Kipling's Journal

[take2]

Are you not impacted by the tapered thresholds? One of my biggest pet peeves with the U.K. system is the tapered nature of pension contributions (vs the US where everyone has access to the same cap).

[Kipling]

@ take2 - yes, I am heavily impacted by the tapering. You can normally get a tax deduction for putting up to 60,000 a year (in 2023/24) into your pension fund if you are unaffected by tapering. I am affected by tapering so I could only get a tax deduction for about the first 20,000 in tax year 2023/24. I will only get a tax deduction for the minimum 10,000 in tax year 2024/25 because my income is rising. The UK taxes high earners very heavily - I pay about 47% net.

[Kipling]

I'm struck by something whitebelt wrote in biscuits & gravy's journal:

Compartmentalizing in the moment is great to get through something in the short term, but disastrous over the long term if you don't ever dedicate time to process all of the things that you pushed aside during those times. If one doesn't ever process that, then life just becomes about chaining along distractions or doing everything you can to not think about those things. Similarly, relationships struggle when you can't process your emotions because you're so accustomed to pushing anything emotional to the side in order to focus on the present moment.

There's a lot in there for me to think about.

I am absolutely exhausted and really need a break. I am packing for a week-long trip to Pennsylvania. I am looking forward to a long plane ride when no one can email me and I can lose myself in couple of good operas.

[take2]

Enjoy the time off. But…why PA..?

[Kipling]

@ take2 - visiting an old friend who read ERE, retired at the age of 49, got married, and moved here.

Did a tour of Fallingwater which I’ve wanted to do for thirty years. Went to a car cruise. Took a road trip to see some other friends in Grand Rapids. Experienced the standard American diet.

Now packing for return to UK, and salad.