It isn`t tough for us. We are OS and we COPE

ceridwen

GreyQueen wrote: »

I totally agree that it's unfair that it's the services which we all use, and use more heavily if we're hard-up/ old/ disabled etc etc that are getting hit so hard by the cuts. Didn't notice the good times, never had any kind of job with any kind of bonus in my life (oops, tell a lie, got a freebie handtowel with a driving job once and still have it. ) So never had the gravy but now get the dry bread? I'll survive but I'm constantly aware thru my council job that people are coming for us for urgent help, this year's budget is spent for a lot of things and thanks to a savage settlement from central govt we won't be able to do in 2011-12 what we did in 2010-11 and that was less than we did the previous years. Where is all our blinking tax money going?

Well I think we all know that - wars/endless wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) - the figures are HORRIFIC of just how much money has been wasted/is still being wasted and its been clear for years that its simply not possible to throw away such vast sums of money without even apparently counting the cost - without Joe/Jane Public having huge cutbacks in the future to pay for it. Its now "The Future" and we are paying for it.

The bankers and hedge funders have certainly not helped either....I do get disillusioned sometimes wondering just how many people can resist "poking their heads in the trough" if there is one to hand and they get the chance to...:(

charlies-aunt

I think that its time for the Government to have a rethink on the level of international aid that this country givea. . . . seems wrong that there isn't money to take care of vunerable peolpe in the UK but the government give millions in overseas aid.

Sorry to be contraversial but if we all looked after our own there woud be very little need for charity...thats a very OS saying of my parents

Having a very OS day - had a tea tonight of oddments - a slightly wierd combination of sausages, fishcakes, potatoes, rice and frozen peas ...but strangely exotic ..yet tasty . . . . all on one plate!

10th of the month but already have the pay day blues! Luckily I have £50 of Sainsbury points to see us through to pay day :T

kezlou

Hi all,

Well its disgusting that libraries and public toilets are facing closure.
The local libraries where i live are fantastic, they have no lavatories so we have to use public toilets in the shopping centres or bus station. But every half term they put on free activities for children, which is great.

Since i had my accident , last year, i literally need to use the loo constantly, my bladder is the size of a pea. If i go into town, i don't drink anything unless i know there is a toilet near by. So if they closed there's no chance i would be buying anything from i.e graggs so there's a loss of custom straight off the bat.Most cafe's, pubs etc now have signs up saying for customers only. We even have to queue and ask for a key in our doctors surgery. So depressing. The same also applies to community centres, our local one is a hub of activity from courses to a place where disabled people can come and go on a daily basis without being threatened. Yes i'm sorry to say it but people still suffer the horrendous names of "sp****r" daily. At the centre none of this happens and some of the visitors walk from their homes to the centre in complete safety, so if it closed down, who knows what would happen to them .

I mean we pay our taxes basic items such as public toilets and the right to education should be of the upmost importance. I mean our ancestors fought the right to walk into a library and pick up a book! I keep telling my children how lucky we are to live in this country and its only now aged 10 can he begin to understand the importance of democracy and freedom of speech. His class are currently studied the riots in Egypt and Tunisia and has been asking lots of questions about freedom and equality.


Well i finally got a fridge, so now hopefully our electricity bills will go down. Luckily we have a local tip nearby so that's gone. Now it just rebuilding the kitchen, finally!!:j:j
My OH is setting about planning the electrics and helping me build the cupboards etc so it's all go.

I love paraffin lights, they look amazing when lit, the glow is fantastic.
But i have also seen my dream house, original features, amazing Georgian furniture, huge larder, paraffin lights and a gorgeous garden. Her and Simon have done amazing job, garden well wow is all i can say. I hope JenniO doesn't mind me saying that . She's an oldstyler on the forum and lives quite close to me. but yes i WANT her house!!!

It will take a very long time, but seeing Jenni's place has given me hope that it can happen.

Been attempting to plan the garden, got loads of idea's now it's just implementing them. In my tidy yard i hope to mass produce lots of salad leaves and cucumbers. We literally spend a fortune on cucumbers alone. Last year we managed to grow all our salad, toms and cuc's from June through to October, which saved us over £100, possibly more. So fingers crossed it will happen again.

Your blouse sounds lovely grey!
Sammy lovely to see oyu back, but take care of yourself as well!

ceridwen

I've seen photos of JenniO's larder and that mega-organised allotment - steps back in amazement at anyone being so organised. You and me both - I've got larder envy and allotment envy here....but I think 'tis nice for Jennie - as she's a nice lady. Lucky you living near her Kezlou.:)

Crikey - at places having signs up saying that the loos are for customers only!! I dont think I've EVER seen a sign saying that anywhere around here - and we are pretty well supplied with public toilets (though I don't know how many of them will stay open).

I tend to stay mainly in my part of the country because the second I step outside it I can see that quite a few things that I take for granted suddenly become "rarities"....and I'm having to hunt round for things that I take as "basic". Guess that helps reconcile me a bit to it being a dear area to live in then..

GreyQueen

mama67 wrote: »

I needed some new kitchen hand towels, all were getting past their best (well they are 10 years old) so i did what i did approx 10 years ago took some of the terry nappies i'd used for the boys and dyed them to match the decor.

So 20 lovely new hand towels. I used a machine dye but that is just easier for me so total cost packet of dye bag of salt and the electrcity to run the machine. Cheaper than the cost of 4 really cheap ones in the supermarket.

Both boys wore terry nappies and after DS2 had finished using them I put them all up in the loft, and have now done this twice.

That's an outstanding example of thrift, Mama67. My own Mum reckoned that the great thing about terries was that you had brill cleaning rags afterwards but she'd not thought of dyeing them for towels. What colour did you choose?

I like to give practical presents, and am already doing Xmas 2011 shopping in the sales, so rang my Nan to gather intelligence on the state of Auntie's linen cupboard. It was about 15 years since I'd given Auntie some towels and did Nan think she could use some more? Nan mused that Auntie is still using some towels from her wedding presents; that was in 1964 btw.:rotfl: Auntie is a seriously thrifty woman but she can go Too Far sometimes; when a workman was doing a job in her kitchen he misused the kitch towel thinking it was a rag, because by any normal definition it was one. So towels it is. Nan then remarked that she has some towels she has never used, I quipped was she saving them for when she is older (88 next birthday!) and we roared with laughter. Family; people with whom you can share a black sense of humour.:rotfl:

JenniO

Ah, both of you are so sweet! But as Simon has reminded me, it's taken 6 years of dedicated work, mostly his muscle and my brains, to get this house the way we wanted it.

Ceridwen, I had to give up the allotment due to my dodgy back, it was too much for Simon coz it was so big but the square foot gardening is back (not taken pics yet for blog but will in the spring) and we are very excited to have it back again. I loved just stepping outside to pick veg for the evening meal. Allotments can't give you that and the driving back and forth wasn't cheap either.

Kezlou, you know that i'll help you any way I can. I will say that the oil for oil lamps has doubled in the last year though, maybe similar to heating oil going up in price? Making our own candles is still the most economical thing for us, espcially through the winter.

Justamum

GreyQueen wrote: »

Where is all our blinking tax money going?

Paying off the massive loan interest incurred by the previous government?

Athome1

charlies-aunt wrote: »

I think that its time for the Government to have a rethink on the level of international aid that this country givea. . . . seems wrong that there isn't money to take care of vunerable peolpe in the UK but the government give millions in overseas aid.

I totally agree charlies-aunt. I was amazed to find we are STILL sending aid to China, Russia and India! Then last night I heard on radio 4 that we send aid to Egypt too! I liken it to having to feed my kids bread and marg whilst giving the bulk of my house keeping to the rich family living in the castle down the road! Sorry if this sounds mean but we been giving aid for so many years but it doesn't make any difference. The UK gave £40million to Uganda and guess what, their President has just bought himself a private jet, costing £40million:( This was reported on the World Service in the early hours of this morning in case anyone wonders where I got my info from.

EstherH

Foreign aid was ring fenced in the budget cuts. I have no idea why that was considered to be a priority. I totally agree with it being like giving your money to the rich family down the road.

GreyQueen

Apparently we send milllions to India, a country which can afford to pay for nuclear weapons and is a major world economic power. Surely that can't be justifable?