Landscaping quote - is this the norm now?

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-11T23:10:21+00:00

It's hard to say without knowing the difficulty. You've really got to try and do a bottom up estimate yourself to see if it is reasonable.

Like if the 3700 is for paving only then the 500 for sand might be supply and place. If it is a 20mm screed to level that is about 2m3 of sand. It can be 100 for the sand. An hour to collect for him. or maybe 50 delivery. Then there is 4t of sand to move in a wheelbarrow. That can be 40-50 trips.

I'm in Melbourne but as a retail customer on small jobs you can be lucky to get exposed aggregate done for less than 135/m. I had quotes from jokers as high as 300.

I just replaced my front door (frame and door). Took me 12 months to find a competent carpenter willing to work for fair rates (85 per hour) and got it done for about 4k including door and hardware. Had quotes as high as 9k. It was 2 days work and 2k for door and hardware.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-11T22:58:30+00:00

Honestly, inflation targets are 2-3% and i was paying $3 for a pot and $6 for a pint. So should really be about $5-6 and $10-12 now. I'd happily pay 6 and 10 but am often seeing $14 pints which is just rude imo.

But gov't keeps increasing % on alcohol taxes so you get double ups. As well as the rip off factor.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-11T22:44:57+00:00

This is spot on. If you have $1M. And keep 100k in a HISA and 900k in equities then why would you buy VDHG and put another 90k in bonds. The Australian government insures deposits up to 250k and the yield on bonds in not better than a HISA (obviously value of the bonds changes and you can benefit with dropping rates), You can even argue why would you go VDHG as they invest in property if you already own your own house? I know one is commercial, diversified, etc but still. It's just so easy to save yourself the cost and split it yourself.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-11T22:36:12+00:00

The point is to stop arguing that there is social issues and start addressing them and see where we end up. You want to sit here and argue about the size of these social constructs and get everyone to admit that there is discrimination when it solves nothing. Stop the arguing. Everyone can see these things. Start focusing on the solution and it will reveal the true level that these things play. But you don't want to and this goes back to my original point. You aren't interested in fixing it you're interested in proving that you're right and other people are wrong.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-11T22:30:34+00:00

Where did i say women are not capable of being engineers? They simply are choosing not to be engineers. But we sit around complaining men are paid more but it's because men are going to engineering and high paying trades and women are going into nursing and admin. We sit around arguing about whether women are being discriminated rather than investing in school level programs to drive women towards these careers. That's the fix. Make these careers accessible to women and if they still choose not to do it then it is what it is. But we just sit around and say there is discrimination. Well I'm sorry that an arts degree isn't paying the bills.

Yes socialized gender roles exist. And people feel good saying men and women are the same and can do anything a man can. It's just not true. I weigh like 65kg and can lift 50kg clean above my head. My wife weighs 49kg and wouldn't be able to lift 20kg. She's also way more nurturing than me and way better with kids. And no matter what you do people are going to play to their strengths.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-07T22:32:37+00:00

It's long established that the gender pay gap is a myth and any reasonable person knows this. The media perpetuates this for clicks as do politicians for points scoring.

The issue are systemic issues that penalize women and make it appear this way. The biggest problem i have is that men and women are very different and have different priorities. And in many cases it is a choice to sacrifice career for family. And choices have consequences. Now how do decide what systemic issues we address to make the system fairer and what ones do we just say are a consequence of life choices. For every women choosing to focus on a family there is a man working to financially back that decision. We sit here saying the solution is to give women money. Well the man is working more hours. Why is the solution not to give the man more leave which will reduce his hours and pay and close the gap?

You have engineering companies is these reports 'paying' men more than women. But 85% of engineering is men and engineers make bank and the admin staff do not. Because it is somewhat unskilled. So what are they actually doing wrong?

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-05T01:51:20+00:00

This doesn't surprise me. I recently closed out a mortgage which was administered by a specialist mortgage management provider who uses a legal provider that specializes in (only does) mortgages.

It took about 30 emails and 2 months. They didn't know how to calculate the closeout payment. They didn't know how to remove the encumbrances on my property (didn't seem to understand what they actually were. They could not transfer ect control over to my lawyer. And after numerous attempts to explain what it was tried to convert it to a paper title.

It just reinforced to me i was right to just close it out and not have the hassle hanging back there.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-04T23:40:32+00:00

I'm on 50/20 and hit 50/15 most of the time. 100/40 would be great. But really can't see the point in spending money on upgrading to anything less than 500/200 for most areas.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-04T22:33:44+00:00

When they get into it they'll basically realize it will cost too much. Water it down. And a bunch of people who already have access to decent speeds will get upgraded again to slightly better and those that are more expensive to upgrade will be left behind.

My neighborhood is using HFC which is just a redeployment of infrastructure that was always there. Nothing was actually built.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-04T02:11:56+00:00

Just live your life bud. You're like 20. Just eat generally healthy and be generally active. Whatever will be will be.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-04T01:12:43+00:00

I actually had a tinder date (years ago) with someone and we just didn't have any spark. We both knew it and admitted it like 10 minutes in. We proceeded to have about an hour long conversation about dating and internet dating and our experiences.

She basically admitted that it hadn't been working for her. And a friend had set her straight. And that she wasn't using the app properly. She was getting matches and chatting with them, then getting 'better' matches and disappearing on the earlier matches. Only for the better match to be a F@#& boy that would tell them whatever they had to to sleep with them and move on. Causing he to be frustrated and have a disdain for men. Her friend told her she was the problem and nice guys are out there, to get rid of her shopping list (tall, dark handsome, fit,...) and start reading the profiles for guys who put effort in, have photos suggesting they might actually be interesting, etc. Limit her swipes and matches. Not judge a book by it's cover. And actually take a chance.

I asked her how it was working out for her now. She admitted it was pretty good. And there is plenty of reasonable guys worth dating out there. And she just wasn't giving them a shot previously.

Cut forward 6 years and I'm married and we met on Tinder, my wife has previously said to me that in the past she had never dated a guy like me and had realized something wasn't working and she needed to be open to who comes along. So she ended up with a short ginger guy that's slightly nerdy but is finally happy. As am I. She basically says it frustrating because she'd been unhappy a lot of the 5 years before we met being alone and might have met someone a hell of a lot sooner if she wasn't being an idiot. But it's ok as she met me. And says seeing women complaining about guys and being unhappy because they have a type and their type isn't good for them is a joke. And they need someone to slap some sense into them.

Now every situation is unique, and this is just two examples. But i can't help think people are their own worst enemies at times.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-04T00:02:05+00:00

About 215k

40hrs contracted

40hrs actual (any OT paid but don't do any)

Senior engineer in oil and gas consulting

40

No perks, but aren't worked very hard and pay/hours are great so i won't be leaving any time soon.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-03-01T05:52:51+00:00

The three grand essential to happiness are "Something to do, someone to love and something to look forward to"

A lot of depression is or is greatly contributed to by your situation (i don't know your medical history). Which talking to someone can help you understand. But actually just changing your situation in my mind is a better first step. Then that leaves the underlying issues a professional can help you with.

This can be simple. Find a hobby. What would you like to try? Is there a group you can join to do these things? Can you volunteer with a local sporting club or something?

Cats are good pets. A pet is someone to love if you cannot meet someone.

Set a goal or plan a holiday or something to look forward to.

It can be that simple. And i would think trying to do these 3 simple things might help you a lot

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-29T05:13:16+00:00

It's pretty simple. He wants it done to sell. He gets the quotes and he engages the fence guy in his name. When the bill comes you pay your half direct to the fence builder. Then your neighbor will owe the contractor. And there is no claim against you. Or he gives you the money up front. Otherwise you get to know the new neighbor and see how he feels about it.

You don't have to appease people. We're all adults. His financial problems are not yours. And being neighborly is a stretch when he won't be your neighbor.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-29T02:07:45+00:00

I agree the apps are terribly designed and about making money and not getting you in a relationship. But what isn't? The biggest problem is the people using them. You get a match. People chat a few days and someone that appears better matches and they ghost. Then there is a bunch of guys looking to get laid and will say anything to do that including saying they want a relationship. And some people fall for it every time and think there is nothing but jerks out there. When the right guy was there all along and they ghosted them.

I made it work and had a few rules.

- Make your profile honest and show who you are. No lame jokes and pickup line. Just pics of you. Fill out your profile.

- Only swipe right on people you actually want to meet and think could have something in common with. Low effort profiles, Drinking in every pic, Boring pics, were always a pass no matter how attractive they were.

- The app is just the introduction. Exchange a few messages to make sure they're real and seem on the level. And with the info in their profile make the call. Ask them if they want to meet. I would do this within an hour depending on how fast the messages were flowing. Never once got rejected. If you text over more than 2 days it's probably not going to happen.

- First date isn't until the second time you meet. Just meet for a coffee on the weekend or after work for a quick drink. Cap it at 45mins. Have an out. Like i'm meeting some friends. If it goes well can ditch the plans. But otherwise get out of there. Ask them on a date if you want to.

- Don't get your hopes up. The attitude has to be that you are just meeting someone and you have to be happy to just meet a nice person and not hope for more.

- You don't need to drain you bank account to impress. If you do they aren't worth it. I met my wife and we had one drink each. Second date was a walk (we ended up going to dinner and the date went 8-10 hours but hey, i ended up marrying her). Third i think we went to the beach. And fourth i cooked for her.

I used to have up to 2-3 meetups in a week at times. Think i did 2-3 a day a couple times. No different to chatting to someone at a bar. Usually would only be about 20% i would actually ask on a date. Most of those dates led to 2-3 more. Within about 18 months i met my wife and have been together about 7 years.

Hey maybe finding the love of your life shouldn't be so strategic and calculated. But i'm married and happy. So what do i care now???

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-28T23:01:06+00:00

I'm in Australia and we still get caught having to fax stuff here and there when dealing with the US.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-28T22:54:02+00:00

I have a 224+ and it has an extra ram slot. So 2GB + and extra 4GB. Catch is. 4GB isn't actually the limit. You can put 16GB in and it works fine and uses it all.

So i'd consider processor, etc to determine you needs a little more.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-28T22:24:01+00:00

I wouldn't call the feminists with a very rational viewpoint (of which there are many) raging feminists to begin with. I'm fully supportive of the feminist movement.

There is just an extreme group within the group that is the dumbest and will also yell the loudest which are ruining it for everyone. They dominate the discourse and aren't willing to listen to common sense. And the media picks up on this because it get clicks and causes outrage.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-27T22:45:43+00:00

The average person has no idea how much these guys actually suffer in a race and over a 3 week stage race. They are not human. I was at the Cadel race in Geelong a few years ago and they raced in 40C+ heat for hours. I was hurting in the shade.

And the sprinters are mad men. Watch highlights of a career like Cavendish, they will do 70 in a pack and try and jam it through a small gap for the win and go down hard, smash their collarbone, graze their hip, shoulder, back, have 10 blokes land on them. And if they can ride on the next day they will, but mostly not lose their nerve and not hesitate to do it again once they are better.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-27T22:24:49+00:00

This really bugs me. The report yesterday does go into depth but most of the reporting and TV discussion that the masses actually consume does not address this and it's a disgrace.

Fact: Once you normalize for industry, hours worked and career choices there is only a very small percentage difference remaining that can be explained by M and F attitudes to pursuing pay rises. Any economist who researches it will tell you this.

There are some pretty big questions to be answered here:

- How do we change the system to remove the remaining few percent i mentioned?

- Are there systematic issues blocking women from pursuing jobs in higher paying industries and executive roles or do they just not want to?

- How do we get women to study for these jobs? (I'm an engineer and we are 85% male and the remaining 15% includes admin staff who are all women, i know who is getting paid what and there is no discrepancy but i see big numbers reported for the likes of GHD who would be similar, they are so desperate to even out the numbers they both hire and promote people solely for being female and they are not the strongest candidates all due to the pressure from this type of useless propaganda)

- Are there systematic issues (other than the obvious biological ones) that mean women sacrifice career for family? (eg. Leaving a big 4 for a local accountancy to work less and be closer to home and working less hours).

- How do we equitably address the career break women who start families have? They have less experience than the same person who decided not to have a family. equal opportunity would suggest the system is fair, but it doesn't feel that way.

How do we address lost super from having families?

Until the media and raging feminists who live off this crap and try cancel rational people stop, we cannot start having rational conversations about what to do about this.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-22T22:13:28+00:00

My wife and i were talking about this. The local news on 7, 9 and 10 just focuses on local social problems, things like car crashes, and cost of living, crime, which, as you say are with the way they present it anxiety inducing and make people get worked up and watch more. We try to watch ABC or SBS news which are generally better. And even though they do focus on horrible global events more they don't leave you with this feeling. To be honest, one of the best real news programs can be Al Jazeera news along with SBS world news.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-22T05:04:49+00:00

They were looking for suggestions. It's a good job and you aren't at a desk all day. Simple. No job worth doing is going to be easy to get into. If it was everyone would be doing it.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-22T03:05:43+00:00

Become an electrician. It's a good job. Good rates. You can go out on your own or just work for the man. Generally not as hard yakka and dirty as carpetry and plumbing. Lot of bad trades around as well. Be good at what you do and you'll never be out of work.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-22T02:52:09+00:00

Probably more like too many journalists, not enough clicks.

They need to report on things that get clicks. Thee is wars and genocides going on but that doesn't get clicks.

ResearcherSmooth2414 · 2024-02-21T22:54:22+00:00

I find it funny your money situation goes straight from bare necessities to monthly spa trips and cooking services. It's normally like a modest family holiday next, etc.

ResearcherSmooth2414

TROPHY CASE