Hi Everyone
Do you realise that in about four weeks' time the shops and garden centres will be clearing the decks and dusting off last year's Christmas decorations to sell to us at an inflated price? Yes, that time of the year will yet again be here at least two months too early. The reality, however, for many this Christmas might be somewhat different. As someone approaching middle age I get a State Pension, its not really a state pension but my money that I have paid in during fifty years of work. Now the four things that most people want are a warm home, a telephone to keep in touch with friends and family, a television, a radio and access to books. If you add the monthly local Community charge to your current energy bill and then add the cost of your telephone and broadband you will probably find that totals over 50% of your pension. That is before you take into account the rapidly rising cost of food, the fact that energy costs are going to be much higher, and rent payments for those who do not own their own homes. Sadly that is the situation facing many elderly people are facing this winter, especially those living alone. In addition, the cost of heating could double or even treble by January and I have not even mentioned the cost of owning and running a car. I know of course that many have additional private pensions but, in many cases, those have not lived up to expectations. In my case when I was 55 I got a pension forecast for what I would get if I retired at 65. The reality was that when I reached 65 my pension fund was less than 50% of the original forecast due to lower annuity rates and the fact that the government had raided pension funds to raise money for themselves. Me? I have done my calculations and decided that we can afford go to Australia for six months each year rather than pay our heating bill so that we can have a summer long year unless, of course, climate change wipes out winter.
Now the Senior Partner had a bit of a dilemma. Across the road from the Fruit, Vegetable, Flower, Game, and Lolly shop was a Provision shop. In those days a provision shop sold groceries, you know things like milk, butter, tins, packets, sauces, etc. The man in the provision shop was forward thinking and converted his shop into a self service store, apparently one of the first in the country. This was a step beyond the traditional Senior Partner shop which eventually led to the Supermarket that we know today. After due consideration which took all of three minutes, the Senior Partner decided that there was no way that her customers were going to come into her shop to squeeze a tomato or piece of fruit before putting it back to pick another one. What you had was what the Senior Partner decided you were having which in our case was usually marked or bruised. Even worse for the Senior Partner to bear was that the man who owned the self service shop went on to build a detached house in the country with a thatched roof. There must be a lesson there somewhere but she must have got some satisfaction a few years later when the thatch caught fire and severely damaged the property.
This week the media is full of ideas on how you can save on your electricity and gas bills. Most of them don't add up to anything much when compared to the expected rise in prices. The good news is that the government is going to help to ease the pain as much as possible but if they help us too much we will stop reading the money saving advice.
The only thing as I approach middle age that I find really important is that we should be warm and comfortable in our own homes. Now in one of the richest countries in the world, are we going to be denied even that small luxury. This week we had international Dog Day. Will somebody tell me when the next International Good News day is?
Just a Thought:
My friend's mother in law looks through the window in the winter when it starts to snow. If it gets any worse he will have to let her in.
Although your customers won't forgive you if you give poor service, your competitors will.
Isn't it exhausting timing your showers and getting out before you want to?
Brian
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