Friday, April 11, 2014
Pretending
These are some of the odd things I have to deal with when visiting the world of money and finance. Imagine trying to do business at a bank, but you lack tax returns for the last several years. Then you gather together alternative records to prove you actually have an income and the lack of tax filing is truly legal. Just for grins and giggles, try and explain a budget that has almost nothing for utility bills and extremely low fuel bills. Then there's the fact my income is tiny, but I've a home on a lake. Let's say that you once had all this stuff sorted out with a local credit union, but they were bought out by a bigger institution.
These new people don't know me.
Last summer I had to deal with the new owners while trying to sort out my finances so that I could travel all winter. It wasn't pretty, but I cobbled together something that worked. Some things that could safely be paid automatically were put on autopilot. A few things were handled on-line while traveling. Once in a great while I even sent out the occasional check through the mail. Sometimes it took weeks, but eventually my snail mail caught up with me. That is, if I've actually got it all now.
Now that I'm back I'm talking to these business people in person. I always have better luck in person. I'm too big throw out of an office. My goal is to simplify my finances even more, and to have it done before the end of the summer. With that goal in mind, with any luck, I should succeed by Christmas.
Some people get excited about money. I'm not one of them. The pursuit of little green pieces of paper or numbers on a bank statement doesn't interest me. Unfortunately, that's how the world works so I have to make at least some minimal effort to work within (or around) the system. Apparently those financial people want to at least pretend to care about all this crap.
If they really understood I was all about, they'd probably no longer be working in finance, so I've got to be careful. They have to be just educated enough to allow me to do the things I want to do, but no so educated that they run off and live in a cave in the desert. The balance is a delicate one.
-Sixbears
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Yes, balance is a good thing! lol
ReplyDeleteI do tend to unbalance some folk . . . without even trying.
DeleteAs long as you acomplished your goals it is best to leave them in fantasy land.Most people at a bank believe the federal reserve is a goverment agency.To them a small income means poverty.its a pity schools teach 12 years of math and O time on money mangement.People think if you have a good life it cost a fortune.We make 1/3 of our states medium income and even our family thinks we have bookoo hide to do with.
ReplyDeletePreach it Brother Sixbears, money is just a means to an end. So many people work their lives putting in extra hours to get more, only to be too tired or too old to enjoy the results of their hard wor
ReplyDeleteI'll bet few of them would do it again if there were a reset - do over button in life. Thank you for your post.
You are welcome. I see too many people who get to the end of their lives without ever having lived.
DeleteAh, life. Here I am about to shell out several thousand federal reserve notes for cool air in my hot and humid Florida home. Wonder if they'll barter...say, ammo for Puron.
ReplyDeleteI don't see why not.
DeleteLast year we had an audit by HMRC(Her Majestys Revenue and Customs) for VAT(sales taxes). The inspector compiled a list of 'errors'. 1. No utility bills, answer electic all hydropower, heat all wood powered, water, it's mine. Who they hell am I going to pay for it? Waste and sewage, we're a 100percent organic farm, its all recycled!
ReplyDeleteThe only actual bills we have are the telephone and property taxes.
Poor bloke was flabergasted
After that we covered feed bill, don't have any. Seed bills, always use our own.
Finally in desperation, going through our personal accounts, he said"Ha and just what do you buy your food with?"
My wife said gently "You do realise this is a farm? What do you think we grow?"
He left dumbfounded that we live such a good lifestyle on a relatively small income. Some people just will never get it.
Living in NH, the land of no sales and income taxes, the VAT tax always stuck me as harsh. Then again, someone has to pay for all that great health care. (not you, apparently.)
DeleteDon't love not fitting in the box?
Next is income tax. I haven't exceeded the yearly allowance, increasing to £10,000 this year, for years. I suspect we'll get an inspection soon.
DeleteThe thing is almost every expense or activity we can set as a business cost quite legally.
A few years ago they did try to say that as we ate our own produce we were taking stock from the business but we have separate polytunnels where we grow our food.
The only way to reform government is to starve the beast, I am happy to play my part.
BTW have to confess, we've nicked your motto and adopted it for ourselves.
Glad to share the motto.
DeleteMore and more of us are starving the beast and working outside the established systems.
Good for you!
Ro, you and Sixbears are now my heroes! I would love to be able to do that!
DeleteSixbears,
ReplyDeleteThere always trying to find ways to snag us on a process we have thought through thoroughly. Keep up the good work and stand your ground :-)
Thanks Sandy. I'm doing what I can, just a naughty little boy playing in the cracks of the system.
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