Its tough, it will get better and guess what its freezing brrrrr!

HariboJunkie

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

My engagement ring cost nothing like a year's salary when DH bought it for me more than 21 years ago. I took that to mean that he was careful with his money, rather than frittering it on mere baubles That we;ve been happily married for over 20 years - draw your own conclusions

Mine was one month's salary but it had beggar all to do with that. He loved me, wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and it happened to be the most beautiful ring I had ever seen.:happyhear Knowing him, if I'd been the kind of person who judged him on how much he was prepared to spend and seen that as how much I was "worth" to him, I doubt if he would have wanted to marry me at all.

My take on tommorrow is that we simply have to get on with it. We're all good at belt tightening and I will be happy to do what I can to see the country in a better financial position.
My heart goes out to the people of Moray affected by today's news though.

Off to make a coffee for said lovely husband who is prepared to paint a ceiling while I rest my bum after working all day.

katiegizmo

bluebag wrote: »

Katiegizmo,
Google BBC people's war, has quite a bit of stuff for free. I have Marguerite Patten(OBE) victory cookbook which is quite good.

Thank you Bluebag I shall have a gander

I am still around guys I'm just having trouble keeping up with the thread at the moment let alone posting. Every now and then I get extra busy at work and end up working too many hours to have any sort of leisure time. It's really hard not to give in to tempation and get a takeaway when you've been out of the house 14 hours a day and are hungry!!!!

Hugs to those who need and hope to be back properly soon (I'm on page 20-something still so a long ways to go!!) xxx

MummyOfTwo

i was just reading online that the job losses are expected to be around 490000 between now and 2015.... i may be over simplifying this, but an average of 100000 leaving the work market per year cant be too much over the average can it? You have to wonder if this is another distraction tactic from the terrible things this gov is doing to those in need claiming DLA etc.

ChocClare

kidcat wrote: »

DD16 is considering becoming a vet, this would mean she has to attend a college about 12 miles away and get the official college bus, this costs £400 per term!! To be paid each term upfront. Added to costs of books etc I am really scared.

Would you be eligible for transport costs from your council? Ours pay bus or train fares for children attending schools and colleges more than a certain distance away - I know both of mine would qualify, it's just that there ISN'T a bus they can catch! The little girl "next door" goes to the local secondary school every day in a taxi paid for by the council as there is no bus for her, and some other kids go in a minibus taxi to their school (which is in the opposite direction). I actually have to go past DD's school to get to work every day, or else I would have looked into seeing if she could have shared the taxi with Amber-next-door (who goes to a different school, but it's not that far away from Sophia's). DS is also entitled to a grant of some kind to get him to college (I don't think it's the full amount for him, can't remember) - again, we didn't take it up because there is NO public transport in our area, but things might be different for you?

ceridwen

Obviously DLA is one major concern here - will they try and take it from those who are genuinely ill and need it (as well as those who are "pulling the wool" a bit). How do they tell the difference? I think we would all sympathise with any genuine recipients of this that got misjudged and told they werent and the money would get withdrawn:eek:

Personally - I noted what comments there have been recently about the HUGE cuts in money the Government is likely to have on the social housing sector. One thing that struck me was that there seem to be implications that Local Authorities might start charging up to 80%/90% of the "market rent" on public sector housing.

I dont know quite how that would impact on other areas of the country - I just know my first thought was "Crikey - if they start charging 80% or more of the market rent for social housing in an expensive area like mine (based on deemed need) then I could guess what level of rent childless people would be told to pay for social housing in a dear area like mine....:eek:" and that would mean that no childless person who was in a dear area would be able to work unless they owned their own home and/or earned VERY good money". Sat down and counted blessings that I bought my own home when I did - or I would have had to give up my poorly paid job soon and go on the Dole:eek:....

We are all going to sit down and see things at the outset as to how they impact/might have impacted on us personally - so I thought it worth throwing in an impact that wouldnt occur to many other people (ie the one about poorly-paid single people in social housing having to choose between losing their home or losing their job = they would have to junk the job).

rachbc

There was an old rule about how much the engagement ring should cost in proportion to a mans salary - think its 2 months salary????? I think that rule made a lot of sense actually - as its a way to judge how much you mean to the guy. If he offers one that costs a years salary = you mean a LOT to him. If he offers one that costs a weeks salary = give him his marching orders...he is too mean and you dont matter very much to him.


As my father would say "Its the motive that counts - not so much the action or amount."[/QUOTE]

My husband had no ring at all when he proposed....I have absolutely no doubt about how much I mean to him based on how much he does for me and my children day in day out in so many different ways and do not for a second think he is mean.

As for tomorrow I'm hoping for the best, preparing for the worst and keeping everything crossed that those I care for don't suffer too much. My biggest fear is that the Cons will use the economic situation as an excuse to make cuts driven by ideology than fiscal good sense

MummyOfTwo

absolutely ceridwen. i live up in cumbria, one of few areas where it makes better financial sense to buy rather than rent, yet with the banks still not playing ball with mortgages, people have no choice but to rent. i work in supported housing, and my actual job is resettlement worker - theres nowhere to resettle anybody to! a hangover from mrs thatchers big idea to flog off the housing stock, methinks. me n DH were just discussing how thankful we are that we are well on the ladder and we have our equity to fall back on if needs be. bricks n mortar, my dad always said!

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Congrats Annie 56. Welcome to your new life.

Made a slowcooker (woopsie) turkey curry for tea tonight bulked out with butternut squash, marrow and lentils. Served 5 adults with another two portions for the freezer. Have started to do two meat free meals a week and no one has complained yet. It all helps.

I had reduced our shopping bill for 3 adults and a 13 yr old over the last year from a ridiculous £ 105 - £120 a week (I know) to £75 - £80 a week. There are now 4 adults and a 14 year old but over the last 4 weeks I have only managed to bring it in at £88 once. Its been between £110 and £137. I know hubby came home a month ago after 5 months working abroad and the £137 bill included stocking up on flour, rice and pasta etc for my winter preperation (and the lidded plastic boxes to store them in) but I can not believe how rapidly prices are rising at the moment.

We have swopped service providers where we can to reduce our expenditure and have cancelled subscriptions to magazins etc. I now walk to and from work as the charges for parking there have gone up to £17 a month (whilst the majority of the staff are on a 2yr pay freeze). I thought that we had tightened our belts well but I am worried about tomorrow.

I know we will cope because it is a case of having to and the ideas, support and humour on this site are invaluable. Tomorow might push us all to another level of frugality but the Government needs to realise that we can only tighten our belts so far. I for one will be glad when tomorrow is over because at least then we will have got rid of the unlnown and will know exactly what we are facing.

anguk

flowertotmum wrote: »

Don't know about anyone else but i have an awful sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach about all the cuts ...my son goes to college and gets the EMA..he has to buy his bits for the course and then has just started to get his own personal things..and of course thats being stopped,so is child benefit for 16 yrs and over..what do they think he lives on fresh air and that he floats to college...o and of course all the things he needs are free in most shops:mad:..i think not...

My DD came home from 6th form tonight and told me her tutor said that EMA is likely to stop next year. So as well as child benefit stopping there'll be no EMA. :mad: I'm also very worried about which other benefits will be affected if we're no longer getting Child Benefit for DD. Add to that the cap being lifted off university fees. :eek:

I can see where this is going, only children from more privileged backgrounds will be able to go into further education, other kids won't be able to afford to. So we'll end up with a load of 16 year olds having to get jobs because they can't afford college or 6th form and of course there are very few jobs out there, especially for school-leavers, so they'll end up on the dole! But of course under 18s can't get job-seekers allowance.

It makes my blood boil that bright, intelligent, capable young people may be denied further education purely because of the costs.

Hippeechiq

Annie56 I somehow missed your post on the other page - congrats on your divorce :T

I found, as happy as I was (and am) in my new life, that I felt a bit sad when mine finally came through, and I think it's kinda natural, so don't be surprised if in the next few days you find you're not quite as elated as you expected...........not trying to rain on your parade hun, just friendly advice and hey, you may be different to me.

You've got plenty to keep your mind occupied though, and in the nicest possible way