How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

mrsmuggy

Hi all,
Haven't posted on MSE since august due to having hives,which is still ongoing and driving me potty with the itching that it brings with it. But as i'm in alday and i do have time i thought i would start posting again if you'll all have me.
We budget just like everyone else and some weeks don't have much money but as long as we have food,bills paid and diesel in the car to get hubby to work thats all we are bothered about to be honest.
I have started to make prezzies and cards myself to save those pennies and also selling on ebay. I batch cook and do all my own baking but still find inspiration from all on OS forums and i've learnt alot from you all
I've gradually built up a store cupboard so that food bills aren't as scary as they used to be,it just amazes me that the price of some things are so different in all different shops and that now you can't just shop in one place but all over the place to get the best prices.
Thanks for listening
julie

GreyQueen

CherryPie wrote: »

I did not know this!! Do you think all councils are the same?? I'm off to try, will pop back on later with hopefully a success story

:beer:

Good luck, Cherrypie. I think it's up to each council how they collect the tax but I do know that, legally, each bill is DUE IN FULL ON APRIL 1st. No one has a right to installment payments, its a privilege and can be revoked if an installment is missed and then the balance of the bill for the rest of the year is owed all at once. Scary thought, eh? This is why debt advisers treat arrears of council tax as seriously as arrears of rent or of mortgage, and I've even met ones who treat it as more urgent.

Can you imagine what would happen if we all had to settle in full each April 1st? Who on earth could do it?!

bertiebots sounds like you have been the victim of some dodgy workplace practices. Hope it comes good for you soon.

Larumbelle

Good luck CherryPie! OMG it has just occurred to me that I haven't had this year's council tax letter. :eek: I know how much it is, I assume the direct debit will still be there as we set it up for last year?! I just tried to call but I've emailed instead now as there was a ginormous queue. I'm guessing they haven't just decided I don't have to pay this year :rotfl: My council were very good to us last year when I asked to pay in 12 instalments last year. I called to explain what was going on more out of hope than expectation, I was quite surprised when they actually said yes! I think the only condition was to pay by direct debit, which is miles easier for us anyway. Just goes to show, people can be very helpful if you are upfront about things.

Thanks everyone who gave me good wishes Was back at the doc's this morning. I am in quite a lot less pain now but still not particularly mobile. They have given me a 'may be able to return to work' for next week as I think I might be able to work if I can reduce my hours for a while and I can stand rather than sit. But I need a desk actually raised, I have been told not to hunch over my existing desk. And she said don't expect to actually manage to return next week, but if I really want to try I can. I really cannot afford to stay on SSP much longer and I am bored out of my brain right now as well. On the other hand, I'm really not looking forwards to actually being back or having a return to work interview with Biyatch Boss. I am not going to push myself too much, but I am going to try a little light housework this afternoon! You would not believe how happy and even a little bit excited that makes me :rotfl:

Larumbelle

Oh, and I only just realised it was April Fools Day! Anyone spot any good jokes?

GreyQueen

Larumbelle wrote: »

Oh, and I only just realised it was April Fools Day! Anyone spot any good jokes?

My whole team has had a very involved email (about 2000 words) from a manager explaining all the details of the new kind of waste collection which the council to divert 150 tonnes of waste pet hair from landfill. There will be special (leopard print) collection sacks to be put out alongside your household waste and the shed pet hair will be cleaned and sent to be spun into craft knitwear. We think its an April Fool but it's so detailed that we're not entirely sure!:rotfl:

gailey_2

Hi guys

sorry not been around.

might take me an hour to catch up.

No baby yet completly fed up and been poorly.
had 1false alarm.

I seem to get all the symptoms early labour then just stops.
Hubby bless hes has taken extra timeoff work this week as Im struggling with everything.
official duedate next thur but never gone this late!

My 18month oldhas another cough and cold bless her.

hubbys decluttering the kitchen as its too small and things accumulate.

moneys tight until monday but we did big 90quid shopat lidls last sat and have lots in freezer.
hubby did lovley omlette for lunch forget how amazing eggs are so much you can do with them.

really need to declutter cupboard of doom but not up to it.
Lots to go in loft.
landlords putting in new fire monday! He came round seems happy with work we done to house.

Talking of housing got confused.

Putour namedown oncouncil list june last year.
Ithourght youget offered 3choices.
Butnoits changed you check every friday and bid.
But we the lowest need band -band c so anyonein band a and b would get it.
Confused onhowgood chances are if any?
we just signed another 1years private tennancy.
if we dont bid at all in a year they remove us from the list.

Is this just our council or is this how its done now?
Thourght worked on points.
Also know they making changes to council houses for life but current guidleines say anyone with single or joint income under 60grand can currently apply.

Hope everyones ok.

GreyQueen

Hi Gailey, glad you're OK, sorry baby not here yet, you must be very uncomfortable.

I answer housing enquiries for my local authority (which is not your LA) so perhaps I can give you a little help.

Over the past several years, councils have been moving away from "points based" waiting lists with everything top-down, you sit there just waiting to come to the top of the list and then you get an offer. National government has driven the change. The other type of system (my LA switched several years ago) places applicants is bands of priority need according to what you have at the moment as opposed to the legal requirements for your household. Properties are advertised and would-be tenants place "bids".

Legally, children under 6 are allowed to share a bedroom if they are of opposite sex, but once eldest turns 6, the household is legally short one bedroom. Children of same gender are allowed to share until the eldest turns 16, whereupon household is short one bedroom.

The family's economic circumstances are also factored in by my LA; eg one household which would have had a higher priority had an ordinary priority because the father had net income in excess of £2,000 per month and the mother had earned income, too. It was deemed that they had sufficient not to be in the public sector for housing at all, so if they chose to stay and not rent privately or buy, they would have reduced priority for a transfer to another LA home. They accepted that; the children were on the cusp of adulthood and the problem likely to resolve thru flying the nest within a very few years anyway.

If you think you have been given the wrong priority, you should have a right to ask for that to be reviewed. HTH.

PS. The new Pet Hair Collection Scheme was a jolly April Fool jape.........

rachbc

our area has points based lettings too - band c has very low chance of getting accommodation in certain areas, however 25% of all housing stock is set aside as 'time based' lettings - to give those with lower banding a chance - might be worth enquiring, but again around here likely be people with 4-5 yrs on the list!

charlies-aunt

:eek: Ever seen a drop-dead great bargain but not been able to take advantage of it? ?

Today called into our local'approved-foods-type-shop - they were selling cases of part baked rolls for £1 - 10 packs of 6 mini baguettes - best before date was 31.03.11.

We do use them now and then but buying a full case would mean that they would be hopelessly out of date before we got through them Bet someone swopped in and snapped them up - what a bargain !!

Plenty of other bargains to be had - 36 pack of w*lkers crisps (in date) for £2, 6 c*dburys creme eggs for £1 and 10 Dove choc bars for £1

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

just got a whopping gas and lecky bill thankfully I pay in advance for the reduction but its blown my little pot out of the water.
Seem to be squeezed from all directions these days but still tirelessly squirrelling away money I've managed to save on bargains and stuff.
Weather is lovely and getting warmer so that sgood and got a pot of daffs on the sill which is very cheering