Under Seige. I feel completely exhausted.

[User33236]

To be fair, the income tax grab is just a temporary irritant, I won't have to pay it once I'm retired, hopefully not long now.
Its the council tax that's the killer, payable regardless of income.

Agree totally on council tax. Comparing Edinburgh rates with where I am now they are not too dissimilar but what we get for that money is slowly being eroded as I am sure is happening in your area too.

Many year ago when the Poll Tax came into effect I worked in Livingston and moved from where I lived in Airdrie to Shotts as the Poll Tax remained unchanged. Had I moved to the next village, closer to Livingston I have been subjected tp much higher West Lothian rates which, at that time, I could not have afforded.

 

[byegad]

Isn't Scotland just Yorkshire for the gingers?

Don't go comparing the Scots to us Tykes. We are far meaner than the open handed people North of the border.

 

[screenman]

Aside from coucil tax, income tax in Scotland is, almost, exactly the same across the board as in England. There is however a change from April this year which, for Scotland, reduces personal allowance by £1 for every £2 earned over £100,000 thus costing the OP and their partner £800 a year more between them.

I can see them being a tad miffed aout having to find an extra £1400 this year, along with all the other price increases that will occur shortly. I find it odd the fuel has crept up again by around £1 a gallon but not a lot of fuss about it.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Thinking about it, the grey squirrel is quite an apt allegory. Aggressive, selfish, pushy, constantly looking for vulnerabilities, constantly gnawing away at all that is good.
The only good grey squirrel is a dead one.

Give them nicknames - Teresa May, Ruth Davidson perhaps?

Although you'd be more likely to call them something like Wee Jimmy Krankie...

 

[Beebo]

I read a statistic, i dont konw whether it is true, that on average you incurr 50% of your NHS liabilty in your final year.
So that tax is going towards those costs.
If you dont like council tax then down size. It is what a lot of pensioners do..

 

[Drago]

Downsize, move somewhere cheaper... exactly the same tactics you'd deploy if your car was too expensive to run, or your food bill too high.

No point moaning or getting stressed over the bills, that changes nothing. If it's that much of a worry then work a bit harder and earn some more money.

 

[Firestorm]

Take comfort in the fact that you are fortunate that you do not need to use The services to which you contribute other than the waste collections, there are many who are less fortunate than you who require the police, social services, street cleaners, benefits, libraries, schools , street lighting, gritters, etc .

 

[tyred]

My SIL has two papers a day and 3 on Sundays along with assorted magazines, she worries about everything even what Brooklyn had for breakfast last week.

A friend of my Dad's must spend a small fortune on newspapers. He'll be sitting in "his" parking space outside the newsagents waiting for it to open at 7am every single morning and comes out with just about every paper and magazine available. He's always worried and paranoid about everything and considers himself an expert on all subjects as he "read it in the paper." He does my head in really.

I know he has really bad COPD and probably isn't able to do much else but it just seems a very sad and pointless way to lead life.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I feel completely drained. Our lives seem to be under constant siege from everyone else, politicians, criminals, developers, lobbyists. It's just exhausting to constantly be alert to the next threat, to constantly be ready to respond to their every move, to constantly be trying to anticipate their next move. Some examples.

Our council tax will be over £3000 next year - we only see a tiny fraction returned to us as services provided. Bin collection is particularly woeful.
The SNP and Greens have just increased our income tax by over £800 between the two of us, over and above what we would pay if we lived in England
Our investments and possessions are under constant criminal attack
Our internet details and bank accounts are under constant cyber attack
Our potholed and cratered roads look like the result of months of artillery siege
We can only buy aubergines and courgettes on the black market
The peace of our back garden is about to be destroyed by changes to Edinburgh flight paths
Our views and green spaces are under constant attrition from developers
Our diesel car, bought in good faith for its high mpg and low emissions, now appears to be the latest target of the environment lobby, I hear that some London authorities have already started to raise penalty charges against them.
Even our bird feeders are under constant siege, from grey squirrels - they've destroyed several so called squirrel proof feeders so far, we are constantly having to visit garden centres to try new ones.

Is there no end ?

It's only being so cheerful keeps you going, eh?

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

...if we lived in England

Now, there's an idea.

 

[midlife]

If the OP wants to watch money slip through his fingers like sand then have kids

Shaun

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I had thought the OP was going to be a moan about triumphant Scotland rugby fans spoiling his nice peace and quiet last night.

 

[Cubist]

Warning, contains rude words and scathing references to effete colonists.

View: https://youtu.be/29-LRuuqFT0

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Did Scotland finally win a game?

No, they were all celebrating you being out of the country

 

[snorri]

I feel completely drained. Our lives seem to be under constant siege from everyone else,
Is there no end ?

Unless we can get another referendum shortly and you ignore the propaganda from Better Together next time, I can't see any hope on the horizon.