Benefits payments

Stevo_666

Ballysmate wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

PBlakeney wrote:

Robert88 wrote:

17 plate? i.e. 2nd hand? How much belt tightening do you want?

As a perspective, that is newer than most. So not much in the way of belt tightening.
I bought a 2015 last year and I am not belt tightening.

One of the benefits of mugs renting cars is how cheaply you can pick one up three years old with circa 15,000 miles.

I thought I was in a minority of 1 thinking that leasing cars was lunacy.

Nope, its daft. The manufacturers love it for a reason.

Stevo_666

Shortfall wrote:

Gotta love this place. A bloke approaching 40 who can't manage his money comes onto a bike forum and asks for advice on the best way of negotiating the benefits system so he can afford to have children. When people quite rightly tell him that he needs to put his finances in order before even considering starting a family they get roundly criticised for telling him the truth.
No offence intended to the OP (and being as most of us are anonymous here why should I care anyway) but really? Pay of your debts first because having children will cost you tens of thousands of pounds over the long term and entering into fatherhood with a financial millstone already hanging round your neck is a recipe for disaster.

+1

daniel_b

Shortfall wrote:

Gotta love this place. A bloke approaching 40 who can't manage his money comes onto a bike forum and asks for advice on the best way of negotiating the benefits system so he can afford to have children. When people quite rightly tell him that he needs to put his finances in order before even considering starting a family they get roundly criticised for telling him the truth.
No offence intended to the OP (and being as most of us are anonymous here why should I care anyway) but really? Pay of your debts first because having children will cost you tens of thousands of pounds over the long term and entering into fatherhood with a financial millstone already hanging round your neck is a recipe for disaster.

I would have to agree with this.
Personally I was only happy to go down this road when we had some savings, and no debt beyond a mortgage.
How long does the OP have before his credit card loan is cleared would seem to be a critical question.

I believe that in general the overall impact of having children is mahoosively underplayed by society, as I expect the reality would put a lot more people off. Imho ;-)

I know plenty of people who do not have children, maybe not a colossal overall income, but have a cracking existence, going on frequent holidays at whatever time of year they fancy, and will almost certainly retire early, and get to enjoy it properly too.

As for the car rental thing, that's another indicator as to how the mass populus are not the sharpest tools in the box. It's also lazyness, and wanting to have the latest car.
On average, by chance, cars I buy tend to be 7 years old. Currently have a 2001 Volvo V70 T5, with an Lpg conversion. Luxurious and speedy travel, and not yet 130k on the clock.
Was planning to run it to 200k, but am now pondering a Renault trafic van of around 2010 vintage, for human and bike transport.

IF, and it's highly unlikely, we need a smaller vehicle as well, I'd probably look to spend 2-3k on something like a Fiat Panda.
I used to be a major petrolhead, and may return one day if finances allow, but I've lost interest for the timebeing.

rick_chasey

Robert88 wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Nasties are all coming out of the woodwork aren’t they?

Not a “I really hope you find a way to make it work so you can have the joy of having a family”?

Good luck eddy.

That's all well and good Rick, but the OP is looking for some practical advice on his situation so your post above - while very nice - is no use at all.

Right on. Having children is a responsibility that in the Britain of today doesn't seem appropriate for all:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/schoolchildre ... 05530.html

I find it curious you think the problem with people who can't feed their children isn't that they're too poor to feed their own children but that they've had children in the first place.


What are you, some 19th Century factory owner?

robert88

Rick Chasey wrote:

Robert88 wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Nasties are all coming out of the woodwork aren’t they?

Not a “I really hope you find a way to make it work so you can have the joy of having a family”?

Good luck eddy.

That's all well and good Rick, but the OP is looking for some practical advice on his situation so your post above - while very nice - is no use at all.

Right on. Having children is a responsibility that in the Britain of today doesn't seem appropriate for all:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/schoolchildre ... 05530.html

I find it curious you think the problem with people who can't feed their children isn't that they're too poor to feed their own children but that they've had children in the first place.


What are you, some 19th Century factory owner?

Hardly. If I was a 19th century factory owner they'd be employed, not wasting their time learning stuff at school.

rick_chasey

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

surrey_commuter

Rick Chasey wrote:

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

It would take a lot to persuade me that luck is the primary determinant of earnings

rick_chasey

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

It would take a lot to persuade me that luck is the primary determinant of earnings

Compare the earnings of an average worker in India and an average U.K. worker and come back to me.

slowmart

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

It would take a lot to persuade me that luck is the primary determinant of earnings

SC It's equally amazing and galling a persons perception of wealth and how it's attained.

You're really lucky to have X, Y or C.....


Yep, the harder i work the luckier I get, now please fuck right off.

rjsterry

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

It would take a lot to persuade me that luck is the primary determinant of earnings

I don't think he said luck was the primary determinant, but that it is a more important influence than people think and that effort and ability have less influence than people think.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ar ... nk/476394/

https://inequality.org/research/success-and-luck/

Stevo_666

Slowmart wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

It would take a lot to persuade me that luck is the primary determinant of earnings

SC It's equally amazing and galling a persons perception of wealth and how it's attained.

You're really lucky to have X, Y or C.....


Yep, the harder i work the luckier I get, now please fark right off.

You make your own luck as they say.

Funny how a lot of people who aren't that successful seem to subscribe to the theory that luck is the main determinant of how successful you are.

surrey_commuter

Rick Chasey wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

It would take a lot to persuade me that luck is the primary determinant of earnings

Compare the earnings of an average worker in India and an average U.K. worker and come back to me.

I am not sure we would agree on a definition of luck

ballysmate

Luck plays a part in all facets of our lives, including work and earning capacities. We can try to increase our odds of being successful by hard work, but this in itself doesn't guarantee success. Right place right time always helps. There is merit in the saying, "I'd rather be lucky than good"

I'm sure that if I had met Liz Hurley 30 odd years ago she would have fallen for my irresistible charms, but hey ho, my bad luck.

rjsterry

Stevo 666 wrote:

Slowmart wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

It would take a lot to persuade me that luck is the primary determinant of earnings

SC It's equally amazing and galling a persons perception of wealth and how it's attained.

You're really lucky to have X, Y or C.....


Yep, the harder i work the luckier I get, now please fark right off.

You make your own luck as they say.

Funny how a lot of people who aren't that successful seem to subscribe to the theory that luck is the main determinant of how successful you are.

Conversely, funny how people who are successful tend to be convinced their success is entirely down to their efforts and talent. The research has been done and the evidence is there. Sure you can take advantage of opportunities or not, but you can only play the cards your dealt. Looking at it the other way, I've seen plenty of successful people and businesses wiped out by events beyond their control.

slowmart

Ballysmate wrote:

Luck plays a part in all facets of our lives, including work and earning capacities. We can try to increase our odds of being successful by hard work, but this in itself doesn't guarantee success. Right place right time always helps. There is merit in the saying, "I'd rather be lucky than good"

I'm sure that if I had met Liz Hurley 30 odd years ago she would have fallen for my irresistible charms, but hey ho, my bad luck.

I doubt Liz has heard of Cannuck let alone visited

Stevo_666

rjsterry wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Slowmart wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

It would take a lot to persuade me that luck is the primary determinant of earnings

SC It's equally amazing and galling a persons perception of wealth and how it's attained.

You're really lucky to have X, Y or C.....


Yep, the harder i work the luckier I get, now please fark right off.

You make your own luck as they say.

Funny how a lot of people who aren't that successful seem to subscribe to the theory that luck is the main determinant of how successful you are.

Conversely, funny how people who are successful tend to be convinced their success is entirely down to their efforts and talent. The research has been done and the evidence is there. Sure you can take advantage of opportunities or not, but you can only play the cards your dealt. Looking at it the other way, I've seen plenty of successful people and businesses wiped out by events beyond their control.

Of course luck plays a part to a greater or lesser extent. But its hard to see how you can get lucky sitting on your ar$e, to put it simplistically. Or look at it another way - look at the story / profile of successful people - the large majority will cite hard work as a contributing factor to that success. I would say that the harder you work, generally the more opportunity there is to get lucky.

surrey_commuter

Believing in luck is akin to believing in an imaginary friend. It really winds me up when people refer to luck as it just feels like a way of absolving themselves of personal responsibility.

ballysmate

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Believing in luck is akin to believing in an imaginary friend. It really winds me up when people refer to luck as it just feels like a way of absolving themselves of personal responsibility.

What's it like to be all powerful to the extent that chance plays no part in your life?

pblakeney

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Believing in luck is akin to believing in an imaginary friend. It really winds me up when people refer to luck as it just feels like a way of absolving themselves of personal responsibility.

Rephrase it to events outwith your control. Good or bad.
Better?

First.Aspect

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Believing in luck is akin to believing in an imaginary friend. It really winds me up when people refer to luck as it just feels like a way of absolving themselves of personal responsibility.

hubris
ˈhjuːbrɪs/
noun
noun: hubris
excessive pride or self-confidence.
"the self-assured hubris among economists was shaken in the late 1980s"
synonyms:
arrogance, conceit, conceitedness, haughtiness, pride, vanity, self-importance, self-conceit, pomposity, superciliousness, feeling of superiority; More
hauteur;
informaluppitiness, big-headedness
"the self-assuring hubris among economists was shaken in the late 1960s"
antonyms:
modesty
(in Greek tragedy) excessive pride towards or defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis

surrey_commuter

Ballysmate wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Believing in luck is akin to believing in an imaginary friend. It really winds me up when people refer to luck as it just feels like a way of absolving themselves of personal responsibility.

What's it like to be all powerful to the extent that chance plays no part in your life?

I like it but I suspect it is not for everybody

surrey_commuter

First Aspect wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Believing in luck is akin to believing in an imaginary friend. It really winds me up when people refer to luck as it just feels like a way of absolving themselves of personal responsibility.

hubris
ˈhjuːbrɪs/
noun
noun: hubris
excessive pride or self-confidence.
"the self-assured hubris among economists was shaken in the late 1980s"
synonyms:
arrogance, conceit, conceitedness, haughtiness, pride, vanity, self-importance, self-conceit, pomposity, superciliousness, feeling of superiority; More
hauteur;
informaluppitiness, big-headedness
"the self-assuring hubris among economists was shaken in the late 1960s"
antonyms:
modesty
(in Greek tragedy) excessive pride towards or defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis

Lots of words but not one of them mentions luck.

surrey_commuter

PBlakeney wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Believing in luck is akin to believing in an imaginary friend. It really winds me up when people refer to luck as it just feels like a way of absolving themselves of personal responsibility.

Rephrase it to events outwith your control. Good or bad.
Better?

Give me an example.

On here you will see many posts about punctures. Some people think they are lucky/unlucky and accept their fate. Many others will suggest ways to minimise punctures.

coopster_the_1st

rjsterry wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Slowmart wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

It would take a lot to persuade me that luck is the primary determinant of earnings

SC It's equally amazing and galling a persons perception of wealth and how it's attained.

You're really lucky to have X, Y or C.....


Yep, the harder i work the luckier I get, now please fark right off.

You make your own luck as they say.

Funny how a lot of people who aren't that successful seem to subscribe to the theory that luck is the main determinant of how successful you are.

Conversely, funny how people who are successful tend to be convinced their success is entirely down to their efforts and talent. The research has been done and the evidence is there. Sure you can take advantage of opportunities or not, but you can only play the cards your dealt. Looking at it the other way, I've seen plenty of successful people and businesses wiped out by events beyond their control.

Name lazy people who have made it?

Personally I cannot think of one lazy fekker who is successful.

BelgianBeerGeek

Coopster the 1st wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Slowmart wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

It would take a lot to persuade me that luck is the primary determinant of earnings

SC It's equally amazing and galling a persons perception of wealth and how it's attained.

You're really lucky to have X, Y or C.....




Yep, the harder i work the luckier I get, now please fark right off.

You make your own luck as they say.

Funny how a lot of people who aren't that successful seem to subscribe to the theory that luck is the main determinant of how successful you are.

Conversely, funny how people who are successful tend to be convinced their success is entirely down to their efforts and talent. The research has been done and the evidence is there. Sure you can take advantage of opportunities or not, but you can only play the cards your dealt. Looking at it the other way, I've seen plenty of successful people and businesses wiped out by events beyond their control.

Name lazy people who have made it?

Personally I cannot think of one lazy fekker who is successful.

The Royal Family. Donald Trumps kids. Feck, George Bush’s kids. Margaret Thatcher’s kids. The current Duke of Westminster I could go on.

Pross

Ballysmate wrote:

Luck plays a part in all facets of our lives, including work and earning capacities. We can try to increase our odds of being successful by hard work, but this in itself doesn't guarantee success. Right place right time always helps. There is merit in the saying, "I'd rather be lucky than good"

I'm sure that if I had met Liz Hurley 30 odd years ago she would have fallen for my irresistible charms, but hey ho, my bad luck.

Let's face it, she fell for Shane Warne's charms so it may well have come down to the luck of the draw in meeting her or not!

ballysmate

Surrey Commuter wrote:

PBlakeney wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Believing in luck is akin to believing in an imaginary friend. It really winds me up when people refer to luck as it just feels like a way of absolving themselves of personal responsibility.

Rephrase it to events outwith your control. Good or bad.
Better?

Give me an example.

On here you will see many posts about punctures. Some people think they are lucky/unlucky and accept their fate. Many others will suggest ways to minimise punctures.

An example?
Someone builds a business with a strong customer base across the EU. Unfortunately his fellow citizens vote unexpectedly to leave the EU, thereby wrecking his business. For the sake of argument, let's call it Brexit.

Has he been unlucky as the situation evolved beyond his control?
Has he been remiss in not working hard enough and perhaps failing to take responsibility?

Perhaps he could look to find ways to adapt his business to the new circumstances, thereby taking back responsibility and try to regain some control of his destiny?
Or perhaps he could do the same as some others have done, join a cycle forum and go on and drip like a septic arsehole how bad the situation is?
What would you do?

ballysmate

Pross wrote:

Ballysmate wrote:

Luck plays a part in all facets of our lives, including work and earning capacities. We can try to increase our odds of being successful by hard work, but this in itself doesn't guarantee success. Right place right time always helps. There is merit in the saying, "I'd rather be lucky than good"

I'm sure that if I had met Liz Hurley 30 odd years ago she would have fallen for my irresistible charms, but hey ho, my bad luck.

Let's face it, she fell for Shane Warne's charms so it may well have come down to the luck of the draw in meeting her or not!

I think she was literally (Can I say literally, here?) dazzled by his new gnashers.

BelgianBeerGeek

Ballysmate wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

PBlakeney wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Believing in luck is akin to believing in an imaginary friend. It really winds me up when people refer to luck as it just feels like a way of absolving themselves of personal responsibility.

Rephrase it to events outwith your control. Good or bad.
Better?

Give me an example.

On here you will see many posts about punctures. Some people think they are lucky/unlucky and accept their fate. Many others will suggest ways to minimise punctures.

An example?
Someone builds a business with a strong customer base across the EU. Unfortunately his fellow citizens vote unexpectedly to leave the EU, thereby wrecking his business. For the sake of argument, let's call it Brexit.








Has he been unlucky as the situation evolved beyond his control?
Has he been remiss in not working hard enough and perhaps failing to take responsibility?

Perhaps he could look to find ways to adapt his business to the new circumstances, thereby taking back responsibility and try to regain some control of his destiny?
Or perhaps he could do the same as some others have done, join a cycle forum and go on and drip like a septic arsehole how bad the situation is?
What would you do?

The latter, Bally, definitely the latter.

Stevo_666

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

Coopster the 1st wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Slowmart wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Broadly speaking we're lucky to not be hungry and we as a society put way too much value on individual actions and way too little on luck when it comes to people's what people earn and the wealth they have. That much has been empirically proved over and over again.

It would take a lot to persuade me that luck is the primary determinant of earnings

SC It's equally amazing and galling a persons perception of wealth and how it's attained.

You're really lucky to have X, Y or C.....




Yep, the harder i work the luckier I get, now please fark right off.

You make your own luck as they say.

Funny how a lot of people who aren't that successful seem to subscribe to the theory that luck is the main determinant of how successful you are.

Conversely, funny how people who are successful tend to be convinced their success is entirely down to their efforts and talent. The research has been done and the evidence is there. Sure you can take advantage of opportunities or not, but you can only play the cards your dealt. Looking at it the other way, I've seen plenty of successful people and businesses wiped out by events beyond their control.

Name lazy people who have made it?

Personally I cannot think of one lazy fekker who is successful.

The Royal Family. Donald Trumps kids. Feck, George Bush’s kids. Margaret Thatcher’s kids. The current Duke of Westminster I could go on.

Nope, success involved achieving something yourself to get your reward. The lot you list are just passively in receipt of somebody else's past successes.