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WAT - Wife Added Tax

bennybenny Posts: 1,314
Try to make it work the other way round Conehead!

Last season My wife talked me into the more expensive Cervélo soloïst, although I was going for a cheaper bike firstly! She has a certain shopping addiction, which I cleverly bring up on perfectly timed occasions.

Good luck gents!!
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Comments

  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    Kind of related to this, but I was appalled at all the "Kit Hiding" that goes on (cropped up on some other thread which I am too hungry/exhausted from Bike Ride to find out).



    There definitely needs to be some advice on "Spouse Management".



    As I've been blissfully married for some around 15 years, there must be some kind of Darwinian survival of the fittest type process going on. Let me try to distill some of this wisdom:



    Principle #1



    Before contemplating any purchase, or activity that takes you away for many hours of leisure time, work out what's in for them.



    If you can't come up with anything, then you have to make sure that the you do not derive any obvious pleasure for the activity/item.



    If you can combine both elements in one, then you have it made - your beloved can get an advantage, and you get no pleasure.



    The pain bit is quite easy to come up with for training rides etc, a bit harder for kit. So, saying "hey it's really cool - it's red _and_ it's carbon" won't get you anywhere. A different approach is needed: "I don't really want it, but apparently, it will lower the pain, and improve my recovery time so that I will be able to do some chores around the house, rather than being flaked out on the sofa. You see the red part improves blood flow, while the carbon aspect provides additional support. Probably not worth the money, but if it buys me a few extra minutes to do the ironing, then maybe I should consider it? What do you think?"



    This will get the result you need. Every time.
  • garyrobertsgaryroberts Posts: 869
    WARNING: Do NOT let your WAT build up. Service it weekly with small payments, otherwise it will build and become unmanageable. Unlike debt, there is no IVA (individual voluntary arrangement) system that you can fall back on.



    I thought i was clever buying just about everything i needed to start this crazy sport in jan/feb and getting it all out the way, but i am a fool. The wife is now starting to talk NEW CAR!



    WARNING!
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do? I buy tri....no money left for..booze, fags, other women...3 times recently I have been 'asked' in that telling kinda way if I was going out on a long bike ride..I had to give in & go. As for purchases Lady britspin always present, I guess I am lucky.
  • GGBGGB Posts: 482
    I am a lucky one - for the small amount I spend, (I am a Yorkshire lad, so don't spend much), the wife doesn't really ask for much in return - she never has done, she is worse than me for not spending money. In the past I have tried to force her to spend money to ease my guilt of spending but to no avail ;).



  • garyrobertsgaryroberts Posts: 869
    I guess I am lucky


    Britspin, you have been warned! You may think you're getting off scot free, but this is a form of the classic 'deferred payment plan'!! [;)]
  • garyrobertsgaryroberts Posts: 869
    In the past I have tried to force her to spend money to ease my guilt of spending but to no avail ;).


    GGB, my advice would be to get her something anyway, not only will it ease your guilt, but it will curtail the ever-growing WAT bill, payable sometime in the future!! [;)]
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Did I forget to mention that Lady Britspin earns more than me, it is my money I am spending (or not, I must have some Yorkshire blood in me), I do love a deal & Lady B is a committed shopper in Fat Face, Jacl wills, joules etc, whilst I am a committed Primark & TKMaxx man, god how I miss Fopp records....
  • combatdwarfcombatdwarf Posts: 258
    Ahhh mine is also a comitted Joules/FatFace/Whitestuff purchaser but things have now taken a concerning step towards Bowden and Crew......



    Also the local Manor Hotel's Spa has been mentioned - I think my rate of WAT is about to go up....the challenges we must face for our commitment to fitness........
  • lauraflauraf Posts: 31
    HAT - not a problem for purchases ( I just wait until he has gone to bed then order online, as he leaves earlier than me I always get the post) however he is often not best pleased at being left with the kids whilst I go out training, I find saying something along the lines of 'ok I'll stay in and we can both do housework then' normally does the trick!
  • BlurredgirlBlurredgirl Posts: 292
    We are in the unfortunate position of having both HAT and WAT. In other words we are both tri-heads and we both buy kit and there is no-one there to control the Wiggle-fever when it hits.



    Having no kids, we could maybe ask the cats to take responsibility, however that might leave us in a situation of being subject to WAT, HAT and CAT.



    Of course if we did have kids and they got into tri too, then we might have WAT, HAT, CAT and KAT to take into account. At which point it might be worth handing the whole lot over to Alastair Darling to see what sort of mess he could make of it.



    blurredgirl
  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    Conehead wrote:
    ORIGINAL: garyroberts



    [quote]I guess I am lucky


    Britspin, you have been warned! You may think you're getting off scot free, but this is a form of the classic 'deferred payment plan'!! [;)]



    I'm doing 70.3 Hawaii in May - I haven't paid my WAT yet, I'm in the process of setting that up.

    [/quote]



    Getting WAT taxed on a holiday now thats cruel.



  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    I've registered on the WAT pre-pay scheme: buy her some diamond ear-rings then start on the "Well you have got that nice jewellery. Maybe I'll get a new bike now."
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    I am singularly fortunate in that my wife has bought my present and previous bikes for me as birthday presents (mind you she is a surgeon and earns four times as much as me). She has sort of accepted that I need to upgrade bits etc. and that is where the WAT kicks in, the WAT is however commuted to time spent doing painting and gardening etc. and she does spend a lot on clothes and shoes and lotions and potions ... how many pairs of shoes does a woman need? Trainers, bikes, tyres etc are all necessities but come on ladies one pair of black high heels, one pair low heels - sorted ... or do you think I'm missing something?
  • As I am new to all this, its been an expensive start, but when he started moaning I simply said - I don't smoke, its not my fault we have to decorate every year, I don't drink and I don't have a collection of guitars! That shut him up - lol.
  • hey its not just wat, there's also bat.. thats boyfriend added tax!!! there is an easy solution to this problem, get rid of the boyfriend, get rid of the tax. i pipped for this option and i am now free to spend all of my spare pennies on tri and train whenever i feel like it. i highly recommend this.



    sadly i was also a perpetrator of higing new kit.. i.e. "are those new laces??" my reply.. "what these?? no no i've had them for ages just not used them". This can only be done with small things, laces, bottles, nutrition, t-shirts maybe. x
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 335
    oh yes HAT definitely exists but in my case training being actively encourged as he likes the new body shape, god help me on pay day[:D][:D]
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    Yes Moonshine, having lost 10 Kgs over the last 18 mths my wife also appreciates the new body shape (still don't have any muscles though), this has apparantly been commented on (the shape not the lack of muscles bit) by several female members of our gym so my wife has informed me through what looked like gritted teeth.



    We have both recently taken up running 10K events and I must say my smashing wife has toned up very nicely ... now need to go and shower as still sweaty from the gym
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    one pair of black high heels, one pair low heels - sorted ... or do you think I'm missing something?


    I've checked Mrs. Bopo's wardrobe(s). To my simple triathlete mind I can only assume she has black high heels, black high heels with mild pronation control, black high heels with stronger support, off-road black high heels, racing flat high heels etc etc. That's before we even start looking at colour options, though why on earth she doesn't have any bare carbon-fibre ones I will never know.



    Anyway, Zac, be careful with that line of questioning. After all, surely you only need one pair of wheels, one pair of goggles, one wetsuit etc etc <ducks>
  • I have been stung with WAT a couple of times after a couple of trigger happy minutes on Wiggle. I turned it around when I mentioned the positive role model I'm being to the kids, you know.....dedication, active lifestyle etc.

    She really can't complain as I bought her a laptop for her writring.



    Also you could try reading the bit in Coneheads book where his missus tells him to buy a expensive carbon bike so it wont need replacing every 2 minutes.[:D]

  • I seem to get hit with a fair bit of WAT over purchases. Recently, the purchase of a new bike has come under the watchful eye of the WAT officer. It has been mentioned that the money could well be spent in a better manner. i.e. our wedding fund (not till next year). I have pointed out that the hard earned (already taxed) cash that I used to buy her engagement ring (read DOUBLE the price of new bike) could also have been put towards the wedding. She then agrees that the bike fund should not have WAT against it.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Oh yeah Whitestuff..forgot them..decorating? Every year? Really? So no papering over the cracks then?
  • GGGG Posts: 82
    Has anyone mentioned FAT.



    Finacee added tax.



    G

  • clarkey30clarkey30 Posts: 270
    I have to add to this guys but were missing GAT (girlfriend added tax), or even worse New GAT, i explained my intentions for next year whilst talking over our plans for the early throws of romance and was met with, 10 days in marbella for the ten itll take to cycle J.O.G to L.E. a french booze cruise while im doing the channel and the need to qualify for hawaii if i want to do an ironman, as she expects a holiday!



    Might have to quit, thank god i got my bike already
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    If I can negotiate tricky 'lift to event' obstacle I may be at the Chase du....wish me luck. (If only she had got that new job....)
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Birmingham....not on your way I think.
  • There are also intagible WAT's, such as the "where have you been all day" WAT and the "i wish you would touch me like that" WAT so commonly associated with bicycle maintenance.



    WAT is worse than the poll tax

  • rmbrmb Posts: 22
    i am trying to pay the WAT with work around the house .seems my labour is very cheap. redecorated the boys bedroom been in the garden for three days fencing off half the garden as a dog free zone so the kids can keep a football without it being poped= 1 helmet and a pair of trainers .what am i going to have to do to buy my first road bike.
  • ah conehead strange that you start a tread called WAT and then ask if triathlon caters for women when you failed to mention BAT (boyfriend added Tax) or to be politically correct PAT (partner added Tax) does a set of golf clubs count if so i've been hit by BAT[;)]
  • clarkey30clarkey30 Posts: 270
    what about MAT, maintenance to divorcee added tax? The type who see you buying a nice new bike and want an increase "as you're clearly doing well for yourself"....



  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Lady Britspin reading over my shoulder suggests Tasty Wife Added Tax..it started with Two Wives.....
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