Marriage, relationships & families

Following on from the Free baby stuff thread started in 2016, here's a pristine new one to log the most up to date deals. Mums and dads to be, hopefully we'll see this list of free baby stuff grow and grow. 👶👶👶 Also, take a look at the Baby checklist guide over at MoneySavingExpert.com, which includes 40+ tricks and tips…

how can you tell if someone has put a tracker on your car? would a garage or an alarm place be able to scan it to see? thank you

Hi all, My sibling and I have a good relationship and although we don’t get to see each other as often as we’d like (we live at opposite ends of the country) we speak regularly and are on good terms. Several years ago our mother died unexpectedly - to cut a long story short we had to sell her house to pay off the debts she…

Hi I took a cheap strip pregnancy test this morning as period is due in a few days. A pink blob appeared straight away, where the positive line would be. Any ideas what this might mean? I'm reluctant to keep testing, but wondered if anybody else has ever had this happen and what the outcome was?

Hi all We recently got married and are looking to have our professional photos put into an album. Our photographer has offered us a 20 page 8 inch booklet for £350 pounds. However, it's way beyond what we would be willing to pay for that sort of thing. Can anyone give any alternative suggestions or companies that might be…

There are some types who will take full advantage of others' generosity, and it looks like this is a classic example of a confidence trickster at work. Don't send him money or waste it on a card, as he's entitled to neither.

Give each child the same amount. Nobody's forcing one of your children to live in London, where earnings are higher than average, and there's no reason why he or she can't use them to get a top-up mortgage to meet the extra costs of living there. 

Was in a shop recently and a family were struggling to pay for the items they'd chosen. They were reducing the cost by leaving some adult non essentials (wine etc) but kept a fairly large toy for their child when the cashier queried that. I wanted to offer to pay for their shop but I was worried about overstepping because…

While learning to read is a fair way off, thinking of investing in this set of books. Are they any good? I remember they were at my infant school but this was 20+ years ago. Are these still the same stories? Or have they been edited (thinking about some of Enid Blyton's books)? Any others I should consider?

Early nineties the family home was put into a siblings name. The other one was told that they would get half after the parents passes. Late nineties the father died a will was made both children made executors. Mother wrote a letter of wishes 2005 said she had requested the sibling to give the other one a share when the…

Please be gentle with me. My grandson has just married his live-in partner. They have been together for 5 years and have 2 young children. Given that (1) I don't have a relationship with him, and (2) I wasn't invited, do I buy them a wedding present? (And if so, what?) Background I don't have much of a relationship with my…

My father has shown me letters he has recently received from the Office of the Public Guardian. Two letters addressed to himself and two to his wife (my mother). One pair of letters reads: ‘An application has been made to register a lasting power of attorney (LPA) for health and welfare on your behalf’. One addressed to my…

Hi I’m just about to come to the end of the divorce process, and am wondering about Capital Gains Tax implications of our situation. We bought our house for £165k in September 2006, marrying in 2013. The house had the mortgage paid off, and I moved out on 23rd October 2020. Our Consent Order was approved by the judge on…

After 30 years of being in a controlling relationship (emotionally), I finally have taken steps to get out, and have found myself a room to rent, but now find I am scared stiff. I have walked on egg shells, and been looking over my shoulder all these years and now I'm scared! Anyone else had similar experiences? I suppose…

Hi, My husband moved out suddenly 6 months ago after 30 years together. He moved into his Mother's and started a new relationship with someone else. I was left in the family home with my 3 kids . I started Divorce Proceedings after 5 months as was emotionally overwhelmed and had just started a new job 10 days before he…

Hi, I'm presently going through a contentious situation with my half brother. My father died in February 20, and since this time I have been given letters of administration as there was no will. My brother did apply for this, however he put the wrong date of death on his application, was given letters and then I contested…

I wondered if anyone might have advice for me on this issue: my mother now lives with my sister as she needs full-time care. I have financial LPOA, and sold her house a while ago, because it needed more work than we were prepared to carrry out. I've invested the proceeds in the best paying safe bank accounts. My sister is…

We are currently considering starting the process of applying for deputyship for an elderly relative who is 87. She has been in hospital for 10weeks after falling and breaking her hip. She was discharged twice but fell within hours of returning home and was readmitted. She was on the floor for 12 hours after the last fall…

Hello all,I'm from a family were everyone is proud and no one asks for financial help. Everyone uses their own money and money is not talked about. Since my first job, I have been financial independent - I'm now in my late 30s.I need to borrow some money but I don't know how to ask? I feel shy almost embarrassed. How do…

How do normal breakups work out? Just whats going on inside my head.I have been having a few health issues and my ex sent me a message asking what was wrong. She was always lacking in emotion.We had a few hours of messages, then nothing.I don't see us getting back together, but even tho it's been over a year since we went…