I have recently managed to get my tax filing completely up to date. I have found that the tax man owes me plenty in overpaid taxes, plus interest on the refunds due! Now I have nothing outstanding, he is honour bound to cough up the cash. I think that I will only hear anything when my current bank account is overflowing with funds!
Filing your tax returns used to be a really trying thing, but now my pensions people are able to load the IRP5 tax detail onto the system and it is already there! My tax details (IRP5s for 2010 were filed by the house worker somewhere, and I was trying to get replacements. I was stunned to find that the detail is already in the system.
Despite what most would think, 2 Landrovers (1 x Discovery and 1 x Freelander) are enough and I dont need 3 or 4 landrovers.
I can see now why stay at home moms in Sandton, like huge 4x4 vehicles to drive the kids to school. I use mine - sort of - off road in the Game Reserve but the average 4x4 in Sandton does not see further off road than the parking lots at the local malls there! Since I bought my V8 Auto Landy, I have seen the benefit of upscale motoring. In traffic, you look over all the other traffic, not across at it as I used to in my Opel, or up at it as I used to in my Porsche!
My "car guy" has 2 more landrovers in stock in his selection but I have run out of storage space in my garage - and surplus cash in my account.
When I had a chance to buy my second Landy, I jumped at it! I am the secnd owner and I know the lady who owned it from new would not even let her husband drive it! Christine can count herself really blessed that I have allowed her to drive it! I am not so happy that she learns to drive in either a huge V8 4x4, or a smaller 4x4, both automatic! The blessing is that they are definitely a presence on the road, and no-one pushes them around! Ladybug is also cruise controlled, so is really easy to drive long distance - you get up to speed, and click on the cruise control and you havfe no worries about exceeding the speed limit! The latest threat is that if you are snapped exceeding the limit, you have to cough up cash, but accuumulate points on your license. 10 points and you are out - for a year! Scares me how many people are still driving - at high speed - without valid licenses!
I am amazed that I have found 2 4x4 vehicles that are automatic - Ladybug (my Freelander is a turbo diesel) that is really economical - albeit not very sporty, and my Disco is DIVINE even though it is a "gas guzzler" V8! Usually V8 are heavy fuel users, but mine is quite economical. I fill up onc a month - R 1 000 to fill - but my small bore Opel (1.4 litre) used to use 2 tanks of R 500 each to fill, a month! Sure R 1000 a time is a shock to the bank account, but overall, driving a lusty V8 airconditioned 4x4 auto is far more relaxing than driving a tiny (unairconditioned) stick shift car - that everyone pushes around on the road!
I am still trying to find out what efuel is? I usually fill up with 95 octane unleaded for my Disco. Last time I tried to fill it, and the efuel thingy would not allow more than R 30 worth of fuel to run in at a time. This was at a gas station built earlier this year, and when I pulled in there I was asked "Do you want 93 octane, 95 octane, lead replacement fuel, Diesel, or Efuel? I still dont know what Efuel is? No-one can tell me!
Even Ladybug has a choice of 500ppm Diesel, or commercial diesel. I had been filling her from the commercial diesel pumps, but have found that some pumps have 3 outlets - Unleaded 95 or 93 Octane, or 500ppm Diesel. I have the impression that the ppm stands for Parts Per Million, I started driving in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) where cars used Regular (low octane) or Super petrol and that was your choice! Passenger cars did NOT use diesel! When we came to SA, you could get 98 or 96 octane petrol, and not so long ago they only sold 95 or 93 octane fuel. Now you have the choice of unleaded fuel in 95 or 93 - with or without injector cleaner addatives, or 95 or 93 octane fuel in lead replacement also with or without the cleaner burning additives, diesel - also in various grades. Where did the simple life of fuel purchases go? Now filing up the car requires a University Degree to know what to use! You also have the choice of Shell, BP, Engen or Sasol fuel, and I have long known that my vehicles definitely run best on BP - maybe because BP stands for British Petroleum and I drive 2 British vehicles - Landrovers!
Admittedly Ladybug runs cleaner (no diesel smoke) on 500ppm diesel - from BP - and I need to fill up from the diesel pumps on the forecourt not just the commercial pumps set aside for the basic Diesel. I do get the impression that she is more economical on the 500ppm diesel than on the commercial grade diesel.
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