Part 286: If you tolerate this…

Hello and welcome back to Mortgage Advisor on FIRE. This week I wanted to avoid politics, but *gestures at… everything*

Let’s just get into it…

Weekly Update

Another week down, another week closer to FI.  I’m afraid there’s not much to report from the early part of the week, as it was taken up entirely by work.  I feel as though I’m getting back into the routine of being in a full-time job, and I think I’m finding my feet in the role.  I’m comfortable talking about mortgages, it’s just a matter of getting used to another way of doing things after spending 14 years at Lloyds.

During the week, Oana and I went for some food shopping after work, and we decided to give a nearby food hall another try.  I’m talking about Cutlery Works, which is on the outskirts of Kelham Island.  When it first opened, it was great.  There was a fantastic selection of vendors, including a pie and mash place, a poutine vendor, an Indian, and a pizza place.  It was always busy as well.  It was even busy during covid, but a couple of years ago, it just started going downhill.  The cleanliness declined, as did the selection of vendors.  The online menu became more difficult to use, and they stopped offering loyalty points.  

So, we thought we’d give it another go.  The tables were filthy and sticky, which is never a good sign.  Thankfully, they’d reverted back to QR codes for their menus after having RFID chips that just didn’t work.  It appears as though they’ve also done away with table service, so rather than ordering and having someone bring your food and drink to you, they now charge you a service fee, but you have to go and collect your food.

On the positive side, the food was good.  Oana ordered from Ma-Ba, which is also our default choice of Indian takeaway.  I ordered a burger, which was decent as well.  So, on the whole it was good food in a shit location.  I doubt we’ll go again.  It just feels like service everywhere is getting worse, and we’re paying more for the privilege.  

The Death of Customer Service

The Guardian’s recent article, “The death of customer service: why has it become so, so bad?”  adds to my belief that customer service is getting worse, and has been in decline for several years.

A significant contributor to this decline is the disempowerment of frontline staff, who are often constrained by rigid scripts and limited authority. In contrast, companies that empower their employees tend to deliver superior customer experiences.

It shouldn’t need spelling out, but companies that give their staff autonomy and trust their judgement tend to be better places to work.  Staff who are happy and empowered to use their judgment will produce better customer outcomes.  

The Consequences of Disempowerment

The article points out that 78% of people feel frustrated when dealing with customer service, spending between 28 and 41 minutes weekly in such interactions. This dissatisfaction is exacerbated by customer service representatives who lack the autonomy to resolve issues promptly, leading to prolonged and ineffective service experiences.​

Although I think autonomy is part of the problem, I don’t think it’s the only factor.  Micromanagement, low pay, and gaslighting about benefits are all related.  I saw one job advert a while back that had “a competitive pension” listed as a benefit, which ended up being the legal minimum.  Much like when someone says they’ve paid their bills on time, it’s not the flex you think it is when all you’re doing is the absolute minimum required.

The Power of Employee Empowerment

Empowering employees involves granting them the authority and tools to make decisions that benefit the customer without constant managerial oversight. This approach not only enhances customer satisfaction but also boosts employee morale and engagement.​

A few years back, I was studying Occupational Psychology for an MSc.  This was when I first came across Zappos, a footwear retailer based out of Las Vegas, which is famous for exceptional customer service.  It’s not rocket science how they achieve this; they just give their staff the authority to do what’s needed.

The other major piece of the puzzle is training.  I’ve worked for companies that have provided excellent training, and some where it’s been awful.  What I’ve found is that the quality of the training tends to correlate with how much you’ll enjoy working for that employer.

“No one wants to work any more!”

I don’t think it’s that people don’t want to work anymore.  I think it’s more that people aren’t willing to be taken advantage of.

Weekend Walkies

On Good Friday, we were supposed to go for a walk with our friend Yvonne, but she wasn’t feeling great.  On Saturday, Oana and I went for our own walk, completing over 11km.  We stuck to the city and weaved our way through various parks and had a nice time.  It would have been good to do another walk in the Peaks but we were both tired and didn’t feel like massively exerting ourselves, but it was nice to be in the fresh air.  We met lots of friendly dogs, including a golden retriever who came right up to me as I was sitting on a bench.  I gave him lots of head scratches, and he was smiling from ear to ear.  We also had one tiny dog following us for a portion of our walk, and it was one of the most excitable dogs I’ve ever seen.  

More Trump Madness and RFK

There’s a line from a book I read a couple of years ago that I’ve saved for moments like these;

Jackson opened his mouth twice but made no sound as he tried to process the utter stupidity he’d just been witness to.  The problem was there were so many layers to the stupidity that when he peeled one off to marvel at it, there was another one right under it.

~ Iron & Blood by Joshua Dalzelle

This is what it’s like every time I open up the news and see what stupidity Trump and his minions have come out with this time.

The most recent one from Trump is regarding his comments on Congo, the second largest country in Africa and the eleventh largest in the world;

“Many many people come from the Congo. I don’t know what that is, but they came from the Congo.”

Fuck me… how can one person be so stupid and ignorant, yet get to a position of such power?  This is the same guy who, when meeting the Israeli PM, went on a rant about how the Nazis showed “signs of love” to their victims of the Holocaust.  

Now, on to RFK, and his recent comments about autistic people…

“And these are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”

When something is so obviously and outrageously offensive and ignorant, it can be difficult to add anything to it.  Some statements just stand under their own hateful power.

It’s easy to hear these things and laugh at the stupidity on display, but it’s actually deeply worrying.  Let’s take a moment to go back to Germany in 1933.

The Rise of the Nazi Party: How They Turned a Nation Against “Others”

When we think of history’s darkest chapters, few are as sobering, or as instructive, as the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany. Their journey from fringe extremists to rulers of a modern European state offers a chilling example of how dangerous ideologies can take hold, especially when fear, economic struggle, and propaganda combine.

But it wasn’t just about political power. The Nazi regime succeeded, in part, because it weaponised social division, isolating anyone who didn’t fit their narrow definition of a “true” German. Here’s how they did it.

A Nation in Crisis

After Germany’s defeat in the First World War, the country was left battered, economically, politically, and emotionally. The Treaty of Versailles demanded heavy reparations, causing hyperinflation and poverty, while democratic leaders struggled to govern amid the chaos.

Into this storm came the National Socialist German Workers’ Party; the Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler. He promised to restore national pride, revive the economy, and create a strong, unified Germany. To many suffering Germans, it sounded like salvation.

*cough* Make America Great Again *cough*

Propaganda, Fear, and the Politics of Blame

The Nazis didn’t rise to power overnight. They built their movement slowly, mastering propaganda and public spectacle. Hitler’s speeches, backed by posters, films, and tightly orchestrated rallies, painted a compelling picture: Germany had been betrayed by enemies within, especially Jews and communists, and only radical change could save the nation.

In the chaos of the Great Depression, people were looking for answers. The Nazis provided simple ones, scapegoating minority groups and promising rebirth.

By 1932, they were the largest party in the German parliament. In January 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor. Weeks later, following the suspicious Reichstag Fire, he was granted emergency powers, effectively ending democracy.

Turning a Society Against Its Own

Once in power, the Nazi regime moved quickly to isolate and persecute anyone seen as “other.”

Jews were vilified in every sphere of public life.  Portrayed as untrustworthy, subversive, and dangerous. Anti-Semitic laws stripped them of rights, livelihoods, and dignity. The infamous Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938 marked a violent turning point, with synagogues burned and thousands of Jewish businesses destroyed.

Other groups were targeted too: Roma people, disabled individuals, LGBTQ+ communities, political dissidents, and religious minorities like Jehovah’s Witnesses. These people were branded as threats to the so-called “people’s community” (Volksgemeinschaft).

The regime didn’t just isolate them socially. It physically removed them through imprisonment, forced labour, and eventually mass murder. The Holocaust was the result of this slow, calculated campaign of dehumanisation.

What is happening in the US at the moment, with people being deported, and trans rights being trampled on, is a direct call back to the tactics the Nazis used.

A Lesson That Still Matters

What happened in Nazi Germany wasn’t inevitable. It was manufactured. Through a mix of propaganda, fearmongering, and the ruthless scapegoating of minorities, the Nazis created a society where cruelty became normalised.

There’s an enduring lesson here: when people in power demonise certain groups and strip away empathy, history shows us just how quickly things can unravel. The warning signs are always there, the question is whether we choose to see them.

I’m going to end this section of the blog with a poem and a quote.  The poem is one you’ve probably seen before, but I think it needs repeating now:

“First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me”

~ Martin Niemöller 

And for the quote, I’m calling on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation:

“You know, there are some words I’ve known since I was a schoolboy: ‘With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored… the first thought forbidden… the first freedom denied – chains us all irrevocably.’ Those words were uttered by Judge Aaron Satie, as wisdom… and warning. The first time any man’s freedom is trodden on, we’re all damaged.”

~ Captain Jean-Luc Picard

What can we do?

We can stand up for our rights, and the rights of those we are being forced into “othering”.  Whether you are autistic, or trans, or something else entirely, we can’t let assholes on a power trip divide us.

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Financial Update

Assets

Premium Bonds: £30,500.00.

Stocks and Shares ISA: £97,070.38.

Fuck It Fund: £0.00.

Pensions: £85,992.54.

Residential Property Value: £239,368.00. 

Total Assets: £452,930.92.

Debts

Residential Mortgage: £183,840.69. 

Total Debts: £183,840.69.

Total Wealth: £269,090.23.

I’ve pumped some more money into my ISA, and I’m just £6,500 away from maxing out my allowance for this financial year.  Had it not been for the orange moron in the White House, my ISA and pension would both be over £100k by now.  The one silver lining is that unit prices are low, so I can get more for my money.

Oana is starting her new job this week, and with two incomes coming in again, we should be able to throw much more into investments. Assuming standard rates of return, we should be looking at our ISAs and pensions clocking in at a combined value of over £1,000,000 in ten years, maybe less.

The thing about compound growth is that once you get to a certain point, the growth starts behaving more like a runaway train.  If you have £250k in an ISA growing at 8%, the growth is £20k p/a, which is the current limit for personal contributions.  We are entering the realm of Coast FI.  

The Gap and the Gain

I’ve almost finished a book, The Gap and the Gain, which a friend recommended.  The concept is simple, but one of those that needs spelling out because we are all prone to living in the gap.

At its core, it’s about how we measure progress and how that measurement can either motivate us or slowly erode our happiness.

What Is “The Gap”?

The Gap is the space between where you are now and your ideal future. It’s the difference between your current reality and that perfect image in your head, like the perfect body or the perfect business.

The problem is that the ideal is always moving. No matter how much you achieve, you’ll always feel behind. It’s demoralising, and over time, it breeds frustration, self-doubt, and even burnout.  It can be best explained by attempting to reach the horizon.  You can see the horizon, but as you try to reach it, it always moves further back.

What Is “The Gain”?

The Gain is the opposite. Instead of measuring yourself against an ever-moving ideal, you look backwards at how far you’ve already come.

It’s about recognising your growth, celebrating the progress you’ve made, and using that as fuel to keep going.

In “The Gain,” you’re not chasing perfection. You’re building confidence by tracking real, tangible wins, however small. It’s a mindset rooted in gratitude and perspective, and it’s a game-changer.

Why This Matters

Whether you’re chasing FIRE, launching a business, or just trying to be a better version of yourself, living in The Gap can feel like you’re always chasing and never arriving.

But if you shift your focus to The Gain, you begin to see just how much progress you’ve already made. You appreciate the steps taken, the lessons learned, and the growth that’s taken place.

It’s a mindset that doesn’t just make you more resilient; it makes the journey far more enjoyable.

How to Live More in “The Gain”

Tracking your progress and visualising it can help.  I’ll often look back at my graphs and get a kick out of the steady increases on display.  Another technique is to reframe setbacks.  Instead of seeing a failure as proof you’re not “there yet,” you can look at what it’s taught you.

Also, don’t be afraid to celebrate wins: Don’t wait for the big goal to pop the champagne. Celebrate the milestones along the way.  At the same time, don’t let detractors bring you down.

I don’t think anyone can ever stop wandering into the Gap from time to time.  That’s just human nature.  But if you can recognise when you’re there, and have methods to push yourself back out of the Gap and into the Gain, it can only bring more contentment, confidence, and motivation.

That’s all for this week.  Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great week ahead.

DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions in this blog are my own, and do not represent the views or opinions of my former, current, or future employers, nor should they be considered advice.

If you want personalised financial advice, seek an appropriate professional.  If you are in financial difficulty, seek advice via the resources below:

StepChange

MoneyHelper

Biolink 

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