A frugal life is an easy life!

Beware an email scam that claims to be an update for "microsoft outlook and outlook express."

At first glance all appears well, but hovering over the link provided reveals a different web address in the link to the one displayed in the email.
Microsoft do not email any updates for any of their products!

The update number given does not correspond with the "update number" in the web address link.
The contact links at the bottom of the email, are clearly not accurate addresses of microsoft.

As you would treat junk mail that comes through your letterbox at home, do not entertain this email, simply delete it and empty your email trashcan. Stay safe....

Abbey's online banking system has failed now for more than four days.
I cannot log on, cannot get a balance, cannot move money, pay bills online, etc.

There are no notices at all on the abbey website, telling customers what is going on, when it will be repaired, if it is linked to security, nothing. The contact screen just says "Telephone abbey on...."

Of course, not only will waiting times be ages on the phone, but every call abbey get is charged to the customer. Not good for your customers is it Abbey!

We have a short piled wilton carpet in the front room. We have tried three dysons, each failing to remove our long haired cat's hairs from it, each one simply spreads the hair around and it can take upto an hour with the vacuum to lift most of it.

Dyson engineers and customer services agree that their machines cannot do the job alone, even though two of the machines are "pet specialists" in removing hair from animals and preventing allergies, one machine has even won awards for its effectiveness when used in a home with pets. (As with all awards, they are of little real value I find, most aren't worth the paper they are written on).

The third and final Dyson engineer told us that he was completely bamboozled and said it was not the "type of cat hair" as others had suggested.
He advised us to try a tip his mother used to use back in the 60s and 70s, get a spray bottle (50p from your local hardware store) and fill it with ordinary cold tap water - then spray over areas to be vacuumed - only a fine spray, don't soak the patch you are hoovering!

As if by magic, most of the pet hair was lifted from the carpet!

The fine spray of water removes the static from the carpet and hair making it easy for the vacuum's roller to lift instead of spreading it around.

Anti fascist supporters "stormed" the BBC television centre today, to protest about the BNP appearing on BBC1's question time tonight.
Ironic, as a fascist will suppress free speech, which is exactly what the anti-facist movement are trying to acheive!

More hypocritical nonsense from the BBC though - they have been running this NON story for days now, culminating this morning with one of their top brass stating that "the BBC does not do censorship on behalf of the government!"
Now a quick flick over to the BBC website, and the replies to two questions on their "have your say" section, where the public write in short posts to answer a question the BBC have set.

Was peter hain right to try to stop the BNP appearing on question time?
What would you ask nick griffin?

No problem with that, but all those who questioned why labour recently announced 3 policies that were identical to the BNP's policies and now complain because they are being given an appearance, many have had their comments rejected as breaking the house rules! (House rules - racist or unfit comments attacking others, etc.) censorship anyone?

I have saved the best question for last though... all those anti facist campaigners, 20 of which, broke into the building, why has their only been one single arrest (this was outside in the street)?
An unlawful protest without prior clearance from the police and authorities, yet no arrests?
I am hoping that tonights edition of question time isn't an audience full of rival supporters and we will actually be able to hear some of what is being said, and students? please revise your history, if it was back in my day, you'd be banged up for the night and charged the next day with breaching the peace!

I always apply the ideal, "if it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is!"

When the car scrappage scheme was brought in by the government, it looked too good to be true. Why hadn't it been done before? How similar to the european scrappage plan was it?
Question 1: How does this affect the government?
Of the £2000 discount, the government use taxpayer's money to provide £1000 of the discount, the dealership sells a car, then claims the £1000 back from the government.
Everything sounds ok with that... or does it?

Simple maths - what's the level of price (of a car) before the government returns a profit?
The government has £1000 to recoup (that it pays the dealership out of the taxpayer pot) with VAT being at 17.5% - £1000 is 17.5% of £5715, so for every car under that price the government loses out, for every car above £5715 the government makes a profit on the £1000 it is paying out.
So on a car of £11000 the government recoups £1925 in tax, take off the £1000 IF the customer has a car to scrap with the scheme, the government shows a profit of £925 this is profit off the customer!

Question 2: What does the dealership get out of the deal?
The dealership gets increased interest and increased numbers of car sales going through their books.
Again, this sounds great... or does it?
If you own a business and you were ordered to knock a £1000 off for each customer, what would you do? Would you add an extra £1000 to your prices? Most would and have done!
Add to this the cost of scrapping the old cars, which again falls on your company, you'd be putting up prices by about £1200 to cover your losses.

Using the scheme, the dealerships have increased all their prices, so those using the scrappage scheme are paying the same amount as the price was previously.

Question 3: What does the paying public get out of the deal?
Absolutely nothing!
Those using the scheme, are paying the same prices as before the scheme (Price increased £1200 then given a "discount" from the dealer of £1000) - they often pay more as there is no "trade in" value anymore (cars are now scrapped) - they are also paying more to the government, as the prices increase to stop the dealerships from taking a hit on each scrappage sale, this in turn increases the amount of VAT that becomes payable on the purchase. Any car bought for £5715 or less, the customer saves money, anything above this amount and the government recoups more than it discounts.

How many brand new cars have you seen being sold for £5715?

The bigger issue is with the majority of customers, who don't have a car that qualifies for the car scrappage scheme!
As all the prices rise to cover the dealership's extra £1200 costs (for the discount and to scrap the old cars) those without a car they can use in the scheme now have to pay higher prices, they also have to pay more VAT to the government (as their car price is higher) that's an extra £175 per £1000 added to the price of the car!
Most people buying new cars do not have a car to scrap.

The government win - more revenue gained in tax
The dealerships win - more sales and more interest
What does the customer gain? The customer loses out.... again!