1500 people sign a petition so they can drive 2 miles to work

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downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/11713839.1_500_sign_petition_to_suspend_bridge_tolls/

This is, seemingly from the comments, from the local's letters, and from the interviews the paper has carried out, how far the average moaner, er I mean driver.. is travelling.

The Itchen Bridge was originally set up to ease the traffic on the now limited Northam Bridge. Tolls were imposed as a way of controlling traffic and ensuring that lorries didnt shoot over there as it was more narrow. It was also to dissuade the lazy but that hasn't appeared to have worked. No a petition is gaining ground asking that tolls are suspended during the road works to "ease traffic".

No matter what you tell locals they wont cycle. You can save money on fuel. You can get a little fitter. You can lose a little weight. You can certainly save bloody time, LOL! But still they chose to drive. There is always an excuse: "you can't do a weeks shopping!" It does make me wonder, Tesco must be BUZZING with all those people shopping right at this minute, LOL. The money they must be making

Oh.

There is an opportunity here though. I've said it in the comments - join us. I know that thanks to twitter and here several local riders have written to the paper to promote cycling in the past. We might rattle off an email to South Today/Meridian too at some point on this too.

The question is - will people adapt?
 

shouldbeinbed

Rollin' along
Location
Manchester way
No. Well not in sufficient number anyway.
 
While I will retire wealthy, having worked only 10 years in my life and saving 50% of my annual income, the rotters will be sat in their cars working to fuel their tin cans until 65 (or probably longer).

Leave em to it I say!
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
While I will retire wealthy, having worked only 10 years in my life and saving 50% of my annual income, the rotters will be sat in their cars working to fuel their tin cans until 65 (or probably longer).

Leave em to it I say!
Wow, how do you save 50% of your annual income, that takes some serious discipline.

Out of interest do you have dependants?
 
Wow, how do you save 50% of your annual income, that takes some serious discipline.

Out of interest do you have dependants?
No dependants at the moment, but until recently I was supporting my other half who was out of work due to ill health, sounds tough but do-able on a decent wage (£25,000+). There's a cool blog on financial independence and early retirement here if you're interested.

In a nutshell, avoid debt like the plague, ride a bike instead of commuting by car :whistle:, avoid needless expenses such as Starbucks coffees, silly luxuries like Sky TV, stop eating out every week and stick with home cooking and packed lunches (tastes better anyway!) and realising that buying stuff never makes you happy, i.e. overpriced smartphones. Stick to what you need and enjoy what life has to offer outside of the constant consumption of consumer goods. If you're not used to any of the above, its time to address your budgeting as everyone with a good wage can save significant sums and permanently duck out of the rat race.
 
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jonny jeez

Legendary Member
No dependants at the moment, but until recently I was supporting my other half who was out of work due to ill health, sounds tough but do-able on a decent wage (£25,000+). There's a cool blog on financial independence and early retirement here if you're interested.

In a nutshell, avoid debt like the plague, ride a bike instead of commuting by car :whistle:, avoid needless expenses such as Starbucks coffees, silly luxuries like Sky TV, stop eating out every week and stick with home cooking and packed lunches (tastes better anyway!) and realising that buying stuff never makes you happy, i.e. overpriced smartphones. Stick to what you need and enjoy what life has to offer outside of the constant consumption of consumer goods. If you're not used to any of the above, its time to address your budgeting as everyone with a good wage can save significant sums and permanently duck out of the rat race.
Well it takes a women to cut through the confusion....I've spent an unatural amount of time pondering this post, it's really fascinating. So much so, that I mentioned it to Mrs Jeez on Sunday, suggesting that we had perhaps got it all wrong, you know, living in a middle class suburban social trap.

She Looked at me blankly and said, "we can retire rich tomorrow if you want to sell the house, cash in the equity and move to France....and still get a takeaway tonight"

I don't feel quite as wasteful now.

This is in no way meant to belittle your efforts by the way, more to ease my feelings of regret, so I would appreciate it if you just pat me on the back and say "well done Jonny "...so that I can sleep tonight.


Please...
 
OP
OP
downfader

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
People are now "demanding" the Councillor in charge of transport resigns over road works and traffic jams. One of those suggesting she goes is local Councillor and leader of the local Tories, Royston Smith. Royston wants to be an MP. He used to be in charge of the Council but several issues, job losses, cuts, even lies to the public meant the Tories lost out to our current Labour group. It also seems a bit hypocritical of him given THIS...

Not that there havent been problems with some of the Labour lot... I do feel a bit bad for Rayment. She at least listens and has appeared to have acted on a couple of problems locals I know have addressed to her.

I had to do the "heavy lifting" at the shops today so we were stuck in the traffic in the car. Two of us and a lot of shopping. The only people moving were the cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians. The cops struggled to get through the traffic at one point, as did an ambulance quick responder some 30 minutes later. I honestly think, from looking at the numbers, that a majority of motorists are bringing this upon themselves.
 
Well it takes a women to cut through the confusion....I've spent an unatural amount of time pondering this post, it's really fascinating. So much so, that I mentioned it to Mrs Jeez on Sunday, suggesting that we had perhaps got it all wrong, you know, living in a middle class suburban social trap.

She Looked at me blankly and said, "we can retire rich tomorrow if you want to sell the house, cash in the equity and move to France....and still get a takeaway tonight"

I don't feel quite as wasteful now.

This is in no way meant to belittle your efforts by the way, more to ease my feelings of regret, so I would appreciate it if you just pat me on the back and say "well done Jonny "...so that I can sleep tonight.


Please...
Hah, I had the same unnatural pondering at first too as it goes against everything we believe we know about how we should live our modern consumption driven lives.

I first came across the concept of extreme early retirement a year ago and scoffed at the idea. Don't write it off yet, read more into it, I promise it will be worth while!

An investment portfolio of £450,000 (same value as a middle class home? cough cough) can bring home a passive income of ~£2,000/month without reducing the captial, you won't have to sacrifice a whole lot to get there. With time to grow the pot you can reap bigger returns. This sounds like a stonking amount of money to most riddled with credit card debt etc etc but reasonably easy to manage if you assess what you really need in life.

Factoring in compound interest, and reinvesting returns (averaged at a conservative 7% annually), £1000 invested a month in a stocks and shares ISA for a typical working lifetime (from 21 to 65) will net you over £3 million with and a passive monthly return of £16,000, (or £8,000 in a bad year - think 2008). However, £1000 a month for 10 years will give me enough to retire on and live happily ever after. Any pay increases during that time will only accelerate the rate of investment and therefore compounding, rather than going to bullshit lifestyle inflation and bringing retirement day closer.

Do yourself a favour and ponder some more!
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
Hah, I had the same unnatural pondering at first too as it goes against everything we believe we know about how we should live our modern consumption driven lives.

I first came across the concept of extreme early retirement a year ago and scoffed at the idea. Don't write it off yet, read more into it, I promise it will be worth while!

An investment portfolio of £450,000 (same value as a middle class home? cough cough) can bring home a passive income of ~£2,000/month without reducing the captial, you won't have to sacrifice a whole lot to get there. With time to grow the pot you can reap bigger returns. This sounds like a stonking amount of money to most riddled with credit card debt etc etc but reasonably easy to manage if you assess what you really need in life.

Factoring in compound interest, and reinvesting returns (averaged at a conservative 7% annually), £1000 invested a month in a stocks and shares ISA for a typical working lifetime (from 21 to 65) will net you over £3 million with and a passive monthly return of £16,000, (or £8,000 in a bad year - think 2008). However, £1000 a month for 10 years will give me enough to retire on and live happily ever after. Any pay increases during that time will only accelerate the rate of investment and therefore compounding, rather than going to bullshit lifestyle inflation and bringing retirement day closer.

Do yourself a favour and ponder some more!
Ahhhhh..


That's really not helping.
 

Clive Atton

Über Member
Hah, I had the same unnatural pondering at first too as it goes against everything we believe we know about how we should live our modern consumption driven lives.

I first came across the concept of extreme early retirement a year ago and scoffed at the idea. Don't write it off yet, read more into it, I promise it will be worth while!

An investment portfolio of £450,000 (same value as a middle class home? cough cough) can bring home a passive income of ~£2,000/month without reducing the captial, you won't have to sacrifice a whole lot to get there. With time to grow the pot you can reap bigger returns. This sounds like a stonking amount of money to most riddled with credit card debt etc etc but reasonably easy to manage if you assess what you really need in life.

Factoring in compound interest, and reinvesting returns (averaged at a conservative 7% annually), £1000 invested a month in a stocks and shares ISA for a typical working lifetime (from 21 to 65) will net you over £3 million with and a passive monthly return of £16,000, (or £8,000 in a bad year - think 2008). However, £1000 a month for 10 years will give me enough to retire on and live happily ever after. Any pay increases during that time will only accelerate the rate of investment and therefore compounding, rather than going to bullshit lifestyle inflation and bringing retirement day closer.

Do yourself a favour and ponder some more!


Without knowing your life story this is just a heap of salesman's cack. ALL you need is £450,000 invested! Reinvest ALL the returns etc!! For those of us with an average job, a mortgage and dependants, with an income which just about covers the (non-extravagant) costs of living, saving £1000 a month is a farking pipe dream. Average return of 7% annually; tell me where!!! That's if you are farking lucky enough to have your savings increase in value at all. What are you trying to sell? How many 21 year olds on the minimum wage can put a grand aside? Just be honest and admit you are trying to drag the readers here into a scam.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
I shovel over 500 sheets a month into my pension, plus with employer contributions makes a grand a month or more. It's not a pipe dream- I just avoid willy waving at the neighbours and don't by New Audis or holidays in Florida.

A Bobby I know, his missus is a nurse. They cut right back, no holidays, no fripperies, one knackered old car between them, and survived off his salary only while paying ever penny of the wife's salary into the mortgage. Less that 5 years later the mortgage is no more.

For the average Joe with a moderately decent household income its not a pipedream - all it takes is the will to drink shop brand cola and avoid forking out on useless rubbish like New cars and a smartphone every year. Have it now when you're young and don't need it, or have it old when you really could do with it.

You can make provision,or you can make excuses. The choice is yours.
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
Without knowing your life story this is just a heap of salesman's cack. ALL you need is £450,000 invested! Reinvest ALL the returns etc!! For those of us with an average job, a mortgage and dependants, with an income which just about covers the (non-extravagant) costs of living, saving £1000 a month is a farking pipe dream. Average return of 7% annually; tell me where!!! That's if you are farking lucky enough to have your savings increase in value at all. What are you trying to sell? How many 21 year olds on the minimum wage can put a grand aside? Just be honest and admit you are trying to drag the readers here into a scam.
I don't think there is any intent to drag anyone into a scam here. Although I have found through my own considerations that my life could easily follow this path, without any sacrifice as I was fortunate enough to buy M first house on a £50k mortgage, which I shall pay off in 3 years...so in reality I've reached the same position without having to try...luckily.

Thing is, when I was made redundant from a high paid job 8 years ago I had to make cutbacks and struggled to find any savings initially. A few months later, I was amazed how, on a reasonable salary, my life still continued unchanged...I still took the family away on holiday, still went skiing every year, still owned 2 cars and my own house. At the same time I reduced my outgoings to meet a 50% gross reduction in salary. I found it was about giving up everything that didn't provide value to my life.

I shan't follow confused suggestion, mostly because I don't need to (my equity shall take care of me and will allow me to purchase a small rental income to mitigate the loss of capital during my retirement) and because its a little too late as I have already secured debt...but it's fascinating to hear.
 
Have it now when you're young and don't need it, or have it old when you really could do with it.
This.

I apologise for steering this thread away from the toll petition but it's an interesting topic so lets continue!

It's not a scam, and it's not "saving", nor am I asking anyone to buy anything - you are free to do as you will and will need to do your own reading before starting out on this path. Investing in low cost index tracker fund, such as vanguard lifestratergy 100 % equity, 3 years ago would have returned you 40% in your investment today. This is typical growth of the global economy after a recession. By buying shares in a index fund that covers the global economy you effectively own a slice of every publicly traded company world wide and you get a cut of the profits proportionate to the number of shares you own. This, plus the growth in the value of your shares is your return. Of course the market doesn't always grow 40% every 3 years, which is why we use a conservative figure to average fluctuations out. So with a long term investment you would be safe to assume you can return about 7% annually (yes including recessions) the last 100 years of data from the stock markets will reassure you of this if you don't believe me. What do you think your bank are doing with your money while it's sat earning a measly 2.4% in a cash ISA?

£450,000 is 25 times my annual expenses, (or desired expenses at retirement) which is the typical measure you need to employ to work out how much you need to retire and live of the proceeds. This is a very simplistic view, you need to do your own calculations, but its a very good rule of thumb.

By cutting back on coffees, new cars (sold mine), smartphones (didn't upgrade), eating out (only once or twice a month, using vouchers or choosing to eat at well priced venues) and maintaining a bike instead of a car, I easily live on £700 a month and invest the difference.

The average Joe wastes a lot of their income on frivolous stuff that adds little value to their lives, I do not sacrifice my quality of life for this retirement plan, I just think long term, not ohh that shiny car and iphone 7 will make me happy. My perfectly good bike and Samsung Galaxy S4 (premium phone in 2013) are working fine so why change? I think long and hard about what I need before I buy it, and work out if there is any way to get it for less. It's easy to maintain low expenditure once you've realised where you're wasting your cash.
 
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