Price Rises

[Chris34]

The keeping a roof over your head isn’t your customers problem..Gas,electric and fuel have all gone down lately and my current interest rate on my mortgage is ridiculously low.I bet a lot of rent hasn’t gone up with inflation especially council housing rent.

I fully understand it's not my customers problem, it sounds like you're in a fortunate position, but I'd bet you would have a different view point if you didn't have a mortgage that was cheap and were stuck in the rent trap. Cheapest rental property around me is way over £900, small house is more like £1,200+ bills on top of that, then work out how much the tax man is taking off you and I can tell you now that it soon changes the 'look after the poor customer' attitude.

My costs are about as low as I can possibly get them. I had my LPG serviced on the van last year and now pay 80p a litre. My total fuel bill is £80 per month. All my other kit I've not spent money on, only replacing things if they break. Even the brushes, I would normally buy a new one before winter and a new one before summer but this winter I held off to save on costs. I couldn't do it any cheaper.

I agree that you have to be careful with any rises and not push people over the edge. I try and increase mine every 2 years but some will have to be 18 months because they're falling behind too quickly.

The way I see it is the price of everything else is going up so why should I keep my price low. End of the day the customer base is growing so unless it starts doing the opposite then I'm carrying on doing what I'm doing.

 

[Cghwindowcleaning]

He’ll be nicking it with the company fuel card.

 

[Iron Giant]

Probably red also

Most likely it's the only way someone is filling 100's of litres from a depot and selling it for £20

 

[Iron Giant]

I fully understand it's not my customers problem, it sounds like you're in a fortunate position, but I'd bet you would have a different view point if you didn't have a mortgage that was cheap and were stuck in the rent trap. Cheapest rental property around me is way over £900, small house is more like £1,200+ bills on top of that, then work out how much the tax man is taking off you and I can tell you now that it soon changes the 'look after the poor customer' attitude.

My costs are about as low as I can possibly get them. I had my LPG serviced on the van last year and now pay 80p a litre. My total fuel bill is £80 per month. All my other kit I've not spent money on, only replacing things if they break. Even the brushes, I would normally buy a new one before winter and a new one before summer but this winter I held off to save on costs. I couldn't do it any cheaper.

I agree that you have to be careful with any rises and not push people over the edge. I try and increase mine every 2 years but some will have to be 18 months because they're falling behind too quickly.

The way I see it is the price of everything else is going up so why should I keep my price low. End of the day the customer base is growing so unless it starts doing the opposite then I'm carrying on doing what I'm doing.

I agree, as every business won't go stagnant and not raise prices it would be pure madness, although we know that there is plenty doing cheap prices in our industry they ain't declaring all their earnings and are mostly cash based and get away with it when they shouldn't be whilst the honest ones like us pay our taxes

 

[Shinyboy]

Do they still sell red ? All the places round here stopped selling it years ago thought it had been done away with ??

All machines on sites are running white now mate. So a lot more fuel is being nicked on the sites.

 

[Cghwindowcleaning]

I fully understand it's not my customers problem, it sounds like you're in a fortunate position, but I'd bet you would have a different view point if you didn't have a mortgage that was cheap and were stuck in the rent trap. Cheapest rental property around me is way over £900, small house is more like £1,200+ bills on top of that, then work out how much the tax man is taking off you and I can tell you now that it soon changes the 'look after the poor customer' attitude.

My costs are about as low as I can possibly get them. I had my LPG serviced on the van last year and now pay 80p a litre. My total fuel bill is £80 per month. All my other kit I've not spent money on, only replacing things if they break. Even the brushes, I would normally buy a new one before winter and a new one before summer but this winter I held off to save on costs. I couldn't do it any cheaper.

I agree that you have to be careful with any rises and not push people over the edge. I try and increase mine every 2 years but some will have to be 18 months because they're falling behind too quickly.

The way I see it is the price of everything else is going up so why should I keep my price low. End of the day the customer base is growing so unless it starts doing the opposite then I'm carrying on doing what I'm doing.

Chris my replies aren’t directed at you in general they’re just thoughts and looking at things from a different perspective. It’s easy for people like me to sit on here tell every one to put prices up don’t touch nothing under x amount etc because I’m maxed out with work and been going nearly 20 years.

I don’t look at it favoring the customer just a different angle.Alway keep an eye on your prices.Costs can and will rise but if your on to a good thing it’s good to hold on to it.

At £60 an hour doing 6 hour days 4 days a week with 6 week of for holiday gives you 66k a year.
Not bad for a part time job.
I personally for a few percent would want to hold on to that and would swallow a percent or two rise here and there.

window cleaners are ten a penny now (unless you work in Cornwall)the customer now has a far wider choice.

(I don’t have a cheap mortgage.I have a cheap rate property prices were I am are crazy I’m 25 minutes from London)

 

[Dave B]

Chris my replies aren’t directed at you in general they’re just thoughts and looking at things from a different perspective. It’s easy for people like me to sit on here tell every one to put prices up don’t touch nothing under x amount etc because I’m maxed out with work and been going nearly 20 years.

I don’t look at it favoring the customer just a different angle.Alway keep an eye on your prices.Costs can and will rise but if your on to a good thing it’s good to hold on to it.

At £60 an hour doing 6 hour days 4 days a week with 6 week of for holiday gives you 66k a year.
Not bad for a part time job.
I personally for a few percent would want to hold on to that and would swallow a percent or two rise here and there.

window cleaners are ten a penny now (unless you work in Cornwall)the customer now has a far wider choice.

(I don’t have a cheap mortgage.I have a cheap rate property prices were I am are crazy I’m 25 minutes from London)

My brother lives round the corner in Trajan and his house is over 500k
Not cheap round your way mate
Cheaper my side of town

 

[Chris34]

Chris my replies aren’t directed at you in general they’re just thoughts and looking at things from a different perspective. It’s easy for people like me to sit on here tell every one to put prices up don’t touch nothing under x amount etc because I’m maxed out with work and been going nearly 20 years.

I don’t look at it favoring the customer just a different angle.Alway keep an eye on your prices.Costs can and will rise but if your on to a good thing it’s good to hold on to it.

At £60 an hour doing 6 hour days 4 days a week with 6 week of for holiday gives you 66k a year.
Not bad for a part time job.
I personally for a few percent would want to hold on to that and would swallow a percent or two rise here and there.

window cleaners are ten a penny now (unless you work in Cornwall)the customer now has a far wider choice.

(I don’t have a cheap mortgage.I have a cheap rate property prices were I am are crazy I’m 25 minutes from London)

Thanks for clarifying that

And just for clarification, I'm not saying £60 p/h is bad money, I'm just saying that to keep on the good money you have to push the price up otherwise you end up going cheap and then it's harder to put the price up as it becomes a big jump.

I gauge it by the new jobs that I get at a higher price. So say my current jobs are at £30, I price new customers at £35, once I've got half a dozen at £35 it gives me the confidence to charge that as the new rate and slowly bring current customers to that rate. That's how I do it, not saying it's right but that's how I gauge what the market will pay.

So long as the customer base keeps growing then I think it's an ok strategy.

 

[Chris34]

I agree, as every business won't go stagnant and not raise prices it would be pure madness, although we know that there is plenty doing cheap prices in our industry they ain't declaring all their earnings and are mostly cash based and get away with it when they shouldn't be whilst the honest ones like us pay our taxes

Tell me about it. This year it's hurting more though as the tax is increasing and I've got two friends who both earn good money and don't declare any of it. I know loads that don't declare any money.

That's why I would rather they got rid of cash and charged everyone via bank transactions, money going out taxed money going in... that's a whole different topic though

 

[Yogi1872]

It's the only way he can afford £400 trainers

I’m not the one who goes out working in storms, and can still afford them.

 

[Yogi1872]

Do they still sell red ? All the places round here stopped selling it years ago thought it had been done away with ??

It’s not red, and im sure your correct, red is done away with now.

 

[ched999uk]

I've got two friends who both earn good money and don't declare any of it. I know loads that don't declare any money.

How on earth would they get a mortgage, loan or be able to rent somewhere without provable income - not to mention the national insurance contributions to get a pension? Plus mobile phone contract, utilities direct debits, insurance as they all do credit checks.

I do wish the gov would crack down on big businesses avoiding tax (legally by rules gov set) so they pay their fair share - the argument that the likes of Amazon and Google would leave to UK is nonsense. Then they can start cracking down on people avoiding tax via cash payments.
The recent step of annual reporting of sellers volume and income from platforms like ebay, amazon and etsy is a great move pity it wasn't actually started by UK gov they just jumped on the band waggon.
It's funny how when the gov want to be able to read all messages sent they can pass laws and they are not worried about big companies leaving the UK but when it comes to fair taxation they wont change the rules!!!!! I see lots of directorships in a lot of MPs futures!!!

Sorry rant over, honest .....

 

[Iron Giant]

I’m not the one who goes out working in storms, and can still afford them.

But I ain't breaking the law no matter what weather I work in or not because I can afford to pay pump prices for diesel and flashy trainers if I wanted to

 

[Chris34]

How on earth would they get a mortgage, loan or be able to rent somewhere without provable income - not to mention the national insurance contributions to get a pension? Plus mobile phone contract, utilities direct debits, insurance as they all do credit checks.

One earns money on the side so will pay tax on his job but not on the other stuff. The other is dropped off the radar, got buy to let flats that he got when he was in employment years ago and now got them whilst doing other stuff and doesn't have any bills to pay other than a mobile phone bill. Think the flats he does it not through an agency so it's easy, no checks by anyone.

Got lots of others that I know that are not earning the good money but are still doing loads of non declared income, by non declared I mean they are actually not even registered as self employed but doing 75% cash in hand and 25% employed work. Probably claiming benefits on top of that as well.

Just how it is, I don't blame the people, they're just doing what they can to live the life they want. I blame the government. I try not to think too much about it though as we as individuals are powerless to change it.

One thing that caught my attention last night though, I was looking at my self assessment account, it's a nightmare for navigating and trying to find the info you're looking for (another gripe of mine ), well anyway I happened to click on a link that shows your breakdown of the percentages of how your tax is used.

Healthcare and benefits are the top two at around 18% to 20% depending on which year you look at, but then for 2022 to 2023 the national debt interest payment is 12%. The previous two years were a lot lower at around 7% and 4%, so the national debt interest is out of control. At the current trend the interest will be more than the healthcare bill each year within the next few years. In 10 years it will be an eye watering amount.

This is unsustainable, they can't keep borrowing from Peter to pay Paul for ever, so something will have to change whether everyone likes it or not. In short, we will end up bankrupt if something doesn't change drastically. There could be some very unfair changes for anyone with any wealth in the future.

After seeing this it's making me think more long term about my finances. I don't want to work hard to build up money and then find that the government in charge come in and swipe half of it in a 'one off' tax to those who have assets or money sitting in the bank.

I don't have any trust in our government at all so I'll be being very careful with my money over the coming years. I'm in the process of investing in shares in an ISA but after seeing the national debt bill I'm nervous now. Might be tax free now but nothing to stop them swiping the lot 'in the national interest' ?

 

[Yogi1872]

But I ain't breaking the law no matter what weather I work in or not because I can afford to pay pump prices for diesel and flashy trainers if I wanted to

Everyone breaks the law to some extent. Have you ever exceeded the speed limit ?

Ofcourse I could afford to pay pump prices and have in the past, and might have to in the future. When someone's offering you the same diesil for just about half the price though. I'm going to take that option.

More convenient too, I bought a 150 litre tank and store it in the shed, hooked a pump up to it too. Lasts me just over 3 months.

 

[Pjj]

Everyone breaks the law to some extent. Have you ever exceeded the speed limit ?

Ofcourse I could afford to pay pump prices and have in the past, and might have to in the future. When someone's offering you the same diesil for just about half the price though. I'm going to take that option.

More convenient too, I bought a 150 litre tank and store it in the shed, hooked a pump up to it too. Lasts me just over 3 months.

I hope that’s an intrinsically safe pump and earthed so it cannot retain static electricity?

 

[Yogi1872]

I hope that’s an intrinsically safe pump and earthed so it cannot retain static electricity?

Not going to lie, im not sure tbh, the pump i bought is specifically meant for pumping diesel though and wasn’t exactly cheap so i assume it’ll be safe to use,

 

[Pjj]

Not going to lie, im not sure tbh, the pump i bought is specifically meant for pumping diesel though and wasn’t exactly cheap so i assume it’ll be safe to use,

Just make sure it’s wired up correctly for pumping flammable liquids and has the correct earthing , just in case of a fire or you could have insurance issues

 

[Iron Giant]

Just make sure it’s wired up correctly for pumping flammable liquids and has the correct earthing , just in case of a fire or you could have insurance issues

He's got a credit card, he'll be fine

 

[Iron Giant]

Everyone breaks the law to some extent. Have you ever exceeded the speed limit ?

Ofcourse I could afford to pay pump prices and have in the past, and might have to in the future. When someone's offering you the same diesil for just about half the price though. I'm going to take that option.

More convenient too, I bought a 150 litre tank and store it in the shed, hooked a pump up to it too. Lasts me just over 3 months.

If someone was offering me something that I knew was stolen I wouldn't accept it at all, I avoid dodgy people like the plague.

 

[KevinJ]

Should be £10-12 not £7

I wish. Not getting away with that where I live