Seemingly trivial things that annoy you

de_sisti

Footballers sliding on their knees when they score a goal.

rick_chasey

Academics on Twitter. Not doing their profession much good. Some of the “takes” on the coronation this weekend would barely muster a C at GCSE

capt_slog

de_sisti said:

Footballers sliding on their knees when they score a goal.

Yes!

Why do they do it? And is it something they practice in training?

orraloon

The way that Tesco, and I assume the other brand supermercados, keep jacking up prices. Seems every time I shop there, some basic or other has gone up, often by 15-20-25%. Barstewards.

First.Aspect

Well they say themselves that commodities prices have fallen, but that this hasn't fed through yet. Meaning, they are taking a higher margin to compensate for not doing so earlier.

For an analogy, see petrol.

rick_chasey

First.Aspect said:

Well they say themselves that commodities prices have fallen, but that this hasn't fed through yet. Meaning, they are taking a higher margin to compensate for not doing so earlier.

For an analogy, see petrol.

Most food buyers don't buy spot priced food.

rick_chasey

If you're interested, lots of charts here . Your favourite.

https://ahdb.org.uk/cereals-oilseeds/futures-prices

Even more fun, the development of financial derivatives has been around for millenia, and those societies that allowed for food futures to be bought and sold saw significant increases in agricultural productivity, as it allowed for much better planning for the farm.

shirley_basso

Supermarket prices starting to come down (sainos own brand)

Fuel took another 2p of per L diesel now 159.9 outside my place.

First.Aspect

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

Well they say themselves that commodities prices have fallen, but that this hasn't fed through yet. Meaning, they are taking a higher margin to compensate for not doing so earlier.

For an analogy, see petrol.

Most food buyers don't buy spot priced food.

Thanks Sherlock.

First.Aspect

rick_chasey said:

If you're interested, lots of charts here . Your favourite.

https://ahdb.org.uk/cereals-oilseeds/futures-prices

Even more fun, the development of financial derivatives has been around for millenia, and those societies that allowed for food futures to be bought and sold saw significant increases in agricultural productivity, as it allowed for much better planning for the farm.

You have the unerring ability to underestimate everyone but you.

rick_chasey

First.Aspect said:

rick_chasey said:

If you're interested, lots of charts here . Your favourite.

https://ahdb.org.uk/cereals-oilseeds/futures-prices

Even more fun, the development of financial derivatives has been around for millenia, and those societies that allowed for food futures to be bought and sold saw significant increases in agricultural productivity, as it allowed for much better planning for the farm.

You have the unerring ability to underestimate everyone but you.

I'm glad I kept it on topic then

orraloon

shirley_basso said:

Supermarket prices starting to come down (sainos own brand)

Fuel took another 2p of per L diesel now 159.9 outside my place.

Rip off! The local Jet in town showing 152.9.

Tashman

orraloon said:

shirley_basso said:

Supermarket prices starting to come down (sainos own brand)

Fuel took another 2p of per L diesel now 159.9 outside my place.

Rip off! The local Jet in town showing 152.9.

I thought my local Esso at 154.9 was pretty handy

Stevo_666

I paid 154 at my local Tesco garage for Super unleaded last week. Regular was 147 IIRC.

pangolin

Been under £1.40 at my local costco for a while now.

veronese68

Might have to fill up next month as I've got a couple of university collection trips to do.

briantrumpet

veronese68 said:

Might have to fill up next month as I've got a couple of university collection trips to do.

Yes, I think I might need to do the third tankful of the year in June... well, July maybe.

Tashman

Stevo_666 said:

I paid 154 at my local Tesco garage for Super unleaded last week. Regular was 147 IIRC.

ah, mine is Diseasel that'd be why the difference.

Pross

HMRC "helpline". Trying to speak to someone as I've had my tax code changed due to them thinking I've got two incomes, call the supposed helpline which starts with 5 minutes of blurb about how busy they are, not to give them abuse, trying to convince me to use the online assistant (which is equally useless and just points you to generic advice). I then get the 'please hold to speak to someone' and more excuses about how busy they are and how wonderfully useful their website is before a 'thank you' and the call ending. Maybe JRM has a point about these feckless Civil Servants.

FFS Got further and did all the automated security checks, get the message 'you may have to wait a while as we really, really are busy honest', carry on holding and get another message saying everyone is busy, try again some time, goodbye.

pblakeney

My wife would agree after being hold for an hour today.
Conclusion? "Your given code is wrong but it will correct itself". 🤬

Stevo_666

Pross said:

HMRC "helpline". Trying to speak to someone as I've had my tax code changed due to them thinking I've got two incomes, call the supposed helpline which starts with 5 minutes of blurb about how busy they are, not to give them abuse, trying to convince me to use the online assistant (which is equally useless and just points you to generic advice). I then get the 'please hold to speak to someone' and more excuses about how busy they are and how wonderfully useful their website is before a 'thank you' and the call ending. Maybe JRM has a point about these feckless Civil Servants.

FFS Got further and did all the automated security checks, get the message 'you may have to wait a while as we really, really are busy honest', carry on holding and get another message saying everyone is busy, try again some time, goodbye.

Do you have a HMRC account? In the past I have had an annual task when my bonus comes in and the HMRC system assumes that I'm going to get paid that every month, so generates a new tax code. I just go into my account and give them a realistic annual earnings estimate which is just accepted.

Stevo_666

Tashman said:

Stevo_666 said:

ah, mine is Diseasel

Try penicillin?

Pross

Stevo_666 said:

Pross said:

HMRC "helpline". Trying to speak to someone as I've had my tax code changed due to them thinking I've got two incomes, call the supposed helpline which starts with 5 minutes of blurb about how busy they are, not to give them abuse, trying to convince me to use the online assistant (which is equally useless and just points you to generic advice). I then get the 'please hold to speak to someone' and more excuses about how busy they are and how wonderfully useful their website is before a 'thank you' and the call ending. Maybe JRM has a point about these feckless Civil Servants.

FFS Got further and did all the automated security checks, get the message 'you may have to wait a while as we really, really are busy honest', carry on holding and get another message saying everyone is busy, try again some time, goodbye.

Do you have a HMRC account? In the past I have had an annual task when my bonus comes in and the HMRC system assumes that I'm going to get paid that every month, so generates a new tax code. I just go into my account and give them a realistic annual earnings estimate which is just accepted.

Yeah, I've just gone on there and adjusted my annual earnings / removed the non-coded income. They don't seem to have picked up that I left my previous job and started a new one so think I'm earning both (I wish!). I can't recall seeing a P45 from my previous employer and thought it must have been sent directly to my current employer so I suspect that is the cause of the issue. It would be so much easier to just speak to someone and be confident it was being properly dealt with but doing it this way the onus is on me having provided the correct information. If I've made any mistakes it will have been in good faith due to a rubbish system but no doubt they would use it as an excude to issue a fine.

My last dealings with them were by phone and actually very positive so I'm not sure why they've messed it up. I even tried to take part in the 'please answer questions to help us improve our service' bit and ironically that cut me off too!

TheBigBean

Sounds like there is at least one upside to being self-employed.

pblakeney

TheBigBean said:

Sounds like there is at least one upside to being self-employed.

You've not had to deal directly with HMRC?
It was a bi-annual event for me. They were good pre-covid though.

TheBigBean

pblakeney said:

TheBigBean said:

Sounds like there is at least one upside to being self-employed.

You've not had to deal directly with HMRC?
It was a bi-annual event for me. They were good pre-covid though.

Typically I just do the return and pay the bill. No real reason to talk to them.

orraloon

I had that 'non coded income' random number generator applied to my account. Submitted a revised value of zero. System bot updated and corrected: why bot? Got the notification email sent on a Sunday, a day when lots of civil service desk jockeys will be working hard.

pblakeney

TheBigBean said:

pblakeney said:

TheBigBean said:

Sounds like there is at least one upside to being self-employed.

You've not had to deal directly with HMRC?
It was a bi-annual event for me. They were good pre-covid though.

Typically I just do the return and pay the bill. No real reason to talk to them.

Luck you! I quite often got the random number generated tax code which had to be corrected.

TheBigBean

pblakeney said:

TheBigBean said:

pblakeney said:

TheBigBean said:

Sounds like there is at least one upside to being self-employed.

You've not had to deal directly with HMRC?
It was a bi-annual event for me. They were good pre-covid though.

Typically I just do the return and pay the bill. No real reason to talk to them.

Luck you! I quite often got the random number generated tax code which had to be corrected.

You don't get a tax code when you are self-employed.

pblakeney

TheBigBean said:

pblakeney said:

TheBigBean said:

pblakeney said:

TheBigBean said:

Sounds like there is at least one upside to being self-employed.

You've not had to deal directly with HMRC?
It was a bi-annual event for me. They were good pre-covid though.

Typically I just do the return and pay the bill. No real reason to talk to them.

Luck you! I quite often got the random number generated tax code which had to be corrected.

You don't get a tax code when you are self-employed.

Depends on how you structure your income.
I certainly did, ie maximum allowance L.