Mike and Money
In For Better or For Worse, it has never been clear what Mike makes as far as his salary goes. We know from today’s strip, he doesn’t have a pile of savings, and we know from yesterday’s strip, his salary is one of the higher salaried positions. The real issue though is the freelance work, which will be Mike’s main salary without Portrait Magazine. Let’s take a look at it:
Back in June, 2005, Mike talks about his weekly column and it is in 7 papers.
Mike's Letter, June 2005
My own writing has improved tremendously since I started my column, "Edgewise" (meaning I get to put a word in edgewise). It's in seven papers now (weekly) and as long as I don't use too much local content it could expand
In the meantime, in a letters only story, Deanna gets to work full-time instead of part-time thanks to someone else’s misfortune (a common theme with the Pattersons).
Deanna's Letter, July 2005
It worked out well, because I'd expected to work part-time while looking for a full-time job elsewhere, but our head pharmacist had a health scare and as a result decided to retire early, so the rest of us moved up the food chain a bit and I got to go back with full-time hours.
In October 15, 2005, we have the one strip reference to how great freelance is paying:
http://www.fborfw.com/strip_fix/archives/001428.php
In it Deanna says, “Your freelance is bringing in enough to pay for the rent, the groceries and daycare.” Rent, groceries and daycare. Remember those 3. They will come up later. At the same time, Deanna’s letter reflects the strip, except it doesn’t point out the daycare expense is necessary due to Deanna working full-time.
Dee's Letter, October 2005
Mike's working himself into the ground at the moment, and I plan to have a chat with him about it soon. There's no need for him to drive himself into the ground now that I have a full-time job. Daycare's expensive, yes, and so is our rent.
5 months later, Deanna has been moved to the manager position. In a period of 6 months she has gone from part-time pharmacist to the manager. Someone has decided to stack the deck in Deanna’s career.
Dee's Letter, December 2005
My job is keeping me so busy - now that I'm a manager, I have staff concerns on my shoulders. I like having more control (and the extra money is great) but I never realized when I was part time how much work my supervisors did!
May comes around and now Mike’s column has dropped from 7 papers to 3 papers and we are told groceries is what it covers, but not the whole freelance.
Mike's Letter, May 2006
I now work regularly for two publishing houses, editing manuscripts. I write a weekly column which is in three newspapers and actually covers the groceries! Deanna has told me many times that her wages are enough to allow me a leap of faith - into the world of self-employment and the canopy of courage is beginning to form. I will be able to do it. I just need a little more incentive and a little more time.
Our most recent entry shows Mike’s freelance now pays for gas and groceries, but not daycare. The weekly column which used to be able to cover groceries by itself, now coupled with all Mike’s freelance, covers just groceries and gas.
Mike's Letter, November 2006
She has asked me many times to leave my job at the magazine and rely on my freelance work until my book is published. She could easily support us on her salary, and what I make on the side would pay for gas and groceries. She tells me that saving for a house can wait.
If I am judging these letters correctly, Deanna is making more and more money, while Mike’s freelance work is making less and less. This actually makes Mike’s reluctance to rely on his freelance work make more sense. Similarly, the letters reference to Deanna getting money from inheritance and mother, will make Mike relying on his advance to take the place of his Portrait Magazine salary seem less idiotic.
Back in June, 2005, Mike talks about his weekly column and it is in 7 papers.
Mike's Letter, June 2005
My own writing has improved tremendously since I started my column, "Edgewise" (meaning I get to put a word in edgewise). It's in seven papers now (weekly) and as long as I don't use too much local content it could expand
In the meantime, in a letters only story, Deanna gets to work full-time instead of part-time thanks to someone else’s misfortune (a common theme with the Pattersons).
Deanna's Letter, July 2005
It worked out well, because I'd expected to work part-time while looking for a full-time job elsewhere, but our head pharmacist had a health scare and as a result decided to retire early, so the rest of us moved up the food chain a bit and I got to go back with full-time hours.
In October 15, 2005, we have the one strip reference to how great freelance is paying:
http://www.fborfw.com/strip_fix/archives/001428.php
In it Deanna says, “Your freelance is bringing in enough to pay for the rent, the groceries and daycare.” Rent, groceries and daycare. Remember those 3. They will come up later. At the same time, Deanna’s letter reflects the strip, except it doesn’t point out the daycare expense is necessary due to Deanna working full-time.
Dee's Letter, October 2005
Mike's working himself into the ground at the moment, and I plan to have a chat with him about it soon. There's no need for him to drive himself into the ground now that I have a full-time job. Daycare's expensive, yes, and so is our rent.
5 months later, Deanna has been moved to the manager position. In a period of 6 months she has gone from part-time pharmacist to the manager. Someone has decided to stack the deck in Deanna’s career.
Dee's Letter, December 2005
My job is keeping me so busy - now that I'm a manager, I have staff concerns on my shoulders. I like having more control (and the extra money is great) but I never realized when I was part time how much work my supervisors did!
May comes around and now Mike’s column has dropped from 7 papers to 3 papers and we are told groceries is what it covers, but not the whole freelance.
Mike's Letter, May 2006
I now work regularly for two publishing houses, editing manuscripts. I write a weekly column which is in three newspapers and actually covers the groceries! Deanna has told me many times that her wages are enough to allow me a leap of faith - into the world of self-employment and the canopy of courage is beginning to form. I will be able to do it. I just need a little more incentive and a little more time.
Our most recent entry shows Mike’s freelance now pays for gas and groceries, but not daycare. The weekly column which used to be able to cover groceries by itself, now coupled with all Mike’s freelance, covers just groceries and gas.
Mike's Letter, November 2006
She has asked me many times to leave my job at the magazine and rely on my freelance work until my book is published. She could easily support us on her salary, and what I make on the side would pay for gas and groceries. She tells me that saving for a house can wait.
If I am judging these letters correctly, Deanna is making more and more money, while Mike’s freelance work is making less and less. This actually makes Mike’s reluctance to rely on his freelance work make more sense. Similarly, the letters reference to Deanna getting money from inheritance and mother, will make Mike relying on his advance to take the place of his Portrait Magazine salary seem less idiotic.
posted by howard at 2:27 PM
4 Comments:
Hm, so four papers dropped "Edgewise." Maybe readers were actually writing in to complain about the column. ;)
I expect it had something to do with that "Knock on Wood" article comparing his downstairs neighbours to animals.
Probably. I believe Dee and Weed are the only ones who actually enjoyed that article.
I now take a special delight in believing it was so awful it caused 4 papers to drop "Edgewise." We've seen how bad Mike's writing is, but it's good to have confirmation even in the letters version of FOOBiverse of our opinion.
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