 Poster: A snowHead
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Don't know how many SHs also getting financially squeezed. I'm sure plenty. The squeeze on me is being to grip and vultures (banks, revenue) circling. I am ok now, but I could be up sh@ts creek this time next year (and possibly much sooner than that) depending on how some ongoing issues pan out.
Anyway have just paid out 3k for Easter in stanton. F@!k it. If disaster comes to pass, I'm f'd, and it won't have made blind bit of difference if I had skiied 6 times this year or not at all. In fact, if I cud pay for next years holiday NOW I would.
Anyone else in same boat?!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not me but you have EXACTLY the right attitude, now get out there and get skiing and good luck for the coming months!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Anyway have just paid out 3k for Easter in stanton.
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For that much do you get to keep it?
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andyrew, we're not all as tight as Scots
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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we're not all as tight as Scots
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one man's tight is another man's prudent. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Depends if its just for him or a family as to whether its pricey or not
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3K for easter this season in St Anton are you serious?
No one told you as esster is so early half the town & mountain bars
are closing on easter sunday!
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It's not that bad, includes ski passes and we are staying at anthonys hotel which is bringing us above budget a bit but it looks like a smashing place. It is actually week before easter. Could have done it 600 cheaper but had to go whole hog. Cud have saved a lot more by not going at all, but, as I said at start,I would have been saving it for bank; OTOH banks can't take money off you if you've already spent it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Not far away from where you are patricksh, packed in financial services in the new year to do something with no stress and more enjoyment. Going OK so far, but a bad month or two could finish me financially. With that in mind, I decided that we should get a trip in now while the credit cards are still in operation. 7 more sleeps 
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patricksh, the fact that you are laying bare your precarious financial position openly on the internet surprises. As indeed your rather dismissive nature as to it's outcome. Incredibly surprised you feel quite happy blowing £3k on one trip... for what 2 people? The psychologist in me tells me either you expect your financial position to be maintained or you are trying too hard to justify the frivolous nature of your spending, looking for others to make you feel good about it. Which is it
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Layne, I'm just deactivating my frontal lobe. I've always been one of good guys but am being singled out by revenue and banks because I am easy target and they perceive me as someone they can etract / extort from. They can f+@k off.. I have the cash in the bank to pay for holiday and if I win my case with them I'll be fine (apart from solicitor and accountant fees), but if not, it is many many multiples of 3k I'll need. I think you'd have to be in position or someone in yiur family in the position to understand.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Layne wrote: |
| The psychologist in me tells me either you expect your financial position to be maintained or you are trying too hard to justify the frivolous nature of your spending, looking for others to make you feel good about it. Which is it |
The psychologist in you seems to be a bit out of touch with reality. For decades, people have been able to plan for a reasonably secure financial future. Now, they have to work hard and hope that it works out OK. I would be surprised if more than 1% of the population could be certain that their income is guaranteed for next year (other than the dole scroungers.) Maybe 15-20% have savings to see them through a couple of years. For the rest of us, work hard and cross fingers. If it works, well and good. If it doesn't, in most cases, 3k isn't going to be an influence on the final outcome.
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patricksh,
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| I've always been one of good guys but am being singled out by revenue and banks because I am easy target and they perceive me as someone they can etract / extort from. |
I've added paranioa to my diagnosis. Seriously though if you are a good guy and have done nothing wrong I doubt there will be a problem. The revenue especially are more incompetent than extortionists IM(all be it limited)E.
Thornyhill,
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| The psychologist in you seems to be a bit out of touch with reality. For decades, people have been able to plan for a reasonably secure financial future. Now, they have to work hard and hope that it works out OK. I would be surprised if more than 1% of the population could be certain that their income is guaranteed for next year (other than the dole scroungers.) Maybe 15-20% have savings to see them through a couple of years. For the rest of us, work hard and cross fingers. If it works, well and good. If it doesn't, in most cases, 3k isn't going to be an influence on the final outcome. |
That's nothing to do with psychology, that's economics and househould budgeting. The question is how many posts have you seen on SH's asking folks to ratify blowing £3k on their ski holiday. There are plenty of people who talk about budget and what is good value or not but that's a different matter. He asked if anyone was in the same boat... just seems an odd question to me. What if no one is in the same boat... what's he going to do then? If as you say, it's obvious there a loads in the same boat... why ask?
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You know it makes sense.
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| Layne wrote: |
That's nothing to do with psychology, that's economics and househould budgeting........... If as you say, it's obvious there a loads in the same boat... why ask? |
Financial security used to be about household budgeting. Now it is about keeping on the right side of the people who lost a pile of cash and want to get something back. That would be banks and inland revenue. They target people who can't afford to take the risk of not paying. As an example, I had a dispute with HMRC over a 20k tax bill that they invented in 2007. I knew my figures were correct, but couldn't risk it going to county court as a CCJ would have been end of career in financial services. (You only have to get the judge on a bad day....right and wrong has nothing to do with it.) Once I had packed in financial services, a CCJ would no longer hurt. After 5 years of constant threats and argument, I sent them a letter stating that I was no longer in financial services and they should arrange a county court hearings ASAP. 5 days later they had 'reviewed my returns' and decided that I was in fact correct. OK - you might say this is a one off, but I have been through similar scenarios with endless clients over the past 5 years. Banks are probably worse.
The hard bit comes when you decide to fight them. If you win, justice is served. If you lose, you probably lose everything. If you win, a 3k ski trip is nothing. If you lose, a 3k ski trip is nothing......but it is still 3k. Patricksh is still at the point where he is relating the 3k to household budget, but has realised that if you are going to fight a bank or HMRC, 3k is about an hour of legal representation.
Answer on question - Layne........would you rather go down for £1,000,000 and not take your family skiing, or go down for £1,003,000 and at least have some good memories?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Yes we are all screwed......I received £100 less this month than I did the same month last year...book it, enjoy it and fingers crossed for you patricksh. However, have faith in this current government. They have stopped borrowing, they are targeting massive companies who pay no tax or decide to donate a certain amounts to ensure they pay their way and they are screwing the unemployed with more welfare cuts to follow which will have similar effects to the poll tax riots.....we are in this together.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thornyhill, don't bother answering layne. I have no idea what his situation is, but what has made me bitter over last 3-4 years is those often in receipt of generous benefits or payments (that you are paying for) who then clamour that you are making too much money and how dare you be able to afford a holiday at all. Not saying he is in that boat, but I am killing myself working day and night and giving up most of what I make and they are still coming after the rest. I have spent 20 years working to where I am now, saving when others were spending, this was supposed to be time of my life and all of a sudden rules change for many of us. We are all trying to get thru this recession with our sanity and health still intact but these crusties who are either on benefits or very safe protected jobs who become so judgmental regarding things they clearly no nothing about is quite annoying
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Stayed at Anthony's HB the best hotel in town great location steak house down stairs is very popular the rooms are great as is the sauna,and roof top hot tub ,it's one of the best ski hotels I have ever stayed in,you will soon forget any worries leave them at the airport 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Anyway, for information, if your personal accounts were being audited and you had stayed in a 250-quid a night hotel during your holidays (it is working out less than that for me thru package) that would be considered quite acceptable. 600 quid a night may raise questions you don't need.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I believe you have your own private bank of good times. And the best thing about this bank is that once you make a deposit, no matter how bad it gets, they can never take those good times away from you. Go skiing and you will ALWAYS be in credit.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| However, have faith in this current government. They have stopped borrowing |
Eh what?  Seriously they are a billion miles from stopping borrowing, the deficit never mind the debt (which continues to ballon) has barely been dented and slashing capital expenditure while pursuing economic policies for the few that have the UK falling into a triple dip recession is hardly deserving of faith!
The Scottish Government has managed to maintain infrastructure investment at a far higher relative level despite the slashing of their capital funding through negative barnet consequentials from the slashing of infrastructure and development funding by the UK government. Should point out that the Scottish Government don't currently have any borrowing powers, they have to balance the budget every year - no exception, yet delivery of one of the biggest infrastructure investment projects in a generation in the new Forth Crossing is underway to complete the M90. The M80 and M74 have been completed since the financial crises started and the first preparity ground works for the M8 completion project is about to start, and ground investigation contracts for the first 2 sections of the A9 upgrade to motorway standard dual carriageway have just been awarded for Alvie Woods (Kincraig to Dalraddy just south of Aviemore) and the stretch that will link the two sections of dual carriageway North of Perth.
These are some of the big ticket projects, but smaller ones like the reopening of Connon Bridge Station after over 50 years a few weeks ago are also helping improve infrastructure, support local economies and the construction sector. There was much trumpetting about a 14,000 reduction in unemployment last month, 13,000 of that figure came from Scotland alone, 1,000 from the rest of the UK and that was the balance of the devolved administrations in Wales and NI, it's going the other way where Westminster is the sole government responsible. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Winterhighland, I think he's being ironic....
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Winterhighland, I think SJ might have been joking !!!
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Winterhighland,
Ignore Smokin Joe, if yoiu go into the apres section you will realise he is an unreconstructed Thatcherite.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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holidayloverxx, yes, ironic is a better word, the bacon stottie hasn't got through to my fuzzy brain yet.
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| Thornyhill wrote: |
would you rather go down for £1,000,000 and not take your family skiing, or go down for £1,003,000 and at least have some good memories?
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That's a pretty sensible attitude if you're fairly certain you're going under anyway, but it doesn't sound as good if you rephrase it:
..would you rather go bankrupt owing £3000 and have taken your family skiing, or manage to keep your head above water?
Still up to you which you'd rather do - some would say stuff it, take the holiday and give their creditors a headache. Others would choose not to take themselves into debt for the luxury of a ski holiday, and spend some time being miserable at home instead. I doubt there's much argument about which is the more responsible choice, but as for what most people would actually do...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thornyhill, I don't want to get in a ruck about whether the revenue and banks are targetting the weak or ruining peoples lives. I haven't seen it happen to anybody I know (who was innocent) but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. For sure those are two sets of people you want to stay on the right side of.
patricksh, I wasn't trying to be judgemental per se. But you started the thread and bared your financial backside in public. You specifically asked the question "Anyone else in same boat?!". I merely questioned why you asked? And it seems to me reading your subsequent post you are feeling a bit picked on, a bit under the cosh. And perhaps feeling a tad of guilt as a consequence for spending the money on a ski holiday. My advice is once you've made the decision, go and enjoy it and don't feel guilty about it.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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My advice is once you've made the decision, go and enjoy it and don't feel guilty about it.
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+1
lots of people feeling the squeeze; we certainly have. Its very stressful. Ill give up a lot of things but if I can get away with a holiday I'll do it - it helps to keep you going and carry on battling IMO.
patricksh, enjoy your hol; I hope things work out for you.
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| T Bar wrote: |
Winterhighland,
Ignore Smokin Joe, if yoiu go into the apres section you will realise he is an unreconstructed Thatcherite. |
For the record, Thatcher paid down a significant proportion of our national debt - unlike the gormless bunch we have now.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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unlike the gormless bunch we have now
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The biggest problem I see is there is no one better to vote for 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| davidof wrote: |
| or a default of some kind. |
That is about the only real option. Too many years of Blair using the silly service to massage unemployment figures, with 'growth' being funded by a borrow and spend policy. It wasn't really growth. Now the actual producers in the economy can't keep up with payment to non producers (civil service, dole scroungers, pensioners.) A big part of the economy is based around the service sector. They sort of fall between producers and non producers. Only way we can avoid a default at some point in the future is to start making stuff that we can sell to other countries or get rid of all the non producers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Dot., agreed.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Bloody hell it's the civil servants fault, haven't heard that for a while.........
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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To bring it back to skiing.... why is has the pound gone weak just before my trip to the alps?
...and why does this seem to happen every winter? Is this connected to SHs and their large bar bills?
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 3-03-13 22:05; edited 1 time in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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anarski, I was just wondering that myself.
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of course a financial advisor would suggest you go skiing every month of the year so you benefit from the both the peaks and troughs...
(please send me £50 if you act on that)
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anarski, not every month, but I do visit France at least 5 times a year. I benefited from the high of early January.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| anarski wrote: |
of course a financial advisor would suggest you go skiing every month of the year so you benefit from the both the peaks and troughs...
(please send me £50 if you act on that) |
can't beat pound cost averaging to iron out those bumps and dips. excellent plan
Smokin Joe, I am not blaming the civil servants themselves, but any business run the way the civil service is run would fail post haste.
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FAQ
) then well, things would not have been great north of the border, a sort of Greece meets Iceland.
