new normal '

Thrifty tips, ideas, news & experiences on anything around the home to shopping to re-cycling etc.
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: new normal '

Post by Mo »

Well said LL
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: new normal '

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all,
Well a long time has pasted and many things have happened and maybe about to happen again.



IS ain`t it good to be in a country that you can say what you like as long as it is PC and not opposite someone else .


Though I do not argue against a lot of things said , I think history cannot be changed only the future .

Nat. Trust Houses are in the news .
Maybe the answer is knock them down like the statutes .

I still believe that as a nation we all know what is right and wrong , but we should always remember that we must be first as if we are failing we will not be able to help others .

I have helped many people and will continue to help others where possible as long as it does me no harm . Trouble is others sometimes are not trust worthy and would never help anyone else or themselves .
(Except to what is not rightfully theirs. )

Generation have different points of view which can reflect the times they where brought up with .
Older generation mostly would not seek help .
Younger generation would not stop to ask as they are / was brought up that way .

Others just expect it as a right that there fore fathers fought for .

If as a country we will survive we will have to use all our skills we have , put as much effort into succeeding and helping those around to do the same in the hope that sometime in the future they may remember these hard times and help those in return .


NHS was such a great service . But remember they asked for more pay . The answer came no way .
This is the real world we live in .
Having money is not a crime , the crime is what one does with it .
They have to live with themselves and as long as they can then who are we to take from them what is theirs .
Some say rich people that had good fortune to be silver spoon fed from families of 100 years ago should lose it .
What is the difference in 1,000,000 pounds and someone who has a pension pot , house , lived careful and passes it on to their next generation .
Those that live on nothing and are happy through choice should not be troubled over people that have worked etc for the wealth they have .

I believe if I was a road sweeper , I would have the cleanest road in the country .
So if I can put the little skills I have gained in my life to some use I will be happy .

A lot said but truly we live in a mixed country and all have some thing to give , I only hope that we all step up and be counted in these trouble times .
The youngsters got praised for the help to neighbours and aged .
Neighbours watched out for each other .
We stepped up and soon forgot .

Bob
Keep safe and well as if not you will not be any help to each other .
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: new normal '

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , Is this normal go to University and not allowed to go home .
Also pay lots and get little back in value .
What chance a job at the end based on that education .
No jobs as such around so putting it off for 4 years maybe a good plan .
Trouble is even if I give my job up and retire , my job would not be replaced .
Could stay at work to pay for the national debt though.
What I ponder on is that the house prices may drop due to lots of people forced to sell mid range homes as no work/pay and need to downsize literally causing more homes than buyers causing a reduced value in the properties and a long term lack of capital for those still with houses .
My private pension I had been paying for 40 years was last December when it came to the end was worth 29,000 pounds a mere 1000 pounds per YEAR .
Did not take it and still pay in to it with the option of taking anytime .
I got the statement that it was now worth 27,000 pounds even though I have paid more into it .
This based on stock market prices .
I do not need this as I have a final salary pension still , which is one of the last in the country .
But it is a eye opener for those that maybe thinking of retiring and or retired with an income from the same sort of pension scheme that what they believed they could live on that they can not and are forced to work on .
I get my state pension at Xmas as retirement age and again not sure what to do defer it or take it .
I have got to get a pension adviser through work but even this is difficult due to COVD 19 .
Doctors are a joke now .
How`s this They text me get an appointment Diabetic etc .
They after being 10 in queue for 3 attempts and time is precious .
It went like this wait a month for blood test then 3 days later phone call appointment .
Bring my own bottle of wee sample , do my own blood pressure test . all with a nurse .Doctor not to be seen for love maybe money .
If doctors are hiding behind COVD 19 what chance have we .
Save the doctors throw the nurses at it .
Hats off to them all but for a person that hates phone calls with a passion it does not do me any good . Like to see your eyes and that you are out of your bed clothes ….
Well I have thrown a few more topics in and I am sure this new normal is good for someone .
Last one I will not be getting a phone replacement , my 20 year old pager type is good enough for me .
Keep well and safe .
Anybody got pension advise or experience be great to hear as more views will be good .
Here is another one . remember the coal miner industry . Did anyone care what happen to those people thrown out of work in Maggie`s era . Bet the office people did not .
Maybe wrong but someone supported her . i wonder if the ex-miners are filling the same for the office people etc .

I truly believe what goes round comes round again , Just ducked that boomerang passed .
Bob
Keep well and safe .
see me over the park watching the kids knock a ball about for free . Worthh a million pounds each player .


Bob
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: new normal '

Post by Mo »

Watch out in the park. People will start suspecting you if you stand and watch kids playing. They say nasty things about Lewis Carrol and his friendship with 'Alice' (No idea if there is any grounds but it's a shame if you can't enjoy innocent children innocently).
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
User avatar
lancashire lass
Legendary Laner
Posts: 6528
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 15:17

Re: new normal '

Post by lancashire lass »

bikesandbirdsbob wrote:Hi , Is this normal go to University and not allowed to go home .
Also pay lots and get little back in value .
What chance a job at the end based on that education .
No jobs as such around so putting it off for 4 years maybe a good plan .


Well, it's not normal but these are not normal times. And universities take in students from across the country and abroad so the movement of Covid will be high. If we learned anything from the national lock down, reducing the movement of people put the brakes on spreading the virus. Universities are basically places of lock down at a time when cases are on the rise.

A discussion came up recently when a colleague's daughter was considering whether to go to university or not - my answer was: while in education, you are getting an education and learning new skills but if you don't take this opportunity, what is the alternative? Unemployment is rising because of the lock downs and reduced output due to restrictions so trying to get a job with no work experience will be difficult as it is, never mind competing with those who have been made redundant and also looking for work.

As for the cost of education and getting little back in value, I would disagree. Two people apply for a job - a school leaver or someone with work experience, and the other is a graduate. The graduate is more likely to get the job. Many universities including the one where I work, don't just provide an education but work experience as part of the degree where they put what they learn into practice. And often an employer may even offer them a job at the end of it. I remember back in the early 80s when applying for jobs as a "school leaver" that many jobs advertised wanted people who were experienced which made finding work even more difficult - how can I get experience if I can't get a job?

And then there's the education level - many employers would rather take on someone with a higher education. Take for example my own job. I have over 35 years working in different university labs with a wide range of skills and experience that I have built up operating and maintaining various lab equipment, health & safety and procedures which are all relevant. Yet when applying for jobs on a higher grade where I match all the criteria required, it is nearly always the post doctorates who are offered the post. A post doctorate has published papers in a specific field and are "experts" in a very narrow academic area but when it comes down to lab management, they turn to those on lower grades with skills for help to show them what to do. From my point of view, it feels unfair that post doctorates are poaching jobs that traditionally used to have an established career path for those who were not interested in the academic side of the job.

As for the cost - well yes, students do end up with a large debt but they only start to pay it back once they start earning £26,575 a year. If graduates are not successful in obtaining their high paying dream job, they are unlikely to be paying back the loan. But in my opinion, those who are successful should pay, after all, their loan was paid for by tax payers and should be returned.
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: new normal '

Post by Mo »

All that is very true.
It is a shame if the students miss out on the parts of University life that I enjoyed. Meeting like-minded people, forming lifelong friendships. Though I can't see the fun in massing in bars and nightclubs which seems to be what some do. I was lucky to go to University at a time when a full grant covered all my costs, but I never expected it to stretch to a lot of socialising (tea in the Union seemed like an extravagance, but on my father's wage we had to be frugal).
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: new normal '

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi firstly , I hate football with a passion . Therefore would not go to the park to watch children , it is a shame though that to enjoy children even in a egg and spoon race is a terrible reflection on our way of life .
Education is a thing that I believe in . Media studies is one I cannot get my head round .
Time will tell .
The world is going to be different so different things are going to be needed . The day of a Dustman needing other than a driving licence etc is stupid and will leave the manual labour (Poor related jobs ) not being a slur but realistic , done by degree students that can not use the education they have gained.
older folk will be put on scrap heap before there time let alone 70 years old.
In 10 years time I will look back on this and hopefully say how wrong I was .
Bob
Apprenticeships in a big company
User avatar
lancashire lass
Legendary Laner
Posts: 6528
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 15:17

Re: new normal '

Post by lancashire lass »

bikesandbirdsbob wrote:older folk will be put on scrap heap before there time let alone 70 years old


if you are referring to retirement, then I'm all for bringing the day of retirement down to 65 (with the option of carrying on if you so wished) I could understand why the age was increased because the majority of people were living longer and the state pension was not designed for long term payments. However, it always seemed like it would work against young people if all the old folk were occupying the jobs and hogging top positions (because of their years of experience and seniority) And some jobs are really for young people - parts of my job are physically demanding which I now find difficult as I get older. I really can't see myself lifting and pushing heavy loads as I am doing now (weights for women accepted by HSE - but I don't think the guidelines were written for women in their late 60s/early 70s!)
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: new normal '

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

I think if I retire the job will disappear with me , also the pay will be different as there is 3 tiers of work force depending on start dates .
Agree that pushing loads around is for fitter people but how many degrees do you need to do it .
we work in different industries and my view of the world is different .
I have seen 70 year old LORRY drivers on contract working and he does the same work with experience and to tell him to go and let a younger person do it would be difficult .
The problem being is that if you did not prepare a pension pot or a plan for older age , or even not had the chance or lost it for various reason of personal circumstances you can be in just a bad situation as a youngster .
Old and young fighting for the same work . Bad news for pay as this makes pay rates go down .
Stagnation is what I fear the most .
People stopping buying as tomorrow the price maybe lower .
People with little funds to pay for anything and debit rising , forced to sell homes at reduced prices , causing negative equity and those that can remember how long that took to recover from .


There are no money trees out there , As plastic money maybe oil wells will take up the strain .


Class system will be different those that are doing well and those that are not .
Just because someone had money 6 months ago does not mean they have it now . It depends where it was put .
property - commercial buildings , not a good idea , cash - currency who knows where the pound will end up , or any other currency .
Pension as said previously are devalued .


Big one will be GOVERNMENT bills .no income and more devaluation (black Friday )
There is a lot to lose over the next few months and I would not like to be in anyone shoes that has to guide us through it .
Why no BUDGET . To doggy to do .
Keep safe and well and look after your well being , as you cannot look after others if you are not in a good place yourself .
I will be trying to look after those around me but I can not take on the world at large .
Bob
I am sure even more in this one to think about the future normal .
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: new normal '

Post by Mo »

I agree Bob.
bikesandbirdsbob wrote: 28 Sep 2020, 23:53 look after your well being , as you cannot look after others if you are not in a good place yourself .
I will be trying to look after those around me but I can not take on the world at large .
Trouble is what some people mean by that is 'carry on with our afluent lifestyle, holidays to all corners of the global but complain about every penny given in foreign aid. Admittedly it needs to be targeted carefully but if we leave the rest of the world in poverty and suffering from the climate crisis our lifestyle has caused they will all try to come here either as economic migrants or to escape the unrest poverty causes.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: new normal '

Post by Mo »

It would take politicians across the world with a lot more foresight and courage than normal to do the right thing though. And how do you stop the control freaks and liars taking over for their own gain. Even in so-called democracies.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
User avatar
lancashire lass
Legendary Laner
Posts: 6528
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 15:17

Re: new normal '

Post by lancashire lass »

bikesandbirdsbob wrote: 28 Sep 2020, 23:53 Agree that pushing loads around is for fitter people but how many degrees do you need to do it .
If I was at work instead of home working, it could be daily. Admittedly not all the time but even moving something heavy just the once (within the HSE guidelines) causes aches and pains the following day.
bikesandbirdsbob wrote: 28 Sep 2020, 23:53 The problem being is that if you did not prepare a pension pot or a plan for older age , or even not had the chance or lost it for various reason of personal circumstances you can be in just a bad situation as a youngster
True, but if state pension was brought back down to 65 instead of 67+ age group, then there is some income but is not always enough.

I was lucky with my first job when it was compulsory to contribute to a superannuation. It was during that period of employment when my father (the main bread winner when I was living at home) passed away and my mother was not in a position to get work (during the early 1980s when unemployment was high when much of the local industries and retailers collapsed) - it was fortunate that when we had lived abroad my father had paid into an annuity and it was made immediately available to support my mother. However, the value of the local currency dropped quite substantially a few years later as a result of political change in that country and the pension became worthless - my mother struggled living on the state pension alone.

I have paid into one retirement fund or other my entire working life after that experience but I have seen many work colleagues who have baulked at the idea in preference to spending their salary on other things like holidays and clothes ... I planned ahead for my retirement and did without a lot of things (to be fair, I also had a mortgage and other financial commitments so there wasn't much money to spend on frivolous things anyway) but I do ask the question of whether I should feel sorry for those who had opportunity but decided not to plan their retirement when they were younger?

With my retirement date coming closer, I do wonder about the pension schemes I have paid towards in the past and what they had been invested in ... so many were most likely invested in oil which back then was probably a good idea but with a sudden shift to climate change and greener options, they are probably not going to be that good.
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: new normal '

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , Anyone that has a pension plan that they paid into for years and is planning or maybe soon forced to retire NEEDS to have a look and check its value .

If it is invested in companies like most pension plans are , if healthy ones or world destroyers you may be surprised what they maybe worth .
My private pot was valued at 29 ,000 pounds giving the massive 1,000 pounds a year pension, after paying 40 pounds into it for 40 years .
Now it is worth 27,000 pounds even though I have continued paying the 40 pounds a month still .
you may decide to actual stay in work another year or longer to get the pension up to a worth while one.

Saving the planet is a good thing to do , but you still have to survive on it by the means at your disposal .

Funny the same sort of discussions are being done by PM and others on up skilling and learning new work , but not the youngsters the next generation up.

I will again look back over this and see what becomes actual .

Keep well and safe where ever you are and please do a risk ass. on what you do before you do it . Space is the key unfortunately .
Bob
Post Reply