The totally off-topic thread

[stoneman]

Stewardesses is the longest word typed with the left hand.

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Stewardesses is the longest word typed with the left hand. 

What were you doing with your right at the time?

 

[mushez]

Looking at some false advertising from the NSW government.

Its not false advertising - gee get with the 2017's man.

It is alternative facts - failing that, its fake news.

 

[anat0l]

I have been looking a Grammar school for my daughter. Yes she's too young to start but want to get an idea if cost. Not cheap but I found them using component pricing even though you have no choice but to pay everything.

- Application fee for new enrollments
- Enrollment fee
- Annual Tuition fee
- Compulsory levies and excursions including General Levies, Sports Levies, the IT levy and levies costs for excursions and camps
- Extra levies for year 1, a year 12 Formal charge and years 9-12 have subject specific levies
- A voluntary building fund levy

:shock: Too difficult to include all charges in one figure? There is a discount for paying lump sum before first day of school.

Unfortunately, the amount you pay overall varies from student to student, even if you end up "paying everything".

• Application fee is usually separate because even if you apply, you're not guaranteed a place (she still needs to pass the interview). No point charging you the $20k or whatever if they refuse her and then have to refund you $19k.
• The enrolment fee separately is less clear... that could be bundled into the first year of school fees. I guess it just makes it easier to publish the schedule of fees. A bit like joining Qantas Club - there's a once off joining fee and the annual subscription fee.
• Tuition fees can vary depending on grade level, thus it can also vary depending on when she enters the school.
• Levies and excursions, except "general levies", can vary depending on subjects studied (more prevalent in later years when students get more choices on what they want to study). The costs may also change year to year.

On the other hand, most private schools are so popular that they aren't necessarily going to be in the business of trying to sell themselves well, including a somewhat simpler fee structure. If it's anything to go by, it's easiest just to get the tuition fee (the largest expense) then tack on about three thousand more to cover most of the others. Either way, you're talking serious money.

 

[JohnK]

Don't we have a golf thread somewhere?

Don't we have a Qantas Cash card thread somewhere?

 

[Hvr]

Two very quick services recently.

Late Tuesday afternoon I spoke to my bank about a document they were to send me. It was in my PO Box on Wednesday.

On Wednesday afternoon I used a voucher to book my ticket to Japan on QF. It was ticketed within five minutes. Quickest I've ever had an international ticket arrive.

 

[love_the_life]

School fees will be only one thing JohnK. Don't forget dance and music lessons, sports clubs, heaven forbid a horse. Not just the upfronts but ongoing and all the gear too. I know we've had all of the above. Horses are probably the dearest of those but girls seem to have an affinity with them.

 

[anat0l]

School fees will be only one thing JohnK. Don't forget dance and music lessons, sports clubs, heaven forbid a horse. Not just the upfronts but ongoing and all the gear too. I know we've had all of the above. Horses are probably the dearest of those but girls seem to have an affinity with them.

I've heard of riding lessons and the like, but actually owning the horse??

You actually forgot to mention uniforms and textbooks (yes, even ebooks are expensive - the cost of IP exceeds physical production costs). They don't put that in the schedule of fees, and despite the necessity, we know how dear (pun intended) they can be.

 

[amaroo]

Don't forget OS school trips.

 

[blackcat20]

I've heard of riding lessons and the like, but actually owning the horse??

You actually forgot to mention uniforms and textbooks (yes, even ebooks are expensive - the cost of IP exceeds physical production costs). They don't put that in the schedule of fees, and despite the necessity, we know how dear (pun intended) they can be.

My childhood best friend owned a horse, as did a few of her other friends...

 

[Steady]

My childhood best friend owned a horse, as did a few of her other friends...

That was one of my biggest night'mares'....

3 Miss Steady's and acreage :!:

 

[JohnK]

School fees will be only one thing JohnK. Don't forget dance and music lessons, sports clubs, heaven forbid a horse. Not just the upfronts but ongoing and all the gear too. I know we've had all of the above. Horses are probably the dearest of those but girls seem to have an affinity with them.

Not sure about horses in the city. Hopefully she'll develop a passion for golf over other sports.

 

[cove]

If you are going private school JohnK you would normally need two Australian incomes to fund it. I had a health issue and was an older father so I sold an investment and prepaid the 12 years of school fees. That meant paying a bit of extra tax at the capital gains tax rate. That stopped the feeling of having a vacuum cleaner running full bore in my pockets.
If Labor get into power the capital gains tax discount is on their list for dumping I believe and there will be pressure to raise the tax rates anyway no matter which group are governing Australia.

 

[Pushka]

Should just raise the GST and be done with it.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Not sure about horses in the city. .....

My grandkids go riding in Centennial Park. Girls go through a horse loving stage !

 

[JohnK]

If you are going private school JohnK you would normally need two Australian incomes to fund it.

The grammar school for daughter was chosen before she was born. I thought it was $15,000-$20,000/year for say 13 years. When I checked the website the other day found it was only $9,000-$12,000/year in today's fees. That was a huge relief.

I am saving her school fees now while I have job. Then at 60 I am going to "retire" and get a payout of my superannuation and that will go into daughter's trust fund. There may even be a little left over for us.

I'm not a fan of capital gain tax. I need the ~$75,000 tax the government will take from me. Trying to think of ways to offset and the only one I can think of is to stop working in the year the capital gain tax is due.

Another way would be to take a capital gains tax hit now and re-invest. That way I take any uncertainty out of the equation. I do not have any faith or trust in any government to do the right thing by me.

 

[Pushka]

I do not have any faith or trust in any government to do the right thing by me.

They only faith I have in any Government is that they will always do the right thing by them.

 

[Denali]

My grandkids go riding in Centennial Park. Girls go through a horse loving stage !

I remember growing up and a neighbour up the street had horse stables in the back yard and two horses.

Cant even have a fire incinerator in the backyard these days, good luck with having a couple of horses.

 

[QF WP]

Indeed we do and the posts have been moved - now to check out the golf thread

Don't we have a Qantas Cash card thread somewhere?

 

[whatmeworry]

Should just raise the GST and be done with it.

Or we could stop the big companies profit shifting offshore.