It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

mardatha

You bake it in clay in hot ashes. When you peel the clay off, the skin & prickles come off as well. I know these things !:cool:
If we're doing a Monty Python "we were so poor" sketch.. in the 70s my OH worked as a crane driver in the docks - they were always on strike and got no strike pay. They were out for 5 months once. I had my two older kids then and we lived on home made soup, rice puddings, chips & egg, beans on toast. I too, used a paraffin heater and still hate the smell to this day.
He got laid off and decided with his mate to go down south, to Manchester, because they'd heard there was work. I got taken to hospital the day after he left with a miscarriage at 6 months, lost a lot of blood & was seriously ill. Nobody knew where he was so couldn't get in contact with him, and I thought I would die and he wouldn't know . (drama queen LOL)
He sat in a horrible slum full of bugs in Moss Side for 3 days, then came home because he missed us. I was so glad to see him that I never again worried about money after that time, because other things are more important

AnnieG

mardatha wrote: »

You bake it in clay in hot ashes. When you peel the clay off, the skin & prickles come off as well. I know these things !:cool:
If we're doing a Monty Python "we were so poor" sketch.. in the 70s my OH worked as a crane driver in the docks - they were always on strike and got no strike pay. They were out for 5 months once. I had my two older kids then and we lived on home made soup, rice puddings, chips & egg, beans on toast. I too, used a paraffin heater and still hate the smell to this day.
He got laid off and decided with his mate to go down south, to Manchester, because they'd heard there was work. I got taken to hospital the day after he left with a miscarriage at 6 months, lost a lot of blood & was seriously ill. Nobody knew where he was so couldn't get in contact with him, and I thought I would die and he wouldn't know . (drama queen LOL)
He sat in a horrible slum full of bugs in Moss Side for 3 days, then came home because he missed us. I was so glad to see him that I never again worried about money after that time, because other things are more important

What an awful time that must have been for you, but you're absolutely right, there's nothing like being broke to make you focus on what's important, I remember that every time I hear my son laughing

Wee_Jo

rachbc wrote: »

I work for the Connexions Service - a 'quango' the Tories have their beady eyes on. I have spent an age (mainly due to having dd in the middle) getting a specific qualification that I HAD to get to do my job that will become totally worthless...ho hum

I'm not sure if it's the same organisation, Rach, but one of my clients is a further education college and they have links to an organisation called Connexions who assist students in finding work....is this your organisation?

Spendless

Hi everyone, I know I posted on here some time ago and I do lurk from time to time. After a horrible year when tax credits reduced from £10 a week to £10 a month (due to one off bonus in more affluent prior months), husband took a pay cut (but was lucky to keep his job), pension payments from his company were suspended and I left college and found myself unable to even get thru to interview, haven't benefitted from lower mortgage payments as we fixed for 7 years back in feb 07 .....well at last things are looking up....husband pay cut is re-instated from this month - tho pension payments still suspended and I have a job. :j P-time, 2 days a week at min, temp thru an agency but with the potential to develop/increase hours over time. Husband working from home on my work-days as we have different childcare needs whilst DD is in Infants for next 5.5 weeks to what we'll need whe she's in Juniors and IL's have offerred to step in to help out if we become stuck. :A I was on the point of quitting job-hunting too as I was finding it soul destroying. So just want to say hang in there. things will become ok in the end.

charlies-aunt

[QUOTE=mardatha;33825529_I_was_so_glad_to_see_him_that_I_never_again_worried_about_money_after_that_time,_because_other_things_are_more_important_:D[/QUOTE]

Mardatha - you are a lovely lady! I often reread this thread and you say so many inspirational things You seem to have a have had a life well lived and well loved

Hippeechiq

Spendless wrote: »

Hi everyone, I know I posted on here some time ago and I do lurk from time to time. After a horrible year when tax credits reduced from £10 a week to £10 a month (due to one off bonus in more affluent prior months), husband took a pay cut (but was lucky to keep his job), pension payments from his company were suspended and I left college and found myself unable to even get thru to interview, haven't benefitted from lower mortgage payments as we fixed for 7 years back in feb 07 .....well at last things are looking up....husband pay cut is re-instated from this month - tho pension payments still suspended and I have a job. :j P-time, 2 days a week at min, temp thru an agency but with the potential to develop/increase hours over time. Husband working from home on my work-days as we have different childcare needs whilst DD is in Infants for next 5.5 weeks to what we'll need whe she's in Juniors and IL's have offerred to step in to help out if we become stuck. :A I was on the point of quitting job-hunting too as I was finding it soul destroying. So just want to say hang in there. things will become ok in the end.

Congratualtions! :T How lovely to hear a 'good luck' story amidst all the doom and gloom

I'm where you have just come from....I was made redundant in January. I don't claim JSA (can't face it) and we don't claim tax credits (did once, along time ago - long story - but wont ever again) So it's just the OH's money. Car failed it's MOT in April and we can't afford to get it fixed or buy another one, so now we don't have a car either. I could go on, it has just been one thing after another for the last 18 months, so from someone who knows what it's like, I'd just like to say how very pleased I am for you - the relief must be immense

ginnyknit

Ah I remember the old days well, lost the house I loved, ended up on this god forsaken council estate and nearly lost my mind BUT I hung on in there and got wise, scrimped and saved and raised 2 wonderful kids. We are still in the same house but ignore the outside world a lot and focus on us and ours. We get pleasure out of our victories and tears through our bad days but the one constant is those damn kids they enjoy our company and share our disasters and now we have the wee man - our grandson- and a cuddle with him beats the blues away. I come on here and see others and their victories and commiserate with their losses and its so good to have somewhere that people understand what we are about. So keep on with the hedgehog stew and making Christmas pressies and gloop. But can someone please tell me how to get my ex chef Sil to clean my nice new cooker after him - and why does it take him 15 knives to make a butty????

mardatha

Strong ladies, getting on with it - whoohoo ! We went to shops last night and I paid, for the first time in my life, £4 for a box of soap powder. I am still in shock But I went on and got two pkts of soda crystals, took the whole lot out the back & mixed them in. Hope that way I can use less...

Wee_Jo

ginnyknit wrote: »

Ah I remember the old days well, lost the house I loved, ended up on this god forsaken council estate and nearly lost my mind BUT I hung on in there and got wise, scrimped and saved and raised 2 wonderful kids. We are still in the same house but ignore the outside world a lot and focus on us and ours. We get pleasure out of our victories and tears through our bad days but the one constant is those damn kids they enjoy our company and share our disasters and now we have the wee man - our grandson- and a cuddle with him beats the blues away. I come on here and see others and their victories and commiserate with their losses and its so good to have somewhere that people understand what we are about. So keep on with the hedgehog stew and making Christmas pressies and gloop. But can someone please tell me how to get my ex chef Sil to clean my nice new cooker after him - and why does it take him 15 knives to make a butty????

What a gorgeous post, Ginny, really made me smile this morning. Thank you xo

kylebrad

Somebody mentioned a book, I'm sure it was on this thread. Its called "Frugal Britain" or something like that. I've tried to find the post with it on and can't. I wonder if someone could tell me what it is called and who it is by so that I can go to the library and get it. It sounded really interesting. Thanking you all in advance.