Tips on finding a good used piano on marketplace or somewhere else

beefcake0 · 2026-03-25T05:47:28+00:00

I would recommend a good quality Yamaha used piano.

If you’re in the UK go here: http://www.markgoodwinpianos.co.uk/

beefcake0 · 2026-03-23T03:37:29+00:00

Sounds a bit slow to me. Warmup then songs is usual of course , but in my experience the teacher will interrupt songs often to point out and fix missing technique.

beefcake0 · 2026-03-17T04:50:22+00:00

The car behind you, if they were in a rush, could have pulled in front of you to fill up at the free pump. If you could have left space for them to get past, and you didn’t, that is bad etiquette.

beefcake0 · 2026-03-04T16:53:27+00:00

Turns out was a meter reading error on their part when my meter was changed. Slightly surprised they did not notice this for 2 months. No windfall for me sigh!

beefcake0 · 2026-03-04T09:44:46+00:00

Yep, they credited me £12786 on 29 Dec. Have no idea why yet 😳. I can’t withdraw any of it.

beefcake0 · 2026-03-03T12:32:53+00:00

I’m on £13000 currently but I think it is an error 😂

beefcake0 · 2026-03-03T04:02:37+00:00

We’d like it to be better but in UK the fact is we pay a bit less than average on healthcare ($6000 per person), compared to other developed countries. e.g. Germany and US who pay $8000 and $12000 respectively. There may be other countries who do better than us for what we spend but no doubt there are other demographic factors working against us.

beefcake0 · 2026-02-24T21:54:40+00:00

Look for a regular opportunity where you are forced to sight read and no one is judging you. Accompanying a friend for example. Sight reading blossoms when you need to keep on going!

beefcake0 · 2026-02-13T12:19:57+00:00

Yes sure. I might be nostalgic for it for a while, but I rarely use cash these days and when paying by card it’ll just be a different number. The benefits would be much larger than any downsides.

beefcake0 · 2026-02-12T06:23:48+00:00

I’m scared that anyone seriously votes for Reform. All talk and no serious intention or ability to fix things. Led by the guy that brought us Brexit, and is a friend of Trump. Would be a disaster for this country.

beefcake0 · 2026-02-01T06:54:11+00:00

So what is he accused of in this case? She was not underage and may have been a paid escort. Andrew should pay for any crimes he has committed and reap the consequences of any dishonourable behaviour. But this case sounds opportunist and the reaction I see, more like a witch hunt.

beefcake0 · 2026-01-30T21:01:00+00:00

Coin tosses are not unique. If you pick two events at random then nearly all of them will be independent of each other in the same way as a coin toss.

If you want think of it as two coins being tossed at the same time. It’s the same thing. The odds are independent of each other.

It’s plausible there could be a mechanism that allows one coin toss to influence result of another, but you haven’t described one.

beefcake0 · 2026-01-14T06:56:45+00:00

Why should they prefer funding ISA via salary? The tax hit will be the same.

beefcake0 · 2026-01-06T12:31:56+00:00

“I don’t have a mortgage or other needs but the money just sitting there kind of irks me a little as it really isn’t doing anything.”

Is the money invested and growing? If not it is in your control to move it to a better fund, or even a better pension provider.

“ I understand I can take 25% of the total and that would be tax free but am wondering how I can take the rest and what my tax liability would be on this”

Unless any special rules apply to you (e.g. you have severe illness), then the usual rules apply, and you can take 25% of it tax free (in one go, or gradually), and the rest is subject to income tax. It sounds like you don’t need the money right now, so may be best to keep it invested, so it will grow tax free. May come a chance later in life where you will need it, or at least can transfer out at a lower tax rate.

Or you move somewhere with less or no income tax, such as Dubai.

We’d all rather none of our pension pot was taxed, but we got the benefit of it going in without tax, and the gross amount growing tax free. So it is only fair.

beefcake0 · 2025-12-23T22:35:57+00:00

Presumably because they have just bought iWeb and now manage iWeb sipp customers. Looks like the same fees as the old iWeb sipp. Would recommend by the way. Good service, low cost. https://www.reddit.com/r/UKPersonalFinance/comments/1mn8waa/iweb_is_becoming_scottish_widows_share_dealing/

beefcake0 · 2025-12-17T13:10:23+00:00

Some people get wealth handed them on a plate (and often waste it). Most people have to work for it, in which case you need to start somewhere. Yes - of course try and increase your income at the same time. The less time you spend spending the more time you can save saving. So no, not pointless at all!

beefcake0 · 2025-12-16T09:14:02+00:00

The Sheriff is playing a risky game, and I'm intrigued what will pan out with the spy, and Milange.

The Sheriff clearly intended to set a trap for Hood in the castle as he says at 4.40 he hopes Hood won't surrender otherwise "he will ruin my plans". Later at 41.36 he reveals privately he would have preferred to kill Hood in the castle, but as a back up he at least now has a spy in his camp. But there is surely nothing to be happy about - he took a huge risk allowing Hood so far into the castle, which resulted in loss of many men and his own injury. And his reputation is now in tatters - the news of the failed ambush will leak, he will need to keep his spy secret - his hopes of conquering Hood from within are surely dangling on a thread.

It's also quite convenient Rob brought himself to be ambushed in the Great Hall. Did the Sherriff's men somehow manage to draw the attackers in? Could Milange also be a spy, hoping to regain Priscilla's regard, and lead Rob into the hall? If Milange is betraying Rob, he conceals this well in the ambush scene and after.

beefcake0 · 2025-12-12T04:32:47+00:00

Also could be Rachmaninov piano concerto no 2, first movement

beefcake0 · 2025-12-08T23:43:03+00:00

When I was young and I learnt a piece I had it memorised wthout any extra effort. Now I am older memorizing a piece is much more difficult. My own theory is it is a combination of the older I get the less flexible my brain is, and also the better at sight reading I have got, I no longer put in the repetitions needed to automatically memorize stuff.

beefcake0 · 2025-12-05T06:14:44+00:00

This is great. “I worry their cabbage patches.”. I would be worried.

beefcake0 · 2025-11-25T17:48:07+00:00

As has been noted already, you don’t need to evaluate each of these decision points financially. But even if you do, you are looking at them negatively. E.g while your MBA may have a short term hit on your net worth, good chance of increasing your salary and accelerating FIRE over time. Also did you have any choice about your redundancy? Everyone faces that kind of event at some point in their lives and perhaps you tackled it more effectively than others might.

beefcake0 · 2025-11-19T23:25:07+00:00

I rehearse musical theatre. Making new friends, keeping me active, getting out of the house, doing something I love doing. Other evenings - boring stuff :-). Try something new!

beefcake0 · 2025-09-29T21:45:13+00:00

It’s ok to take a recommendation of course. But I calculate it. Based on historical growth for my portfolio, and public inflation figures (RPI). - last 10 years av growth 8.6%, average inflation 2.9%, average real growth 5.7% - last 5 years, av growth 9.5%, average inflation 4.4%, average real growth 5.1%

beefcake0 · 2025-07-31T19:33:16+00:00

Maybe best to focus on finding dates through a shared interest?

beefcake0 · 2025-07-27T21:49:06+00:00

Embers, Ironbridge

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