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

Kitcaboodle

Dogs will eat anything given half a chance! My friends spent ages carving pumpkins one year. The husband and wife had already put theirs on top of the porch but their friend/lodger liked his so much that he'd left it in the living room.

We all went out and came back to just a lonely looking tea-light in the middle of the living room floor!

BB1984

Hilarious RE the pumpkin!!
My greedy cat will eat anything too - we can't leave anything out. The kitten is just as bad - she licks everything and drinks out of cups and mugs, even orange juice!

Had a lovely roast chicken last night cooked by DH He had a breast and a wing, and I had a leg and a wing, yum yum yum. I think we're going to have chicken noodle broth tonight with the other breast and some bits, and then the other leg and the rest of the carcass can be stripped and used for something else, maybe a curry. I think I'll freeze the carcass and make stock next time we have a whole chicken. (Elmwood chooks on offer in the Co-Op for £3, I must go and get one).

DH was on form yesterday, he also made a banana and sultana loaf, gorgeous.

Found out today that I'm entitled to claim tax back on professional fees - won't be much but worth doing. I must admit I'm useless when it comes to tax matters!

Hope you're all having a good day, sunny here for once!

BB

Margaret54

Ha ha Oh yes greedy dogs. Our dog had an eye problem and my dh and I had been back and forth to the vetinary hospital, and a huge bill as well. I had made two cups of tea, and brought in two mars bars for us both. My dh took his and I set my bar and cuppa on a little table and went to close the living room door. Quick as a flash the dog had jumped up and downed the mars bar in wrapper too in one!!!!!!!!!!! You couldn't watch them.

kidcat

My dog works with cats to get stuff cos they can get to stuff he cant, he gets them to knock it down and then he takes it somewhere quiet so they can all have some!! Probably the fault of my youngest son who trained the dog to lie down at kitchen counter then he would climb onto dog back then get dog to stand up, all so he could reach where I had stored biscuits!!!

It is freezing in the house today but outside is actually quite nice. Have managed to get myself to Ikea and get a couple of cheap fleeces to line the curtains - hoping that warms the room up a bit.

Just had a call from school to collect DS12 as he has a nasty burn - OMG how did that happen I asked horrified - At home school replied - I was furious - absolutely no way would I have sent him in like that and would have known if had burnt himself - NO school said definately at home - on hot water in bathroom they replied. At which point I fell about laughing - no way I said trying to stop laughing, not in this house. I am so measured with my gas usage the water is never more than luke warm - and today its positively freezing cos we didnt use any gas at all yesterday!!! She was stunned - till I pointed out he had had a cookery lesson today and that was much more likely -as I watch my kids near cooker etc like a hawk, and monitor all gas usage, especially as youngest DS has some behavioural difficulties which make it imperative that kitchen is kept locked when no adult around!! I went on to point out that our home was run in an OS MSE fashion and wasting money heating water to scalding levels was a ridiculous waste of money!! I also pointed out that with an autistic child in the house Hot water was a real danger.
Can just imagine what the staff will be saying in staff room later I was just so outraged at the attitude and tone that I would have allowed an injured child into school untreated - or worse that I would not notice a severe burn on my child.

Rant over - sorry.

AnnieG

Hello
I've just been watching the news and am getting very worries indeed about the forthcoming spending review... child benefit for people in the higher rate tax band is the first thing to go... I don't think the way they're applying the cut is fair personally, but that's my opinion.
I'm now very anxious about the job market and really hope I find something before they public sector starts cutting jobs left right and centre and the pool of applicants gets a lot bigger.
Lovely day here though, at least enjoying the sunshine is free!!!

Primrose

Years ago I left a small chicken to defrost in the bathroom, carefully shutting the door before I went off to work for the day. . Couldn't leave it in the kitchen because that's where the cat's litter tray was situation. Returned home to find cat had somehow managed to open the bathroom door by leaping up and pulling the handle down. Chicken had been pulled out of its tray and was thoroughly mutilated.
And a neighbour's cat once had the audacity to sneak in and actually pull a lamb chop off the grill while it was cooking and run off with it in its mouth through the open kitchen door while I was on the phone. (Its owners rarely fed it properly so I couldn't be too angry as it must have been desperately hungry.

kidcat

AnnieG wrote: »

Hello
I've just been watching the news and am getting very worries indeed about the forthcoming spending review... child benefit for people in the higher rate tax band is the first thing to go... I don't think the way they're applying the cut is fair personally, but that's my opinion.
I'm now very anxious about the job market and really hope I find something before they public sector starts cutting jobs left right and centre and the pool of applicants gets a lot bigger.
Lovely day here though, at least enjoying the sunshine is free!!!

Its a very worrying time, I agree the method of cutting child benefit seems odd.

My friend is starting to panic as her husband is almost certain to lose his job, they have high debt as it is and spend for england.

kidcat

Primrose wrote: »

Years ago I left a small chicken to defrost in the bathroom, carefully shutting the door before I went off to work for the day. . Couldn't leave it in the kitchen because that's where the cat's litter tray was situation. Returned home to find cat had somehow managed to open the bathroom door by leaping up and pulling the handle down. Chicken had been pulled out of its tray and was thoroughly mutilated.
And a neighbour's cat once had the audacity to sneak in and actually pull a lamb chop off the grill while it was cooking and run off with it in its mouth through the open kitchen door while I was on the phone. (Its owners rarely fed it properly so I couldn't be too angry as it must have been desperately hungry.

You just reminded me of the time our cat stole a chicken piece from the frying pan whilst it was cooking. And she came back to try grab the second piece too.:rotfl:

Nargleblast

I think it's fair enough that those on low incomes should not have to pay taxes to subsidise child benefit for the higher earners, and I am fortunate enough not to be one of those over £44000 salary-people affected. However, it does make you think - once they have attacked the sacred cow of child benefit, what will they turn their attention to next? The State retirement pension maybe? I have always believed that it is unwise to presume that there will always be a State pension or benefits to fall back on, and that you should always endeavour to plan your finances for your retirement - what income you will have, what your costs of living are likely to be. I do hope I am wrong.

Kitcaboodle

It's looking like DH's job will probably end in January unless his department and others in councils across the country can pull a rabbit out of a hat against the wishes of the Government!

He's starting to look for other jobs but it's hard to find time with the little one around.

The one good thing is that we rent & DS is only five months old (so no school ties) and so we could move to wherever the work was if necessary.