It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

h007

Hello, I am another one delurking quicky to say thanks for the new thread.

I must say the thread made me hugely grateful for my present position.
I am single and in my early 30's.
Working a low paid nhs admin job but at least I have a job (though for how long who knows).
And I am so happy & lucky that I have finally paid off my student loans last year (only took 10 yrs!!) and i dont tend to have more than £100 on my cc at any time.

But I do feel that I have less money than ever before. it seems to goes out of my bank account at a rate of knots.

so this thread is my inspiration to rein in any unnecessary spending. I dont need to cut everything but I do need to make some changes for sure.

- going back to lurk now unless i have something really clever or interesting to say!

Larumbelle

Hippeechiq wrote: »

What a fabulous post silvercharming - thank you very much

I've never made home-made anything, so I could do with an idiots guide

For example, for the washing up mixture, when you say "top up with boiling water", how much would that be? Are you making a pint, ½ a pint? More? I can't quite visualise what I'm going to end up with IYKWIM and can any essential oil be used?

Sorry! All recipes are for a litre, apart from the washing powder and softener (which is a ratios recipe so it makes what it makes ). And the floor cleaner recipe is topped up by a kettle's worth - my kettle holds 1.7l so about that! Shall I go back and correct it?

You can use any oil, tea tree and lavender are antibacterial, I use eucalyptus oil because it is antibacterial too, and where I am it's cheaper than either tea tree or lavender. It's also very good for your laundry products as it kills dust mites!! Also you can add some citrus oil, orange lemon or the like for extra degreasing power as midnightraven3 points out. If you're just after something nice, geranium smells lovely (and is supposed to be an aphrodisiac!!!!!)

flipperOSN

Hi there, I'm another reader/lurker of the old thread, now posting in this shiny new one! Things are definitely getting tougher. I reduced my working week nearly a year ago, after careful budgeting, to try and reduce stress and look after my darling sons some more. Whilst this has worked, the leftover cash for savings/mortgage overpay has been eaten away bit by bit! Things will get much better for us in about 14 months when we no longer have nursery fees to pay but at the moment it does feel like a struggle some months. Food is really the difficult one, it's just crept up and up (well that and the gas bill over winter). I've never been one for throwing food away and we make most meals from scratch, but I was bit lax on getting several days food in advance. I'm now trying to stick to a weekly shop with only one extra emergency one - avoids those expensive midweek extra shopping trips for one thing, but end up as seven!

elizabunny

pagangirl wrote: »

Thanks for new thread Ceridwen, nice to see lots of new people posting :wave:

Am really annoyed after hearing on the news this morning about the age change for oap bus passes - first they moved the goalposts re pension age (mine has gone up from 60 to 63 1/2), now this - sometimes wonder what I've worked for all me life :mad:

I so agree with you on this pagangirl. I have still not reconcilled myself with the fact that I have to wait until I am 65 before I can draw my State Pension. When I started work at 16 I was told I would be able to draw it at 60. I paid the full NI stamp when I married and worked very hard until I had to give up work due to a health problem. Now, we rely just on DHs income. He has probably got to work an extra year until he is 66. I am also beginning to worry if in 2020 when I am due to get my SP, they will move it back, yet another year. No doubt the free bus passes will get pushed back to age 65 and probably also, winter heating allowance, if they pay it. I just wonder where it will all stop.

I fully understand that cuts have to be made and we all have to share the burden, but at the moment I feel that people in my age group are being hit particularly hard and the goalposts are being forever moved. The way I see it is, an agreement is an agreement, once it has been made it should not be fiddled about with. Youngsters just starting out on their working life will expect to be working until they're probably around 68, they will not expect buses passes or whatever until they are 65 because these are the changes being implemented now, but I am sure they wouldn't appreciate being told at age 50+ they now have to work until they're 70+. Not getting at youngsters at all here and feel sorry for the future that some of them will have now, due to the economic mess, but just trying to make the point that it is wrong to keep moving the goalposts and I am realy fed up with them moving mine!

Sorry about that rant :mad::mad: but I get really fed up with the constant struggle at times and sometimes I think alot of us are getting a very short straw and perhaps the powers that be, could start looking in other directions to make their cuts.

I'll be quiet now:)

Sorry I Can't .....Welcome to all new posters, the people on here are great!

elizabunny

mardatha wrote: »

I personally will stick to lavender or teatree, because they are anti bacterial. I will try this next - the yoghurt has gone to my head

I love Lavender mardatha, I put it in cakes, make little bags of it to hang up in the wardrobe, put drops on my pillow to help me relax and sleep, stick it in the bath water, mix it up with bicarb as a room freshener. DH thinks I am mad I have it growing everywhere and keep buying more plants.

elizabunny

ginnyknit wrote: »

I hope not literally! yoghurt shampoo?

Yep, I've heard of this and even used one, bought from L*dl, (I am shaking my head now) because it wasn't very nice.

[Deleted User]

Here's an interesting link. This page also has links to a good discussion forum. I'm going to explore 'no poo' shampoo:rotfl:

http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=365

alec_eiffel

budgeteer wrote: »

Here's an interesting link. This page also has links to a good discussion forum. I'm going to explore 'no poo' shampoo:rotfl:

http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=365

An ex of mine never used shampoo and his hair was gorgeous, really long and thick. It didn't smell at all. I think he used to bicarb it but instead of having it as a paste he used to comb it through then rinse out. Although I might be forgetting some important aspect of it, it was a fair few years ago!

flipperOSN

The pensions thing makes me :mad: Call me spoilt but I don't wish to work until I am 67 and fit to drop! My mother is 70 and has early alzheimers. If that happens to me I'd have almost no time at all to actually be retired and enjoy it!

katholicos

budgeteer wrote: »

Here's an interesting link. This page also has links to a good discussion forum. I'm going to explore 'no poo' shampoo:rotfl:

http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=365

I think i will have a go at the no shampoo method on that site. I am fed up of paying over the odds for shampoo and conditioner.