If things get tougher?

D&DD

I'm so pleased to see this thread still running,I just feel right at home here Looks like I have much to catch up on ( my storecupboards are also *ever so slightly* more jammed than normal...:o )

sammyjig

I was born in 1970 and don't really remember the hard times. I suppose I've had it easy .

However, I understand the not wanting to let your family down thing. My mum has always brought me up to not take things for granted and she has been helping me alot lately to prepare for the worst (along with all you lovely people on this thread) and I now feel that I will cope with whatever is thrown at me. I have full cupboards, wind up torches, candles, fleeces, hot water bottles, warm clothes and a camping stove. What doesn't kill us will make us stronger.

Bring it on!!

moanymoany

Compared to people living in America we are so lucky:

Pensioners and families will not have to live in cars or on the streets as the welfare state houses them. It may not be great, it may be a B & B, but it is not the streets.

If any of us get sick we have the NHS. If pensioners or children get sick they don't have to pay for the prescriptions to make them better. We can call the ambulance without the fear of payment. We will not wait much more than 4 hours in A&E.

Income support (if that is what it's called now) is not much, but it is more than nothing.

If you live in rented there is housing benefit. There are council tax benefits.

We have our pensions, we have pension credit, we have care and attendance allowances.

All of these may not be huge, they may be inadequate, but we have them and they are the buffer between a very basic life and a dangerous life of homelessness.

katieowl_2

moanymoany wrote: »

Compared to people living in America we are so lucky:

Pensioners and families will not have to live in cars or on the streets as the welfare state houses them. It may not be great, it may be a B & B, but it is not the streets.

If any of us get sick we have the NHS. If pensioners or children get sick they don't have to pay for the prescriptions to make them better. We can call the ambulance without the fear of payment. We will not wait much more than 4 hours in A&E.

Income support (if that is what it's called now) is not much, but it is more than nothing.

If you live in rented there is housing benefit. There are council tax benefits.

We have our pensions, we have pension credit, we have care and attendance allowances.

All of these may not be huge, they may be inadequate, but we have them and they are the buffer between a very basic life and a dangerous life of homelessness.

I couldn't agree with you more!!! I post quite a bit on a US forum, and the tales of how much medications and med. insurance cost are frankly terrifying!!!

It's all well and good having had a cheaper cost of living in the past, but they are seeing massive price hikes now, and although we see the glamorous side of life in the USA on the media here (Hollywood, 'Friends' etc) the reality for a HUGE number of Americans SO DIFFERENT. People are too poor to send their kids to school (can't afford uniforms) Elderly people spending 1/3 of their income on medical insurance and essential drugs....Just two threads I've seen....

Also having recently read 'Nickled and Dimed' about a journalist who goes 'undercover' to experience life on the minimum wage, a real eye opener... No Tax Credits for the low paid US worker!!!

I still think Britain has gone to hell in a handcart, but it's certainly a better lined handcart than some of the Americans can hope for a ride in!

Regards

Kate

ceridwen

moanymoany wrote: »

Compared to people living in America we are so lucky:

Pensioners and families will not have to live in cars or on the streets as the welfare state houses them. It may not be great, it may be a B & B, but it is not the streets.

If any of us get sick we have the NHS. If pensioners or children get sick they don't have to pay for the prescriptions to make them better. We can call the ambulance without the fear of payment. We will not wait much more than 4 hours in A&E.

Income support (if that is what it's called now) is not much, but it is more than nothing.

If you live in rented there is housing benefit. There are council tax benefits.

We have our pensions, we have pension credit, we have care and attendance allowances.

All of these may not be huge, they may be inadequate, but we have them and they are the buffer between a very basic life and a dangerous life of homelessness.

...or, alternatively, those cyanide pills you were mentioning back before..:cool:

elona

I have just had a "Remoska" Grande delivered from Lakeand.

DH groaned aloud when it arrived but two huge yorkshire puddings later he and DD were looking a lot happier!

I am going to bake French sticks in it later and then make tea out of chopped turkey, onions, peppers, mushrooms and sliced potatoes.

I feel really guilty spending the money on it but it should save a lot of time and money on electricity and gas.

If we do get power cuts then I can make stuff quicker in the Romoska than in an oven once the electrity is back, even for a couple of hours.

I saw a volcano or storm kettle in the local charity shop on Friday but when I went back today to get it it had gone - sob!!!!!

Our local Sainsbury has now got the 4p curry sauce and red lentils have gone down to the same price as Morrisons!

nesssie1702

Hmm, I grew up in the Hebrides in the 1970s and my mother stockpiled in the winter on account of not knowing if there would be powercuts, ferries not sailing so no supplies etc

I've taken after her and my kitchen cupboards are pretty full. DH says that it would be a sad day when I couldn't make a meal for folk! I've also got a good supply of stuff in the chest freezer out in the garage, as you just never know the minute!!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

on the note of calming music i have rainfall, the native american raindance and thunderstorms over here if they are any use ceridwen!

cooltrikerchick - my bf works in bridgend so our council wont make much different - where in npt are you then?? havent met anotehr local moneysaver yet

i live in the swansea valley just the other side of pontardawe

so its bridgend that is amking redundancies . thought it was npt.

MRSMCAWBER

nooooooooo elona

Don't mention Remoskas :rotfl: .. I ordered mine 2 months ago -3 weeks later nowhere to be seen , so they sent me a 2nd..I had to ring them on Friday as that b*gger had not arrived either.. so i am now waiting for the 3rd attempt to arrive :eek: and they are trying to figure out who is hijacking my parcels -swines :mad:
I have had the standard as there are only 2 of us and it uses less power.. mum has had hers 2 months now -after my suggesting it :rolleyes: ... and has only had her oven on twice in all that time :T
Im sure mine will be worth it when/IF it arrives :rotfl:

Right back off to my crochet..now I have the knack -there is no stopping me

catznine

Fingers crossed your remoska turns up soon Mrs M! I am almost wishing I had ordered the grande now so that I could make french sticks like Elona! I ordered the standard when it was just the two of us but now dd has moved back in (that in itself is a sign that things are indeed getting tougher!) I could do with the bigger one! Oh well never mind I will just have to get more organised.

The sun was shining here today so I washed out some blankets and throws ready for the cold weather. Found some boxes of matches and put them away in a large box with all the candles I have collected.

I must admit to being a tad unnerved by the recent news! Although I can remember previous recessions I can't remember the government having to nationlise banks before! I know that this is all because we had an economy built on the unsteady foundation of debt, which was never going to work, but how on earth are they going to sort out the mess, I wonder, without it costing us even more? Aren't we shutting the door after the horse has bolted?