Re: New Year Resolutions
 

But Qatar is still VAT free for the time being? I'm sure you can't consider moving to the UAE or anywhere with VAT now?

I'll have quite by 5 years time. I've not smoked this year.

I'm currently weighing up two tactics:

1. See how long I can go for just cold turkey. Try and disrupt routine - tonight for example, we're going for a walk instead of sitting at home and thinking about the first smoke after work.

2. Smoke tonight and the weekend as normal. Set a 'stop date' and cut down even more than I've done already and prepare for it.

2 feels a bit of a cop out but might also be a good way to prepare and wean and whatnot. 1 might be the plaster rip that's easier.

Dunno. Just already bored of it even being a topic, or thinking about it or worrying about it or going through 'what if's' etc.

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

Addition is tricky, but I'd be tempted to try to just stop. Do some NLP, and convince yourself it is disgusting.

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

I haven't smoked for 1 year and 4 days now, well less than 5 cigs total! I do still vape tho although quite a lot less than I did when U first quit.

No resolutions for me but I'm aiming to:

1. Quit work / retire - might as well put this one in even if it doesn't happen this year.....
2. Travel more....... but not to weddings. Done waaaay to many of them over the past 3 years.
3. Drink less, or at least not as often and not as heavily, so yeah, less overall.
4. Get back into shape / lose a bit of weight, see No. 3.
5. Possibly move somewhere else...... i'm not sure but I may be starting to get over Dubai. Not sure where to yet but I think I need a new adventure.
6. Find myself a GF.

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

Its why point 2 might be better as it's time to work out the plan.
Dunno, the good lady just made me lunch and we spoke about it and she just said we're stopping in the week, so this weekend we're going away, we'll smoke and drink and not worry. Then mid week, nope. None.

Will see how that goes.

I've stopped at work still from probably 10-11 on the commute and in the office to none until 6pm when I'm home, so it's hardly the end of the world missing 3-5 cigs a night in the week when I've done 11hrs without them all day.


2. Snap.
6. Change to BF and we could set you and DXBtoDOH up?

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

Only if he's tall, rugged, slightly geeky, outdoorsy and looks like Rupert Everett. Well, Rupert Everett from 10 years ago.

However, if he cooks that's a complete deal breaker.

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

So you'd take a Hairy Biker over a cant-cook-wont-cook Rupert?

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

I want the cant-cook-wont-cook Rupert. Who says the hairy biker is an option?

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

Sorry, I misread it. Thought cooking was a winner...

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

Nah. I like a bare kitchen. People who clutter it up with food are irritating.

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

Fair enough.
I like cooking but also like being cooked for and eating out or eating takeaways.

I like food and I don't care where it comes from basically.

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

For NY resolutions (only to be changed after Jan 15th!):


a. Get my BE posts past the 1000 posts mark
b. After my medical in Dec the quacks have the same mantra - less drinking (fools didn't listen when I said I had the total of 1 beer on a flight for the whole of 2017!), stop smoking (I will give them that - am currently back to 2 packs a day :( ) and lose weight (idiots still use the BMI index to determine if I am overweight !
c. Start implementing retirement (again this year!)
d. Reduce stress (and hug a tree or something!)

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

1. Quit the fags once and for all
2. Pay the absolute minimum VAT possible (yes, I sadly already have a spreadsheet going for that). Why should I pay money for absolutely nothing in return.
3. Get back on the bike for some serious distances after my six months off due to injury.
4. Lose some weight (3. will take care of that)

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

Are you able to reclaim? How will you actually do that other than just cutting costs?

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

Nope, I cant reclaim, i'm just avoiding buying anything VATable that is not critically essential like food or beer.

Everything else will be purchased overseas and hand carried on my many trips.

Re: New Year Resolutions
 

ah, fair enough. I also try and avoid spending anything here.

About a 1/3 of my office have been granted a exception from VAT via a company-wide deal with the MOF. Literally no idea how it works as I wasn't included in the deal - probably just for cars.