BRFR Cake Stop 'breaking news' miscellany

[BoldonLad]

It is even worse now. After the Headteacher that committed suicide after a poor Ofsted rating, Ofsted vowed to change the rating system and make it less pressured for schools. They have actually introduced more ratings and made the headings even more vague and speculative. My mate is a Primary Headteacher, he said to make matters worse you also get a report card now. If 19 sections are amazing and one is crap, I believe you get rated at the lowest rating, which I would suggest creates more pressure.

Yes, five teachers in my family. One had a job (Software Engineer) before entering teaching, the others four straight into teaching from university. Four of them whine about Ofsted.

 

[BoldonLad]

I am amazed by the number of brand new £30-40k+ cars I see on the road. The majority must surely be on finance. Each to their own, but never understood it personally.

Approx 20% of new car registrations in the UK are Motorbility Cars, then there will be a tranch of “Company” cars, so a high proportion are not paid for by individuals. But, like you, I do marvel at the amount of money tied up in tin boxes.

 

[Pross]

I miss having a company car. Less than £100 per month tax for a car with all the servicing, insurance, tyres and other costs covered. I could never work out the people who took the allowance instead, I just couldn’t get the maths to work out considering there were age limits on the car you were allowed to use.

That said, the amount of people I know who claim to be skint all the time driving cars that cost £30k plus is weird. This was someone in a couple of choirs and running club with me; mid 20’s, job just above minimum wage,
lives at home, always skipping subs fit the groups we’re in as he has no money, complaining he couldn’t get finance for the brand new car he wanted as he’d only missed one payment on his previous plan.

 

[Dorset Boy]

Maybe, just maybe, some people like driving around in a newer car, and are happy to accept that the finance cost is the cost of owning it.
You know, a bit like people buying a new bike every few years, or anything that depreciates in value.
Or anything else new for that matter.
They're effectively writing off the cost against their perceived enjoyment.

 

[Pross]

Maybe, just maybe, some people like driving around in a newer car, and are happy to accept that the finance cost is the cost of owning it.
You know, a bit like people buying a new bike every few years, or anything that depreciates in value.
Or anything else new for that matter.
They're effectively writing off the cost against their perceived enjoyment.

I agree, a new car is nice to be in especially if you cover a lot of miles. I certainly miss the days of getting a new one every 2.5 - 3 years. However, there are a lot of people who must be stretching their finances to drive the cars they have effectively on a long-term hire as they never pay the balloon. You also have the stress of dealing with the lease company’s interpretation of fair wear and tear when handing it back ie if it doesn’t go back looking like it came out of the showroom they’ll try to charge you.

 

[Dorset Boy]

I agree, a new car is nice to be in especially if you cover a lot of miles. I certainly miss the days of getting a new one every 2.5 - 3 years. However, there are a lot of people who must be stretching their finances to drive the cars they have effectively on a long-term hire as they never pay the balloon. You also have the stress of dealing with the lease company’s interpretation of fair wear and tear when handing it back ie if it doesn’t go back looking like it came out of the showroom they’ll try to charge you.

We've had PCPs on at least 5 years, and the handing back has never been an issue. We even had a pheasant take out a wing mirror the night before handing back and that was fine, and not charged. I'm sure it does help if you are replacing the car with the same company though!

And yes, nothing wrong with treating it as a long term hire.

I wouldn't want to spend £200 on a ticket to the royal Ballet, but others would do that 4 or 5 times a year as a couple.
Some people buy season tickets for their football team at £5k a year.

But clearly some on here think they know how others shouldn't spend their own money.

The only issue is if people are living beyond their means and have no savings to fall back on in hard times.

 

[BoldonLad]

I agree, a new car is nice to be in especially if you cover a lot of miles. I certainly miss the days of getting a new one every 2.5 - 3 years. However, there are a lot of people who must be stretching their finances to drive the cars they have effectively on a long-term hire as they never pay the balloon. You also have the stress of dealing with the lease company’s interpretation of fair wear and tear when handing it back ie if it doesn’t go back looking like it came out of the showroom they’ll try to charge you.

Isn't that true of lots of thing? I know NMW earners who have expensive holidays, even expensive tattoos, beauty treatments, private education, private healthcare, etc etc, there must be lots of people stretching their finances to live "somewhere nice" (although that may ultimately be an investment). It is what I like to call "personal choice", and, provided they do not expect me to pay for their choices, I have no issue with it. I do also expect to be allowed to have my personal choices of course, with the same proviso, ie, if I choose to spend my cash that way, then, I bear the consequences, if any.

 

[Ian H]

I agree, a new car is nice to be in especially if you cover a lot of miles. I certainly miss the days of getting a new one every 2.5 - 3 years. However, there are a lot of people who must be stretching their finances to drive the cars they have effectively on a long-term hire as they never pay the balloon. You also have the stress of dealing with the lease company’s interpretation of fair wear and tear when handing it back ie if it doesn’t go back looking like it came out of the showroom they’ll try to charge you.

We had lease-hire cars for the directors. I found the task of finding a new car each time rather tedious, so tended to choose only from dealers adjacent to the factory or near my home, whatever the make.

 

[AuroraSaab]

I wouldn't lease a car as it's not the best value in my current circumstances but some of the deals aren't bad. It always felt like the same as the renting vs buying dilemma, but I think people don't view car ownership the same way these days. They budget what they can afford to spend per month and think less about having an asset at the end. Actually owning the car is of less importance these days.

 

[Pblakeney]

I wouldn't lease a car as it's not the best value in my current circumstances but some of the deals aren't bad. It always felt like the same as the renting vs buying dilemma, but I think people don't view car ownership the same way these days. They budget what they can afford to spend per month and think less about having an asset at the end. Actually owning the car is of less importance these days.

My issue is people taking out “what they can afford” then complaining that they cannot afford other things, and have next to no savings.
In other words, they can’t afford what they think they can.

 

[Psamathe]

Also, the same madness which gave us everyone having a degree, it then becomes necessary to have a Masters, or Phd or whatever to stand out from the "crowd".

Masters and doctorate are not just higher grades on a standard degree but indicate further more specialised and different education/research.

eg degree is generally taught whereas a Phd is generally research and publications. Very different nature and very different assessment. My experience of my own masters is that is sat between normal degree and Phd ie some taught but a very significant part novel research (new as in not just repeating experiments but moving into unknowns.

 

[First Aspect]

People are being a bit judgy about this. Reliability is one reason people want newer cars. And depending on how much of your day you need to spend in one, it's understandable if it matters whether or not it's nice.

People just have different priorities.

I think half the cycling community wastes money on new bikes and kit, t9ngo the same speed as on the old stuff. Other people like fashionable clothes. Fast fashion or not, it costs money. Or going to the pub to spend £5.50 on a drink that costs £1.50 at the supermarkets, etc etc. Or going to a nice restaurant that is 3.times.tje price of a fairly nice one.

Lots of people work hard and want something to show for it at a time in their lives they can appreciate it. Others like to live for tomorrow.

 

[Psamathe]

Half the people are always below average. That. Is. A. Disgrace.

And I am fortunate in that I have an above average number of legs.

 

[First Aspect]

Masters and doctorate are not just higher grades on a standard degree but indicate further more specialised and different education/research.

eg degree is generally taught whereas a Phd is generally research and publications. Very different nature and very different assessment. My experience of my own masters is that is sat between normal degree and Phd ie some taught but a very significant part novel research (new as in not just repeating experiments but moving into unknowns.

Masters and PhD are often vocational. e.g. If you want to do science for a living, you need to learn how, and demonstrate you can move towards being autonomous. Relatively few people just do them as a result of what you might call "education inflation", because they take too long and cost way too much in lost earnings.

I did mine to be a scientist. Turned out I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought, which in turn probably reflected in how good I was at it. But I had to try to find out and at least it opened doors into what I do now (most of us have at least a masters).

 

[briantrumpet]

Masters and doctorate are not just higher grades on a standard degree but indicate further more specialised and different education/research.

eg degree is generally taught whereas a Phd is generally research and publications. Very different nature and very different assessment. My experience of my own masters is that is sat between normal degree and Phd ie some taught but a very significant part novel research (new as in not just repeating experiments but moving into unknowns.

@BoldonLad's correct point is that from the employers' point of view a Masters (regardless of the nature of the course) is often required, whereas once upon a time, when only 10% of school leavers went to university (1980s), a Bachelors had the same cachet.