I agree! Life is more subtle a journey, and it sounds like you have made the tradeoffs you need to make the life you like -- currently sitting in a chair coding all day with the family and fridge near by. Actually I do that my self -- at times. Nothing wrong with that! As long as the math works. The landlord, mortgage company, or the taxman isn't that interested in my or my family's feelings, and that rightly so, that's my responsibilty. Forgoing insurance for your family (I assume Katie is family), not having any extra cash to stash for a raining day or for the future (I know you won't belive this but..no matter how good you feel now you can't do this forever), is not making you a Trump. I don't know what your expenses are but they sound low and that's fine..I am telling my wife all the time, it's amazing how little money you really need to survive, but as Jack London said "The proper function of [mankind] is to live, not to exist". Sorry, didn't mean to sound so preachy, but your responsed sounded more philosophical than mathematical. It's ture a guy in India, or Vietnam, or Mexico who will work for $10/hr (check Odesk.com) may have a much lower cost of living and so he feels he is being paid correctly for his efforts and that's fine for him. Of course maybe the reason he really getting paid $10/hr is because he has no other choice. That's why it the responsibility of his country's governement and business community to create conditions to gradually raise his industry up to where they may have parity with a country like other countries that pay higher compensation e.g. UK, India, US. I have read some compaines are ever outsourcing Indian work to Vietnam because the cost is even lower. That's why I said you must also factor in what the market your client is as well. MrMagik3805

Take a look at the msdn article "Northwind Pocket Service: Field Service for Windows Mobile-based Picket PCs" it discusses RDA a one way to do what you are asking. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms838206(printer).aspx mrMagik3805

If you work on a 1099 not w2, in the US, you must consider Insurance (Med+Den+Life+Vis), and possibly liability, then add to that normal operating expenses, gas, wear and tear, supplies etc and finally profit margin. So if you charge as a 1099 $80/hr you can subtract at least 30% in benefits, minus another 35% for taxes(fed,state etc), then subtract another 20% for necessary on the job expenses (meals, travel, gas etc.) and finally add at least 40% markup for you profit, you can see that even at $80/hr you can't really make it. That's why you need to charge, after considering the location your the job is in and how deep the pockets of your client really are and what the market you will be competing in will bear, a much much higher rates. It's not the contractor overating their services, it's the companies combining (unlike the contractors) to manage the market to their liking). mrMagik3805

If you work on a 1099 not w2, in the US, you must consider Insurance (Med+Den+Life+Vis), and possibly liability, then add to that normal operating expenses, gas, wear and tear, supplies etc and finally profit margin. So if you charge as a 1099 $80/hr you can subtract at least 30% in benefits, minus another 35% for taxes(fed,state etc), then subtract another 20% for necessary on the job expenses (meals, travel, gas etc.) and finally add at least 40% markup for you profit, you can see that even at $80/hr you can't really make it. That's why you need to charge, after considering the location your the job is in and how deep the pockets of your client really are and what the market you will be competing in will bear, a much much higher rates. It's not the contractor overating their services, it's the companies combining (unlike the contractors) to manage the market to their liking). :-O mrMagik3805