If things get tougher?

zarazara

I live in a very rural area. cant get to work without a car. its got totally mad and unaffordable. i dont know what we are gong to do.

ceridwen

knittingnelly wrote: »

The 'old fashioned' type curtain tracks are surely better than the modern poles which tend to stand off the wall a long way? I don't know, but I imagine all the heat rising up the back of the curtains somehow... I guess that's where blinds inside the window are good.

!:D

Pelmets in a word. I was told by an environmental expert type of guy that these are a good idea on top of curtain rails - certainly at least for singleglazed windows. Summat to do with stopping the colder air by the window getting into the rest of the room I seem to remember?

mardatha

For a start, we can all email every MP we can, I did this before with the 10p tax thingy and got some good replies. If everybody does it then they have to worry --esp the Lab ones cos its their jobs going to go if this carries on...

Sarahsaver

Phew i just had a recession busting meal - lentil and veg stew with dumplings, the dumplings were VERY filling:)

A switch off would be a great idea but too many people would not do it. I would apart from the freezer!

mags50_2

tramps wrote: »

ref car tax yes we will hit the £400.00 mark and yes we do drive a four wheel drive but as we are in agricuture you cannot drive along fram tracks/across fields in a small car we need this car and will have to afford the car tax what the goverment has also done is now make some cars unsellable because people will not buy them because of the high tax bracket anyone with a car such as ours is now effectivly stuck with it

We're in the same boat! or four wheel drive should I say
We live in the middle of the fields with one way in. If it snows we can be cut off until hubby digs us out again. Thank heavens our daughters are in homes of their own now, in the small town nearby, along with all the grand-children. It used to be hell trying to get them to school when we had lots of snow... although I think they quite enjoyed it! Waiting for their Dad to clear a way through :rotfl:

knittingnelly

We don't but expensive cars. We get old reliables and run them till they drop, then we start again. Second hand cars have never been cheaper and, despite the hike in tax it will still be cheaper for me to run an 'oldie' than buy newer. Just read on't net about how owners of 'old' cars worth around £2,400 would be paying 18% of the value under the new tax scheme. What a laugh - we've never paid anything like that much for a car and don't intend to start now! If I have to pay £400 tax it will be more than 100% the value of my car! :rotfl: :rotfl: How that helps the environment I dunno

LittleBill

mags50 wrote: »

We're in the same boat! or four wheel drive should I say
We live in the middle of the fields with one way in. If it snows we can be cut off until hubby digs us out again. Thank heavens our daughters are in homes of their own now, in the small town nearby, along with all the grand-children. It used to be hell trying to get them to school when we had lots of snow... although I think they quite enjoyed it! Waiting for their Dad to clear a way through :rotfl:

I lived in a rural area for five years ... I was however surprised how few people drove 4x4's in the country ... none of the farmers wives had them ... neither did many of the the folk in the nearby village ...

Hi all ....

We were occasionally cut off by flooding ... my house in a dip between two little rises in the road ... our 'dip' didn't get flooded but we got hemmed in by water on either side ... ...

All this said I managed with a normal diesel estate car ... as did many of my outlying neighbours ... The summission was that if the weather was so bad that you couldn't leave home in a normal car ... it was not normally wise to leave home anyway ... :rolleyes:

I think I only missed one day at work in five years because of the weather ... I am convinced that unless in exceptional circumstances ... a 4x4 is not necessary ... even in a rural area ...

I now live in the town ... and have switched to a 3 cylinder 'baby' Audi ... it is all i need now ... and endeavour to walk wherever possible and have non driving days ...

My suggestion for "Something we all can do" is to log the miles you do every week and aim to reduce them ... say by 20% ... or have 'no car' days ... Examine every journey to see how you can double up ... make one trip serve several functions ... car share for kids stuff ... football practice etc ... All these things do add up ... and another benefit ... I walk on average about 15 miles a week that I used to do in the car ...

It's doing wonders for me bum! ... :rotfl:

katieowl_2

Ruthibe73 wrote: »

Primrose - Only Monday MORNING in bed???? Prefer the idea of a whole week in bed :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Sheesh might be the only way we can keep warm come the winter

But Primrose mentioned the freezer...I'd worry about that too, but my neighbour told me, when there was a power cut a few weeks back, that it would be OK for 24 hours if we didn't open the door? Is that right? Anyone know?

Anyone know either when the electricity 'peak' in the day is...I'd guess either first thing in the morning, or when everyone gets in from work...Imagine the shock horror if most of the country turned off for four hours peak viewing time, we could organise candlelit vigils or street parties, and burn some scrap wood furniture on big bonfires.... or take your candles and sit with a pensioner while they turn off too (being the group who will be most hard hit) - Oh I'm getting carried away - a candle lit demo to Downing Street?? :T :j :T mwhahahaha how about BONFIRE NIGHT!!!!

mags50_2

katieowl wrote: »

Sheesh might be the only way we can keep warm come the winter

But Primrose mentioned the freezer...I'd worry about that too, but my neighbour told me, when there was a power cut a few weeks back, that it would be OK for 24 hours if we didn't open the door? Is that right? Anyone know?

I've been told that too and it works:D
The electric often went off in winter here (we are first on our line..or last.. whichever way you want to look at it) and once it was off for over 24 hours... but only just... and the freezer was fine. The house is an old draughty one though... so that could have helped to keep the temperature down

katieowl_2

knittingnelly wrote: »

We don't but expensive cars. We get old reliables and run them till they drop, then we start again. Second hand cars have never been cheaper and, despite the hike in tax it will still be cheaper for me to run an 'oldie' than buy newer. Just read on't net about how owners of 'old' cars worth around £2,400 would be paying 18% of the value under the new tax scheme. What a laugh - we've never paid anything like that much for a car and don't intend to start now! If I have to pay £400 tax it will be more than 100% the value of my car! :rotfl: :rotfl: How that helps the environment I dunno

Knitting nelly, can you tell me your source of cheap cars??? I'm in dire need as the clutch went on my banger a couple of weeks back, and bearing in mind all the other stuff that was wrong with it :rolleyes: I decided to scrap it - I actually got £10 more for it as scrap than I paid for it (after driving for 6 months) so I'm not complaing, but OH and I have been trying to source another with no Joy (we are in SE London) all the cheapie dealers have gone My OH's car has been towed off to a garage by the RAC this morning, as HIS clutch has gone too...but we are wondering if THAT is worth repairing as it's a Land ROver, and the diesel is crippling us (but he needs a heavy duty car for work)

Be grateful for your tips?

Regards

Kate