Random Irritations

Vets. A licence to print money.

Older dog has been poorly for a couple of weeks. Had a blood test last week which confirmed chronic kidney disease. Vet also suspected prostate issues and recommended ultrasound scan. That happened yesterday and showed an infection so he’s on antibiotics. They also took a urine sample which is off to the lab, and flushed him out.

Total bill yesterday was 1.2k. I asked for an itemised breakdown. £300 for a weeks worth of antibiotics!

Had a look online, same drugs can be bought for £90. But we needed them there and then, so had to pay their extortionate price 😟
 
GreiginFife said:
I don’t think the issue is the tariffs themselves as they have always existed.
It’s the muppet-like way that they have been imposed and the steadfast and idiotically incoherent belief of how it works by the imposer.
Click to expand...
There is a ‘logic’ being spouted across the pond on how tariffs are in fact a tax cut for the consumer of the imported ‘goods’. The tariff goes to the government and that enables the government to cut the taxes of the consumer. Yes really.🙄
 
Bunkermagnet said:
It seems to be overlooked by those across the pond having controls is that it's American businesses that have outsourced a lot of their production in the chase for greater profits.
Click to expand...
And the consumer who chose to buy the cheaper overseas product than their indigenous version…and eventually the latter went bust or manufacture was shifted to where production was cheaper.

My first calculator - bought for my O-levels I think (maybe my Highers) so about 1973/4 - was a Bowmar Brain MX90…Bowmar being an American electronics company (around the time Sinclair had brought out the Cambridge calculator but it used reverse polish keystroke logic and the Bowmar didn’t). Bought from Lewis’s on Argyle St it cost my folks about £40…a huge amount for my folks to spend at the time, and about a weeks wages if my dad earned the average wage.

This article gives an insight into the background that has led to the current debate.


Still got it, and it still works.
 
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rudebhoy said:
Vets. A licence to print money.

Older dog has been poorly for a couple of weeks. Had a blood test last week which confirmed chronic kidney disease. Vet also suspected prostate issues and recommended ultrasound scan. That happened yesterday and showed an infection so he’s on antibiotics. They also took a urine sample which is off to the lab, and flushed him out.

Total bill yesterday was 1.2k. I asked for an itemised breakdown. £300 for a weeks worth of antibiotics!

Had a look online, same drugs can be bought for £90. But we needed them there and then, so had to pay their extortionate price 😟
Click to expand...
Agreed, financial regulation of this industry is required asap.
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
And the consumer who chose to buy the cheaper overseas product than their indigenous version…and eventually the latter went bust or manufacture was shifted to where production was cheaper.

My first calculator - bought for my O-levels I think (maybe my Highers) so about 1973/4 - was a Bowmar Brain MX90…Bowmar being an American electronics company (around the time Sinclair had brought out the Cambridge calculator but it used reverse polish keystroke logic and the Bowmar didn’t). Bought from Lewis’s on Argyle St it cost my folks about £40…a huge amount for my folks to spend at the time.

This article gives an insight into the background that has led to the current debate.


Still got it, and it still works.
Click to expand...
Ah, Lewis’s - a real pity shops like that are few and far between these days.
 
RichA said:
Rather than pure greed, isn't it more of a shift from saving to own a few nice quality things to constantly buying lots of average quality shiny things? We're addicted to shopping because it's just so easy now.
In my lifetime household disposable income in the UK has more than doubled, but complaints about life being unaffordable have probably increased.
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The 2025 equivalent cost of my Bowmar calculator - £40 in 1973 - is about £620. Now that’s the ballpark cost of many a smartphone. Average manual workers weekly wage in 1973 was about £35.

The big difference is how such a purchase is financed and how readily we are as consumers to buy that finance as it enables us to have the product now. The only thing my folks bought on finance (other than the house) was the TV bought on HP. And as soon as they could afford to not have to use HP they stopped.

HP was a necessity for them, they were comfortable doing HP for the TV but they avoided it if at all possible as too much HP meant to them that they were living beyond their means and they were not willing to risk that.
 
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KenL said:
Ah, Lewis’s - a real pity shops like that are few and far between these days.
Click to expand...
We are fortunate in that we still have a very long established family owned and run department store in centre of our town. I think it still does ok. Lovely window displays at Christmas.
 
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SwingsitlikeHogan said:
And the consumer who chose to buy the cheaper overseas product than their indigenous version…and eventually the latter went bust or manufacture was shifted to where production was cheaper.

My first calculator - bought for my O-levels I think (maybe my Highers) so about 1973/4 - was a Bowmar Brain MX90…Bowmar being an American electronics company (around the time Sinclair had brought out the Cambridge calculator but it used reverse polish keystroke logic and the Bowmar didn’t). Bought from Lewis’s on Argyle St it cost my folks about £40…a huge amount for my folks to spend at the time.

This article gives an insight into the background that has led to the current debate.


Still got it, and it still works.
Click to expand...
Ah, Lewis’s - a real pity shops like that are few and far between these days.
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
The 2025 equivalent cost of my Bowmar calculator - £40 in 1973 - is about £620. Now that’s the ballpark cost of many a smartphone. Average manual workers weekly wage in 1973 was about £35.

The big difference is how such a purchase is financed and how readily we are as consumers to buy that finance as it enables us to have the product now. The only thing my folks bought on finance (other than the house) was the TV bought on HP. And as soon as they could afford to not have to use HP they stopped.

HP was a necessity for them, they were comfortable doing HP for the TV but they avoided it if at all possible as too much HP meant to them that they were living beyond their means and they were not willing to risk that.
Click to expand...
i think almost everyone relied on hp or even renting in the 70s and 80s.
Rented TVs, catalogs used for buying lots of things and paying them up.
 
KenL said:
Ah, Lewis’s - a real pity shops like that are few and far between these days.

i think almost everyone relied on hp or even renting in the 70s and 80s.
Rented TVs, catalogs used for buying lots of things and paying them up.
Click to expand...
I'm sure back in the day it was only men who could get HP. Such enlightened times.
 
I got sent out to sort out issues with cars for a press launch. We busted a gut getting them perfect. However we incurred some costs from a supplier who stepped up and supported us.
My company is now arguing about paying the invoice .. I hate this, they were desperate they got help and now they don’t have the decency to pay.
I am resisting writing the email saying they are an embarrassment…
But they never questioned the catering costs for the journalists!! 🤬🤯
 
The colour ( yellow) of Trump’s hair changed overnight. Perhaps he does not have enough to pay for his Grecian 2000. Perhaps the colouring on his face (orange) will be next!
 
rudebhoy said:
Vets. A licence to print money.

Older dog has been poorly for a couple of weeks. Had a blood test last week which confirmed chronic kidney disease. Vet also suspected prostate issues and recommended ultrasound scan. That happened yesterday and showed an infection so he’s on antibiotics. They also took a urine sample which is off to the lab, and flushed him out.

Total bill yesterday was 1.2k. I asked for an itemised breakdown. £300 for a weeks worth of antibiotics!

Had a look online, same drugs can be bought for £90. But we needed them there and then, so had to pay their extortionate price 😟
Click to expand...

Mate it's ridiculous. My late dog needed almost 2 years of meds at the end of his life. Think it was costing me £150 pcm ... Through the vets cost £400 but if I did myself using their prescriptions and go online to various chemists I could get the medications ... 3 different chemists I had to use as one would be cheaper for X and the other y it was hard work keeping on top of.

One medication they wanted him on cost £300 a month. And it was basically to stop heart burn I said I just can't justify that medication.

It was horrible
 
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