It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

DeeDeeinDooDoo

Nice to know we are on the home straight now.
Word of warning though - my gas consumption increased after I received my bill because we had done so well, I kinda relaxed a bit. Let's not go mad in March with the heating!

tiff

About a week or so ago someone started a thread about turning the heating off on 1st March and I thought no way at the time, but last night had to turn it off as we were too hot so might just try and see if I can get away with it. Need to find a torch though as heating controls are too far into the cupboard for me to see! A nice thought that it will be off for 7 or 8 months.

pagangirl

Thanks for the support folks - in answer to questions:

have no garden space, nor balcony - but do have windowsills, have been told I can 'indoor garden' but nowhere to put all my houseplants if I do

I am looking for another job, would like to go part time with less travelling to / from work if possible, but no jobs round here at all - even for youngsters. Would love to be 'a lady of leisure' and take early retirement but can't afford to. Sometimes makes me wonder why I've worked all me life, paid me dues and this is all the thanks you get ! Sun is shining today, . .....onwards & upwards - looking on the bright side - can only get better !

annscullamus

Welcome pagangirl, and would'nt it be fantastic to be a lady of leisure after all those hard years working?!!

It is sunny here too, and my solar panel which heats the hot water - and before anyone gulps, I had it put in with a huge Scottish grant from the energy saving trust, when I was working very fulltime, 7 years ago! - lifted the water temp which was very low, about 13 degrees, that is amazing when it is still just Feb!

Thankfully my daughter is a little better off, having been paid from both her places of work, which lets me off the hook a little with regard to helping out. With the snow and deep cold here my pupils have dropped by about a third for the last month - that's a heck of a lot of money........roll on summer.

I am still so lucky though, having the wood stove and 'me health' !

BitterAndTwisted

Pagangirl, those houseplant should do just fine elsewhere in the house if you've a room which gets the sun sometime in the day. Some of them don't even need direct sunlight. How about having a snoop on Freecycle or Freegle for some hanging baskets or shelves to put them on? You never know, someone might even be giving away some veggie or herb-seeds, compost and/or plant-pots to get you going.

Meanwhile, you'll have the windowsill-spaces to get some veggies on the go. Tomatoes can be grown in hanging baskets as well so maybe other veggies might do OK, who knows? Lidl and Aldi have seeds in quite cheaply at the moment and I saw in Asda this afternoon that they're selling 4 packs of seeds for £3. Or maybe 3 for £4, something like that, at least. At the very least you could have some nice herbs growing to perk up your cooking.

taplady

the poundshop are selling pots of grow your own veg and salad stuff which will fit on your windowsill. I saw peppers, salad leaves, tomatoes, dwarf green beans, rocket and various herbs.

mardatha

Oooh wish I had a poundshop and wish I had some sun Might ask my daughter o get some of those seeds though..

taplady

mardatha wrote: »

Oooh wish I had a poundshop and wish I had some sun Might ask my daughter o get some of those seeds though..

we only got a couple to see what they were like - salad leaves and the french beans but will get more next time we go. Thought they were worth a try and dont require any equipment etc. We do have a huge garden and have grown some veggies before but DHs health isn't really upto it now although we might do some potatoes in growning bags that we got last year(also from the pouind shop:D)

slowandsteady_2

Evening all,

just wanted to say hi, i am subscribed and follow the thread but seem to spend all my time posting on GC!

However just wanted to say thanks for all your posts and supportive messages it helps all of us even when like me not posting too much on here.

Things are hard at my end at the moment, but i have done everything i can and can't cut back any more i just can't see any more ways.

In last two years i have had a baby (Dec 08), dh made redundant a week before she was born, had postnatal depression resulting in months of sick leave and me eventually having to resign before i got sacked, and then taking a part time NMW job (which i loved) and having part time earnings topped up to couples rate JSA. With that and CTC we managed, i got a FT job in January in my 'profession' and we are now worse off than when we were on JSA:(.

I have just had my first proper wage as didnt do a full month in Jan and it was all messed up anyway and im very disappointed, as although ive gone back to the bottom of the pay band in my job, and lost some money, which was fine, with unsocial hours i shouldnt have lost that much and i have. I dont even like my job that much and that was partly why i left! I loved my NMW job but im not sure if i dare risk moving jobs again, irony is though when i did a few weeks full time there, WTC and CTC topped up my wage to what i earn now, and without the added responsiblity and 14 hr shifts:(

Im only wage earner as with dh being made redundant he is now a SAHD which is fine as with our shifts formal childcare was impossible and no other family to help.

I just don't know how to juggle things now, our outgoings i think are moderate and we have no debts now but there is that kind of thing where it goes in the bank and is all spoken for. I know to the penny what bills etc i have to pay, i budget for diesel and have cut my food bill down to bare bones. But its hard. I now have the prospect of car tax and MOT to pay for as i work 20 miles away and work shifts so its essential, dh also has a car, its his lifeline as he doesnt have any other hobbies as such they are both oldish and although very reliable inevitabley need fixing.

I just find it hard to believe we were better off when on JSA! We got help with our rent and CT etc. My job was just a mile away so didnt require a car.

I have an interview on wednesday at a place just 6 miles away which is sounding promising, financially its no different but less diesel to pay for and without the added problem of worrying if the car will get to work each day:(

Sorry to vent, i hate worrying dh as he works so hard in our home and is a wonderful dad. He has tried to find agency work but nobody is interested if he cant commit to regular full time shifts.

Oh i just get so fed up! Im sick and tired of deciding if i HAVE to buy such and such a thing or if it can wait till next month, next month never comes!

Apologies again for ranting, just get a bit sad sometimes. I shall have to toddle off back to wait for March GC and see where i can cut back again this month lol

Thanks for reading x

schumie

we moved last year and the chap before us had two small veg plots that are all overgrown and a shambles now (weeds and the dogs use them as a toilet!!!) I am going to clear them out, turn the soil over and start growing veg but i have no idea where to start.

I have always grown tomatoes, lettuce, spring onions and peppers in pots and last year me and my partner had great fun. We grew two pots of tomatoes, spring onions and peppers each and made it into a competition. We drew on the pots with a permanent marker pen so we knew whose was who and i only looked after mine and he looked after his. There was no difference at tasting time but it was good fun. The difference in the taste of the spring onions was amazing - they were so hot they blew our heads off.

I thought this year i might grow potatoes as we eat those, spring onions as they were so hot and delicious, peas as they are his favourite and tomatoes, peppers and lettuce and rocket.

Is it worth growing onions though as they are so cheap?

Also i have only grown in pots but have no idea where to start although i know i need to dog proof the areas or it will continue to be used as a toilet!!!! I don't have a greenhouse so can i just stick the seeds into the soil and hope for the best?