| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Over the past two years, for my work and tools I have invested roughly: Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Over the past two years, for my work and tools I have invested roughly:".
View the poll results »
| | | | | 1,200 - 2,000 USD | Jun 22, 2022 |
I’ve renewed all my subscriptions (Proz, ATA, APTRAD, IAPTI) and bought a new computer.
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more than USD2,000.
I'm also supposed to keep track of all that for my accountant and the tax office.
From the range of options offered, it really feels like freelance translators can work with a piece of string, a bottle cork, a second-hand phone and a glass of synthetic oil. I can't.
Philippe
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My PC is three years old. What else do you need?
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| Define work and tools... but more than USD 2000 over two years! | Jun 22, 2022 |
Trados and online dictionaries
Telephone and Internet connection
Proz.com 
I have not spent much on new hardware the last couple of years, but my desktop computer is several years old and the printer/scanner is even older... So I am saving up for replacements when I need them.
Insurance
Meeting up with colleagues has been at an all-time low due to Covid, and I have missed the excellent ... See more Trados and online dictionaries
Telephone and Internet connection
Proz.com
I have not spent much on new hardware the last couple of years, but my desktop computer is several years old and the printer/scanner is even older... So I am saving up for replacements when I need them.
Insurance
Meeting up with colleagues has been at an all-time low due to Covid, and I have missed the excellent Danish Powwows which have grown into two-day conferences in earlier years! (Thank you, dear colleagues who organised them!)
I went to the CIoL conference just over two years ago, and a Danish language event last autumn, both two-day events.
No in-person seminars or training days.
Trados webinars etc. come with my subscription.
Subscription to a professional association - the Chartered Institute of Linguists in my case.
It is necessary to invest if you want to call yourself professional! ▲ Collapse
| | | | John Silva
Brazil
Local time: 11:56
English to Portuguese
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| A considerable amount. | Jun 22, 2022 |
This year I had to buy a new hardware.
| | | | | More than USD 2000 | Jun 22, 2022 |
From where I am coming those amounts are ridiculously low.
But maybe it depends on the prices around the world.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 16:56
Spanish to English
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| Less than 100 € | Jun 22, 2022 |
I took my PC to get tweaked a couple of months ago...
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Kevin Fulton 
United States
Local time: 10:56
German to English
| Less than 2000 USD | Jun 22, 2022 |
I stopped buying hard copy dictionaries years ago. Last year in anticipation of eventual retirement I stopped renewing my subscriptions (including MemoQ) and memberships. Last summer my computer unfortunately gave up the ghost, so I had to replace it. One of my monitors likewise expired earlier this year and had to be replaced. I plan to use both devices in future photographic/video endeavors while enjoying the translation-related tax deductions last year and for the current year.
| | | | | 200-400 (US$) | Jun 22, 2022 |
On paper and ink cartidges (both of which are getting increasingly scarce, and therefore, more and more expensive, like everything else), and on a new laptop, which I ended up getting for half price, because it was one that was left over from an earlier-in-the-year shipment at the office supply store I frequent. And then there is my Internet bill every month, which I've managed to get reduced to $5.95 a month. I would say, though, that more than anything else, my expenses related to book transla... See more On paper and ink cartidges (both of which are getting increasingly scarce, and therefore, more and more expensive, like everything else), and on a new laptop, which I ended up getting for half price, because it was one that was left over from an earlier-in-the-year shipment at the office supply store I frequent. And then there is my Internet bill every month, which I've managed to get reduced to $5.95 a month. I would say, though, that more than anything else, my expenses related to book translations have been quite minimal over the past two years because the demand for the same has not bounced back from before the pre-pandemic days. In fact, it has become almost non-existent, unless you are willing to work for nothing more than royalties (I'm not). So before the price of a gallon of gas here in the US hits what they are predicting will be more than 10 dollars a gallon by the end of August, I'm going to take advantage of my freedom from client-paid projects and go out and have as good a time as I can.
[Edited at 2022-06-22 22:22 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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That's what I voted for. But I have paid for tech support and renewed my ProZ membership. Those costs would amount to about $400.
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I wouldn't call it "investing", but every few years I have to buy a new computer and, more rarely, a new office chair. I've done both over the last two years.
I would prefer to call it "maintenance", though.
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Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 16:56
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
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| Agree with Philip. | Jun 23, 2022 |
I agree with Philip. In a normal year I 'invest' almost nothing. Yes, there's my annual Microsoft Office subscription and a rather cheap DeepL and PDF conversion subscription, but are those investments? Those are recurring operational costs. Paper and cartridges? The only documents I print are my invoices and I invoice monthly, so they are limited too.
Of course my computer is getting older (at least 4 years by now; no signs of decreasing performance yet, though, and plenty of space... See more I agree with Philip. In a normal year I 'invest' almost nothing. Yes, there's my annual Microsoft Office subscription and a rather cheap DeepL and PDF conversion subscription, but are those investments? Those are recurring operational costs. Paper and cartridges? The only documents I print are my invoices and I invoice monthly, so they are limited too.
Of course my computer is getting older (at least 4 years by now; no signs of decreasing performance yet, though, and plenty of space left) and I'm still working with SDL Studio 2019. So in the near or mid-term future I will probably have to 'invest'. Then I will also have to switch to yearly dictionary subscriptions and as far as I can tell that's a real theft (way more expensive than one-time downloadable dictionaries that are no longer available). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 10:56
Japanese to English
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Every year, except during the pandemic, I go to Japan, to refresh my knowledge of Japanese and Japan, see what's going on, buy financial analysis/legal/pharmed resources (a current Pharmaceutical Guide to Japan is $450), dictionaries and talk to people. Two weeks for me and my wife is approximately $10,000. It is money well spent and I can claim it as a business expense. The only fly in the ointment is that because of the radioactive contamination caused by the nuclear accident in 2011, we canno... See more Every year, except during the pandemic, I go to Japan, to refresh my knowledge of Japanese and Japan, see what's going on, buy financial analysis/legal/pharmed resources (a current Pharmaceutical Guide to Japan is $450), dictionaries and talk to people. Two weeks for me and my wife is approximately $10,000. It is money well spent and I can claim it as a business expense. The only fly in the ointment is that because of the radioactive contamination caused by the nuclear accident in 2011, we cannot drink the water (the entire water table of Japan is contaminated), eat fish or seafood (among other things). We eat a lot of cheese from France. We use imported mineral water (Evian or Vittel) for brushing teeth, drinking and washing up. The Japanese Government, in all its wisdom, is dumping tons of radioactive waste into the Pacific Ocean. The Government blithely says "Daijoubu desu yo!" ("Not to worry!"). NB. If you go to Tesco, Waitrose or Sainsbury, avoid any foodstuffs from Japan or the Pacific Ocean. Japanese in droves are presenting in doctors' offices with hair falling out and spots on their faces ("datsumou", "kao-ni potsu-potsu"), the classical symptoms of radiation poisoning. Doctors who diagnose "radiation poisoning" lose their licenses. As a result, the patients are diagnosed with "stress". A typical reaction in Japan known as "Kusai mono-ni futa-o suru" ("Put the lid on things that stink"). If you think that Japan and the Japanese are living on borrowed time, you'd be right. By that time, I'll be retired in Switzerland. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Oriol Vives (X)
Spain
Local time: 16:56
English to Catalan
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| I bought a new computer 2 years ago | Jun 23, 2022 |
... so my budget is already at the cap. It's a recurrent expenditure (every 10-15 years?), but it's mandatory.
The good news is, they had to return me taxes! I am still waiting for that to happen...
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