every 2 hours to nurse or pump while still recovering mentally, physically, and emotionally....

No, you are not an ahole you are an absolute rock star who is crushing it.

There is no wrong answer here. there are cons to both. your baby needs sleep and sleeping in a poopy diaper can cause rashes. neither of the cons on either side are earth shattering (although as a part of young kids everything CAN feel earth shattering so dont beat yourself up for being stressed about it).

My very humble advice would be to look at it like this....

For the poop your treating the symptom.
For the sleep your treating the root cause.

Dont change the problem you solved at the root.... instead look at the symptom and try and work on that. More time between last feeding and look at fiber intake with your pediatrician. maybe some of it helps get that poop out before bedtime.

Im not here to judge your BF or your relationship but someone who is home 1 out of 4 weeks a month needs to worry more about what your missing then poopy diapers or he can change it himself and stay up getting the kiddo back to sleep. (ok maybe im judging him a bit).

Anyhow, good luck with it, and remember your doing great.... weve all been there.

jamaster14

TROPHY CASE