Non Footy Chat Thread II

[Suitman]

My concern is where does my son in Sydney live once he gets to retirement age? I would assume his lifetime super will be syphoned off just to exist and not much more. He’s doing his best but is treading water just to make ends meet. He has goals but the mountain continues to get steeper for him. He’ll do OK when we croak it but it certainly won’t be enough on its own.

Exactly my point.
My two have just reached the age of 20.
Both with steady jobs. One earning 56 K's pa and the other working 3 jobs earning $50 k's pa. Take tax out of that and it's impossible to even save for a deposit unless they hobbit in the bedroom 7 days a week.
The one earning $50 k's has her priorities right. She's saving hard to travel to Europe and has already booked flights to Europe in November this year.
Be young and be free I say. Do this shit when you're young, enjoy, and then come back and work harder.

It just seemed easier when I was young though.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend agree.
I actually feel sorry for my kids.
They have been born into a generation where the great Australian dream is generally out of their reach.
Property ownership for kids these days is all but impossible.

So, on the most part, they better get used to apartment living.
Either renting or purchasing. It's all they'll be able to afford if they want to live in the big smoke of most capital cities.

Most state governments have recognised there is a housing affordability crisis, but the process of planning communities and constructing new housing is so hopeless that the problem is just getting worse.

I saw an article about some tiny studio apartments that have been built in Marrickville as a solution. Great, young people can possibly afford a shoebox!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

If you haven't wealth in family nowdays there is not a whole lot of chance you can achieve what people could in the 60s.

I reckon you can. You don't need to start with a house to become wealthy. I was able to afford a home deposit because I invested in shares. You can start any time. But one big difference today is that every young person thinks they have to live large to maintain their social status. Back in the day people were happy to go without, while today there is all this FOMO around not having the latest toys, eating out every week, or going on holidays to show off on social media. People were never happy being poor but they at least used to accept it, and they knew the solution. Nowadays many think the solution is to pretend they're not poor. Fake it til you make it just keeps you trapped in the poverty cycle.

 

[Suitman]

Most state governments have recognised there is a housing affordability crisis, but the process of planning communities and constructing new housing is so hopeless that the problem is just getting worse.

I saw an article about some tiny studio apartments that have been built in Marrickville as a solution. Great, young people can possibly afford a shoebox!

Yep, exactly.
The country can't even build enough housing to house the current population and reduce the housing affordability crisis, let alone bringing in another 600 000 skilled migrants and uni students in the past 12 months.
Both govts of both persuasions have absolutely created this mess, and neither of them have done anything to solve it. They just talk rhetoric and it upsets me because it affects me.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Yep, exactly.
The country can't even build enough housing to house the current population and reduce the housing affordability crisis, let alone bringing in another 600 000 skilled migrants and uni students in the past 12 months.
Both govts of both persuasions have absolutely created this mess, and neither of them have done anything to solve it. They just talk rhetoric and it upsets me because it affects me.

Yeh. Net migration certainly plays a role, and the last 18 months is a bit of a perfect storm with people returning after being locked out of the country. But in the long-run we've built a tax (and super) system that concentrates property in the hands of those whove already got it. It doesn't make it impossible for others to get in, but it makes it harder than it used to be and should be.

 

[Suitman]

Yeh. Net migration certainly plays a role, and the last 18 months is a bit of a perfect storm with people returning after being locked out of the country. But in the long-run we've built a tax (and super) system that concentrates property in the hands of those whove already got it. It doesn't make it impossible for others to get in, but it makes it harder than it used to be and should be.

Those other reasons may be so, but ultimately, it is not just returning residents.
It is the govt's insatiable appetite to increase the population and grow our GDP that has created this issue, without having any plan in place to address the housing crisis before they put these plans into place.
Politicians are f**ked. They don't give a shite about those who suffer due to their policies.
Listening to in the past, Morrison's bullshit and now Albanese's empty words and more bullshit is just distressing. Them trying to solve the most pressing issue for the standard and cost of living in decades has done nothing, despite their bullshit.

Albanese and his crap claim of reducing electricity costs for families has been seen to be an absolute lie. Costs have increased, yet no one can explain why and the only people who are happy about that are the shareholders of the electricity companies.
I've never trusted a word any politician has said for decades, and that isn't likely to change any time soon.

 

[hindy111]

I reckon you can. You don't need to start with a house to become wealthy. I was able to afford a home deposit because I invested in shares. You can start any time. But one big difference today is that every young person thinks they have to live large to maintain their social status. Back in the day people were happy to go without, while today there is all this FOMO around not having the latest toys, eating out every week, or going on holidays to show off on social media. People were never happy being poor but they at least used to accept it, and they knew the solution. Nowadays many think the solution is to pretend they're not poor. Fake it til you make it just keeps you trapped in the poverty cycle.

Dual incomes and decent salaries is fine. Single people or low income earners are not so much.
I don't do social media so unsure what goes on there. I assume people.posting photos

 

[hindy111]

Those other reasons may be so, but ultimately, it is not just returning residents.
It is the govt's insatiable appetite to increase the population and grow our GDP that has created this issue, without having any plan in place to address the housing crisis before they put these plans into place.
Politicians are f**ked. They don't give a shite about those who suffer due to their policies.
Listening to in the past, Morrison's bullshit and now Albanese's empty words and more bullshit is just distressing. Them trying to solve the most pressing issue for the standard and cost of living in decades has done nothing, despite their bullshit.

Albanese and his crap claim of reducing electricity costs for families has been seen to be an absolute lie. Costs have increased, yet no one can explain why and the only people who are happy about that are the shareholders of the electricity companies.
I've never trusted a word any politician has said for decades, and that isn't likely to change any time soon.

On electricity what a load of shit is this?
My bills have just basically doubled in the last 18mths. I decided to look into and by staying with the exact same provider but getting on their cheapest plan I save $250 a year plus $200 bonus so $450 a year less

After 12mths is up they dump you on the most expensive rate/plan. How the he'll is this allowed to even happen. Why would anyone want to be put on the PAY $500 A YEAR MORE PLAN.
Massive scam and a load of shit that this is even allowed

 

[Suitman]

On electricity what a load of shit is this?
My bills have just basically doubled in the last 18mths. I decided to look into and by staying with the exact same provider but getting on their cheapest plan I save $250 a year plus $200 bonus so $450 a year less

After 12mths is up they dump you on the most expensive rate/plan. How the he'll is this allowed to even happen. Why would anyone want to be put on the PAY $500 A YEAR MORE PLAN.
Massive scam and a load of shit that this is even allowed

Our govt, despite their promises to reduce electricity expenses - to get elected, have done absolutely nothing to address this.
f**king liars the lot of them.
The fact that electricity costs have actually increased beyond even the most modest projections makes it even worse.

Can anyone explain to me why it costs 30 - 40% more for me to plug my kettle in and boil some water, or turn a light on, than it did 2 years ago?
I wish I'd been able to increase my own charge out rates by 30 - 40% in the past 2 years.
FFS, I'd be out of work if I tried that trick, yet the electricity providers are not held accountable.
Go figure?

 

[the phantom menace]

Because... capitalism .

merkins that run these big companies - and the people that buy shares in them, and expect return on their investments - drive the whole system to keep reaming people to maximise profits. That's the cost of living crisis in a nutshell.

And the minute anyone tries to do anything to curb these corporate giants' profits - like recent talk of how out of control profiteering Woolworths and Coles (or their parent companies) are, or trying to properly tax the profitable mining companies - we then get counter arguments that government shouldn't or can't crack down on them, because then it would impact "the economy" and ability for the corporates to drive investments in infrastructure etc.

It's all a vicious cycle. And that's not even getting into the multinational aspects, and how those corporate entities manage in the name of profits to evade paying much tax (and contributing to potential reductions in the living costs) anywhere.

 

[eels_fan]

Heard the other day median house price in Sydney will be $2.1m by 2027.

to buy you’ll need to be a couple with combined annual salary of at least $300k and save a deposit in excess of $400k

Good f**king luck

 

[Gary Gutful]

Can anyone explain to me why it costs 30 - 40% more for me to plug my kettle in and boil some water, or turn a light on, than it did 2 years ago?

Retailers/Distributers have to buy it from the generators. The cost to produce energy has risen significantly (more than 30-40%) so the retailers have had to pass those costs on.

Cost to produce energy has increased because of coal and gas prices. We've also seen some coal fired power stations become unreliable due to age and others have been shut down and no longer generate electricity.

Demand is a factor as well - with more extreme weather events peak demand is on the rise which impacts pricing within a regulated market.
Further, in a regulated market the ACCC sets minimum charges. Even if Benevolent Bob's Energy wanted to come in and charge half the price they can't.

We are planning/building a shitload of renewables so that the market is more resilient, but more could have been done much earlier to avoid this happening.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Heard the other day median house price in Sydney will be $2.1m by 2027.

to buy you’ll need to be a couple with combined annual salary of at least $300k and save a deposit in excess of $400k

Good f**king luck

Even then that's still a significant mortgage burden for someone on that wage.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Because... capitalism .

merkins that run these big companies - and the people that buy shares in them, and expect return on their investments - drive the whole system to keep reaming people to maximise profits. That's the cost of living crisis in a nutshell.

And the minute anyone tries to do anything to curb these corporate giants' profits - like recent talk of how out of control profiteering Woolworths and Coles (or their parent companies) are, or trying to properly tax the profitable mining companies - we then get counter arguments that government shouldn't or can't crack down on them, because then it would impact "the economy" and ability for the corporates to drive investments in infrastructure etc.

It's all a vicious cycle. And that's not even getting into the multinational aspects, and how those corporate entities manage in the name of profits to evade paying much tax (and contributing to potential reductions in the living costs) anywhere.

Not every part of the electricity generation, transmission, distribution and retail network is privatised across the country. There are others factors at play that make it a more complex issue than just pure corporate greed.

 

[hindy111]

Retailers/Distributers have to buy it from the generators. The cost to produce energy has risen significantly (more than 30-40%) so the retailers have had to pass those costs on.

Cost to produce energy has increased because of coal and gas prices. We've also seen some coal fired power stations become unreliable due to age and others have been shut down and no longer generate electricity.

Demand is a factor as well - with more extreme weather events peak demand is on the rise which impacts pricing within a regulated market.
Further, in a regulated market the ACCC sets minimum charges. Even if Benevolent Bob's Energy wanted to come in and charge half the price they can't.

We are planning/building a shitload of renewables so that the market is more resilient, but more could have been done much earlier to avoid this happening.

That's fine. Doesn't explain the trick of putting me on 39cents a kW when 32c is available and not giving me the $250 year bonus credit cause I just let it roll over. A reward for being a loyal customer?

 

[hindy111]

Even then that's still a significant mortgage burden for someone on that wage.

Yeah at current rates a 1.7 mill loan would be about 3k a week repayments

 

[IFR33K]

Because... capitalism .

merkins that run these big companies - and the people that buy shares in them, and expect return on their investments - drive the whole system to keep reaming people to maximise profits. That's the cost of living crisis in a nutshell.

And the minute anyone tries to do anything to curb these corporate giants' profits - like recent talk of how out of control profiteering Woolworths and Coles (or their parent companies) are, or trying to properly tax the profitable mining companies - we then get counter arguments that government shouldn't or can't crack down on them, because then it would impact "the economy" and ability for the corporates to drive investments in infrastructure etc.

It's all a vicious cycle. And that's not even getting into the multinational aspects, and how those corporate entities manage in the name of profits to evade paying much tax (and contributing to potential reductions in the living costs) anywhere.

my biggest gripe is airlines and resorts/accomodation.

realistic prices, and then charge you thru the a$$ as soon as it’s a public holiday's or school holidays. And the government all but encourages to royally bend us over. Ffs

 

[Twizzle]

Albanese and his crap claim of reducing electricity costs for families has been seen to be an absolute lie. Costs have increased, yet no one can explain why and the only people who are happy about that are the shareholders of the electricity companies.

privatisation wasn't really a good idea in hindysight

 

[the phantom menace]

Not every part of the electricity generation, transmission, distribution and retail network is privatised across the country. There are others factors at play that make it a more complex issue than just pure corporate greed.

True.

But when someone asks why prices for something go up 30-40% in two years, the model of suppliers, wholesalers, retailers etc allows for multiple layers of the capitalism growth and profit motive to have their impact.

 

[Gary Gutful]

That's fine. Doesn't explain the trick of putting me on 39cents a kW when 32c is available and not giving me the $250 year bonus credit cause I just let it roll over. A reward for being a loyal customer?

Analed by an electricity retailer.