The rich are getting richer.....

[1 Bravo 6]

Caen Fred asks"What is a Dishwasher"

Fred,

A dishwasher is a rather large kitchen appliance that my lovely wife decided to purchase after I "Accidently" dropped and broke a couple of plates.

By the way, you can keep your socialists---- we've got enough of our own thanks mate.

Rick.

[abas]

Originally posted by HS30-H

I AM the dishwasher in our house.

One thing that irks me about money issues here in the UK - and London in particular - is the huge rise in the value of property ( real estate ).

For the money that I pay out in renting my home, I could probably buy a relatively large house in a beautiful green area with lots of space - but I would have trouble finding work. I'm pretty-much painted into a corner. The same money would probably buy an even bigger place in the USA, and a bloody ranch in Australia. I probably earn a fairly good wage - but it just does not go far here in central London. Apparently, London is currently one of the most expensive places to live in the world. What has happened to my home town?

Alan T.

The UK seems to be suffering the inevitable effect on the cost of living of having 1/4 of the population of the USA living in an area the size of Texas. And in London multiply that by a factor of probably 3 again.

From a comparison of UK vs USA perhaps the middle earner income figure isn't so different, but that the cost of living in the USA APPEARS ( in my fairly uninformed opinion) to be less.

I am basing this on

1) price of fuel in the USA is about 1/3 what it is UK

2) Things I buy for my Z from the US are regularly cheaper to buy from the US even after factoring in shipping to the UK, VAT(taxes), duty and whatever else I get charged for.

Hardly a thorough cost of living comparison I know but thats my experience

AndrewB

[Caen Fred]

Ahhh, thanks Rick, so it's like an electric wife... Does your dishwasher talk? if not tell me where I can buy one asap... ROFL ROFL

[1 Bravo 6]

Caen Fed asks, "Does your dishwasher talk? if not tell me where I can buy one asap".

No Fred, it can't talk but I reckon it would be a bloody poor substitute for a warm blooded woman to cuddle into on a cold night.

That is, of course, unless you enjoy wet dreams.

Rick.

[Zvoiture]

A few thoughts from reading above....

47% isn't too far off from fairly successful self-employment here in the People's Republic of California. I have heard numbers as high as 54%, but I think I pay slightly below 50%. Really sucks.

Property values are up all over. Median (that's MEDIAN not AVERAGE) home price in my county is $360,000, which is quite low compared to some areas. The 'help' generally has to live elsewhere.

I have many friends and neighbors who own their homes and can not afford to move. They purchased their home for, say, $250,000 and now anything comparable costs $800,000. They have a TON of equity, but the property tax increase would smother them.

Only one of the many apartments I have previewed in Nice had a dishwasher.

Electric wife? ummm...........

steve77

[Caen Fred]

Watch it, the speculation on real-estate look a lot like the one we had on the new techs 5 years ago! Look where we are today...

For the dish-washer, I only have one friend with a familly that doesn't have one... It's been around for one century...

As for the thread, are we sharing less money in more peoples, or are we creating new cash for those new millionaires ??????? really???

[SHOTIME]

I think the main problem is lack of entrepeneiurship. With out that you're left with giant corporations, which are essentially pyramid scheems. One person at the top making tens of millions, then your execs making millions, top level management making mid hundred thousands, lower management low hundred thousands, and then down to the majority making $30-50k. In a pyramind like that, only a certain number have the potential to make a decent income. The source of the cause is back in school where we are told if we don't go to college and get a job we're worthless. There was not one mention of working for yourself, yet everybody I know that is financially independant is self employed.

[blitzkraig]

It seems now a days though that most small companies either get bought out or are smothered by the big corporations when they start making good money. I myself have a business plan for a shop here in Santa Cruz, but lack the money for the initial investment.......damn my car for being a money pit