To want to know how all these people earn a living titting about all day?

[Pipbin]

Seriously, there is a guy on countryfile right now who is an expert on foraging, and there was another guy who was a free diver. Not to mention the two women who were artists.

I want these jobs. I want to spend all day just titting about and somehow still earn a living.

What sort of things do they do Deluge??!

anilec not remotely patronised! ...

As it stands, I'm a rare breed of traditionally published writer who does make a good living from my work. But your advice is spot on for anyone wanting to make a go of epublishing, I think.

I have a mate who self publishes vampire fiction. He has several series running and the first books are always free: a loss leader. He then charges for the flowwing books.

That, I don't actually have an issue with. My publishing house does that essentially. I mean, the books aint free, but they're cheap as chips online for a limited period (to get sales up and get me in the charts). Then there are all the BOGOF offers in the book shops.

thesaurus that is very true. I know so many self employed IT consultants whose partners "titt about", so long as it doesn't take themiver the low rate tax threshold .....
........ (cakes, nails, bookkeeping, Jamie Oliver at home etc)

One makes bespoke furniture. He makes prob two pieces a year and lives off that.

Another runs a gong tent at festivals and retreats. She sets up a tent and bangs a gong, pretty much. She makes loads of dosh.

I know a few artists who make a living from it and seem to be on permanent holidays and living such a chilled out life.

Oh God I know loads! DH is in the music business (teeming with titters abouters) and pretty much tits about a lot (on the phone a lot, not much else). Makes twice what I have ever made

Yes I fail to see how people see it as such a negative It is a bit galling to have what you do described as titting about but then when I look at what I earn for about 3 months work a year and how much I can suit myself I am happy to take it on the chin (plus I love what I do)

I d

I don't count writing as titting about.
Banging a gong in a tent, now that is titting about.

And titting about is not mysoginistic as it is a phrase I have used for years to mean anyone who wafts and does nothing much. In my op it was used on two men as well as two women.

Another runs a gong tent at festivals and retreats. She sets up a tent and bangs a gong, pretty much.

That is pretty much the definition of titting about, no? Brilliant!

So the prime titting about candidates are: the man who travels around with a box that people can sit in one at a time and listen to someone sing and, the woman who bangs a gong at festivals.

so long as it doesn't take them over the low rate tax threshold

This is titting-about-tax-avoidance for beginners .

The more advanced technique is to set your other half up with a VAT registration and then channel the household expenses through that company, with yourself as the biggest client.

Rather more convoluted than transferring the housekeeping via direct debit, but a lot more cost-effective. Perfectly legal, too, if a bit

One of the things that emerged during the Nigella trial was that her assistants were also minding her children, and had been for many years.

Could it be because an assistant's salary can be set off against income tax, but a nanny can't...?

None of the barristers involved in the case ever questioned this situation, I believe. Wonder why?

My BIL is an artist and sells his paintings in galleries all over the world. He also runs painting classes.

Though TBF, Nigella is hardly a titter-about.

Nor Cath Kidston nor even Kirstie Allsopp. They've just inspired a generation of less talented/less well connected tryers selling bunting .

Thesaurus - that's tax evasion, not avoidance!

You'd think so, wouldn't you. It's often very hard for HMRC to prove evasion though, and the problem is that if you get your interpretation of the rules "wrong", all you have to do is pay the unpaid tax. Hardly a huge problem if your household income is several hundred grand annually.

DH and I were in trendy Hoxton uh other week. We are both middle class professionals with jobs that put us just under the higher tax rate. There were loads of blokes wandering around with artistic tattoos and interesting facial topiarary. As it was mid week, during working hours and they seemed to have colonised the bars and cafés we assumed they worked either not at all or part time. DH then pointed out that their artfully dishevelled clothes were, without exception, worth more than his annual clothes budget.

I want whatever jobs they have

I am loving the woman with the gong tent. I may well branch out into this. The Pedlars threads are always inspirational too.

Of course, some people might say Cara tits about, but she's another one who actually works really hard. (I know her slightly, she's lovely).

Cricket she must have balls of steel to do that while living with her MIL (pun intended). Can you imagine the conversations over the breakfast table?

Just saw this relevant article on BBC :)

I wasnt having a pop at titting about. I think its brilliant. I wish I could find a way to do it. Beats working like a loon for pittance.

The more advanced technique is to set your other half up with a VAT registration and then channel the household expenses through that company, with yourself as the biggest client

That is not legal and is theft. You cannot claim VAT back that way - if you know anyone doing this you might want to report them to the Police.

I don't know the legalities, Sir Chenjin, I just know that there's no way a woman who takes baby photographs for a living is generating £80k turnover a year .

It's definitely not legal and should be reported if you know that's what's going on.

£80K a year for taking baby photographs?!! Not Prince George and his set is it?

Lots of well known artists make ££££ I know of lots one I know personally lives in a very large home all paid no mortgage etc. Wife doesn't work either from a working class background.

Talented artists get paid very well.

As for lots of festival lentil weaver types they baffle me how they live.

The fact that most people who write/paint/dance/make music can only do so because they have either rich parents or a rich partner is actually a bit sad. It means that, these days, nearly all art/media is being produced by middle-class tosspots, which is unhealthy.

A little way up the thread but I agree with SGB.

I have friends who either have, or have had, jobs in media and they say that these days their entry-level jobs (from university, paid just enough to live on in London if you make the most of any free food you are ever offered) are now unpaid internships so only people whose parents live nearby or whose parents can afford to pay their rent are able to go into that line of work.