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

ceridwen

lovelife wrote: »

DD and BF are off on a mini- cruise to Amsterdam today, cost them £30 each, two nights on the ferry and a day in Amsterdam.
I am also wondering what Wednesday will bring for this country, i too have this instict that before long there will be civil unrest. I saw an amazing interview on Question time, where Paxman was discussing the cuts with Heseltine and Ken Loach. Starts with a question about the "deserving and undeserving poor" !! Loach is brilliant and says shouldn't we really be talking about the "undeserving rich", heres a link if anyones interested http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6OLguh7_P8
Heseltine really gets his knickers in a twist!!
Well off to shake my wine, should be able to add the finings today so will be bottled by next weekend, lovely Shiraz, works out at £1.30 a bottle...........Hope everyone has a good day

Hmmm...Amsterdam:D...in..t..ee..resting city (cough...err well some of it...cough) and the rest is nice. Hope they do get the chance to try out some of that Dutch food......Dutch food:D:D:drool::D (licks lips at memory..). But Dutch tastes are nearer to my own than British ones...hence why I like it..:D

Hmmm..."deserving" and "undeserving poor". Hmmm...well..yes...you could say also "deserving" and "undeserving" rich - as in the difference between inherited and worked-for wealth. Stops..ponders...hadnt thought of it like that...but as my wealthy relatives are ones who have worked for it or married it (for the right reasons I add...) - then..yep...I dont tend to believe in people inheriting vast sums (just the "ordinary person in the street" level of inheritance - which I think is fair enough to have) - but not "millions and a mansion".

"Deserving" and "undeserving poor" - hmmm....well....actually I think there needs to be a modern-day phrase for that to make it clearer what is meant by that phrase. We all know that "baby factories"/other "career claimants" are clearly under that oldfashioned phrase "undeserving poor". We all know that someone who works for a living - but happens to be paid a poor salary due to no fault/choice of their own is "deserving poor". Hmm...thorny subject....:cool:. Hence all the difficulties in working out who is entitled to claim and who is "swinging the lead" - sometimes its difficult to tell the difference.

Mygawd - I'm glad I'm not involved in working just who is and who isnt entitled to incapacity benefit. I'd be in trouble right off - with my method of just "looking" at someone and going Yes or No from what I'd "picked up" about them as a person. I'd "know" they were decent people and genuine or otherwise - and then have to go through all the rigmarole of having to prove factually what I had just deduced from looking in their eyes.....aaaaagh!!!!!! Mardatha - stop batting your eyelashes at me from the other side of the computer screen - I KNOW you are a decent person/genuine...you dont have to prove it.....(I've seen your photo - and its clear to me from that....).

lovelife_3

Did you watch the link Ceridwen, it's worth a watch just to see Heseltine doing typical politician waffle and the wry smile on Ken Loach's face x

shelley1977

To those with cats,this will be the first christmas with our 3 kittens and im worried about the christmas tree.I always get a real one and wondered it the prickles would deter the kittens or if anyone has any advice.

JoJoB

Aww, Annie's post has made me feel all romantic and slushy.

I am freaking out about all the cuts now, just shows what an illusion we have been living in for the past 2 decades! Now am not sure what to do with our flat. We will make no money if we sell it, but we really need to move somewhere bigger (and can't get a bigger mortgage so stuck unless we sell up and rent). We can't afford basic maintenance on the place (one wall of living room is a mess of shot plaster and condensation, bathroom and kitchen need replacing) and it is freezing.

I think I can last another couple of years here and then would really like to rent a modest house with a little garden. They go for around £700 per month round here, so a big jump from our mortgage of £350! But I find myself scratching my head thinking how do THEY do it (about friends who earn far less than us who are renting a house i would kill to live in). My husband earns 30K, whereas my friend's OH earns £700 per month and she lives in a lovely privately rented house. Where am I going wrong?

Actually I do forget that a quarter of Oh's income goes on train fare - that's the killer! And debts that we are servicing through a dmp. Bah, sometimes I want to go back in time and give my financially stupid past self a good shake!

In the meantime I have counted out £12 in loose change and feel rich!

JoJoB

Ken Loach is brilliant isn't he?

What shocked me last night was the news that more money is being taken from children to reduce the deficit than is being taken from bankers!

That's the shocking thing about all the leaks on wednesdays cuts - everything is about public services and benefits. If we're to tighten our belts surely we sould ALL be doing so? I've not heard anything about levys or taxes on business or banks, but loads about taking money off mothers, children, and the sick and disabled!

Lets hope there IS some civil unrest. Alas, I fear we may be too busy watching X Factor.

northwest1965

ceridwen wrote: »

...
The Spending Review is Wednesday - though things have now started to leak out in the Sunday papers, as its now all ready. Havent been able to spot any mention re bits that interest me
personally yet..:cool:_pale_

Spotted mention of benefit frauds having a "3 strikes and you're out" policy implemented and thought "Fair enough".
QUOTE]

I personally would like to see a zero policy approach to those who have done it blatently. Take for instance that man who claimed £80+k and plays football.
I realise some people can make a mistake with claiming something extra and they should be treated with the 3 strikes.

kidcat

shelley1977 wrote: »

To those with cats,this will be the first christmas with our 3 kittens and im worried about the christmas tree.I always get a real one and wondered it the prickles would deter the kittens or if anyone has any advice.

We usually have a real tree and it has never detered our cats at all, they all sit in it, one year we had eight cats all perched throughout the tree!! We usually have a playpen around ours both to protect it from cats and kids, but also to keep it upright if anyone gets too excited and climbs to the top!! But the current living room wont allow the playpen to fit around it so we tied it to the wall cabinet to keep it upright last year.

lovelife_3

JoJoB wrote: »

Ken Loach is brilliant isn't he?

What shocked me last night was the news that more money is being taken from children to reduce the deficit than is being taken from bankers!

That's the shocking thing about all the leaks on wednesdays cuts - everything is about public services and benefits. If we're to tighten our belts surely we sould ALL be doing so? I've not heard anything about levys or taxes on business or banks, but loads about taking money off mothers, children, and the sick and disabled!

Lets hope there IS some civil unrest. Alas, I fear we may be too busy watching X Factor.

That is exactly how i feel, it makes my blood boil to hear that bankers are getting bonuses again, while the most vulnerable people are threatened.

parsonswife8

Get ready to batten down the hatches, folks...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1321288/Wrap-warm-Early-winter-snow-forecast-Britain-Tuesday-onwards.html

:eek::eek::eek:

Primrose

JoJoB - I don't think you're going wrong with your house versus your friend's rented property. Take the long term view. In twenty years time your friend could still be in a rented property with no assets to her name and 20 years rent down the drain. By then your property will have increased in value and your mortgage will be almost paid off and you will have a valuable asset. But it's horses for courses, and the early years can be tough.