It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

cw18

I thought they'd only stopped insisting on CSA if you came to a mutual agreement

CRANKY40

cw18 wrote: »

I thought they'd only stopped insisting on CSA if you came to a mutual agreement

You can make a private agreement, but that doesn't have to involve money. Have a read of the CSA website, and especially the Options site.

http://www.cmoptions.org/en/maintenance/changes.asp

Hope this helps.

Sylvan

ceridwen wrote: »

Oh well.....in that case...I wont feel bad about asking whether I am correct in my assumption that my gas fire (one of those Baxi Bermuda ones - of the type that used to have a back boiler behind it - till I got a decent boiler) will work as normal even if the electric goes off.

love (totally non-techno minded ceridwen)

(I knew my gas central heating/water heating wouldnt work if the electric is off - but am comforting myself with the thought that "At least I'll have one warm room whatever - because of that gas fire").

Well, even if the new-fangled gas fires have electronic ignition (don't ask me - I haven't had mains gas for the last 24 years:p) I'm sure you'd still be able to light it with a match, or a wand thingy, the way we used to back in the dark ages.

We only have electric fires here, to supplement the gas central heating. I've been trying to convince Lurch we need to order some wood, but he's digging his heels in.:wall:

cw18

Looks a much better system :T

I really hope it encourages more non-resident parents to support their children (I hate the "absent parent" tag that people seem to use).

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

Well ok, but if I spot a wandering penguin or nifty patch of lichen then YUR ON YUR OWN & I'M OFF !

Ah...but Mardatha - there's at least one type of lichen thats edible....not very M.S.E. to turn down the idea of free food;) - but apparently the edible ones taste like powdered aspirin and count as "survival food" (i.e. one eats it only if theres nowt else available).

sparrer

Hi all, a part-time lurker with only one or two posts on this board til now, but I have a query, and a moan to get off my chest..

Tying to be a good little OS'er :rolleyes: I bought dried pulses (kidney beans, haricot and adzuki beans) in bargain sachets only to find they're the sort which need soaking for 10 hours then boiling before use. Rather than have to go through a long-winded palaver every time do you know if it's possible to do the whole lot at once then cool and freeze them? Thanks in advance.

Re the moan, I got a letter this week from IR telling me I owe them £655 in overpaid working tax credits from 2002. Rather makes a mockery of my sig . I have a letter from them dated 2006 telling me they owe me zero and I owe them zero so I don't know how this can be. I phoned to tell them but they're adamant I owe it although they would send me a 'dispute' form. I'm more than a little upset, I know I paid back a lot of money they'd overpaid when I was working but I retired 3 yeas ago and they've only just brought this up. Worse still I'm on the basic pension and get £4.24 a week in pension credits. I'm sure left and right have never met and God only knows how I will manage to pay that sort of money back if they insist they're right. Will they never leave me alone? I was sure I'd paid every one of my creditors and now this. (Prison could be an option, at least they can afford hot food and to have the heating on in winter:rotfl: )

Thanks for letting me get that lot off my chest

My heart goes out to all the younger MSE'ers here, I made it through varous recessions and redundancies reasonably unscathed and I wish them all well.

PS saw a car in the local farm shop car park last week with a 'Rob a bank legally...' sticker, sorry I couldn't hang around to say hi!

itsmylife_2

mumoffour77 wrote: »

approved foods dont "do" my area:(
Im so jealous!!!

They delivered to me in Northern Ireland last week took a bit longer than for most other people, but still got here!

purpleivy

Hi

I soak and cook a whole bag (500g) of pulses at a time and then freeze in small bags. Very useful. I use the pressure cooker, so they don't take long to cook.

The nigella torta di granduja is a cake really, not a tart. Will try and find the recipe.

rosieben

sparrer wrote: »

... Tying to be a good little OS'er :rolleyes: I bought dried pulses (kidney beans, haricot and adzuki beans) in bargain sachets only to find they're the sort which need soaking for 10 hours then boiling before use. Rather than have to go through a long-winded palaver every time do you know if it's possible to do the whole lot at once then cool and freeze them? Thanks in advance. ....

Yes, you can cook them and freeze in portions. I've just started doing this as I've never been organised enough to remember to put things to soak the night before

pmorrisjones

Just be aware that when I put a whole lot of beans in together, and included red kidney, they all went a sludgy colour as the red kidney ones has bled into the others. Other beans together seem okay.