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BBC My Money: 'Three months of fuel for my boat costs £400'


Sir Percy

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bbc.co.uk article

 

tl;dr

Caroline is 33 and works in higher education. She lives on a narrowboat, which she bought three years ago with an unsecured personal loan, which she repays at £705.42 per month. The boat is moored on a permanent residential mooring [Oxford?], for which Caroline pays £257.44 per month in mooring and boat licence fees.

 

 

My solar panel hasn't generated much power today, so I run the generator for a few hours to boost the batteries. I need more efficient solar panels, as they will significantly offset my expenditure on petrol for the generator, and diesel for the boat engine (around £8 per week in total), but my current top priority is ordering coal for the winter.

Usually I buy enough for a month at a time, but this winter there will be a stoppage (canal closure) at a bridge just north of my mooring, meaning that Dusty the fuel boat will be unable to get through for three months. Ordering three months' worth of fuel in advance is a pricey business, and will set me back around £400-500 on top of my usual monthly bills. So, no new solar panels just yet.

 

Two years ago I acquired a £4,000 overdraft debt overnight (due to the Canal and River Trust omitting the VAT on my mooring fees and threatening me with a CCJ [county court judgement] unless I paid the VAT bill in full immediately) and I have been in the debt trap ever since.

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9 minutes ago, Sir Percy said:

bbc.co.uk article

 

tl;dr

Caroline is 33 and works in higher education. She lives on a narrowboat, which she bought three years ago with an unsecured personal loan, which she repays at £705.42 per month. The boat is moored on a permanent residential mooring [Oxford?], for which Caroline pays £257.44 per month in mooring and boat licence fees.

 

 

My solar panel hasn't generated much power today, so I run the generator for a few hours to boost the batteries. I need more efficient solar panels, as they will significantly offset my expenditure on petrol for the generator, and diesel for the boat engine (around £8 per week in total), but my current top priority is ordering coal for the winter.

Usually I buy enough for a month at a time, but this winter there will be a stoppage (canal closure) at a bridge just north of my mooring, meaning that Dusty the fuel boat will be unable to get through for three months. Ordering three months' worth of fuel in advance is a pricey business, and will set me back around £400-500 on top of my usual monthly bills. So, no new solar panels just yet.

 

Two years ago I acquired a £4,000 overdraft debt overnight (due to the Canal and River Trust omitting the VAT on my mooring fees and threatening me with a CCJ [county court judgement] unless I paid the VAT bill in full immediately) and I have been in the debt trap ever since.

She has paid just under £10K for her moorings so how did she have to pay £4000 VAT. She spends £8 a week on diesel but it costs her £ 400-500 for 3 months. I hope she doesn't teach maths in higher education

Edited by ditchcrawler
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On 28/11/2019 at 10:33, ditchcrawler said:

She has paid just under £10K for her moorings so how did she have to pay £4000 VAT. She spends £8 a week on diesel but it costs her £ 400-500 for 3 months. I hope she doesn't teach maths in higher education

She did not, the figuire is a combined moorings and Licence fee, She also on the agenda 21 moorings. So the total mooring fees for the last three years would be  about £5650.

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10 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I always think it is better to pay for your boat (or anything) when you get it.

Why wait 3 or 4 years ?

 

How are you 'quids in' ?

Because the upfront cost was more  more than available cash.

 

Quids in, well I went from skint to flush when i finished paying my boat.

Edited by tree monkey
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16 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

If she can't afford to live on a boat, she can throw herself on the council to be rehoused on benefits like all the other parasites.

As she has a responsible full-time job, I wonder how she can be classed as a "parasite".

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29 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

If she can't afford to live on a boat, she can throw herself on the council to be rehoused on benefits like all the other parasites.

...... or sleep in a shop doorway with the mentally ill, and the alcoholis/druggies that our society produces in abundance.

LA don.t give out housing to single people with or without jobs.

Edited by LadyG
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17 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Unfortunately, it all comes down to perception.  Were not getting better at focusing on facts and science, are we. :(

 

Boater Sam is near the end of  "societal norm" of "the grumpy old git curve".

https://www.google.com/search?q=normal+curve+image&rlz=1C1SQJL_enGB798GB798&sxsrf=ACYBGNQJ_dfQw8IL69vhx68MVZXAmyCmjA:1575361294773&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=mlV4JeVFs8y1-M%3A%2CBRRVT6Iujut9nM%2C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kRXDk7FfdJWmUiYMUkoAJteGJq1VA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwicpviShpnmAhXTUxUIHcXsCkMQ9QEwCHoECAgQMw#imgrc=mlV4JeVFs8y1-M:

 

Edited by LadyG
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34 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

If she can't afford to live on a boat, she can throw herself on the council to be rehoused on benefits like all the other parasites.

 

It's good to know you have an empathetic and non-judgemental approach to people less fortunate than yourself. ?

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10 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

There are lots of ignored replies being posted today, is it something I said?  I bet its the word "parasite", always gets folks backs up.

I'm glad they are on ignore, they are from the usual upperty posters so they can stay that way, ignorance is bliss!?

:offtopic:

 

13 hours ago, restlessnomad said:

How do people manage to remain sane with so much credit and overdraft. I will not be able to sleep.

a different generation

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15 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

There are lots of ignored replies being posted today, is it something I said?  I bet its the word "parasite", always gets folks backs up.

 

 

Far from ignoring, I mentioned it in my post no. 16. It aroused my curiosity, not my back, and I await your reply with interest.

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3 minutes ago, Athy said:

Far from ignoring, I mentioned it in my post no. 16. It aroused my curiosity, not my back, and I await your reply with interest.

Sam has me on his list of ignorants, by my request!

He can never "ignore" a moderator, no one can.

Edited by LadyG
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