Lock & Load

W ashing

I roning

F .......g

E tc...etc

Revolver stand your ground and read her my post , and then duck :D

B....Free
michael

AMG

Feel sorry for you guys that are under the (financial) thumb of your misses. My better half has little control over my spending and decisions. Just took out a huge margin loan two days ago so I can prepay the interest for tax dodge. hse just looked at me, shook her head and said " as long as you know what you are doing"

And at the moment,she's doing the dishes......don't ya love it!

LittleJohn

Not meaning to be a pooper in the discussion, but I think it's safe to say that most of the guys "whinging" about their financial directors.. are doing it more in jest. Even though I'm not married, I would imagine that most things such as outtings, spending money, etc.... are discussed out of respect for your other half.
It's that whole "... man and woman..... together as one..." thingy. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they disagree. But it's that whole "doing it together" thing

So no need to feel sorry for them

labrat

Getting back on topic to ILIV48's problem, a few minutes spreadsheeting would tell you whether it is more sensible to:
1. Stick with the 8 and cop the fuel bills
2. Trade it in on a more fuel economical model, (or sell it outright and buy a more economical car)

All the usual dreary stuff would apply, such as losses on changeover, relative depreciation of the car, etc. Asking for an extra $500 clear means effectively asking for an extra $1,000 gross. It does seem to be an awful lot of good will to be stacked up against a car.

For my $0.05 worth, ILIV48 and his good spouse seem to have a pretty rational way of looking at their life finances. At the end of the day, the 8 is just a car and needs to be regarded in the same dispassionate way.

It's obviously a car that doesn't like prolonged idling in heavy traffic. I thank my stars my commute is only 25 min and in light traffic. I feel sorry for him having to spend 3-4 hours/day commuting. I really hope his job is worth it!

LittleJohn

I wonder if he (ILV48) would be able to work out some sort of saslary sacrifce arrangement if he has already done so.

"At the end of the day, the 8 is just a car and needs to be regarded in the same dispassionate way."
Labrat!!! you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Where is a mod when you need one.... ban his a$$:D

ILIV48

They really do owe me more than that. I am in seniour management here at work and I am responsible for my department. As my department is the art Studio every bit of work the company does comes through me while all the other departments just handle their own little bit. Because of my age they deem it OK not to pay me what all the other senior management earn (about 60K-90K a year more than myself). I think it's time they paid up a little!


I have come to the conclusion this car burns the same fuel at idle as it does at 3000-3500rpm. In some really heavy traffic I have watched the fuel needle drop from 3/4 to a 1/2 while just slowly inching forward for just over 1km. The thing is I bought the car before my worked moved premises. The old place would have been fine, no issues with 25 mins each way in the car!


I get to work with/on blockbuster Hollywood movies and see them all before they come out, spend time with lots of famous people, photoshoots with top models and actresses, work with most of the car manufacturers and play with their cars on road/track shoots. I also run the studio of designers so only have to myself work on the projects I want and assign off the ones I don't. There virtually is no other company in this country that lets someone my age have this type of position. They always go to 40-50 year old age brackets and friends of friends (everyone in the corporate world knows what that is). I know as I tried for some of them!

So I do like my job, I think it's just time that maybe they start paying me properly for it or at least cover me for the expense I'm slugged with because they chose to move the office. My meeting with them is scheduled for 1.00pm Tuesday Afternoon!

labrat

Well, I agree that careerwise you've got it made. Perhaps there might be an argument made to your wife that you could step up carwise as well, since trading down is not a good idea. Now, what's a flash car with good fuel consumption at low speeds? Something diesel perhaps? (You could move closer to your work, too, I guess).

I must confess, the very few times I've been forced to join the weekday CBD commute, I haven't been impressed with fuel economy. I'm getting around 11.5L/100km on my outer urban commute, which is tolerable I suppose.

You do have to put things into perspective. My wife has just bought a Mini Cooper (not the "S"). OK, she's just running it in, but the economy isn't all that flash - about 9.5L/100km at the moment.

ILIV48

Damn 11.5L/100km... I can only wish for figures like that!

At present I am getting approx 18-19L/100km with my peak hour commutes.

The wife still wants me to have something nice and last night was pushing the new Golf GTI pretty hard. One of her workmates has one and is getting 9L/100km with his peak hour commutes to and from work. But this morning she had a big damper put on that as she found out VW have no more for delivery for another 8-9 months. :D :D

Score 1 win in my favour!

As for a more expensive car I really don't want to do that. If I end up forced into another car it is going to be something I can belt the **** out of around the track. Whatever she says this point will be non-negotiable!

takahashi

ehhh... 18 mpg or you mean 18L/100km???

18mpg is 13.0674769 L/100km

ILIV48

Oops. Fixed. Was supposed to be 18-19L/100km :o

timbo

Seems to me you're (both) a bit down about something that will be a fairly transitory issue. Sounds like you have a great job, with excellent prospects, and a life plan; if you do well, you'll be rewarded and all this will seem fairly trivial. In the meantime, just practice a little sensitivity in the right foor department

ILIV48

Actually I have. Been really just feathering the throttle everywhere I go. It's not really making much of a difference at the pump though!

The thing is though after being really gentle on the car for a week it is starting to drive like ****. Really lethargic and rough. It doe's not like this type of driving I am certain of now.

This weekend I am going to take the car out on Saturday night for a short run (maybe just up around King Lake and back - approx 60km round trip from my place) just to blow the cobwebs out. Don't worry Timbo I'll use my left foot. :D And I saved some of my lunch money just for that :D

mikeyr

Such wise word's. (no not sarcasm, genuine!) l

Lfe has a way of sorting itself out if you want it too! Paid my house off last year at 40, 5 years ago I thought that there was no way I would ever be able to do that, even if i lived to 100! (Naurally I'll probably buy a bigger one, but thats not the point!!)

But have a crack at asking for the raise, but on the basis that you're really worth it vs your car is a bit thirsty. Don't ask, don't get. Best of.

xsfer

What you need to do is not ask for a fuelcard, or get a new car or even a new wife, what you need to do is move closer to your work or get a new job, whom in their right mind would want to drive that much to and from work each day???

What a waste of time! No wonder you use so much fuel!

DMRH

Game over guys, she used the female phrase of death that proves you can never beat a women. For as soon as you get close, out comes the "Whatever" & you lose

ILIV48....... I hope part of your savings plan is the use of 91-RON & not the more expensive 95-RON or 98-RON

Too many companies (other than Mazda) have spent their Millions finding out the rotary engine is tolerant to multi grade fuels. You will only gain a lighter wallet by using 98-RON despite what everyone else tells you or says about their car feeling this or that.

REgards

Wildcard

I second that. I've been using 91RON for 18 MONTHS now and my car has never run stronger. Add that to a Coles voucher and I am saving 16c/L at the pump. It's significant! And there are no downsides.

Revolver

I've been avoiding this thread since my little meltdown but since things have been good on the homefront so I thought I'd wander back in.

Great to see some good advice going ILIV48's way.

So, any developments? Did they cough up or what?

I refuse to drive into the CBD each day so I commute in on the big blue Mercedes and save the wear and tear on my 8 - makes it all inviting for people to run into when it's sitting in a car park!

Hope you can work something out.

ILIV48

They are still discussing amongst themselves, but I get the feeling any increase will be small. If it is small I have decided to cut my hours back and just do similiar to the others here.

It will be interesting to see how long it will take for them to bring up their concern that I don't seem to be working like I used to... But hey if I am only worth that much to them then I guess that's what I need to match my performance levels to while I start looking for alternate work!

I think the coming month could be very interesting.

xxup

I have a different approach.. Work your a**e off - then take two sick days, look for a job closer to home (or you could always move to much cheaper Brizzie) then leave..

When you hand in your notice, they should make a more serious offer or even if they don't then they will at least have no excuse to make negative comments about your performance.. If they do make a negative comment, then sue their a**e off!!!
:D :D :D

Good luck