scottyboy

Not really, because, as noted, someone who will be taking a percentage of the personal profits (not necessarily a "cut", from the investor's point of view) has an interest in those personal profits actually being made. Or the guy might have already made his money from charging for the advice in the first place. Whereas a bank has an interest in getting a customer to tie up the money for as long as possible, and/or to invest it in vehicles for which the bank can charge management fees, and so on.

Yeah I definitely wouldn't take investment advice from a bank.

What is etc.? Again I think (research has shown) advice from banks has an agenda and is counterproductive.

I think there's a bit of research which suggests teaching kids to manage everyday financial affairs is ineffective because they don't have to manage everyday affairs; they can't relate it to anything or put it into practice. For 16-year olds, maybe (how many people leave school at 16?) but it's unlikely they would be managing mortgages, investments, credit cards etc. Also, I actually do remember doing basic terminology and concepts in 1st year business studies - balancing one's income and assets (pocket and paper money, contents of one's bedroom) versus expenses and liabilities and so on. And things like APR on loans in standard grade maths. In one ear and out the other however; wonder why? I also disagree that school should just be about preparing for the job market in the first place; but while most people ditch the maths and science they learn in school it's probably impossible (or much harder) to train professional scientists and engineers without that childhood groundwork. Learning about the Spanish Armada was probably about gaining sourcing, researching and critical skills, while the topic is incidental. In theory. Also, RBS helped put me through university, as it happens. /cool story.

An account into which you will put bits of money here and there sounds like instant access savings account, and I'd imagine the rates on these will be so poor that it will not make much difference either way. If you're saving 2.5k a year apiece, and aiming to cash it in 4 years time specifically, I'd probably say stick it in fixed-rated ISAs; 2.5k (or however much each of you saves a year) at a time. With savings accounts rates what they are, as someone pointed out, a combination of ISAs (i.e. no tax on the savings, helping to mitigate the crappy rates) and a fixed-rate will probably be needed to make it worthwhile (people have mentioned interest on debt, but inflation is another thing which eats into ones gains, in real terms). Bonds, as Spooney pointed out, are probably another better option; but I have no experience of these. Otherwise index-trackers, on the FTSE500, tend to be safe (if nominally risky), although I'm not certain of this... but something like this is probably necessary to make any real investment profits. Pre-2008 I had all my money in fixed-rate savings accounts, but this is no longer worthwhile IMO/E (last time I checked, something like 4-years to get any real gains; then again, if you are sure you will not touch the money for 4 years...). After this I used something called a "kickout" or some such... basically an index-tracker, but the rate is fixed and the capital safe, the question is just when the investment matures (i.e. when the FTSE as a whole grows by a certain amount... again, probably one can find one with a 4-year limit). I have also invested in and profited from mutual funds, but the gains were much lower than the safer/"automatic" vehicles described above... from the little I've since learned about stock markets, IMO mutuals and indeed hedge funds (supposedly gravy trains for the 1%) are bad investments: either one goes for something "automatic" (index-trackers or similar... relatively predictable, and little to no management fees to eat one's profits) or one actually has some expertise in some industry/sector and invests in specific, winning stock (not easy, duh) rather than paying somone to pointlessly diversify and probably only make enough for you to pay his fees... To clarify, I have no financial expertise, just a basic understanding of what I've described above. I've made all my investments just based on a financial advisor's recommendation; that said, I have always profited. That's probably the best advice: get together a 4-figure sum (whether that's from a current or instant access savings account, over a year or less, probably hardly matters) and get some recommendations, if you can get them independent and for free. I would stay away from high street banks' advice, which has been shown to be terrible for the individual shitmuncher; mine made his money via a fee when I bought a product and a commission on any gains I made (both paid by the financial services company, not me). Thus his interest was at least that I made some money... Just have a time frame for however long you want to put away the money (4 years; 3 years for anything you save after this, and so on, no?) and an "appetite for risk". Hint: for you, and any non-professional with a brain, it's "low". Something like that.

Coffee pods, used in low end/convenience machines are pretty much teabags with coffee, no? Dunk one of those in a cup of hot water and see what happens? I assume the water running through the coffee via gravity just brews it in a way that a bag floating in a cup of water won't. The Vietnamese phin (raved about in the coffee thread) don't use any kind of compression as far as I can see and make coffee as well as basic filter machines, IME.

Bit late, but got those in Poland.

Pretty much the same packaging problem in the entire Polish province of Asia as well. Someone mentioned the energy cost of recycling paper; it can also, in practice, only be recycled a finite number of times before it's too degraded to do so further.

I also used a mix of ebay, DABs, and ebuyer to get my parts. I'm not sure if they will advise on the parts and then actually build it though.

Are you looking for guidance on components in the first instance, or going straight to the actual building part? I imagine there are enough gaming/IT heads on here to help you out with advice for parts, budgeting etc.

Can't believe this detracted from the serious subject of flushing toilets. Gutted.

Already a thing, apparently: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine_diversion If you're really interested: http://www.natcapsolutions.org/naturalcapitalism/NC/NCchapter11.pdf (p. 220).

If the guy's actually providing a running commentary to the press on his health, probably not on death's door...

Jan the chemist will probably know better, but don't think that's actually true in the way I think you meant. (obviously there's the broader context of what Jan linked but) Treated sewage won't be directly sent back to a tap (arguably, I think, it should, as you say). Once it's treated it gets flushed into a river probably. Piss is relatively clean and would otherwise be less of a treatment headache, but it gets mixed with waste of the more brown variety... Ideally I think numbers 1 and 2 would go in different pots and not be flushed with 5 litres of purified drinking water. Something like that.

I don't think LinkedIn will be much use. In my field(s) at least it seems to be way more mid- to senior or expert positions, that are hard to fill. I don't see much lower level or general admin stuff, and this kind of fits with what I've read about LinkedIn? In any case, when applying for jobs on LinkedIn you can actually see how many other people have applied, and it's pretty depressing.

Massive media presence will only help to a point, having bazillions of fans in Africa and Southeast Asia isn't going to help stadium attendance much. I'd guess the few years City have been filthy rich and successful hasn't had enough of an effect on followings within the UK, EU maybe.

Just noted the most recent post, so a lot of the otherwise advice is moot, but... I second what Ca_gere said, have some savings and a rough idea, and something (like, a couch, at least ) to go back to and just try it. (If you're actively in a relationship you'd probably want more than a couch, tbf.). My first attempt to move to Poland failed, and I came back 3 months later with my eyes opened and my wallet a fair bit lighter, no huge deal; slept on my brother's couch for 6 months and tried again, somewhere cheaper. In this case I did a training course and had my first job pretty much handed to me. In each case I only went with a suitcase and the relevant paperwork I'd need. If it's just the central belt, I'd imagine at least one of you can land a job beforehand, via taking the train/bus to interviews if necessary, thus ensuring survival and a place to live, and then just take from there?

Probably depends on whether you are staying in the UK or moving to some region of Poland, and if so, which; and which industry you will be looking to work in (and whatever other factors dictate how easily/quickly you can find work).

Because I've been a student this year, I've got a list... however that fact is reflected in the RIVETING academic material contained therein. It's at 22 at the moment; maybe I'll post it at the end of the year.

I almost put him in my team this year, curses.

So, Caley Thistle...

One thing to maybe bear in mind is that when the old Fenders, Vox(es?) and even Marshalls were established, not only were guitarists bypassing shit PAs or whatever, but they wanted the sound to stay clean: distortion was considered a bad thing. They presumably needed all the power to have enough headroom volume, and would never have cranked it as loud as modern users complain about not being able to do. And then once it became unnecessary, still, if you like Marshalls and ones made before 19whatever sound the best, and they only made them in 50 or 100W versions, what are going to do. Or something.

Points shall only be given where the working is shown.

Vultures who thirst for blood and oil and gas and golf courses

Might be easier if everyone just figures out his own score.