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

jackieglasgow

I am looking for a new suite, with the intention of picking several we like, and then seeing which one is the best value in the sales before the VAT increase hits. But looking at them in the shop made me think how nice it would be to replace our 12 year old setee in time for Christmas, I was quite horrified by myself, as that's something I've never subscribed to.

BB1984

Hello,
I'm curled up on the sofa with my two lovely gingers (cats, that is!) The older one wants comforting as he isn't keen on fireworks, we have loads banging round here tonight. The little couldn't care less but she seems to have tired herself out after running round and round the house for the last couple of hours!

Popped into the Co-op at lunchtime today just as they were reducing stuff - woo hoo! Got 800g lean minced beef, two elmwood chicken breasts, a big pack of elmwood chicken thighs and drumsticks, and 500g lamb mince for about £5.50, which wasn't bad - I'll get at least 18-20 meals out of that lot.

Also, they had loads of their halloween goodies at half price - cadbury's mini rolls 50p for example. Worth buying if you normally get that sort of thing - there's nothing particularly "halloweeny" about most of it so no reason not to have one in your lunchbox any other time!

I was so annoyed - my Approved Foods order was (not) delivered today whilst I was at work! I'd put a delivery note on the order to say to leave it in my porch, not realising that it would require a signature. So it'll be re-delivered on monday (luckily I have the day off). I was disappointed, was so looking forward to unpacking my parcel when I got home from work!

BB

Fruball

This year it IS worth buying BIG purchases before the VAT increases. I need (want, as my old one shows black as white???) TV in the bedroom - it is MS as I watch tv warm and cosy in bed rather than put the heating on... So i will get a new tv before mine packs up completely, but I will keep it boxed up until the old, weird, one finally packs up!

Its so hot in my house today and I have no idea why... No heating for a couple of days now and i've had my windows open all day, and some are still open now... I can only guess that my neighbours have theirs up so high that the heat is seeping thru our walls!!! Very MS for me

v8monkeyboy

I'm not saying that if you've made a huge effort to get things ready and have saved and worked hard to have a new setee, you shouldn't hvae one. I just think that there's so much pressure on people to have this or that for Christmas that they just don't stop to think and put it all on credit which only makes things worse.

I've fallen for it before when we were in a position where we thought we had money - I HAD to have a new bed just before Christmas. Why? Because it was Christmas.

I've also seen it happen to my SIL - absolutely had to have a new suite just in time for Christmas, and got it and placed it in her, quite frankly, manky lounge. 2 weeks later because she didn't control her cats they had shredded the arms on all of it, and she hadn't even started paying for it! Sometimes words fail me.

I meant no offense to anyone, I think it was a general rant at the pressure retailers still place us under to have the 'perfect' Christmas.

T xx

jackieglasgow

You never offended me V8MB, I was just making the point that I had almost been suckered into it too, in fact, in one shop the salesman asked what he could offer me to make me order there and then!

littleowl

jediteacher wrote: »

Can I just jump in and defend teachers as I am one. We are not all that bad and we do honestly try and do the best for each individual child in our class. I have 35 children in my class and I spend soo much time not just on the educational side but also on the pastoral care. Infact I have found the opposite about labelling children - we are loathe to lable children most of the time and in my own experience it has been the parents who have pushed for a 'label'. I am a parent too so I do understand the other side but I do feel we as teachers get a really bad press. As with all professions until you actually experience what it is like and the pressures from parents, children, government then you cannot really know what it is like. I could say more but I'll probably offend someone - it does make my blood boil though at how we as teachers get the blame for everything!

I hope I have not offended anyone - this is not personal at anyone just me on my soapbox about the stick we get.

Runs away and hides.

I wasn't knocking teachers - I was one - well an FE lecturer. In every profession there are those with blinkered views and they can do untold harm. I was unfortunate to experience one. But I do very well remember an era in teaching where labels were all all pervasive and used as an easy way to classify children - to their detriment.

NualaBuala

v8monkeyboy wrote: »

Evening all!

Just a small rant, and I may get shot down for this, but....

Who on earth needs a new conservatory or sofa in order to make their Christmas special?????!!!!

I'm fairly certain that unless you're sitting on the floor or an orange box, you can probably manage with the old sofa until such a time as you actually have the bl**dy money to pay for it! And it won't make your Christmas any more special, worrying about how you're going to pay for it all in the New Year.

And breathe....

Apart from my rant, everything's still much the same, but OH may be off earning some decent money in a little while. I won't find out about my job until Tuesday/Wednesday next week, but as I was leaving for one job interview, another hospital called me to invite me to interview next Friday!:j

I feel the same! Those ads for sofas, beds etc that you MUST get in order to be ready for Christmas drive me mad!

Hope everyone is not being driven too mad by fireworks and that all the pets are ok too.

ETA: thanks for the reminder of the OS Daily Pleasures thread Rosieben

Charis

Frugal wrote: »

This year it IS worth buying BIG purchases before the VAT increases.

That depends what you're buying, and how much you can afford to spend of your savings. VAT is only going up just over 2p in the pound (or £2.13 in £100) so unless you're going for that new conservatory there's no need to panic buy. I expect the retailers will make much ado about paying the increased VAT for us as an incentive to buy for some time into the new year.

There's a calculator here to see how much extra VAT will be due on individual items in January, if the retailers don't absorb it for a while.

Personal tax allowances are due to go up by £1,000 in April too.

I need (want, as my old one shows black as white???) TV in the bedroom - it is MS as I watch tv warm and cosy in bed rather than put the heating on... So i will get a new tv before mine packs up completely, but I will keep it boxed up until the old, weird, one finally packs up!

That might be a false economy. Enjoy it until the guarantee runs out in a year, then box it up and save it if you still feel so inclined. You'd kick yourself if it had a problem after you'd used it a short time but the guarantee had expired because you'd actually had it over a year.

kidcat

On subject of new sofas for Christmas - I guess its aimed at those having relatives visit etc - but seems madness to me personally, but actually it reminded me of the family whose daughter was getting married (divorced and left her two kids behind just two years later) and they decided that as they would be having family to visit they simply must have a new kitchen, bathroom and extension, full house redecoration and garden redesigned. This was in an every day area with only one working adult, they re-mortgaged their previously mortgage free home and spent every penny of savings, not to mention credit cards etc. On top of the wedding they spent in excess of £100k. So I suppose a new sofa for Christmas could be considered quire restrained


Speaking as a parent of two children with special ed needs - one in high school being largely ignored and one in primary who wont be ignored - we desperately want to avoid labelling our children, but it seems without the label we cant get anywhere. And asking for a statement is akin to asking to visit the moon - at least in our area.

Fruball

Charis wrote: »

That depends what you're buying, and how much you can afford to spend of your savings. VAT is only going up just over 2p in the pound (or £2.13 in £100) so unless you're going for that new conservatory there's no need to panic buy. I expect the retailers will make much ado about paying the increased VAT for us as an incentive to buy for some time into the new year.

There's a calculator here to see how much extra VAT will be due on individual items in January, if the retailers don't absorb it for a while.

Personal tax allowances are due to go up by £1,000 in April too.

That might be a false economy. Enjoy it until the guarantee runs out in a year, then box it up and save it if you still feel so inclined. You'd kick yourself if it had a problem after you'd used it a short time but the guarantee had expired because you'd actually had it over a year.

Quite true... i had thought about that and now you have mentioned it, i think i will wait and buy one when this weird one packs up!