Bah humbug...is the recession finally over

[jonny jeez]

I tend to enjoy Christmas with a slightly uneasy feeling most years. It's an expensive time of year and Like so many in the private sector, I have found my salary to be "volatile" over the last 6 years.

I guess that the recession must be truly over because this year I feel no uncertainty, no uneasiness and don't feel as if I am looking over my shoulder at cost.

What's most odd is that I feel this way despite just receiving a totally unexpected 3k tax bill (I'm on PAYE So this just astounds me that this will cost me £300 a month to sort out their mistake) plus, last night our family car broke down for the second time with a blown turbo...

It's going to be a very expensive Christmas but one that has a genuine sense of hope for the future.

 

[vernon]

I give you Mr Micawber:

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen [pounds] nineteen [shillings] and six [pence], result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."

 

[potsy]

Well considering this time last year I was about to be made redundant, it's certainly a better feeling going into the Christmas period with work to look forward to in the New Year

 

[jonny jeez]

I give you Mr Micawber:

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen [pounds] nineteen [shillings] and six [pence], result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."

Very true...but whilst I am living within my means...my means over the last 6 years did reduce dramatically.

Still, back on track now...about tine too

 

[jonny jeez]

Well considering this time last year I was about to be made redundant, it's certainly a better feeling going into the Christmas period with work to look forward to in the New Year

Yep, redundancy is what set me back. I was fortunate in that I was a very early casualty and good jobs were still available back in 2008. Things have definitely moved on in the private sector .

Something that really strikes me is whilst the private sector floundered, the public sector seemed untouched.

Now the fickle private sector is revitalised, salaries are back on track and the public sector are now being hit...but for life...not a few years

 

[Archie_tect]

I'm pleased the SE is booming, that's my experience too. Just waiting for the feel good effect to move northwards. People in the industry up here expect things to pick up in the second half of the year.There are some bright spots already but it's very dependent on interest rates staying at zero or 0.5% for the foreseeable future.

 

[bikingdad90]

What's most odd is that I feel this way despite just receiving a totally unexpected 3k tax bill (I'm on PAYE So this just astounds me that this will cost me £300 a month to sort out their mistake) .

If it was me I would check everything is right before accepting it... The number of time HMRC have missed things like charity contributions, pension relief for higher rate tax payers and other such reliefs astounds me! Mind you the, higher rate charge for child tax credits has caught a lot of people out! They say you have underpaid and then 12 months down the line final realise how incompetent they are and then refund you it back!

 

[DCLane]

Ours is an interesting one; SMWBO has just received her redundancy notice, but it's an agreed departure. The redundancy package should give us time to establish the social enterprise she's been wanting to develop.

We've not spent that much on presents, but what we have spent it on has been 'worthwhile' items. Particularly for my youngest who's getting a new (to him!) cross bike and some lightweight race wheels for his road bike.

 

[cyberknight]

Im still recovering from it , when the recession hit we were put on short time for 18 months, i was £100 a week after tax short a week and had to down size but the bank balance has never recovered i just cleared some debts .
Given the industry i work in and the sector of one of our products is shrinking we are badgering head office for more competitive models as we have the capacity to make them but obviously we have to compete against other plants .Given the high costs of production in the uk its hard work .

 

[Levo-Lon]

Its been tough in my line of work since september 08
ie gone from 50weeks a year to ive no idea what im doing,winters are long.
I think people have got over the shock of "its time to pay it back folks" but is the recession over? Maybe but its never going to be any good again, Just ok I think.

 

[Moodyman]

gotta say, I've been more optimistic recently.

Summer 2012 - made redundant, after a 2-month garden leave, took a job several grades lower to bring in an income. had to deal with a strict work culture whereas I previoisly had a lot of freedom.

recently got a job not only at the same level as 2012 when I took redundancy, but higher.

And they have great cycling facilities too.

 

[jonny jeez]

I think that its the same for many walks of life. I have friends who earn what I consider to be a fortune and others that earn modest salaries...both have been caught by the reduction in earnings and both had to make tough choices to keep life as close to normal as they can.

Things just seem more optimistic right now...i hope I'm right

 

[jonny jeez]

If it was me I would check everything is right before accepting it... The number of time HMRC have missed things like charity contributions, pension relief for higher rate tax payers and other such reliefs astounds me! Mind you the, higher rate charge for child tax credits has caught a lot of people out! They say you have underpaid and then 12 months down the line final realise how incompetent they are and then refund you it back!

Thanks I am checking it with my old employer...its for a "benefit in kind" but I don't know of any that started in the last 3 years.

 

[screenman]

Having been self employed for very nearly 40 years I have modified my work when things go slow, getting harder the older I get though.

Johnny, one of your lines mentions the word normal, I just wondered what normal is.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

All this Optimism is wonderful. There's a General Election in May. How to get elected springs to mind........