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

AnnieG

Hello
I rent my house - I did buy once but sold the house to sort my debt problem out. Renting has mostly been fine for me, the only problem I've had really is that some of the estate agents I've rented from have been really difficult, even counting the number of picture hooks on the walls when I moved in to mke sure I didn't put any more up. They also want to do quarterly inspections, which is fine, but I get very anxious about it, as I was once really told off for not having cleaned the oven!!
I'd really like to buy something one day, but it's about as likely as me flying to the moon at the moment, with no job, credit rating shot to pieces and no partner to chip in with the mortgage.
I have a roof over my head though, and a garden to grow my tomatoes in, so I can't really complain!

spike7451

AnnieG wrote: »

Hello
I rent my house - I did buy once but sold the house to sort my debt problem out. Renting has mostly been fine for me, the only problem I've had really is that some of the estate agents I've rented from have been really difficult, even counting the number of picture hooks on the walls when I moved in to mke sure I didn't put any more up. They also want to do quarterly inspections, which is fine, but I get very anxious about it, as I was once really told off for not having cleaned the oven!!
I'd really like to buy something one day, but it's about as likely as me flying to the moon at the moment, with no job, credit rating shot to pieces and no partner to chip in with the mortgage.
I have a roof over my head though, and a garden to grow my tomatoes in, so I can't really complain!

You & me both Annie!
I rent my two bedroom apartment from the NI Housing Exec.In the few years I've lived here,we've had new kitchens,double glazing &,last Feb,gas heating fitted.
If I owned my own place then I'd have to fork out for these out of my own pocket.
To me,renting makes financial sense.I'm single,dgf lives in her own place a few miles away,I have no kiddiewinkles & not much family left.After the latest thing with my job,I'm sorta glad I dont own my own place.While I'm looking for work,I can claim housing benefit even tho it makes me uncomfortable sponging off those working.
(Mind you,having worked solidly since I left school at 17 & keeping the long term 'lazy dont want to work doleites' in the playstation lifestyle they are accostomed to' I think I'm entitled....:p)

gailey_2

kezlou wrote: »

The primary school they attend are on your back straight away, by 9:30am they at the house banging on the door. If its not the truancy officer its the school mentor i.e social worker. If they don't catch you they on the phone all day wondering where / why the children aren't at school. It just seriously annoyed me that time as two days before the same thing had happened, thats why i marched into the school the way i did. Turned out it was a mistake on the register. But still i cold have seriously took it further and called it neglect, breach of duty of care etc.

Glad to know i'm not the only one ceridwen, i just think tv is overrated. I mean at christmas especially its just repeats and utter nonsense.
Spike what a nightmare, can't believe they did that to you:(
tudorose thats awful, you poor thing x



I get this regularly from a woman who i am friends with, but because she knows i came from a rough area. I once gave her directions and route in which only locals would know.She regularly says comments like "you can tell she's a from council estate" and quite frankly it annoys me and it has ruined a few new friendships i had made when she proceeded to call the people who lived (used) there criminals etc

:rotfl::rotfl:silver charming

Thats mad that kids were there and they still came round, do they do same if you ring child in sick before 9.30.
How do they get the time, remember there was one kid catcher in our town rounding up secondry kids thourght primary more relaxed although indys new school got strict holiday policy which differs from lea and other schools in area.

Wondering if should stock up on loo roll not sure how much it would save me as we buy sainsburys basics 12pack was 1.02 now 1.32.
I do like the odd trashy mag.

I do wonder what all fuss is about vat being regressive at times I think its quite fair as hits everyone.
Reason I say this is my eldest broke lcd tv pulled it off stand, had all sorts of trouble with more than enough trouble they sent snotty lady round and she wrote report saying dident believe cause despite interveiwing the 3year old criminal. Hubby complained we got given vouchers for less than we paid for our old tv was annoyed but still and we had to buy tv in currys.
Anyway was 1st day of vat decrease to 15percent thourght good we save lots on 400quid tv we saved 10pound.
Our sky changed by 50p a month.

kids clothes vat excempt mplus tend to buy supermarket or 2nd hand.

Toys only xmas and birthdays.

most of our purchases are 2nd hand or in sale.

Think most food vat excempt and rise will be small for us as as we dont spend tonnes.

Im changing mobile to payg in sept.

Cook from scratch and make as much as i can now doing chutneys, jams, cakes and biscuits .

Its sad how big gap is getting and life expectancy but a lots down to poor diet and as this board proves just because you on low income dont mean you cant eat healthy as aldis/lidls are fab fruit and veg.If you shop around supermnarket deals and basics got much better since credit crunch, if you go end of day or sunday lots of reductions.

But truth is used to be manager of well known frozen food retailer most in very deprived areas and they used to fill their trollies with frozen pizza, readymeals, chips, chocs, booze.
Even though they had healthy start vouchers which can pay for milk and fruit and veg very few brought any fruit and beg just went on milk and formula.They all seemed to buy tonnes of baby food, sweets, crisps and pop .
Of course the odd few that dident but this seemed the norm and must be most expensive way to feed your kids.
Plus they would do whole shop there and some basic items on grocery were stupidly expensive and prices lowered but weights went down and packs became smaller.
Even most of my staff seemed to get takeaways most nights or spend all weekend in pub.

ahh bad morning suddenly eldest realised. last day of preschool leavers party and sobbed as she will miss it despite primary being in same grounds and most her freinds going there.

fried some omion with cabbage and beef to make pie tonight.
Just need to master pastry later. Hoping to use up all the cabbage in practically every meal and hubby wont notice.

He picked few days ago they been in veg box and was like oh shall we chuck these cabnbages as we probably wont use them I was like no .Then once everythings eaten will admit.
Next year the numtys growing some things he actually likes:rotfl:

We live in affluent area people assume we well off.
we did have twice year inspections with agents always went well until they subcontracted to inventory company woman came round 4times a year and gave us one bad inspection report, she was really snooty used to walk round with dictaphone saying yes some marks to wall in hallway , some marks on cheap nasty beige carpet used to make us feel crap.:o

Need to cook lots today but mums coming round so coluld be tricky to get much done.

susyrosy

silvercharming wrote: »

...
So I do know what it's like to be judged on the basis of where you come from. But I also know that if you work hard to build the life and the future that you want, and not the one that society says you're destined for, then you can be proud of who you are and where you come from every single day of your life

INSPIRING! Thank you.

Susy

mama67

wigglebeena wrote: »

As a childless person, can I check I have the current school uniform system right?

School nominates only acceptable provider of uniform.
Provider hikes prices up to laughable proportions for substandard gear.
Families are stuck and have to fork out.
School or headmaster gets a lovely kick-back from the provider as a thank-you for bleeding working families dry.

Is that about it? Because that's the impression I've got.

I spoke to our head (where I work) yesterday (having a staff end of term lunch) about a secondhand uniform sale, the amount we have unclaimed in lost property is rediculous; she is in total agreement, as PTA funds go to the school for extras anyways, and she told me that our school doesn't make anything on new sales.

maryb

Re the comment about renting an allotment, we rented one because it was a lot cheaper than buying a house with a bigger garden. It looks out over National Trust land which makes you feel you are right out in the country. A real bargain!

ginnyknit

After I finished work to care for Dh the Dhss wheels ground so slowly that we got an eviction notice for our council house. My Dh collapsed and I had to catch him before he hit the floor. An hour later the post came saying our housing benefit was confirmed and a woman at the housing who has always been a great help sorted everything out. In that hour we went through all kinds of upset and fears. In this current climate you are lucky if you can keep a roof over your head so I personally don't think it matters if you rent or buy its easy to lose it all.

smileyt_2

ginnyknit wrote: »

After I finished work to care for Dh the Dhss wheels ground so slowly that we got an eviction notice for our council house. My Dh collapsed and I had to catch him before he hit the floor. An hour later the post came saying our housing benefit was confirmed and a woman at the housing who has always been a great help sorted everything out. In that hour we went through all kinds of upset and fears. In this current climate you are lucky if you can keep a roof over your head so I personally don't think it matters if you rent or buy its easy to lose it all.

Ginny, this happened to me too a few years ago. I was in such a state anyway (serious depression) that I ended up screaming down the phone and threatening to commit suicide if they didn't sort it out. It was sorted ...

On a more cheerful note ... I got my first Approved Foods order today and I am delighted (so are the dogs as I got some doggy chews lol). I will definitely be using them again. And trying to persuade my neighbour to do joint orders with me so that we can share the delivery costs.

Right ... off to clean the hen pen .... I have entered a gardening comp and they are coming on Monday to do the judging, and at the moment the garden is full of flies from the chicken poop (too much information?).:rotfl:

EstherH

silvercharming wrote: »

I've had the same kind of thing when people have found out that I spent time in care. There is a general assumption, even if people aren't even aware that they're making it, that a teenager who is in care must deserve to be, on some level or another. I've been asked 'what did you do to end up in care?' on so many occasions, usually by people who should know better. As a job-hunting teenager I was openly refused jobs because I was in care. I was sacked from a job once because a new manager started and he said he couldn't risk having 'someone like me' around the tills. Even now if I tell someone I used to be I get comments like 'well you don't seem like someone from care" like you can tell, as if any of those people have met loads of people from care who are all druggies and hookers and thieves. And in sixth form when I was applying for uni one of my teacher told me not to bother applying to his old uni as they wouldn't let people like me in. Then said that only a handful of kids from care made it through university each year and what on earth made me think that I could be one of them?

So I do know what it's like to be judged on the basis of where you come from. But I also know that if you work hard to build the life and the future that you want, and not the one that society says you're destined for, then you can be proud of who you are and where you come from every single day of your life

How can people be so prejudiced? Especially a teacher who knew you and you obviously worked really hard to be in a position to apply for uni. Well done on proving them wrong.

AnnieG

spike7451 wrote: »

After the latest thing with my job,I'm sorta glad I dont own my own place.While I'm looking for work,I can claim housing benefit even tho it makes me uncomfortable sponging off those working.
(Mind you,having worked solidly since I left school at 17 & keeping the long term 'lazy dont want to work doleites' in the playstation lifestyle they are accostomed to' I think I'm entitled....:p)

Me too... fi I couldn't claim HB now, I'd be totally stuffed. I can't wait to get back to work so I can start paying my way again.