| Author |
Message |
Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Saturday, October 05, 2024 - 9:47 am 
I don't know, Grooch! But I have another question.
Do you think it's reasonable for me to charge a roommate $100 more during May-Sept because the AC more than doubles the electric bill in those months? Especially with the increasingly hot summers. I don't want to charge the people that who are only here in the cooler months. (I try to only rent to traveling health care workers)
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Saturday, October 05, 2024 - 10:24 am
It seems fair to me. Does your heating bill go up that much in the winter? Maybe you should just raise your rates?
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Saturday, October 05, 2024 - 10:26 am
No, I'm on level pay for gas and it stays a reasonable rate throughout the year.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Saturday, October 05, 2024 - 10:31 am
Can you do that for electricity? Or balance your rates to cover it (ie, total your annual electric bill, divide by 12 and then adjust your rates by that much?)
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Saturday, October 05, 2024 - 10:46 am
Now that sounds reasonable. Raise it $35 for everyone and that would be $420 a year. I'll start that with the next tenant/roommate.
Thanks!
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-26-2000
| Saturday, October 05, 2024 - 10:13 pm
Super idea, Kar.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Sunday, October 06, 2024 - 9:43 am
Great!
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Friday, May 23, 2025 - 4:34 am
At a normal 8 hour a day job, is Christmas Eve usually considered a holiday? Like is it included in the dates that would get holiday pay rate? I'm trying to figure out if I should charge holiday rate for both days with the dog sitting business.
eta: The last 2 years, I only did holiday rate on Christmas itself, and I just felt it wasn't enough.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Friday, May 23, 2025 - 5:18 am
Unless granted by the President or if it fell on a weekend US Federal civil servants were not given Christmas Eve day off. Some Federal agencies would cut the day short by an hour. You did not get holiday pay for working Christmas Eve day. I can’t speak to state and city employees or non-Federal companies.
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Pamy
Member
01-01-2002
| Friday, May 23, 2025 - 5:25 am
County workers also do not get Christmas Eve as a holiday.
We do get the day after Thanksgiving as a holiday.
Which never made sense to me, I would rather have the day after Christmas
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Friday, May 23, 2025 - 5:29 am
That's such a shame. Thank you both!
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Kitt
Member
09-05-2000
| Friday, May 23, 2025 - 6:55 am
For your dog sitting though, Naja, it's up to your what days you call a holiday. If taking a dog on Christmas Eve is something you'd prefer not to do at the normal rate, as you'd rather be out buying presents/relaxing/at home avoiding crowds, then you as a self-employed person could choose to set holiday pay for that day.
Make sure you tell your people early on, then it's up to them whether they accept it or not. I'm pretty sure they will as in the same way that day is valuable to you, and someone has to pay more to take it away from you, it's valuable to them to be without their dog and they should be okay with paying extra for that.
One of the advantages of being self-employed is setting your own rules, and this is totally reasonable.
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Friday, May 23, 2025 - 7:02 am
Yes, that what I trying to decide. Whether or not to charge holiday rate for the "eve". I think I will for Christmas and Christmas Eve. Plus, I think I will do it for New Year's and New Year's Eve.
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Kitt
Member
09-05-2000
| Friday, May 23, 2025 - 7:10 am
Sounds very easy to understand as a customer, which is what you want. You don't want them to think it's arbitrary and you can't be relied upon, but this is a natural want from a self-employed person. Do it! ;)
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Dipo
Member
04-22-2002
| Friday, May 23, 2025 - 11:48 am
At my jobs, private sector, the day before a 3 day weekend and all the EVE's, the company shut down at noon. We all still got paid for the day but it wasn't considered a holiday.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Friday, May 23, 2025 - 3:04 pm
Naja, I would charge holiday pay for Christmas eve.
But, I would also consider the customer. If it's a regular customer that drops off the dog all the time because of work and picks them up that day, by a certain time, I would consider giving them a break. But if it's customers who are dropping them off Christmas eve day and it's overnight, they definitely get charged holiday pay. And if they're not a regular customer, and dropping the dog off for the day so they can go do their holiday thing (shopping or a party, whatever) they have to pay holiday rates. Tweak it the way you want to, but you should get holiday pay. Maybe have a cutoff time for everyone. Any dog in your house starts getting charged holiday rates starting at noon. (I'm thinking about the people who dropped off the dog prior and are coming to pick them up on Christmas eve day.
You know best, but you do deserve holiday pay. I'm sure hotels charge extra for Christmas eve day, so why not you?
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-26-2000
| Friday, May 23, 2025 - 10:41 pm
What Grooch and Kitt said. And I will be even more emphatic - people are lucky to get anybody at all to take their dogs on holidays, let alone a highly rated and popular personal-attention service such as yours. You charge extra for day before, day of, and day after. You are performing a special service NOT taking those days for your OWN holiday.
And I am talking ALL Federal holidays, or occasions when people frequently travel.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-21-2001
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 - 8:14 pm
I work technically for a county but in a state gov't position (Friend of the Court - basically Family Division of Circuit Court). We get both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve off and we exchanged Columbus Day for the Friday after Thanksgiving. We do not, however, get Juneteenth off, even though it IS a state and Federal holiday and we can do no court work whilst we sit in the county building. 
YEP - charge 'em as a holiday! I'd expect to pay holiday pricing as celebrating the holiday would be why I'd need a dog sitter!
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Sunday, May 25, 2025 - 8:04 am
Thanks everyone! Oh there's no doubt I will charge extra for the holidays. AND I will now be charging for the "eves".
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Sugar
Member
08-14-2000
| Sunday, May 25, 2025 - 2:42 pm
Naja, I'm going to suggest that you institute a day before, day of and day after holiday price increase. I'd charge 1.5% or double for holidays.
Actually, from 12/23 to 1/2 I would have holiday pricing.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-26-2000
| Sunday, May 25, 2025 - 10:16 pm
same
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Julieboo
Member
02-01-2002
| Monday, June 02, 2025 - 5:14 am
I HOPE you TVCHers can help!! Where can I watch Australian survivor? Apparently it’s tricky because of it being international??
Perhaps there is no where?? Seems weird tho. Anyone able to shed any light?
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Monday, June 02, 2025 - 6:20 am
Everything is out there these days, Julieboo! 
https://shvideos.net/?s=survivor
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Dipo
Member
04-22-2002
| Monday, June 02, 2025 - 11:57 am
New Q: I think I want to get a small air fryer. Everyone keeps talking about how great they work for french fries. THAT is the one thing I miss here, they don't have a fryer.
Does anyone have recommendations about which ones are best? Thanks
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Brenda1966
Member
07-02-2002
| Monday, June 02, 2025 - 12:14 pm
Air fryers are amazing! I just get the Gourmia at kohls for black friday sales. Everyone in my family has one.
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