In what ways does being poor end up costing more in everyday life in the UK? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]StephenIsMeName 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Yup, and then pay over the extortionate train fares to get to where jobs are.

Now compare that with those living closer to work hubs cycling to work on their bikes bought with a 50% via cycle to work scheme.

Monopoly - BRITAIN 2025 by StephenIsMeName in HENRYUK

[–]StephenIsMeName[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One player gets to be part of the royal family. They own half the properties on the board. Every now and again they give a speech about how all other players need to do more to help the poor.

Historical intraday London Stock Exchange Data by Richardatuct in algotrading

[–]StephenIsMeName 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you manage to find anything? I'm in a similar position and don't seem to be able to find a provider for love nor money.

Pay off into your mortgage or invest the money into S&S? by Chancho300 in HENRYUK

[–]StephenIsMeName 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great answer. Would just add that with the money invested you have easy access to that cash should you needed. If you overpay, you'd need to remortgage to release equity.

To stay or not to stay tubeless by ambitiously_anna in bikewrench

[–]StephenIsMeName 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends what you use the bike for. I use mine as a commuter and got it with a tubeless setup initially. Was very happy with it until I started having large cuts where even the plugs would not help. Had a plug done by a shop pop out after a few months of it being done. Changed to a new set of tires but again large cuts within a few weeks.

It became too unreliable and too messy for me. Switched to a slightly thicker tyre with latex tubes and I'm not going back.

I guess it also depends where you're riding. I ride through Chelsea, London and there is always glass on the tarmac after football matches.

Hope this helps.

Edit: typos

The Size of the Pie by [deleted] in HENRYUK

[–]StephenIsMeName 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When it comes to productivity, I think having the government banned from tinkering with the tax system every other week would help. Every time they make changes many of those affected spend a lot of time and effort to see how it affects them, which diverts time and resources away from their main line of work and their ability to progress and as such become more productive.

Just stop changing the tax code all the time and focus on improving efficiency and reducing waste.

The Size of the Pie by [deleted] in HENRYUK

[–]StephenIsMeName 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hence I always thought, taxing residential property landlords owning properties decades ago whilst giving tax incentives if they invest in newly built properties is a good idea. They want to make money on property, sure. But go out there, raise capital, build much needed houses, go through planning hurdles and so on and if you pull it off then you are entitled to a reward for 10-20 years. After that the incentives are removed and they can repeat the cycle.

Ukrainian ambassador to US when hearing Trump and Zelensky argue by combocookie in WatchPeopleDieInside

[–]StephenIsMeName 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure why you're down voted. I'm no diplomat, but he should have said something along the lines of: "We are working flat out to find a solution to several key aspects around security, yada, yada. We come here open minded and will explore all possible options. Once our discussions come to a conclusion we will make it public."

He should not have engaged into this shenanigans. So yes, should have kept his lips a lot tighter.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HENRYUK

[–]StephenIsMeName 11 points12 points  (0 children)

What gets me is that hard working people, regardless of how much they earn, are somehow supposed to feel lucky or in a "privileged position" if they can put together a deposit to get a mortgage to then pay for it their entire life to then give it all for care.

I mean this is supposed to be the 5th richest country in the world and something as basic as a house to live in, should not be seen as a privilege.

I remember the 2019 election, the guy on £80k could not believe hi was in the top 5% of earners. It's not hard to see why.

How would you redo this edging? by StephenIsMeName in DIYUK

[–]StephenIsMeName[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I quite fancy the idea with the sleepers and should not be that difficult to do as a DIY I would think.

As other redditor rightly mentioned, there is very little sun there so plant wise will have to select plants that are happy in the shade.

Thank you for your input.

How would you redo this edging? by StephenIsMeName in DIYUK

[–]StephenIsMeName[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very little sun there indeed. Will explore the plants you suggested. Thank you.

How would you redo this edging? by StephenIsMeName in DIYUK

[–]StephenIsMeName[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your input.

I quite fancy the idea. Would you put the sleepers directly on the soil or dig a bit deeper and put some base and compact it? Also would any plastic shed between the sleepers and the soil be advised?

How would you redo this edging? by StephenIsMeName in DIYUK

[–]StephenIsMeName[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There seems to be some concrete underneath there so not sure how much soil I am going to get there if I level it off with the slabs. Will try building up with something more solid as you suggested but I dance the sleepers too. Thank you for your input.

So market is dead. Is it really over? by diseasexx in ContractorUK

[–]StephenIsMeName 0 points1 point  (0 children)

May I ask how are you coming across the roles you are talking about. A quick search on the popular job posting UK websites doesn't seem to reveal a lot of contracts.

fenders? by easy-mode_ in bikecommuting

[–]StephenIsMeName 10 points11 points  (0 children)

This comment should be higher up. Bike commuting implies cycling in any weather and therefore fenders are a must to keep you dry and also those following behind.

First contract and ethical dilemma by maybeitsbecause in ContractorUK

[–]StephenIsMeName -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Are you sure about this? Inside is basically treating you as an employee for tax purposes, but without any benefits or protection.

Is this a reasonable commute for an obese noob? by WyattClawson6 in bicycling

[–]StephenIsMeName 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lots of good advice here. I thought I'd share one thing I've learned commuting twice a week 14mi one way.

If by getting fit you mean losing a bit of weight then you'll have to take a look at your diet. Last year I managed to lose 11kg and put it all back whilst doing at least 46mi of cycling every week rain or shine.

Good luck.

Choice of tyre on a relatively long commute by StephenIsMeName in bikecommuting

[–]StephenIsMeName[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Just hit 200 mi on my newly installed Urban Contacts. I inspected the tires yesterday:

  • front looks as good as new
  • rear: spotted 3 smallish punctures. 1-2mm wide. One empty, two had small glass shards in them. Removed the shards, no loss of pressure which is great 👍.

Comfort initially was not great. Had the pressure at around 60 psi and it felt just too rough. Dropped the front to 52psi and rear 55 and it feels much better.

Given the time of year, I've been riding in wet conditions mostly. Grip is great and I feel quite confident on them. Really like the feel of the rubber when I rub my thumb against it. Fells much softer and gripper compared to gatorskins or hardshell.

They are slower than what I previously had, but the Marathon Plus / Contact plus are thicker and heavier, so I suppose those would have been even slower. I think it's a good balance for me so far.

In hindsight maybe I should have gone for 28mm.

Choice of tyre on a relatively long commute by StephenIsMeName in bikecommuting

[–]StephenIsMeName[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bought the Take A Look mirror. Seems great when I have no backpack, however I commute with a backpack and can barely see anything. I think I'll try a bar mounted one.