PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.

'supporting each other through really tough times'

13143153173193201216

Comments

  • quintwins
    quintwins Posts: 5,179
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    It's so icy here today, please everyone be careful when your out and about the roads and paths are very slippy. I'm not looking foward to driving at night tomorrow night and sat :(
    DEC GC £463.67/£450
    EF- £110/COLOR]/£1000
  • grandma247
    grandma247 Posts: 2,412
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Popperwell wrote: »

    It's just said the average family spends £435 a week:eek:


    My dh brings home half that on flat weeks in spring and summer. He makes up for it around October to end of December when he does 12 hour days for 5-6 days a week. That is when I do any major purchasing and add to my storecupboard bulk stuff. We also get ctc and ch. benefit so that adds around an extra £60 a week. If we were renting I do not know how we could cope. Our mortgage payment is less than half what rents are here.

    We are not the only ones. His wage is pretty much standard in this area.
  • Uniscots97
    Uniscots97 Posts: 6,685
    Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Forumite
    Popperwell wrote: »
    Iget so annoyed about this with work places, we have some places that are not putting the heating on for workers or have it so low people are cold even though I thought we had some ruling on that or they don't like their workers arriving with extra items like bags to put clothes/footwear in whilst on their premises even if what the worker is bringing in makes them safer or warmer in the kind of weather we have at present.

    Some time ago on another thread there was the chance someone's buses/trains could be taken off because of the weather so to show willingness to the boss/company and not leave early or get home and not be able to come back in, they took some items so they could stay there. And he was told no way. It was not because of health and safety either.

    I heard on the radio the other day that because of the cost of petrol and travel to/from work some people are sleeping in their cars.:eek:


    Being a temp I really don't have much choice but got chinned earlier as yesterday due to numerous trains getting cancelled I chose to work from another office I could get to. If i'd continued onto the one I normally work from it would have menat tagging on at least an hour onto my usual finishing time. Factor in trains later run less frequently and I'd be looking at getting home over 2 hours later. There's only so much you can carry when taking public transport without looking or feeling like a pack horse which makes walking even worse when its snowing. I know in previous jobs I've had it relatively easy as I've been able to drive door to door. Here although I could do that the time it would take and the cost of fuel and parking far outweighs what is costs on the train.

    ..... oh and I'm keeping my feet as far as possible under the desk! :o
    CC2 = £8687.86 ([STRIKE]£10000[/STRIKE] )CC1 = £0 ([STRIKE]£9983[/STRIKE] ); Reusing shopping bags savings =£5.80 vs spent £1.05.Wine is like opera. You can enjoy it even if you don't understand it and too much can give you a headache the next day J
  • meme30
    meme30 Posts: 534 Forumite
    edited 5 December 2012 at 11:54AM
    It's snowing hard here now and I am about to drive to the other side of Co Durham to a strange hospital, sorry, sounds daft ...I've not been there before. IYSWIM
    Wellies torch etc are in the car and instead of going over the tops I am using the main roads. I hate waiting to go for appointments, it's like waiting for a delivery man, the day is so long.:(

    I have kept myself busy by filling Christmas stockings and polishing my Christmas napkin rings.:rotfl: I have a really odd life!!:D

    softstuff:- Brilliant!

    Kidcat:- Don't blame you for smelling a rat, they sound deliberately unhelpful!
    Give us the strength to encounter that which is to come, that we may be brave in peril, constant in tribulation, temparate in wrath, and in all changes of fortune, and down to the gates of death, loyal and loving to one another.”
  • Popperwell
    Popperwell Posts: 5,088 Forumite
    grandma247 wrote: »
    My dh brings home half that on flat weeks in spring and summer. He makes up for it around October to end of December when he does 12 hour days for 5-6 days a week. That is when I do any major purchasing and add to my storecupboard bulk stuff. We also get ctc and ch. benefit so that adds around an extra £60 a week. If we were renting I do not know how we could cope. Our mortgage payment is less than half what rents are here.

    We are not the only ones. His wage is pretty much standard in this area.

    It's worse...I looked at the story again and they say people spent an average of £483.60 a week and they are saying that what people have cut back on is the hiring of cleaners and gardeners(seriously how many of us have either)and not buying clothes.

    But if that is what they say we spend what is the wage itself and what is left after spending that?
    "A government afraid of its citizens is a Democracy. Citizens afraid of government is tyranny!" ~Thomas Jefferson

    "Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in" ~ Alan Alda
  • grandma247
    grandma247 Posts: 2,412
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    They obviously only looked at the south then. I worked for a cleaning agency when I lived in the south. The pay was pretty good there and then I worked in a care home where the pay was good. When we moved up here I refused to even look at care jobs because the wages were half of what I had been earning and you were expected to do more work too especially on nights. It was slave labour. A friend here had to have three care jobs as well as her dh's wages just to get by.
  • kidcat
    kidcat Posts: 6,058
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    I have found the rat - thankfully it wasnt aimed at us it was to prevent me seeing something I shouldnt and telling the family concerned!! Turns out that one family believe they have a specialist placement with DS8 but it wasnt confirmed as definite due to a diagnostic delay - however new applicant with a more urgent need for the place has been approved so first child is back into mainstream after Christmas.

    As for the incident they have agreed to increase staffing (which sort if says they know there is an issue) on the breaks - they had not factored in that with the group at capacity the staff were stretched. I will now monitor carefully what happens and will also make an effort to call past at breaks to check the staffing - one of the other dads is going to take turns with me. :)
  • The_Dragon
    The_Dragon Posts: 9,749 Forumite
    katieowl wrote: »
    No it's OK...it's HER OH, he does eat fish!!!!

    Kate

    Ah a Piscaterian not a Vegetarian then :D, any how I hope the meal/s go well :p

    A quick reminder to folks that if you get repeat prescriptions to think about getting them sorted for Christmas sooner rather than later ;)
    Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for thou art crunchy and good with catsup :D
    NSD 15/20, OS WL 21-6 (4) :(C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z #44 Twisted Firestarter, VSP #57 - £39.43
    :p Every Penny's a Prisoner :p
  • Hi again everyone, and thanks for the welcomes! it's such a good idea to get organised regarding prescriptions - my kids take so many that I need to be super-organised about this.

    I just had a letter from the foster support team telling me that they "would discourage" me from taking the kids to a carol concert/nativity play this year. I'm fuming, I'm not trying to force religion on them at all but they all enjoy singing carols. I'm not generally a stress bunny but we have to take DD3 to hospital on Monday and we'll learn more about the type of treatment that she'll have. I've been reading up on it (I know I shouldn't get ahead of myself) but my heart is breaking for her. Plus, DD2 is having a horrid time at school.
  • Popperwell
    Popperwell Posts: 5,088 Forumite
    I disappeared and had no idea that my post had successfully appeared because...there was a powercut here.

    Rare but luckily I had a radio that had batteries in it so I had something to listen to(sadly it was only the budget statement)

    But for all my OS skills that meant no hot drinks(I did not have the flask full of water)and no hot meals but if I had been hungry I could do salads, sandwiches etc...and eventually got the camping stove out but I decided to avoid opening and closing the fridge/freezer.

    Thankfully it only lasted an hour...and not in the evening when it is dark, that's funny as I only use one light anyhow and could use candles/tealights and torches.
    "A government afraid of its citizens is a Democracy. Citizens afraid of government is tyranny!" ~Thomas Jefferson

    "Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in" ~ Alan Alda
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards