It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

charlies-aunt

silvercharming wrote: »

I have to admit, I'm not a member of the cult of Stardrops I know, it means I'm not really OS (don't tell anyone!) BUT what I did shop for lately was fairy household soap, which had gone up 60p to £1.99 for two bars :eek: I got it from Wilkinsons instead for £1.55 but this was still dearer than last time. Maybe with purchases like this the price rise is accentuated because you don't buy it week-in-week out?

Check out your local markets Silvercharming - we have a couple of stalls at ours who still sell the old fashioned long uncut 12" bars of green household and carbolic soap for 99p, cuts easily into three huge bars or grates really well for washing woolies. If you use the carbolic, it cleans and discinfects in one go so its really good for work surfaces, high chairs, bathrooms and toilets.

...or if you know anyone who holidays in France, tell them to forget the wine and get them buy the mega bars of 'Savon de Marseille" from the supermarkets - its very cheap, smells lovely and strictly speaking its a household soap but when we have bought it in the past, we have ended up using it for household and bathroom.

I don't use stardrops either! Its bar soap, Basics liquid cleaner (29p a bottle), soda crystal and plenty of elbow grease in our house.

kidcat

AnnieG wrote: »

Hiya
With regards to internet access, I'm looking for a job at the moment and would find it much, much harder without computer facilities at home. A lot of employers only accept online applications, and the majority of jobs are advertised on the internet too.I could go to a library, but it would cost me to get the bus to town, then £1 for every half an hour - and it takes a lot longer than that to complete some of the application forms you're asked to submit these days! Then 80p for each page you want to print - a copy of said 10 page application form for example, as well as letters to the bank, creditors etc.
Also, DS goes to secondary school soon and I understand that computer and internet access is pretty much mandatory for homework etc nowadays.
So, for me, the internet is more or less essential. Sky TV on the other hand.... I've never seen the attraction myself!

Had forgotten that (naughty considering I have two kids in high school) both have to complete homework online and use computers to make power point presentations etc, which effectively means that with kids a computer and internet access is a necessity.

larmy16

I absolutely love carbolic soap. It brings back so many memories of my childhood. You have me wanting to get some now!!

charlies-aunt

AnnieG wrote: »

Hiya
With regards to internet access, I'm looking for a job at the moment and would find it much, much harder without computer facilities at home. A lot of employers only accept online applications, and the majority of jobs are advertised on the internet too.I could go to a library, but it would cost me to get the bus to town, then £1 for every half an hour - and it takes a lot longer than that to complete some of the application forms you're asked to submit these days! Then 80p for each page you want to print - a copy of said 10 page application form for example, as well as letters to the bank, creditors etc.
Also, DS goes to secondary school soon and I understand that computer and internet access is pretty much mandatory for homework etc nowadays.
So, for me, the internet is more or less essential. Sky TV on the other hand.... I've never seen the attraction myself!

Ask at your Job Centre for details of 'Home Access Grant' which gives free computers and/or internet access to low income families with children of qualifying ages - the website address is http://www.homeaccess.org.uk/
.
Home Access is a government drive that helps low-income families who currently lack access to a computer and/or internet to get online at home to support learning.

The programme is aimed at those that need it most. If you are a low-income family in receipt of certain benefits you could qualify for a Home Access package with Assistive Technology.


Quick eligibility check

Take the quick eligibilty check below. You may be able to qualify for a Home Access package if you answer YES to:

• four questions in Section one, and
• at least one question in Section two.

Section One:


Are you a parent or guardian responsible for and living with a child...
…who is in school years 3 to 9 inclusive?
…who attends a state-maintained school in England full time**?
…who has not already had a computer from a Home Access Grant or similar programme, such as Computers for Pupils?
... who has a Statement of Special Educational Needs, or receives a Disability Living Allowance, or whose school/local authority representative can certify they have Assistive Technology needs?


Section Two:

Do you receive at least one of the following?
• Free School Meals for your child***
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income support
• Child Tax Credit but not Working Tax Credit and an income of less than £16,190
• Guaranteed Pension Credit (not Savings Credit)
• Income-based Employment Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 199

Do you qualify?

If you think you qualify for a Home Access package with Assistive Technology please call the Home Access Helpline on 0333 200 1004* to get an application form.

Hope this helps...I work in a JC, I tell anyone who'll listen about this scheme!!...its one of those little hidden gems of funding that not many people seem to know about - lots of people have come back to me to tell me that they have got one so its worth a try if you are eligible

Larumbelle

charlies-aunt wrote: »

Check out your local markets Silvercharming - we have a couple of stalls at ours who still sell the old fashioned long uncut 12" bars of green household and carbolic soap for 99p, cuts easily into three huge bars or grates really well for washing woolies. If you use the carbolic, it cleans and discinfects in one go so its really good for work surfaces, high chairs, bathrooms and toilets.

...or if you know anyone who holidays in France, tell them to forget the wine and get them buy the mega bars of 'Savon de Marseille" from the supermarkets - its very cheap, smells lovely and strictly speaking its a household soap but when we have bought it in the past, we have ended up using it for household and bathroom.

I don't use stardrops either! Its bar soap, Basics liquid cleaner (29p a bottle), soda crystal and plenty of elbow grease in our house.

Thanks! I go to our market regularly and there's nobody at ours who sells it BUT I am going to France myself in September :j taking my Mum camping so I can pick some up then! My poor old OH - he takes us camping to the same place each year, and each year we end up loading the car with more and more 'weird' stuff as he puts it. He says it's one thing wrecking your car suspension with booze, but one of these days customs in Dover are going to pull us over and wonder who on earth needs that many giant tins of chickpeas!!!! :rotfl:

Penelope_Penguin

shebrett wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone else was noticing friends/family etc starting to tighten up on their spending lately.

Both my DH and I are lucky enough to be in work, though mine is at a constant threat of redundancy, and considering what I do it's shocking We're very OS - cook from scratch, grow our own food, keep hens, I cycle to work, we don;t buy clothes or other luxuries very often, we have 2 UK camping holidays planned, and we're good at making our own entertainment

Our big expenses are that we like to ski, and we have 2 teens about to go to university.

That said, though food, utility and petrol prices are rising, we're not feeling the effects at the moment.

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the existing thread.

The_Thrilla wrote: »

Sorry, I thought it was obvious that anyone nicknamed The Thrilla would come from the Philippines.

Nope; I'm pretty well read, but had never heard of the Thrilla in Manilla (I had to google it). If you'd been called Rumble, I'd have been much more the wiser :rotfl::rotfl:

westcoastscot

Hi,
The discussion about relative poverty and wants/needs is very interesting. Regarding the internet, it is indeed imo a necessity these days - as others have said children would be unable to fully access their education without it, as well as applying for jobs, money-saving advice etc, but it says something about our society, and our priorities, that this is the case. I'm obviously a huge fan of the internet but acknowledge that my generation got an excellent education without it - we used pen and paper and the library. We have evolved as a society as a whole to take the easiest but most expensive route to anywhere, be it education, the food on our table or our entertainment - not talking about "old-style" folk here, but those surveyed by Rowntree. It's a vicious circle of needing more and more money to acquire this stuff, so have less and less time to do things the old-fashioned way and unless you're brave enough to step off the treadmill it can be relentless. Of course, it's easier when you only have yourself to consider - we all want our children to have the best start in life, and if that means making sure we have the resources for them to access the internet most of us would chose to do it.
WCS

lauren_1

Both kids have been away with gran and nanny (my mum and gran, its ever so confusing as my gran is called gran by my siblings, but my children call her nanny) back to the point, had a lovely week, saw baby on the 2nd (scan pic on less than 12 weeks pregnant thread, families board).

Have been very skint this weeks so we did a lot of things around the garden and house, chopped the bunk beds in half so ds could give up his cotbed for the new arrival, weeded the garden, swapped the kids bedrooms around as dd has had the biggest one for nearly a year now.

Got a lovely 3ft vivarium off freecycle yesterday too, putting a load of twigs and bark in the old one to con ds in to thinking he has a stick insect for when he gets back later today, he will no doubt fill it with worms, spiders and other bugs.

Still no closer to finishing my chicken hut as i need to buy some wood (been searching on freecycle and the tip but nothing yet)

The baby box is coming along nicely, got 50 vests, babygrows and l/s vests for £6 (0-3)

A very good week so far

calleyw

ralloctiger wrote: »

paid £1 for mine in Iceland.

Is that a proper undiluted bottle or is that a trigger spray.

If it is the latter it is already diluted. I use the other bottles and put it in a trigger spray and dilute it myself.

iceland have the whole range in trigger sprays for stardrops.

Yours

Calley

mardatha

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1293121/Average-annual-salary-drops-2-600-just-months.html