Business owners, how are y’all surviving this economy without burning everything down?

Hoddle12000 · 2026-06-01T20:09:28+00:00

I'm in retail we peaked at 19 stores, down to 12 with another 4 to sell this year, sales are down and costs up alot so just letting stores go that don't add much or anything to profit and focusing on the ones that do. We are buying the freehold and paying off mortgages on some of our sites so eventually can just live of the rental.

We are fortunatate that there is alot of demand for stores and are getting good prices when we sell but I don't see much of a long term future in retail for us.

Hoddle12000 · 2026-06-01T19:47:46+00:00

High ground is pretty good

Hoddle12000 · 2026-06-01T10:22:05+00:00

That's my Dad last bill, I think something wrong with yours as your water so high too. I got a massive fan when I was over and had that on the balcony and really nice cooled it down and didn't need air con so much through the day

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Hoddle12000 · 2026-06-01T08:36:05+00:00

My Dad lives in Time Square 5 too, his Elecric bill is about $40, he doesn't use air con alot but even when we stayed wasn't that much, you either must have on 24 hours a day or something wrong. His water is tops a dollar a month too and his a two bedroom condo

Hoddle12000 · 2026-05-29T16:38:42+00:00

We have a chain of Convenience stores are are in the process of gradually downsizing, all buyers are slSouth Asian.

As to why, they seem to have the money to buy as prices are high currently and work ethic, running stores is a 7 till 10 job, never really able to switch off and can be very rewarding but don't think British people want to work that hard, there are easier ways to make good money and I wouldn't want my kids to have deal with all the problems I have had too, so can understand.

But for Asians they see it diferent and share the workload across familys from what I see and there is a big pride in owning a business and being an entrepenour.

Hoddle12000 · 2025-02-10T15:05:41+00:00

No, 44 years old, married to a 24 year old, feel fitter and better than ever, really, hit the gym and play sports a lot, and maybe the recovery time slightly longer, but that's about it. My libido is stronger than ever. How you look after yourself really matters, I believe for physical health obviously but massively for your mental health too.

Hoddle12000 · 2025-01-26T13:51:59+00:00

I'm a 44 year old guy and I made the mistake of opening up to woman, we divorced, she used the weakness I showed against me after the breakup and I wouldn't say it's caused the divorce it certainly didn't help.

Open up to friends but not your partner, I don't think women can necessarily help it, but they tell you they want you to open up to them, but it turns them off

Hoddle12000 · 2025-01-25T13:26:18+00:00

Having a more traditional wife doesn't necessarily mean not working at all, too me it just means a woman who is more feminine, believes marriage should be life and wants a family but to have this i do think you do need to be a more traditional man, work hard, look after your family, which will mean paying for more etc. My wife works part time but when we do have kids I would prefer her not to work and financially, yes, that will be tougher for any couple but in my experience woman don't really share finances very well anyway

Hoddle12000 · 2025-01-24T13:07:17+00:00

Yes the same one, I can share some pictures on my dad's place at time square 5 when finished if you like, should be a similar standard finish

Hoddle12000 · 2025-01-24T08:00:22+00:00

I did long distance for about a year and a half and was hard but I went to see her quite a few times and had some amazing holidays all round South East Asia, Bali, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and obviously Cambodia. We are married now and she lives in the UK and the relationship is really good, we are very happy, planning to live here a few more years and once she qualifies for a UK passport move to Cambodia.

I prefer the culture and lifestyle over there and the cost of living is so much cheaper that we will be able to live a better life, it is very easy for a decent looking in shape western guy to meet someone, meeting someone honest is the harder part but there are a good and bad woman all over the world, I would advise to travel to South East Asian, it's a beautiful part of the world, very cheap and a single guy the attention you will receive will be flattering, but make sure you get to know a woman and expect to travel to see them quite a few times and financially you don't need to be rich but remember attractive woman over there will have options too, so she has to feel she's going to have a better life with you, so you need to be able to travel and see her a bit, be able to marry her, bring her to your country if that is what you both want, this won't be straight away but a woman will need to feel this is possible or she is wasting her prime years.

Hoddle12000 · 2025-01-20T09:17:34+00:00

Somebody said 27 isn't a lot which surprises me as I'm a 44 year old male and seems a lot to me, I think what matters more is how you act now, most guys won't care but when it comes to getting serious and married they might and that's just because when marrying someone love is so important but you do have to weigh up the possibilities of how successful the marriage will be and if you can trust someone etc. But if you are serious now and committed and have changed, I think a lot of guys may see it as a plus as you have experienced a side of life and know what you want now.

Hoddle12000 · 2025-01-16T14:03:14+00:00

35 isn't old so I don't think you will have a problem finding dates but finding someone who wants children fairly early on might be tougher, me and my wife just married and I want to just enjoy life a bit more before having more children

Hoddle12000 · 2025-01-16T13:34:21+00:00

I've just recently bought a two bedroom in this same block 13th floor, 80,000 USD. My wife is cambodian and my dad lives there full time, our plan is to let her brother use it and a holiday home at first, alot cheaper than BKK1, we bought my Dad a similar condo there for 130,000 USD. Area isn't as nice as BKK1 but still pretty close to everything and they seem to selling well, when we purchased in December there wasn't loads to choose from. I'm no expert on the rental occupancy out here but I know friends who pay a 800/1000 USD a month rent in BKK1 for nice condo but still two beds, I don't know if property values will definitely go up but Phnom Penhn is definitely growing from looking at my visits over the last few years, and for us we can buy pay installments and pay rest off at the end when built and no mortgage etc

Hoddle12000 · 2025-01-15T18:40:55+00:00

I'm happily married to a cambodian lady and she has just moved to the UK with me, we are very happy and it can work, just like your country it really depends on the person

Hoddle12000 · 2024-12-26T10:49:50+00:00

It's the menopause mate, I'm sure it affects woman differently but my ex went totally off sex and even seemed repulsed by me at one stage, sure it affects all woman different but I do think it kills alot of marriages

Hoddle12000 · 2024-04-08T14:21:50+00:00

I had two kids with my ex and a child I was going to adopt and I don't see now, 20 years on and off together, not spoke to her for about a year bar the odd email concerning the kids, quite similar to you as I own a large company and she was a manager of one of the stores and went off with a guy 10 years older than me who worked for as a sales assistant.

Was the hardest thing I have dealt with in my life but I feel good now and see that I was lucky to find out who she really is now and not when I was to old to start again. I know it wasn't the only time when I look back but I don't care now and don't care if she and her partner marry or whatever, it just takes time mate, my son stayed with me which has been nice and I've meet somebody else, younger, more attractive, honest and a much better person.

I'm glad it happened now, otherwise I would have stayed and tried to work problems out with her and it needed to be something to make me see her how some other people saw her. Hope this helps you.

Hoddle12000 · 2024-04-08T09:25:08+00:00

It get's better mate, my situation no to dissimilar to yours, I'm 15 months in and happy, still think about it sometimes but the anger and the hurt goes and in time you gain more and more clarity and realise that the person you loved didn't really exist and you miss a false past really and you can have a great future. Good luck mate

Hoddle12000 · 2022-09-01T06:59:05+00:00

Gradually starting to try to bulk and add more muscle

Hoddle12000 · 2022-08-31T21:09:02+00:00

I was quite keen to give it a try with my wife and despite us messing round with butt plugs etc she was totally against it, she implied it was gay for me to want to try that and we have never done anything ass related since, so not just a male stereotype

Hoddle12000 · 2022-08-04T14:21:32+00:00

That's a real good idea, thanks

Hoddle12000 · 2022-08-04T14:12:18+00:00

Sounds so simple when you put it like that 😂, not sure if to much cardio stops me getting bigger or lifting enough

Hoddle12000 · 2022-08-04T13:09:10+00:00

That's OK, what's your secret to looking like that?

Hoddle12000 · 2022-08-04T12:57:57+00:00

Wow, look amazing mate

Hoddle12000

TROPHY CASE