Nice People 12: Nice in Nice

Generali

@michaels - I'd be wary of putting all my eggs into a pensions basket. With an aging population needing paying for pensions, especially from 'rich people', are a tempting target.

Tax 'em 'til the pips squeak.

GDB2222

Whilst the student grants are useful, can I just add that you need to choose a course you really want to do. Uni courses are hard work, and having to flog yourself through one you don't like would be incredibly dispiriting.

On the other hand, maybe if you drop out after a couple of years, you'd be eligible for a grant for a different course? Could you keep doing that for the next thirty years, perhaps?

LydiaJ

Excited about the "PN doing a degree" thing. :dance:

Although agree with GDB that a course she finds really interesting is crucial.

lemonjelly

PasturesNew wrote: »

Cheers.... Nikkster'll be annoyed you've offered to come and visit me ..... but avoided her neck of the woods to date

There's a national careers service? How come I've never managed to find one of those before....? Or one that "does what it says on the tin"?

I'm round nikksters all the time. We just don't let you lot know Oooops!

(really I travel very rarely, so it is rare that I'm close to any NP, & I also forget where anyone/everyone is too)

Here's the national careers service:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

lemonjelly

GDB2222 wrote: »

Talking of giving up, I'm happy to have given up foreign holidays. This country is perfect for the sort of holiday DW and I enjoy. We have wonderful countryside and beaches. I'm fed up with cities, so doing the sights in some foreign city is not of interest. I'm happy to have a total journey time, door to door, of say three hours. Three hours will just about get you on the plane, if going to foreign.

I'll make an exception for Eurostar, though.

I decided a few years ago that this country has so much wonderful to it, that I didn't need a foreign holiday for years. I've had great fun jellying about the UK.

Holidays this year are a no-no, owing to the purchase. However I am keen to go off on 3-4 days out this summer.
Ideas so far:
the beach (barmouth and/or weston likely)
the wrekin (climb it, have a picnic)

Any suggestions? They can be local, or a travel, as long as it is do-able in 1 day (from the midlands).

michaels

LydiaJ wrote: »

That I understand. Perhaps you need to spend more time hanging out with people who don't have those things either!

That also I understand, especially the bit I've bolded.

Hope you can find a compromise solution that both you and DW are happy with, that allows you to have a life while being able to afford the things that are important to you.

A hypothetical question for you... Suppose WTC/CTC & CB were at a lower level but not means tested. Suppose putting money in a pension or having it now made no difference tax-wise. So, if the decision about how much to put in your pension was just about the trade off between money now and money in the future, how much of what you're earning would you be choosing to set aside for your retirement and how much would you keep to live on?

I'm not asking because I want to know the answer - I don't need to know that. I'm asking because I think if you start from that position and then make some tweaks to it that improve your benefits/tax position without making too much difference to your quality of life, then you may find that's a better route to deciding what's optimal for you and your family than starting from maximising your tax/benefits position and only then considering what lifestyle you want and how to fund it.

Generali wrote: »

@michaels - I'd be wary of putting all my eggs into a pensions basket. With an aging population needing paying for pensions, especially from 'rich people', are a tempting target.

Tax 'em 'til the pips squeak.

Thanks both for your thoughts, these questions are so complicated especially as in life we are dealing with possibilities and probabilities...what will my health be like, how about DW? Will DKs go to uni? What will happen with pensions etc? Will there be some inheritance money at some point...and all that is before answering the question of what tradeoff would I want between retrement age, retirement income and current lifestyle.

Doozergirl

i'm not up to date but it might 't be too late for this year, PN, if you go and speak to them? I can't remember exactly what happened with my architecture course, but I know I was late with it all. I went on an open day for the next year and asked if there were spaces left. It was literall a case of the course being undersibscribed andthat they were keen to have a grown-up.

I'm sure it was about this time of year, but can't remember.

Generali

Doozergirl wrote: »

i'm not up to date but it might 't be too late for this year, PN, if you go and speak to them? I can't remember exactly what happened with my architecture course, but I know I was late with it all. I went on an open day for the next year and asked if there were spaces left. It was literall a case of the course being undersibscribed andthat they were keen to have a grown-up.

I'm sure it was about this time of year, but can't remember.

When I went to Uni I'd've been able to apply through 'clearing' at this point I think.

bugslet

lostinrates wrote: »

Clarisonic makes one's skin so soft and smooth its incredible. Your pores get tiny too. My rosacea likes it, my dry bits like it, every thing likes it. And because the skin is so smooth you use hardly any product so save money on expensive lotions and potions.

I found that a little too abrasive, even the gentle brush. I got my new toy this morning, a Foreo Luna,

http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=167901/Foreo---Luna/Unlisted-Brand/Misc-Beauty-Tools

worth a whirl, though frankly a peel and a lift is probably the only thing that will make a real difference!

PasturesNew wrote: »

Just had a random cold call... some woman with an odd accent who started by saying something about "finance.... 2011 ....." so I asked her why she was accusing me of things...?

"Why are you accusing me of being a pauper and needing to borrow money? How dare you accuse me of being poor, a pauper."

She hung up.

I'll put that down as a method that works then

When a woman with an odd accent rang me at home to tell me there was a problem with my computer ( I don't have one at home, nor broadband), I explained that to her and then told her that her mother would be ashamed of her. Made me happy anyway.

Spirit wrote: »

I liked this
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-28192767


It gives me hope for next years vote:)

:eek::eek::eek:

How about walking Long Mynd, Jelly?

I'm with GDB and jelly, the UK is a beautiful place and it's a shame that so much of it is unvisited, on the other hand, it makes it more peaceful for me:D.

Generali

michaels wrote: »

Thanks both for your thoughts, these questions are so complicated especially as in life we are dealing with possibilities and probabilities...what will my health be like, how about DW? Will DKs go to uni? What will happen with pensions etc? Will there be some inheritance money at some point...and all that is before answering the question of what tradeoff would I want between retrement age, retirement income and current lifestyle.

The problem with dealing with probability at the individual level is that it always reverts to 1.

A year ago I had a lowish chance of getting cancer in the next 12 months (0.01 or less I guess) but now I know that my chance was 1.

You can run an insurance company on probability but I (now) think that for an individual you have to consider things more laterally: what happens if is as important as what are the chances in some ways.

I read a piece this evening entitled, 'What counts as classic Rock?'

The answer is simple:

THIS (SFW)

Best Drum Solo Ever. The bass line ain't bad either.