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

Larumbelle

I only heard about the limo for primary school leaving phenomenon today from a work colleague. Just the thought of it makes me feel slightly sick. What on earth are we doing to our kids?

Sorry to hear about the job, Spike. Maybe all will be okay once that lady gets back from her holiday.

csarina

We had to make new wills when we moved to Scotland, our English ones are not valid in Scotland.

TudorRose

Sorry to here about the job Spike. Hope you get something sorted soon.

Not a good day for me. Had a real shock when contacted by my bank & asked to phone the contact number on the back of my business credit card and ask for the fraud dept.:eek:
Did so & and was told that someone has managed to get hold of my card details & yesterday made a transaction for over £800.00 which went through and then tried to make another transaction to the same place for over £3000.00! Luckily the bank realised that I don't make transactions of this size on this card & don't have a credit limit as high as that on it.
They have cancelled my card & I will not lose the money thank goodness but it has realy made me feel down & have spent most of this evening asleep on the sofa with a headache before coming on here to catch up on what everyone else has been up to.

With regards to school uniform I feel it is ridiculous & so unfair for parents to be pressurised in times like these to buy items of uniform from set suppliers when there are perfectly adequate items available at Asda & Tesco etc.

smileyt_2

Spike, sorry to hear about the job. What a rotten thing to happen.

I have been a bit down lately, but managed to do some ironing and strip and remake my bed today, which given the way I have been feeling is pretty miraculous. Everything else in the house is a total mess though. I hope I'm feeling better tomorrow as I really need to have a good tidy-up.

I'm really glad I'm not a politician - I really wouldn't cope with making all those decisions on days like today when I can't even decide if I want a cup of tea or not :rotfl:

Have decided to start stocking up in earnest, at least on stuff that will have extra VAT in Jan, like loo rolls and toiletries. I'm going to stock up on dried food too, just in case there are price rises on basic foodstuffs.

Oh, and cocoa and chocolate when I can afford, after reading an earlier post that there is going to be a shortage :eek:

penelopedee_2

I've been reading the Shirley Goode - Good for One book today. DH is rolling his eyes as he realises there is some more new receipies to learn :rotfl:

angelite_2

Hi there,
I dont often post but I do read the thread and the one prior to this.

I just wanted to say to Tudor rose, that 2 weeks ago I discovered that someone had fraudulently taken out about £10,000 of goods from my catalogue. I should have reduced my credit limit prior to this as there is no way I would use that amount. Thing was, they ordered 7 dysons, 6 pushchairs, lots of black berrys, PS3s, ipods, you would have thought that someone would have noticed that any normal person does not order that amount of stuff. Luckily I do not have to pay for this. It is just horrible how anyone could do this. I felt awful. I cant even afford 1 dyson for myself. Just wanted to say that I know how you're feeling.

I am also really enjoying reading the thread and cant believe how much is posted in between me reading and catching up with it.x

Downsizing__for_sanity

Sorry to hear about the job Spike. But employers are NOT allowed to penalise you for being part of the TA Armed Forces, even though you have to go away for training periods. I would get some advice from the TA legal section, your pers admin officer/sgt should be able to tell you who to call (and it will be free advice, obviously). I suppose if there's no longer a job, there's no job, but you at least might get back some lost wages. Keep the offer letter as proof.

DFS

gailey_2

Sorry spike about jobs thats terrible things change so quickly.

Brought the telegraph today as times run out front page was some familes upto 3grand worse off from april hope we not but think we will be hit.Hubbys bit nervous about job intererveiw as all our eggs in one basket.

Decided to sell my pricey pram and as brought cheap 3wheeler for 20quid and babys nearly 1,will have big declutter and sell what I can as still need to complete uniform shopping and buy coat/shoes ect.

Not achieved as much as hoped today did housework, cooked choc brownie much to familys delight, went lazy homepride pasta bake.
Would love to spend whole day cooking tommorow but mums over tommorow and very critical of house so need to ensure downstairs , bathroom and eldests rooms tidy and clean.

Rained most of day here so no foraging.
hubbys working all weekend.
eldest has leavers preschool part tommorow feel quite sad but not brought them a present just giving a card.

Another birthday party sat so need to go present shopping as normally set 5quid limit think its 15th party in 6months.

Shocked at primary limos things are so diffrent these days kids expect lots weirdly saw huge pink limo yesterday.

uniforms much easier when nan knitted all of hours mum dont realise how lucky she was.
I think logo tops were brought in 2nd year of secondary but we still have to wear shirts and ties. primary never had logo stuff.
I do like a smart uniform but think they should bring back ties with white/blue shirts, grey or black bottoms and v neck grey or black knit jumpers be lovley and smart and only thing official would be tie maybe.Not impressed with quality of preschool uniform hoping primarys better. wondering if could get one plain cardie if others in wash without being told off.

Dinners worrying me as 8quid a week 32 a month. daughter wants to do breckfast club and maybe some afterschool activities it all adds up.
I know lots pof people with more than one child who go packed lunch route as cant afford dinners , hoping hot dinners winter maybe packed lunch for summer might be good comprimse.

Wondering if should stockpile but choc wouldent last long unless hidden and forgotton.
Its quite confusing wats subject to vat and whats not.
are medicines as could stock up on them over winter.

v8monkeyboy

I've been rushing round like a mad thing for the past few days, so apart from fuel have not really spent any money.

The OH is away again for 10 days, so at least I'll get time to tidy up, and get my reports written (I volunteer for SSAFA).

On the subject of money, I've collected first edition Siegfried Sassoon books for years now and have amassed most of the most famous of his books. Am now thinking of selling them on auction as they would fetch quite a bit, but am not sure if it's the right time now.

Sorry to hear about the job Spike - my OH also gave up his job to go onto an FTRS, but Chilwell had a panic about something and nothing and messed everything up so badly that it's been put off for 6 months. So now he has no civvy job, and the army can only pay him so much per month due to manned training day limits. Good luck with your self-employment - sounds like you've got the right idea at the right time

T x

katholicos

The general consensus with regard to buying v renting, seems to be that owning your own home is the preferred option IF it is paid for....but that there is just as much uncertainty in the mortgage market as there is for those who rent, though for differing reasons.

Personally I rent because I left a bad marriage in traumatic circumstances and had to move somewhere where myself and the children would be safe. I left that marriage with no money in my purse, 2 children and a dog. Thanks be to God for council accomodation because though i had to stay with relatives for a few months while waiting for a property to become available, I was eventually offered a 3 bedroomed house.

I was raised in council accomodation by hard working parents. My father was a local councillor working tirelessly and voluntarily i might add, for the good of those in our community. My brother went to uni (he is now a police inspector) and i was a wild child so i went off on the back of some guys motorbike LOL!

After a good many years of living in their council house, my parents decided that they would try to buy their house from the council. They succeeded and even managed to pay the mortgage off through many jobs and a lot of hard work.

When my Dad got ill and could no longer get up the stairs they started looking at bungalows. They found one and fell in love with it. They were able to sell their home and also to take out a small mortgage on the bungalow....once again, through hard work and determination they managed to pay off the mortgage on the bungalow and they now live there, very happily.

I'm sharing this because although no one in this thread (to my knowledge) has directly expressed that council house dwellers are in some way deficient or inferior, this 'opinion' has often been my experience when interacting with people who have never resided in council accomodation themselves. I have had people looking down their noses at me because of where i come from and been told to my face (on more than one occassion) that people who live on council estates are robbers, dole dossers, junkies or 'prozzies'.

Throughout my adult life I have lived in various rented accomodation and have sometimes yearned for the security of having my 'own' house...but my logical side knows that unless it is paid for outright, whether I rent or have a mortgage, neither would provide me with my own 'for keeps - can't be taken away from me' house.

These days, I find myself less concerned about whether or not i own a house...i'm far more interested in making the house I live in, a home.