It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

kidcat

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

Well I'm even more grateful hubby has got another job, I had my council tax bill & my water bill in the post today, between them they have gone up £11.30 a month, funnily enough my wages haven't gone up this year, not at all, never mind by £11 a month. I'm seriously considering having a water meter, I wonder if that will bring my water bill down. As for the council tax, there is nothing I can do to reduce that, so the money will have to be scraped out of a different pot.
Hester

Our council tax will go up by about £15 per month this year and again we have had no wage increase for four years, last wage rise worked out at an extra 40p per week! So realistically we are getting to be worse off not better.

Re your water and metering i seem to remember a calculator avaialble online somewhere that you can use to see if you would benefit, we are on a meter here since moving and in the five months since we moved we have used £1000 of water:eek::eek: Thankfully as we have four kids they set a fixed rate of usage and only bill at that or i would be crying about now!!

morag1202

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

Well I'm even more grateful hubby has got another job, I had my council tax bill & my water bill in the post today, between them they have gone up £11.30 a month, funnily enough my wages haven't gone up this year, not at all, never mind by £11 a month. I'm seriously considering having a water meter, I wonder if that will bring my water bill down. As for the council tax, there is nothing I can do to reduce that, so the money will have to be scraped out of a different pot.
Hester

I swapped to a water meter in 2001 and my bill dropped 40% on a band E house in Yorkshire Water area.

There are 2 adults here full time and a 3rd most weekends who shower (no baths) we do not use a dishwasher and use rainwater for garden. We pay £22 per month - but it does vary from water authority to water authority.

In our area we could opt out during the first year only, so I went for it knowing that if it didn't save me money I could go back to ordinary bills. Best thing I ever did!

westcoastscot

Hi Kidkat,
Sorry to hear about your houseful of illness, it's really draining I know and makes it hard to concentrate on anything else - lack of sleep is a killer.
I think i'm just a little sick of the struggle - found myself single 6 years ago after a long and (I thought) happy marriage and its really hard! Suspect part of my problem at the mo is that i'm sulking; I was expecting to be slowing down at this point in my life :-)
I just think i've got everything under control and something else happens and I have to stretch everything just that wee bit further. Totally agree that standing still is sometimes good enough and a real achievement - must remind myself of that sometimes
Good luck battling with the school establishment on your son's behalf - I have to say I caved eventually and home-schooled - I found it took less time and energy and was a more positive thing than all the arguing and fighting to get our rights.

Pitlanepig i'm in the same situation being the financial support for my family - and no the loo brush seems to be a foreign object!
WCS

pagangirl

I got a water meter a couple of years ago - for only me in a 1 bed flat - I pay £14.50 a month. Dunno if that's reasonable or not?

I been juggling for years, never seems to get any better tho - don't know about Council Tax increase yet, housing have already applied for a rent increase - just waiting to hear how much. Insurance has already gone up.
Next............... :eek:

charlies-aunt

Yup - down in the dumps here too....:( Being full of cold for the last 2 weeks has made me feel miserable and I'm also at the point of trying to work out what else we can economise on to stretch our cash a bit further.

I'm really struggling with the food budget just at the moment - partly my own fault as I've not really done my weekly trawl of the supermarkets bargains of the week/super 6's prior to writing my shopping list and couldn't face going home bargains /market shopping so everything for the last few weeks has been bought from Sainsb*rys or Aldi and have not done any scratch cooking or baking either.

Oh well - tomorrow is another day - and it looks like we'll be getting the heating turned off very soon as the weather has certainly turned a lot warm just recently. Looking forward to getting some washing pegged out too for the first time in months

kidcat

I have been pegging washing out all week, its been great no tumble dryer or wet washing hanging ariund the house. Its a sign of warmer weather I hope.

taplady

sammy - lovely to hear how you are doing, you've always been an inspiration to many of us and what a lovely thing you're doing in helping your Mum out even though you're not exactly flush yourself - well done to you!:T

we dont have a toilet brush:D I've always had a thing about them, cant stand them but my loo is always nice and clean but like the rest of you its only me that ever does it.
DH and I are going to our first carboot of the year tomorrow - decided to treat ourselves to a few pounds each as a pick me up:)

I'm hanging my washing out every day too!:j

mardatha

Todays the first day it's been feasible to hang washing out here - but it's certainly not getting any warmer. I wish it would.

Pitlanepiglet

It was lovely and warm here in Dorset today, our garden's south facing and quite sheltered. I managed to clean down most of the garden centre (have put new green chairs on the "wish list" to replace the really nasty white ones that I just can't get clean!) and I cleaned one of the windows. At least spring is coming which always makes me feel a bit more cheerful. I think it's been a long, tough old winter....

Hugs to all xxx

Chipps

The washing went out here today as well. Maybe spring has finally sprung?

Loo brush: guess what, I am the only one in the house who knows the complicated and extremely difficult method for removing the toilet brush from its holder and cleaning the toilet with it. However, desperation has meant that others beside myself have found the method for opening the cupboard and finding the toilet rolls!!!!