It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

cw18

Just catching up on the posts since Friday -- I've been on "baby sitting" duties all weekend, as DD has been away visiting friends (and out for a birthday, so couldn't take the girls this time)

mardatha wrote: »

Re benefits to home owners v tenants... I think if we get the full rent paid, then you should get the full mortgage paid. It's the same thing, its the roof over your head and I don't see any difference between the two, so I dono how the govt does !

To be fair, the rules for Mortgage Assistance that are running at the moment mean I could receive up to £12,160 per year to help with interest (£200k @ 6.08%), but if I claimed rent I would only be allowed a touch over £5100pa -- so home owners really aren't that badly done by. (And before they doubled the level of mortage they'd help with, I'd still have been better off with over £6k for that)

Bargain_Rzl

kittie wrote: »

The best buy dishwasher tabs are T value at 9p. The best buy washing up liquid is fairy.

If you're near an Asda they currently have a rollback on the 45-packs of Fairy dishwasher tabs (the liquid ones) and are selling them for £4. On top of this - and this doesn't show up on Mysupermarket - the packs on the special offer have 12 tabs extra free. So 57 tablets for £4 - that's 7p a tab. Worth stocking up if you can!

lilac_lady

If the banks had been closed down there would have been riots in the street so our stockpiles would have come in handy as I don't fancy trying to get some food in the middle of a mob.

Sounds like the scenes in a film but I think I'm going to keep a bit more cash at home like Ceridwen. I'd hide it but the problem is that I'd probably hide it from me as well as a burglar!

kidcat

mardatha wrote: »

Oh that's what I need, I have no butter . Where is cheap ?

Asda are selling country life unsalted butter for 47p at the moment,

rosieben

andan wrote: »

...
Has any one got any ideas as to what is best to stockpile or is it just anything and everything. ...

a couple of threads about store cupboards that might help are Storecupboard Essentials and Cupboard foods to have stored (further links in post #8)

mummysaver

Andan - only stockpile things that you will actually use anyway, and try to make sure that you have a selection of things that can be used as meals, things such as tins of soup, tuna, tomatoes, beans, UHT milk, tea, coffee, sugar, dried goods such as pasta, rice, flour, yeast, household stuff like loo rolls, soap, washing powder, medicinal stuff like paracetamol, plasters. Other basics that many people have put by "just in case" include camping gas cookers, wind up lanterns and torches and radios.

This isn't designed to worry you or suggest that we are survivalists, well I'm not anyway! I keep a storecupboard of goods as a buffer against times when money is tight, and the gas cooker and wind up torches are handy as there are an awful lot of power cuts where I live! And I do go camping a lot so kinda need them anyway! But if things did become like they were in the 70s with power cuts, then these items would be very useful. The store cupboard would also be useful if there were petrol shortages and food could not be delivered - as happened about 5 or 6 years ago, and people started panic buying bread and milk! Also if money suddenly became short because of redundancy or whatever, then a storecupboard could help cushion the blow a little.

On the bright side for all those who bake their own bread, Asda still has bread flour at 48p - Mr T has gone back up to 64p!

elizabunny

Good evening everyone!

Been away for a couple of days so just catching up on all the posts -so many this weekend to read.

Glad you are both ok Caterina and mummysaver, someone was watching over you!

Sunflower -so sorry about your DH -such a worrying time for you both but you sound like a strong person and that strength will get you through this.

So many interesting posts -some very comforting -others full of advice and ideas -so much support.

I had a little time to spare this weekend and ended up buying a copy of 'Nella Last's War' and am finding this hard to put down. I'm only into the first 20 or so pages but already it is making thought provoking and such fascinating reading. I'm not a war child having been born in the fifties when things were improving somewhat and any hardships that my parents were experiencing was not felt by us childen. I think we were protected from life's realities.

Having been through a couple of recessions myself and one when our own children were very young, I hope we managed to shelter them from some of the realities at that time, although it was very hard. I remember vividly my DH had been made redundant for the second time, our children were very small and all DH was sent home with, was 4 days pay! I also remember ringing the local Benefits Office in desperation and being told in no uncertain terms there was nothing they could do for me as it was Easter! At the end of it all, we survived. 'Spam' figured in the menu alot, I remember always thinking there was an amazing amount of different meals you could make with 'Spam' I dislike the stuff with a vengeance now! Paper mache bricks were burnt on the fire and it was a case of making do and doing without. This was a character building time for our little family, but nothing as unimaginably harsh as 'Nella' must have experienced.

So I personally, will do as my DH & MIL always say and trust in God because God is Good. (Not wishing to inflict my personal beliefs on anyone here, as we are all free to believe, or not believe in whatever we wish). But I personally, do believe in guardian angels and think that everyone has someone watching over them and helping them through difficult times

Hoping DS1 has his guardian angel watching over him tomorrow, as he is going for an interview with a view to going into teaching, having decided on a career change after being made redundant recently. So fingers crossed.....

Have a good night everyone!

andan

Thanks for everyones great advice re stockpiling and the storecupboard. Mummsaver you are quite right with getting products that i will actually use! This is where i have gone wrong in the past and bought things because they were on a recommended list. However i think it will be a steady progress whilst i get used to this OS way and start doing more cooking from scratch.

The advice has been great though and i now have lots of items to look through so i can start beginning to buy them, so thank you.

piglet6

Don't post on here often enough (don't have much useful to add!!), but couldn't resist a comment on Somerfield's magazine, bearing in mind the comments about Mr S earlier...

Popped into Somerfield yesterday to buy some Diet Coke (yes, its a bad and expensive habit, but I have reduced dramatically so am keeping some treats for now...and at 2 x 2l for £2, it seemed to be the best deal around! ).

Anyway, picked up a copy of their free magazine (I love a free magazine...;)!!), and was keen to see their "Beat the credit crunch" week of meals, feeding 2 people for under £5 each (week)day for dinner. Admittedly, I already wasn't overly hopeful, because we feed the 2 of us for dinner for way less than £5...:rolleyes: However, I was keen to find new suggestions and recipes so was very unimpressed to find a week's worth of ready meals in their menu plan! For those who haven't seen the menu plan, it was as follows:

Monday: Deep fill steak pie (ready made) and (ready made!) mashed potato
Tuesday: Fresh cheese & ham tortelloni, fresh Napoletana sauce and garlic ciabatta
Wednesday: Ready made Indian meal for 2 for £5
Thursday: Tex-mex night - Chicken enchiladas and potato wedges (again, ready made)
Friday: Stuffed crust pepperoni pizza and garlic baguette

Now, while I recognise that many people who buy a lot of "convenience food" would be pleased with this menu, I was disappointed that this was their suggestion for beating the credit crunch - even just suggesting that people made their own mashed potato/wedges, Napoletana (tomato!) sauce or garlic bread would have made a significant saving on their suggested menus.

Boo, hiss, Somerfield - your helpful suggestions seem to be decidedly one-sided - and mostly helpful to your own profit margin!!!! :mad: :eek: :mad:

Piglet

nannaC

Hi everyone, have not been around for what seems like years given it has taken me ever sooooooooo long to catch up with all the posts. Right down to businness
1st nannaC hugs to everyone who is feeling down:kisses3: . As one of the older Osers, my heart goes out to you all, but trust us when we say that you will survive and come out these times frightening as they seem stronger, trust me I'm a NANNA.
2nd as per my new years post I have started my one little voice [or as grumpy so kindly calls it foghorn] and have taken our local council to task, with a written complaint. Surfice to say the sweep it under the carpet reply I got left me speechless [grumpy said that the silence was golden for all of 30 secs until I breathed out then he took cover]. Needless to say I have now got my how dare they head on. It would make a very good farce if it was not our futures they are playing with. So will be going in for round 2. Sorry I cant be more specific but until it is all settled properly I feel it is not fair to go into details, except I am MAD VERY HOPPING MAD.
3rd My next campaign is to try to highlight ALL the hgue amounts of money the government has wasted on the failed pathfinder regeneration programmes. Millions have been poured in to so called knocking down rebuilding houses. In our area of East Lancs millions have been spent on demolishing causing huge waste lands, split communities, problem families being moved to other areas [ie not solving the problem mearly moving it on], and to date just 16 sheltered bungalows have been built. :rolleyes: But on the bright side there have been several quangos formed, public sector jobs created all needing admin backup, lots of meetings, and demolition companies engaged. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR:eek: . It didnt work in the 60's so it was always going to be a non starter now. The money that has been wasted would have gone a long way to riding out the recession or perhaps preventing it.
Ok rant over I feel better now, but it would be really interesting to try to add up all the money that has been spent/allocated to these pie in the sky schemes in the past 10 years.