Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>> And folks over there also don't have to deal with many costs you do here (from health care to leaving college already six figures in debt).<<< That used to be true. Though now kids can expect to have to pay $9000 a year tuition fees (my BSc was free). And the NHS is being decimated by the evil selfish right wing. Plus the US pays virtually no sales tax (ours just went up to 20%).
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Hey Spirit I will be @ the world Jan 21 to Jan 30. My email is my LP username @ gmail.com. If you email me I can give you my cell number. >> Will shoot you off an email this afternoon as I am pretty sure I'll be there for part of your stay ... Has it been 5 1/2 years since I saw you at DL? Yep ...
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<That used to be true. Though now kids can expect to have to pay $9000 a year tuition fees (my BSc was free). And the NHS is being decimated by the evil selfish right wing. Plus the US pays virtually no sales tax (ours just went up to 20%).>> We need to schedule a phone call, so we can discuss this properly. ~The USA: Going Out Of Business Sale Now in Progress From Sea To Shining Sea!~
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Now I took my parents to 'Ohana back in 2004. They want to go again because they loved it. I warned them I felt the quality has gone way down @ 'Ohana. But we will see what they think in a week or so. -- T-mom,, I would agree with you about 3-4 years back there was a period- first the shrimp were replaced by sausage - then they seemed always overbooked- and we removed them from our usual 'rotation' for 2 years but last trip the meal there was very very good. from the appetizer wings and pot stickers to the tiger shrimp
Originally Posted By vbdad55 'if you have no money, it doesn't matter if they're giving rooms away for $1 a night' ... the same is true with WDW. ---- why the rich get richer and the rest of us don't- your friend is so right.. there are some amazing deals in real estate out there right now- if you can afford to tie up somemoney for 5-7 years- great interest rates also-- but when one is living check to check as verymany famiilies are--- free dining, great car deals- or tons of house for the money don't matter much
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <<That used to be true. Though now kids can expect to have to pay $9000 a year tuition fees (my BSc was free). And the NHS is being decimated by the evil selfish right wing. Plus the US pays virtually no sales tax (ours just went up to 20%).>> --- no sales tax ? where ? We pay 10.5% in Chicago. Add that top property taxes equal to about 2.75% - 3% of the value of your home - each year so a $400K home = $11K-$12K PER YEAR here. if you drink or smoke ( not usre how anyone affords to)- yikes on sin taxes. and tuition, as I am 1 year away again -- in state tuition ( no room and board) = $12k-$14K - out of state tuition (public schools ) $25K + $12K room and board and private school tuitions start at about $35K and top $50K per year - plus room and board. this goes back to a sports discussion we had- why it's so important to some here- daughter being recruited for volleyball and some of the offers could be worth $200K total. So we invest $5k or so per year on 'club' ball and travel for that level of training if the kids are talented.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <<That used to be true. Though now kids can expect to have to pay $9000 a year tuition fees (my BSc was free). And the NHS is being decimated by the evil selfish right wing. Plus the US pays virtually no sales tax (ours just went up to 20%).>> --- no sales tax ? where ? We pay 10.5% in Chicago. Add that top property taxes equal to about 2.75% - 3% of the value of your home - each year so a $400K home = $11K-$12K PER YEAR here. if you drink or smoke ( not usre how anyone affords to)- yikes on sin taxes. and tuition, as I am 1 year away again -- in state tuition ( no room and board) = $12k-$14K - out of state tuition (public schools ) $25K + $12K room and board and private school tuitions start at about $35K and top $50K per year - plus room and board. this goes back to a sports discussion we had- why it's so important to some here- daughter being recruited for volleyball and some of the offers could be worth $200K total. So we invest $5k or so per year on 'club' ball and travel for that level of training if the kids are talented.
Originally Posted By t1lersm0m Vbdad good to hear 'Ohana is good again. It will be our final dinner of the trip. Spirit I absolutely believe Boma should have cloth napkins for how much they charge. I'm sad to hear they no longer have prime rib. I told my mom all about how great Boma is. :-( The first year we came to Disney on the dining plan we had filet @ wolfgang puck. Now they have flank steak in its place. Tyler enjoyed the flank steak but its no filet. I see Le Cellier is changing to 2 credits for dinner in March. I still think its worth it.
Originally Posted By standor We usually book our trip 3 to 6 months in advance. How do we know where we will be in WDW at any given time? Before the dining plan, we could usually walk up to a restaurant and usually get in. Now most restaurants are booked and it's almost impossible to get in. They are usually busy and the service falls short. Disney has to do something to make us want to come back. Repeal the dining plan, lower their prices and give better service all through WDW.
Originally Posted By barboy2 ///I heard a figure the other day about how many NFL games this year were not sell outs/// I hope that figure is very large.
Originally Posted By barboy2 ///Though now kids can expect to have to pay $9000 a year tuition fees/// If they don't like it, then they go to a community college/junior college or not go at all for all I care. ///Plus the US pays virtually no sales tax (ours just went up to 20%)./// How do you figure? I had to pay around $11,000 in taxes just for a car in '08. And don't get me started on property taxes---in '05 and '06 I paid out $28,000 and $27,000 respectively. Now that housing has fallen I am so happy that counties are collecting far less.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>no sales tax ? where ? We pay 10.5% in Chicago. Add that top property taxes equal to about 2.75% - 3% of the value of your home - each year<<< Comparatively speaking, that is low. Sales tax in the UK is now 20%, in Europe it ranges between 23-27%. Chicago sales tax is cheap in comparison. Add the fact every house must buy a TV licence that pays for the BBC ($23 a month - this is mandatory for all households that own a TV or computer). Property Tax (or Council Tax) for our 950 sq foot house is about $15k a year. Road tax isn't too bad, it sits at about $600 a year. Then income tax is 22% for people under $50k a year, 40% for over that, and 50% for people on more thank $150k a year. Corporation Tax sits at 14%. Still, I don't mind if the service is good.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>If they don't like it, then they go to a community college/junior college or not go at all for all I care.<<< We don't have that option. Only universities may award degrees in the UK. >>>///Plus the US pays virtually no sales tax (ours just went up to 20%)./// How do you figure? I had to pay around $11,000 in taxes just for a car in '08. <<< I said sales tax. The tax you pay when you buy something at a cash register. The US overall has lower taxes and more write offs than most European countries. However, the public services are poor in the US too.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<ORGOCH: Heck! I knows some folks that'd rather eat at McDonald's than eat at a Dizzy theme park!!>> Witches, that's were I typically enjoy breakfast while vacationing at WDW. I'm not for all you can eat buffets anymore. Just too much food. Now, I just go light and enjoy a good cup of coffee and maybe a egg biscuit.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Vbdad good to hear 'Ohana is good again. It will be our final dinner of the trip. Spirit I absolutely believe Boma should have cloth napkins for how much they charge. I'm sad to hear they no longer have prime rib. I told my mom all about how great Boma is. :-( ---- honestly- unless you have to have beef- the pork loin ( with about 5 different sauce choices)- and the huge salmon was better than the prime rib, IMHO--but I realize there are beef people too..aside from filet I am not one of them
Originally Posted By vbdad55 How do you figure? I had to pay around $11,000 in taxes just for a car in '08. ----- that's a helluva car you bought -- I paid $3500 on an Acura TL selling for just under $45K -- what did you get ? ( jealousy welling up inside me--LOL )
Originally Posted By avimagine See, here I paid about 7200 sales tax + air + freight + PDI on a Jeep GC... Not even a luxury marque.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>The economy still sucks (despite what any talking heads on CNBC and FOX or politicians will say ... there is no such thing as a 'jobless recovery' ... and this nation can't live on $3 a gallon gas).<< There's a very good chance it will be over $4 this summer. We can survice $4 gas, but not when every other vehicle on the the road is a 10 mpg, 400 HP pickup truck.
Originally Posted By fkurucz "But the bottom line is our economy can't sustain itself with gas at that level. Worse, it's all Wall Street speculation" Part of it is Wall St. manipulation, but let's not forget that 18 million cars were sold in China last year, and few of them were replacement vehicles. It won't be long before there are more cars in China than the USA. That has to have an effect on oil prices.
Originally Posted By fkurucz I paid about $1400 sales tax on the econocar I bought in 2009. Sales tax is lower in the US than Europe, that much is certain, but it isn't chump change either. Property tax can vary widely by locality. Our house is assessed at 330K and our annual property tax is $2100.
