Cost of living today

[lesj]

Are some of the costs today realistic ?
Computer repair £60 ph

I had my mower serviced just before Christmas the bill was £110
Yes, it did include oil change new filter & blade sharpening
When I complained that it was a bit steep , his reply was overheads, he then produced a price list from a competitor to prove he was £20 cheaper than them

Also, just before Christmas I went to the Dentist for a check -up and tooth clean
I was in there 15 mins. The bill, £90
I complained that it had gone up another £10 since the last visit.
The receptionist replied, look at it as £10 per month ( I go every 9 months)
I replied that’s not how I look at it, I look at it as £90 for 15 mins , that’s £360 per hour

[cambsno]

People are not often busy every minute of the working day.
Patients do not turn up for appts for example.
Computer repair people probably do not have 7 hours each day booked up with repairs.
Self employed have to factor in holidays and sickness into pricing, otherwise they could be looking at 6 weeks a year without pay.
Think of the cost of the dentist, not just the wages, the cleaning, the equipment, the training and the skill level. They will also probably at best do 3 patients an hour at 15 mins to allow for breaks, changes, overruns.

Someone earning 30k a year on 35hrs a week is on around £16.50ph, thats with no additional cost such as employer taxes, buildings, insurance, equipment, training etc...

I mean, our players get paid c. 3k a week and often cant beat the first man at a corner!

[lesj]

How can the Dentist justify £90 for 15 minutes work when the Computer repair man gives you 1 hour for £60

Electricians , Carpenters, Plumbers, Mechanics etc who have all done an apprenticeship & all have overheads & although they are expensive Give you much more time for £90

My hairdresser who I went to straight after the Dentist said that if he tried to charge that sort of money he would not have any customers and he has overheads as well.

[Sandypants]

As a former computer repair person, I'd trust my PC with a great deal more people than I'd trust with my teeth!

Dentists have much higher overheads, and a much higher barrier to entry, and I think that's probably a good thing. The training, equipment, buildings, experience, insurance, care required etc are all higher, and there aren't enough people with all of these to go round.

We do have a wonderful free at the point of care health system, but unfortunately some bright sparks decided to exclude your body's natural entry points from most of that.

[cambsno]

Jan 11, 2024 14:37:40 GMT lesj said:

How can the Dentist justify £90 for 15 minutes work when the Computer repair man gives you 1 hour for £60

Electricians , Carpenters, Plumbers, Mechanics etc who have all done an apprenticeship & all have overheads & although they are expensive Give you much more time for £90

My hairdresser who I went to straight after the Dentist said that if he tried to charge that sort of money he would not have any customers and he has overheads as well.

Thats like saying why is a headteacher paid more than a bin man, different job entirely.

They may give you time but they also add materials too.

So overheads on hairdressers is a chair, mirror, hair dryer and a few tools. For a dentist did you not look round. Chair is far more complex and expensive, high grade and expensive medical tools and equipment (and tools need steralising each time), normally a dental nurse is there too so two people rather than 1.

I could go into computer repair tomorrow but I cant become a dentist, to be one you need to study for 5 years and then do a couple of years post grad training so 7 years till you are one, that needs to be 'funded'. Its not really that difficult to comprehend!

On another note I cant believe that a new Merc is 60k while a new Kia is 15k. They both have the same amount of wheels, seats and doors. What a rip off!

[kentishu]

I don't really have the stats to prove this but I always feel that a tradesman in the UK is getting rich when I ask for some work to be done, and that didn't use to be the case in the past. I think that might be what Les is getting at, some parts of the market don't seem to be subject to much price competition, and that may well be by design.

Kentish

[lesj]

I think that part of it could be competition.

But as far a cost of equipment for Dentists, I believe that if a garage wants to do M.O.T,S

I believe that they have to install what is known as a rolling road . The last I heard was that they cost £40,000 to install , (probably a lot more expensive now) and that's just 1 item of equipment that they need .

I would be pretty sure that the cost of Dentist's equipment doesn't exceed that


PS, I have just looked up the price of Rolling Roads & depending on what level of tests you wish to do , some cost as much as £85,000

[Mark of Carnage]

Jan 11, 2024 9:56:38 GMT lesj said:

Are some of the costs today realistic ?
Computer repair £60 ph

Also, just before Christmas I went to the Dentist for a check -up and tooth clean
I was in there 15 mins. The bill, £90
I complained that it had gone up another £10 since the last visit.
The receptionist replied, look at it as £10 per month ( I go every 9 months)
I replied that’s not how I look at it, I look at it as £90 for 15 mins , that’s £360 per hour

Check up and anything other than a complex clean should be only £25.80 Level 1 NHS treatment.

Given the £90 was cause for complaint, it saddens me Les that you did not go NHS but I wonder whether you realistically had that option.

I contacted my dentist 12 months ago as had not heard from them in 9 months and was due a check up. They told me they no longer do check ups on the NHS and only do urgent appointments for NHS patients on their books. Thankfully no issues with my teeth in the last few years but is a shocking state of affairs not to be able to have a check up on the NHS and though I won't on principle, many simply cannot afford to go private.

I think what is going on with dentists goes beyond the so called cost of living crisis. NHS dental health care is broken. As is the entire NHS and it needs fixing urgently. I hope investing in the NHS is top of all parties manifestos for the GE as it needs to be.

[lesj]

There are very few Dentists that will do NHS these days

[imp566]

Jan 11, 2024 16:34:56 GMT lesj said:

There are very few Dentists that will do NHS these days

I have an NHS dentist, who took me off their list because I didn't go for an annual check up. I had moved house and they sent my appointment to my old address after the arranged redirection of mail had ceased. So it was my fault for not changing address with them. Took me 15 months on their waiting list to be welcomed back, thankfully no treatment was needed in that time, and the positive is I saved that year's annual inspection cost!

[Denton]

We are all missing the point here

Heinz Ketchup costs £4 a bottle now

[imp566]

Jan 11, 2024 16:53:33 GMT Denton said:

We are all missing the point here

Heinz Ketchup costs £4 a bottle now

Buy Tesco's own then!

[lesj]

Jan 11, 2024 16:53:33 GMT Denton said:

We are all missing the point here

Heinz Ketchup costs £4 a bottle now

The've got some sauce haven't they ?

[imp566]

My daughter has just been quoted £7,000 to refit her bathroom, taking out a shower, sink and WC, replacing with a bath, sink and WC. Tiling and flooring included. Parts are £1500, the rest is labour, for what they say will be 5 days work! So that works out as £1100 per day for labour. Nice work if you can get it!

[lesj]

I hope she gets more than 1 quote