Career change

paultheparaglider

VTech wrote:

paultheparaglider wrote:

VTech wrote:

I just left a salary of a little more than that as I didn't like it as much as I used too.

I must have missed something here, but I thought you were a mega rich software designer that did lots of work for F1 teams and had lots of expensive cars, fancy homes all over the world, and lots of wine investments and the like.

How did you do all that on a salary of a little over £40k?

The initial topic was about a £40k salary, I worked out the figures which is as written in my earlier post.
I never said I was on £40 a year at any point.

I'm beginning to suspect English isn't your first language.

VTech

paultheparaglider wrote:

VTech wrote:

paultheparaglider wrote:

VTech wrote:

I just left a salary of a little more than that as I didn't like it as much as I used too.

I must have missed something here, but I thought you were a mega rich software designer that did lots of work for F1 teams and had lots of expensive cars, fancy homes all over the world, and lots of wine investments and the like.

How did you do all that on a salary of a little over £40k?

The initial topic was about a £40k salary, I worked out the figures which is as written in my earlier post.
I never said I was on £40 a year at any point.

I'm beginning to suspect English isn't your first language.

Ich habe nicht gesagt, dass vierzigtausend war mein Gehalt, ich die Erklärung auf der Grundlage der ersten Thread Thema

rolf_f

VTech wrote:

£40k a year will sustain the ability to buy a £200k house, a car (not cars!) pay the bills and take a single holiday a year of a half decent quality.

Yes, but whilst £200k buys you a pretty middle class house these days, it isn't in historical terms a middle class price. My house (a very middle class one) might well be now worth close to that but I paid £65k for it 15 years ago and I thought it a lot then. Even the directors of my organisation would, on their salary, struggle to affort £200k if they had to buy a house from scratch and weren't allowed to borrow silly money. It's only the madness of silly lending that gets average houses to that price in the first place.

So, most people I know who are buying houses, the middle class professional types, are buying Victorian workers terraced houses and back to backs at less than £100k.

£40k is a big salary - inflated 'average salary' figures in newspapers tend to hide the fact that few people are on that sort of wage.

VTech wrote:

People who say money isn't important are usually those that biatch at others with more than them.
Of course money matters, it means a lot, an awful lot.
Ok, it doesn't buy you love, but it helps with health, helps with happiness and helps with almost all things.

Put it this way, I would rather be unhappy and rich than unhappy and poor.

No, it doesn't matter - most people aren't poor and most people aren't rich. As long as you aren't poor, money shouldn't matter. If it does, then you are unhappier than you should be.

I'm not rich but I can afford everything I want - it's just I don't want too much in a Western sense. eg I would get no more enjoyment out of owning a brand new Ferrari as I do owning my 24 year old Saab Turbo (infact, I probably enjoy that car rather more than I would a Ferrari) - I cut my cloth to suit my means and I know that earning much more would make absolutely no difference to my happiness. My only financial concern is ensuring that my standard of living won't drop when I retire.

slowmart

Back to the OP's original question. :roll:


I didn't change career at 39 but my wife an I put everything we ( That's the marital home and savings) had into buying a business in 2006. It was never about making a fortune or the materialistic side as the aim has always been to have a business where you do a great job, have a bit of fun and go home again. Treat colleagues as you want to be treated and for the most part its been a fantastic journey.

The only thing stopping you is yourself, understand what your drivers and act appropriately. Don''t let others define or shape your life as its your choice. Just try and avoid the situation that I came across when I left school straight into a YTS. All the guys in their late forties and early fifties in the factory who had woken up and smelled the coffee of life and this was it for them, their dreams and aspirations had turned to dust.

BTW. I saw the richest man in the world on tv just over a year ago. The guy in question was a farmer, had a brood of children with one more on the way. he was happy, healthy and wouldn't change any aspect of his life.

rolf_f

Slowmart wrote:

Back to the OP's original question. :roll:

BTW. I saw the richest man in the world on tv just over a year ago. The guy in question was a farmer, had a brood of children with one more on the way. he was happy, healthy and wouldn't change any aspect of his life.

So back off the OP's original question then?

slowmart

Rolf F wrote:

Slowmart wrote:

Back to the OP's original question. :roll:

BTW. I saw the richest man in the world on tv just over a year ago. The guy in question was a farmer, had a brood of children with one more on the way. he was happy, healthy and wouldn't change any aspect of his life.

So back off the OP's original question then?

Even the OP made some of the comments on this thread sound shallow

mr_goo

I would like to put my two penneth worth into this.

Firstly £40k a year for me would be most welcome. However ones standard of living on this depends on the area of the UK they live in. Just down the road from me is Mudeford Spit. I little sand bar at the entrance to Christchurch harbour. The beach huts sell for £200k !! You've probably read it in the property section in the Sunday papers. To buy and install the same beach hut in your back yard is probably at the most £4k.

As stated on another thread I work in construction sales, and the basic whilst not great is above the national average and I get a car (taxed). However my colleagues in the north of the country are on the same salary and have a far better standard of living compared to me, as the house prices are lower. I live in a small 3 bed bungalow (couldn't afford to buy now) in a town of 25k pop. Whilst some of my colleagues have 4-5 bed houses in villages, which would be valued at £400-500k down here, plus they have a couple of holidays a year.

Germany has always been likened to the UK and in many ways they are the most similar nation in Europe. However they have High Wages and High Cost of Living. We on the other hand have Low Wages and High Cost of Living.

I heard the idiot who owns JML on Radio 5 Live this morning stating that the UK should devalue the pound so that we can improve exports. What about the poor sods trying to put food on the table at the moment? To do what he says would mean food costs escalating with many of the population living off bread and water. A complete tw4t, thinking of his own greedy position.

Rambling Message ends.

Anonymous

I grew up on mudeford and my father had the final say (NO) on purchasing one 20 years ago for 12K.

I'm sure I saw one for £450K somewhere....

mr_goo

coriordan wrote:

I grew up on mudeford and my father had the final say (NO) on purchasing one 20 years ago for 12K.

I'm sure I saw one for £450K somewhere....

Probably. Prices for anything with four walls and roof along here is stupid. None more so that Canford Cliffs and Sandbanks. Heard a story that some old dear bought an acre of land in Canford Cliffs back in the early 1900s for £5. Worth quite a bit more now.

rolf_f

Mr Goo wrote:

I heard the idiot who owns JML on Radio 5 Live this morning stating that the UK should devalue the pound so that we can improve exports. What about the poor sods trying to put food on the table at the moment? To do what he says would mean food costs escalating with many of the population living off bread and water. A complete tw4t, thinking of his own greedy position.

Rambling Message ends.

Better to have cheap exports than cheap imports if you want a high standard of living in the long run. As for food, it's already too cheap thanks to the supermarkets. Any one sentence solution is going to be trite under the circumstances.

mr_goo

Rolf F wrote:

Mr Goo wrote:

I heard the idiot who owns JML on Radio 5 Live this morning stating that the UK should devalue the pound so that we can improve exports. What about the poor sods trying to put food on the table at the moment? To do what he says would mean food costs escalating with many of the population living off bread and water. A complete tw4t, thinking of his own greedy position.

Rambling Message ends.

Better to have cheap exports than cheap imports if you want a high standard of living in the long run. As for food, it's already too cheap thanks to the supermarkets. Any one sentence solution is going to be trite under the circumstances.

Food is not too cheap. Cr4p food may be. But healthy food not bumped up with sugar and salt has rocketed. And I don't shop at Waitrose.

arran77

Now this is a career change...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26648270

I'd have been more impressed if he'd gone from accountant to astronaut though

rolf_f

Mr Goo wrote:

Food is not too cheap. Cr4p food may be. But healthy food not bumped up with sugar and salt has rocketed. And I don't shop at Waitrose.

I'm talking absolutes - not relatives. Just because the price of something has rocketed doesn't necessarily mean it is expensive. A fair price is one which reflects the costs, including adequate profit, involved in all stages of production. If it costs less than that it is too cheap. The staggering cheapness of a lot of things (eg electrical goods) makes food look relatively expensive. For most of us, food is only expensive in that it limits our ability to buy endless quantities of cheap, disposable electronic tat from the likes of Apple, Samsung etc.

BelgianBeerGeek

Rolf is as usual the voice of reason. Some stuff is way cheaper. Who knew 20 years ago that your local Tesco would sell tellies, and that a TV would be as cheap as they are?
<pull up a sandbag, swing the lantern, story time>
When I was a youth, on leave from the army, I would buy me dad a bottle of whisky. Which meant going to a proper off-licence (remember them?) and parting with a LOT of spends for a bottle. The same bottle is now cheaper in my local Asda, even with 20 years of price increase built in (a pint in the local has in comparison gone through the roof).
The moral of the story - just don't worry about it. Live your life, and enjoy it. Mrs BBGeek had the news over the weekend that her cousin had died. He was 44. Recently, another of her cousins had been waiting for a kidney transplant for years, and it wasn't looking good. Then, out of the blue, job done.

twist83

I am not going to jump on the bash him for saying 40K is not a Special salary. It is high.

However based on your post it seems the running theme throughout is focus on Money. You basically want a job which provides excitement, high wage, career prospects etc. There are not a lot out there that tick all the boxes.

From what it seems and I mean this with upmost respect please don't become a Paramedic. You don't sound like the sort of person who should become one. Being a Paramedic is not like on TV and Films. If you don't want to assist the elderly in the community then don't do the job basically. Also if you think seeing someone smashed up and dead or dieing in a car will be exciting well the harsh reality is it is not going to be a pretty site watching someone die.

I should stick to the Financial sector and keep climbing the greasy pole. 40K at 31 is a damn decent salary. Enjoy it while you can as it might not be always there. Money comes and goes. It does help no doubt but it is not the be all and end all.

wannabecyclist

Wow this escalated quickly! A lot of people seem to think they can judge my character based on a paragraph on a forum! I appreciate I put myself up there to be shot at but still......

Can't respond to all the comments. I did not come on here to offend anyone though. I appreciate 40k is a good salary, very good. However, this is on a good year, some years it is around 30k, sales is not just driven by skill but company performance and sometimes a poor company decision (our office tried to cash in on the PPI bandwagon and failed terribly) can knock on to other departments like mine and cause cut backs to earning potential. Also, there is more to life then salary, you only live once after all. However, at the same time, that doesn't mean I want to go through life on a salary so low I can't afford to give my daughter and if we are lucky other future children an upbringing I would like. Uni fees & housing will still be massive problems for our children and I want to be able to provide for them as much as possible.

What I mean by 40k isn't special is that it is not ground breaking, I have personally found the extra £200 a month doesn't really change my life, yes I can put a bit of savings away for my daughter but the difference between 40k and 30k after tax isn't going to do too much. So what I meant was, I am happy to take a pay cut and have a more fulfilling role that I can be proud of. I didn't say I was put off by looking after the elderly, if I implied that way it is because I am quickly typing whilst meant to be working like most on this forum! What I mean is, if a Paramedic spends 99% of their day attending to non emergencies then yes, of course it is not for me, I want to do the job so I can come home and say wow I saved a life today or did my best to help someone even though they died, not I have spent the last 3 months transporting people with non emergencies to hospital. I do a lot in my spare time for charities so to say I am not cut out to be a paramedic as I don't want to help elderly is a bit harsh and poor judgement. Likewise, I would like the role of a Police Officer, a role I know a lot about as my father did it for 35 years for the Met. However, I appreciate times have changed with that, will I be stuck behind a desk too long? Also, with a young daughter and a demanding job it would be hard to do the Special Constable route which they now prefer to apply. To join the Met now, you have to pay over 1k and study for a few months for a qualification in policing just to apply. Yes, I know the answer, if you want it you would pay that or do the special constable route but I will put my hands up, I have never grown up with a particular career in mind so I am hesitant in deciding.

I didn't say the Paramedic wage is too low, once qualified it is a good salary with probably a lot of scope for overtime, but as someone rightly pointed out, to survive on the low basic in training can be very difficult, I have a £700 per month child care bill to pay on top of mortgage and other bills. Try doing that on 20k (my partner earns 30k as a Physio so between us still tight and would be above the limit to qualify for any additional benefits).

Anyhow, I have realised my mistake, I will stick to asking questions about what wheels are bomb proof and does my bum look good in lycra as otherwise too many people are happy to pick holes in your story, totally misquote you and send you on your way to Satan around here. Have fun tearing this response apart, go on, I know some of you can't resist.

VTech

wannabecyclist wrote:

Wow this escalated quickly! A lot of people seem to think they can judge my character based on a paragraph on a forum! I appreciate I put myself up there to be shot at but still......

Can't respond to all the comments. I did not come on here to offend anyone though. I appreciate 40k is a good salary, very good. However, this is on a good year, some years it is around 30k, sales is not just driven by skill but company performance and sometimes a poor company decision (our office tried to cash in on the PPI bandwagon and failed terribly) can knock on to other departments like mine and cause cut backs to earning potential. Also, there is more to life then salary, you only live once after all. However, at the same time, that doesn't mean I want to go through life on a salary so low I can't afford to give my daughter and if we are lucky other future children an upbringing I would like. Uni fees & housing will still be massive problems for our children and I want to be able to provide for them as much as possible.

What I mean by 40k isn't special is that it is not ground breaking, I have personally found the extra £200 a month doesn't really change my life, yes I can put a bit of savings away for my daughter but the difference between 40k and 30k after tax isn't going to do too much. So what I meant was, I am happy to take a pay cut and have a more fulfilling role that I can be proud of. I didn't say I was put off by looking after the elderly, if I implied that way it is because I am quickly typing whilst meant to be working like most on this forum! What I mean is, if a Paramedic spends 99% of their day attending to non emergencies then yes, of course it is not for me, I want to do the job so I can come home and say wow I saved a life today or did my best to help someone even though they died, not I have spent the last 3 months transporting people with non emergencies to hospital. I do a lot in my spare time for charities so to say I am not cut out to be a paramedic as I don't want to help elderly is a bit harsh and poor judgement. Likewise, I would like the role of a Police Officer, a role I know a lot about as my father did it for 35 years for the Met. However, I appreciate times have changed with that, will I be stuck behind a desk too long? Also, with a young daughter and a demanding job it would be hard to do the Special Constable route which they now prefer to apply. To join the Met now, you have to pay over 1k and study for a few months for a qualification in policing just to apply. Yes, I know the answer, if you want it you would pay that or do the special constable route but I will put my hands up, I have never grown up with a particular career in mind so I am hesitant in deciding.

I didn't say the Paramedic wage is too low, once qualified it is a good salary with probably a lot of scope for overtime, but as someone rightly pointed out, to survive on the low basic in training can be very difficult, I have a £700 per month child care bill to pay on top of mortgage and other bills. Try doing that on 20k (my partner earns 30k as a Physio so between us still tight and would be above the limit to qualify for any additional benefits).

Anyhow, I have realised my mistake, I will stick to asking questions about what wheels are bomb proof and does my bum look good in lycra as otherwise too many people are happy to pick holes in your story, totally misquote you and send you on your way to Satan around here. Have fun tearing this response apart, go on, I know some of you can't resist.

Never apologise for wanting more or better. Without people like you the world is doomed.
I know I will get slated yet again but its a fact, we need people wanting more just as we need people willing to remain stagnant throughout a working career. None are more important but it is the way its meant to be.
My mother before her death worked for peanuts in care work, she deserved more but she didn't get it, I'm not saying it is right, just that this is the way it is.

twist83

How can you expect people not to respond based upon what you have typed? Regardless of how poorly typed or not.

I do not think anyone would begrudge you wanting more for your family. Just poor wording of dismissing a salary of 40K as not a lot is what got peoples backs up. I have no issue with people earning high salarys etc.

However if you want to earn more and provide more (Not just in a monetary sense) then Paramedic is not for you really. My understanding is the Paramedics will be subject to NHS Banding so will top out at £35K ish like you mentioned however that requires shift work and other than yearly rises (Are there any?) it won't go up very much.

Same thing with Policing with the banding scales. Obviously the skys the limit there. But you will end up essentially a paper pusher politician if you want to keep climbing that Police Pole. Like you said a LOT has changed in the Police. I have a friend who is an Inspector, he spent 25 years in the MET and transferred to Dorset. He will be taking early retirement in the not too distant future, far too much paperwork and entry requirements are getting a bit silly now.

Regardless good luck with whatever you do. Just think carefully

badgerbeaver

Oto the OP, can I respectfully urge you to consider investing your time in becoming a paramedic.

You may find that in years to come you will have many more transferable skills as a result.

One suggestion I often make with career decisions for people I mentor at work, is to "test" them with scenarios.

For example, you might want to think about stuff like: what if your partner gets a dream job in Kuala Lumpur in ten years time. Can you take your skills there, train people? Set up a related business? What if there is a long term recession(!)? How will you adapt within the constraints that your career choice has placed on you? What opportunities are there for developing skills, or branching out into related parts of the industry when you are more experienced? What space does this leave you for the life you want to lead, for example if you want a family some day, how do you see it working?

People usually leave a job for three reasons

1) Hygiene factors; money, location, people, working environment, commute etc

2)Day to day work: the quality of the actual work on a day to day, hour by hour basis. Is it interesting? Repetitive? Are you proud of the results?

3) Career: do you perceive that you are achieving something that you recognise as a long term achievement, are building something that you are proud of. Are creating a foundation for new kinds of work for yourself.

You need at least two of these to make it work. Think about it, people who just leave for more cash, tend to leave that second job after a while too.

Again, on the basis of the small amount of information here, I would urge you to think about the scenarios for the future and play them through the idea of becoming and being a trained paramedic.

In any case, good luck, wishing you well.

mouth

wannabecyclist wrote:

a salary around 40k with bonuses so nothing special

I'm just about gonna break 43k as a bus driver for this financial year and you have absolutely no idea how much effort I've had to put in to bring that home as a pay cheque. I've literally grafted my nuts off. Permanent nights, drunks, students, lost tourists, assaults on the bus (not towards me) and no London weighting in the pay packet either.

40k, nothing special? I suggest you remove the silver spoon from your ass.

VTech

Mouth wrote:

wannabecyclist wrote:

a salary around 40k with bonuses so nothing special

I'm just about gonna break 43k as a bus driver for this financial year and you have absolutely no idea how much effort I've had to put in to bring that home as a pay cheque. I've literally grafted my nuts off. Permanent nights, drunks, students, lost tourists, assaults on the bus (not towards me) and no London weighting in the pay packet either.

40k, nothing special? I suggest you remove the silver spoon from your ass.

I'm often mocked here for my views but I can't help speaking my thoughts.
So with that in mind, haven't you just argued in a way that makes his comment valid ?

You have grafted for a year. Obviously made a huge effort. Worked long, hard hours. Put up with abuse and lost out on personal and family time just to crack a £40k wage.
Now put that money to one side and ask yourself how much that will change your life.
Will it dramatically change your life in a way that "puts a silver spoon" (excuse the pun) into the life of you and yours ?
Will you be able to take a nice holiday, get a new car, pay the bills and also not have to worry about bills for the next year ?

I would suggest not in most cases and for that reason £40k isn't anything special.
The problem isn't the wage. It's the cost of living.
These comments do not mock the salary of people here or anywhere in the UK but show the daft costs we have to live a normal life here.

You can be unemployed here and smash out a £40k salary (equivalent) with ease !

3 bed house, no council tax, no dentist fees, no school fees for the kids, free travel cards etc etc etc etc.

mouth

VTech wrote:

Mouth wrote:

wannabecyclist wrote:

a salary around 40k with bonuses so nothing special

I'm just about gonna break 43k as a bus driver for this financial year and you have absolutely no idea how much effort I've had to put in to bring that home as a pay cheque. I've literally grafted my nuts off. Permanent nights, drunks, students, lost tourists, assaults on the bus (not towards me) and no London weighting in the pay packet either.

40k, nothing special? I suggest you remove the silver spoon from your ass.

I'm often mocked here for my views but I can't help speaking my thoughts.
So with that in mind, haven't you just argued in a way that makes his comment valid ?

You have grafted for a year. Obviously made a huge effort. Worked long, hard hours. Put up with abuse and lost out on personal and family time just to crack a £40k wage.
Now put that money to one side and ask yourself how much that will change your life.
Will it dramatically change your life in a way that "puts a silver spoon" (excuse the pun) into the life of you and yours ?
Will you be able to take a nice holiday, get a new car, pay the bills and also not have to worry about bills for the next year ?

I would suggest not in most cases and for that reason £40k isn't anything special.
The problem isn't the wage. It's the cost of living.
These comments do not mock the salary of people here or anywhere in the UK but show the daft costs we have to live a normal life here.

You can be unemployed here and smash out a £40k salary (equivalent) with ease !

3 bed house, no council tax, no dentist fees, no school fees for the kids, free travel cards etc etc etc etc.

None of those things. I will, however, be getting married to someone who has spent this year training as a teacher whilst living 60 miles away. All the money's gone on living fees, wedding fees etc. I've technically never seen a penny of it because I've spent invested it all in my marriage and my wife-to-be's career. Two things worth a few bob IMO. This is on top of the mortgage etc. and will come through this year debt free. Don't get me wrong - I'd quite happily have spent my Saturdays in the boozer, having ridden there on a Dogma.

wannabecyclist

Mouth wrote:

wannabecyclist wrote:

a salary around 40k with bonuses so nothing special

I'm just about gonna break 43k as a bus driver for this financial year and you have absolutely no idea how much effort I've had to put in to bring that home as a pay cheque. I've literally grafted my nuts off. Permanent nights, drunks, students, lost tourists, assaults on the bus (not towards me) and no London weighting in the pay packet either.

40k, nothing special? I suggest you remove the silver spoon from your ass.

Have you read the whole thread and my comments on it before you send disgusting insults at me Mr keyboard warrior?

DeVlaeminck

If you'd said 40k so considerably more than most of you will ever see in a year they'd have been happy.

sloppyschleckonds

Mouth wrote:

I suggest you remove the silver spoon from your ass.

As insults go, thats a new one on me

Paulie W

wannabecyclist wrote:

Mouth wrote:

wannabecyclist wrote:

a salary around 40k with bonuses so nothing special

I'm just about gonna break 43k as a bus driver for this financial year and you have absolutely no idea how much effort I've had to put in to bring that home as a pay cheque. I've literally grafted my nuts off. Permanent nights, drunks, students, lost tourists, assaults on the bus (not towards me) and no London weighting in the pay packet either.

40k, nothing special? I suggest you remove the silver spoon from your ass.

Have you read the whole thread and my comments on it before you send disgusting insults at me Mr keyboard warrior?

Now is it me or is this something of an overreaction!?

VTech

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Mouth wrote:

I suggest you remove the silver spoon from your ass.

As insults go, thats a new one on me

Its stupid.
Silly people moaning because others want more.
I suggest you go and rent a copy of the wolf of wolf street and enjoy.

nathancom

Yeah I mean greed and avarice has never caused any suffering throughout human history. Silly people suggesting that you should try and live within your means especially when unemployed people each get over 40k a year from the state (wtf?)

I am not sure that Wolf of Wall Street was meant to be a rally cry for the poor disenfranchised bankers, brokers and wannabe Gordon Geckos with hearts made of green ink and cloth paper.

VTech

nathancom wrote:

Yeah I mean greed and avarice has never caused any suffering throughout human history. Silly people suggesting that you should try and live within your means especially when unemployed people each get over 40k a year from the state (wtf?)

I am not sure that Wolf of Wall Street was meant to be a rally cry for the poor disenfranchised bankers, brokers and wannabe Gordon Geckos with hearts made of green ink and cloth paper.

So who exactly is out of touch ?
Your incessant that I lie yet when I post things you argue to try and make it out to be but are foiled.
I did explain about unemployed and trust me, there are tens of thousands on the "equivalent" of £40k salaries and thats a fact.

Anyway, what is wrong with trying to earn as much as you can and give your family the most you can ? I live within my means, have no bailiff knocking at the door yet I have known tough times, didn't have a pot to p1ss in as a kid but I worked hard, blo0dy hard and did everything I can to get the things I dreamed about as a kid and when I got fed up of it I sold it. Its a simple method and ANYONE can do it, just that 99% don't, most of that 99% accept a certain lifestyle and a few moan like hell that it isn't fair but do little to change it.

Pivotal moment in my life.
I was in london working away as no work in the midlands. Wife called me (girlfriend at the time) and told me cooker was on fire. I didn't have the cash to buy a new one and we have a newborn baby.
That changed everything for me and I'm sure everyone here has had such a moment in their life but its what we do when faced with difficult times. There is a huge element of luck too but if you don't give it a shot how can lady luck find you ?

Its obvious we will never agree but I'm gonna keep on trying.

nathancom

VTech wrote:

nathancom wrote:

Yeah I mean greed and avarice has never caused any suffering throughout human history. Silly people suggesting that you should try and live within your means especially when unemployed people each get over 40k a year from the state (wtf?)

I am not sure that Wolf of Wall Street was meant to be a rally cry for the poor disenfranchised bankers, brokers and wannabe Gordon Geckos with hearts made of green ink and cloth paper.

So who exactly is out of touch ?
Your incessant that I lie yet when I post things you argue to try and make it out to be but are foiled.
I did explain about unemployed and trust me, there are tens of thousands on the "equivalent" of £40k salaries and thats a fact.

Anyway, what is wrong with trying to earn as much as you can and give your family the most you can ? I live within my means, have no bailiff knocking at the door yet I have known tough times, didn't have a pot to p1ss in as a kid but I worked hard, blo0dy hard and did everything I can to get the things I dreamed about as a kid and when I got fed up of it I sold it. Its a simple method and ANYONE can do it, just that 99% don't, most of that 99% accept a certain lifestyle and a few moan like hell that it isn't fair but do little to change it.

Pivotal moment in my life.
I was in london working away as no work in the midlands. Wife called me (girlfriend at the time) and told me cooker was on fire. I didn't have the cash to buy a new one and we have a newborn baby.
That changed everything for me and I'm sure everyone here has had such a moment in their life but its what we do when faced with difficult times. There is a huge element of luck too but if you don't give it a shot how can lady luck find you ?

Its obvious we will never agree but I'm gonna keep on trying.

Why are you talking about yourself again? It is irrelevant, and personally I am not really interested.

There are not tens of thousands of individuals on the equivalent of £40k a year from unemployment benefits. That is simply incorrect - you have just plucked numbers out of the air in order to demonise those who are not employed.

"Silly people moaning because others want more." That is the attitude that is going to lead to the destruction of the planet as people are told to not look beyond the end of their noses, to take what they want and to then want more like a pig at the trough. It is that attitude that leads us to gladly shaft the person beside us to get the next promotion. An ethical black hole.