As a single man, I really can't see the point in 'white collar' work now

amcluesent

Sad to say, but looking at the PAYE tax I'll have to pay, plus the massive, massive cost of commuting, plus the loss of quality of life in commuting I just can't see any point of having a 'good job' in Britain any more if you are single without kiddies.

Not least that any pension pot will be stolen away by the boomers and I already go to back of the queue for NHS, dentist etc. as the 'needy' are priority

Reckon that come Apr 6th 2011 I'll be on min-wage warehouse stylee job I can walk to, be home by 5, maybe do 3 days a week but I can be quite happy on a net pay of maybe £12K topped up with income from investments.

Really, enough is enough and this is a game I no longer want to play to be robbed blind to pay JSA, CB, HB, IB, AA, CA claimants and God knows what else. Working 6 months of the year for other people, 12 hour days is a MASSIVE CON TRICK.:mad:

PasturesNew

That's kind of why I don't bother. There's no "good jobs" for most of us these days. So many others getting top ups left right and centre and having fab lives. Makes you just want to stop bothering.

I've now achieved over 3 years of "pfffft". Long may it continue.

PasturesNew

Oh - and another irony I spotted. Without any savings/investments, in my town, over age 25, if you work 30 hours/week, there's a WTC top up that'd give you the same income as somebody working 40 hours/week .....

Chatting to a friend the other day, he's now working 30 hours/week and his missus doesn't bother at all because of the WTC top ups they get (one child, they'll probably have another). In the "old days" he and she would have worked a full-time job and a part-time job to get that money, now it's just given to them. So they don't bother, they doss about; they're about 23 years old.

wotsthat

PasturesNew wrote: »

Chatting to a friend the other day, he's now working 30 hours/week and his missus doesn't bother at all because of the WTC top ups they get (one child, they'll probably have another). In the "old days" he and she would have worked a full-time job and a part-time job to get that money, now it's just given to them. So they don't bother, they doss about; they're about 23 years old.

...and times are a changing. Maybe you should warn them.

vivatifosi

amcluesent wrote: »

Reckon that come Apr 6th 2011 I'll be on min-wage warehouse stylee job I can walk to, be home by 5, maybe do 3 days a week but I can be quite happy on a net pay of maybe £12K topped up with income from investments.

Hate to say this amc, but if you only do 3 days a week on minimum pay, you'll be earning w-a-a-a-y less than £12k.

dizziblonde

Yep. Makes me very angry if I think about it - I try not to.

amcluesent

>you'll be earning w-a-a-a-y less than £12k.<

Fair point, gross income assume 8 hr shift, 3 working days for 48 weeks would be £6831.36. Still that's enough to stay above the bottom earnings limit for NI to keep the state pension going, and income tax (with unearned investment income) would still be miles under the 40% band.

If house prices take a knock back in 2011, I'd consider buying a doer-upper for maybe £75K cash, spend £15k,and let out at say, £400/month, so another £4000/pa after costs.

Net £10k/pa wouldn't be impossible with a huge boost in quality of life, all be it a frugal one

>Makes me very angry if I think about it - I try not to.<

I know of a chap who 'downshifted' to a job at B&Q. His wage is less than half what he used to pay in tax!

wotsthat

amcluesent wrote: »

That would still leave 2 days for working 'cash in hand'!

Yes life can be unjust. If you need to work two days a week 'cash in hand' just to stay under the 40% tax bracket it just doesn't seem fair does it?

Cleaver

amcluesent wrote: »

Sad to say, but looking at the PAYE tax I'll have to pay, plus the massive, massive cost of commuting, plus the loss of quality of life in commuting I just can't see any point of having a 'good job' in Britain any more if you are single without kiddies.

I quite like my job and would go as far to say that I enjoy going in each day. So that's why I do it. And my quality of life is just fine.

But if you're not enjoying yours, and you've got to the point where paying tax makes you angry to the point of starting threads on it, then I agree that it's probably time to quit and do something else.

leveller2911

I know many self employed people who work 3-4 day weeks now, purely because they get WTC . Like others I try not to think about it, gets my Goat up.cheers for the thread Amclue .

lynzpower

Cleaver wrote: »

I quite like my job and would go as far to say that I enjoy going in each day. So that's why I do it. And my quality of life is just fine.

But if you're not enjoying yours, and you've got to the point where paying tax makes you angry to the point of starting threads on it, then I agree that it's probably time to quit and do something else.

Work like you don't need the money! a dream for many but a reality for many as well. i think its a good philosophy and aim that way.