How to break it to your wife

[Tank]

OK - lets put this in perspective - what about selling the bike? If it was my wife and our future - Id do that in a heart beat. (and since its a few years of rego that is the difference between going or not according to your post - this will cover it easily)

Or - is the bike more important than her going to college?

Just thinking about this more - This is a serious matter - I can appreciate that its a terrible situation to be in and Im not pointing fingers.

But there comes a point for all of us that require us to make hard decisions. You have to prortize yourself and take ownership or the directioon of your own future.

I had to get some $$$ for something. at short notice I had to choose - I sold my nice almost brand new boat. I loved that boat - but at the end of the day its just a toy - and my family comes first.

Looking at the detail you have posted - you have it in your ability to make it work - but you would have to lose the toy.

If you dont want to - thats fine - thats your decision - but really you shouldn't moan that your wife cannot afford to go - she can - its just that you prortize other things as more important.

[mashman]

Sorry to say this - but its true.

If you are cutting it so fine that a few extra hundred dollars is the difference between your wife being able to go to college or not being able to go - then you simply couldnt afford it in the first place.

What happened if your washing machine broke - or needed new tyres on the car?

To blame the new ACC levies on her not being able to afford to go is plainly a silly argument.

I see what you're saying, but there's other considerations, there always are, listing them is fruitless... In my case it's a leaky fork seal...

We've been a single income family for 6 years and we've managed. We were in a position to be able to afford my wife going to college agreeing that it'll be a tough 3 years. If the youngun doesn't get a kindy place, someone needs to be paid to look after her.

With the new levy coming in, i reckon i'm looking at having to find an additional 4 - 5 grand a year (guesstimate)... it's not just a couple of hundred a month to some, we can stretch a couple of hundy to go a long way...

[Tank]

With the new levy coming in, i reckon i'm looking at having to find an additional 4 - 5 grand a year (guesstimate)... i.

Im sorry - 4 - 5 grand per year? How do you get that figure?

[allycatz]

many day care centres offer a 50% discount for employees kids....centre based training may be the option for you.

[crazyhorse]

That's why she was shitty, has her own bike, but 3 month old bub prohibits rides a bit... Can see her point really...

yes, well, I guess life has changed for her then, so I guess your rides have decreased too (and I said decreased, not stopped :yes) Kids will eventually grow up and things will go back the way they were........

That's how it works at our place, I have no problem going to rallies 'cos she wants to go too

Good on ya - makes for a more peaceful and fun time too

[mashman]

OK - lets put this in perspective - what about selling the bike? If it was my wife and our future - Id do that in a heart beat. (and since its a few years of rego that is the difference between going or not according to your post - this will cover it easily)

Or - is the bike more important than her going to college?

ha ha ha. I've already mentioned it to my wife and been overruled (likely gonna have to review that decision). There's absolutely no contest between my possession and my bike... My wife will win every the time...

[mashman]

If its something you've both been planning for, for over a year, you can't tell her she can't go. Maybe you'll both need to get a part time job or cut back in any other way possible, take in a boarder or something, but she's been accepted, and something will always come up as an excuse why not to do it. Life will be tough for a while, but the sun will shine again when you come out the other side .....

You mean working to live... never again!

[Ragingrob]

So wait... How does the levy equate to an additional 4-5 grand per year???

Mate just sell your bike if need be even just to get not a late model Aprilia.

[crazyhorse]

You mean working to live... never again!

To get to where you want in life, sometimes this has to happen - and clearly it looks like it might have to be the case for your wife to achieve what she wants in life.

I've just bought a house, so this has to happen for me, at least for a little while, until I get ahead again. Its called sacrifice..........

Then you can go on to reap the rewards later

[mashman]

Im sorry - 4 - 5 grand per year? How do you get that figure?

Ok,

Working levy will go up by say $1200 a year.
Bike levy goes up by say $500
Car levy goes up by say $200
My fuel levy will go up by say $200

and any other levy's/tax's that start to appear

plus my wifes uni expenses (student loan yeah yeah), but with sundry expenses more than likely getting up around the 4k mark... add on day car the the littlun and we're up around 5 - 6 maybe!!!

granted it's a rough guesstimate, but that's what it's going to mean to my household

[crazyhorse]

Ok,

Working levy will go up by say $1200 a year.
Bike levy goes up by say $500
Car levy goes up by say $200
My fuel levy will go up by say $200

and any other levy's/tax's that start to appear

plus my wifes uni expenses (student loan yeah yeah), but with sundry expenses more than likely getting up around the 4k mark... add on day car the the littlun and we're up around 5 - 6 maybe!!!

granted it's a rough guesstimate, but that's what it's going to mean to my household

And in a few years when she graduates, her income would be, oh, say, $60k - things will even out..........

[mashman]

To get to where you want in life, sometimes this has to happen - and clearly it looks like it might have to be the case for your wife to achieve what she wants in life.

I've just bought a house, so this has to happen for me, at least for a little while, until I get ahead again. Its called sacrifice..........

Then you can go on to reap the rewards later

Honestly, that's preaching to the crowd, i've been there and done that on more occassions than i care to mention... I wouldn't mind if it was our choice, but it's being forced upon us financially...

I know it's a whinge, it's a moan it's a venting of frustration... i'm just sick of changing my lifestyle to fit in with what the government are doing... sick of dipping into what i have saved (already been taxed etc...) to pay for yet another governments whims!!! it has got fuck all to do with a change in my personal circumstances and I truly fear for those that don't have my options...

I fully understand what you're saying and this is most likely a storm in a tea cup, but it's a storm i'd rather not be having just now ta!

[mashman]

And in a few years when she graduates, her income would be, oh, say, $60k - things will even out..........

It's not the money, i don't know how much she'll be earning! it's the removal of our choice to decide! She could go out and get a job now, a pretty decent one, but she wants to do something a little more fulfilling. I'm as supportive as any man can be... but if the government wants to remove my ways of supporting my family for their own ends, i don't see i have any choice at all and i won't be the only one!

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer... tis all rather disheartening is all

[Mully]

And in a few years when she graduates, her income would be, oh, say, $60k - things will even out..........

Do kindy teachers get $60K on graduation?

Holy Crap. I wish I'd started on $60 Grand.

Mashman - you gots ta do, what ya gots ta do. If it was me, I'd be flogging off the Aprilia and buying a cheaper, older bike to run around on for a couple of years (actually, if the levies go ahead, probably a 600)

You can always come back to a newer bike once the sprog's a bit older and the Missus is earning a bit more coin.

[allycatz]

My daughter has just graduated....starting rate in Under two centre $22 per hour. Rates depend on xperience and where the centre is. Auckland pays more than Welly. $60k is what a centre manager would expect, unless its an extremely high end centre in Remmers