As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

Molly41

Yes I agree. Very misty and distinctly autumnal this morning x

GreyQueen

Good morning, campers, and well done, trifles, you phrased that so beautifully.

I don't spend too much time worrying about what I cannot personally change, like to US Government, but I have always been a person who likes to know which way the wind is blowing, so that I can trim my sails accordingly. It's as much as most of us can do, lacking the means for complete self-sufficiency or financial independance. Keep a weather eye out and try not to get too battered by the storms.

And that's quite enough nautical metaphors for one morning. I have been up since silly o'clock as I have an early dentist appt and am feeling a little unrestful. I'm not a phobic, thank goodness, but having a major filling re-done due to further damage caused by stress-toothgrinding is infuriating. I shall have lost a few £s (pity it's not lbs ) by lunchtime.

Ceridwen ((hugs)) in your family situation. Being a good decade younger, I'm not there yet with my own parents but I see it with my Nan; her confidence was badly shaken by her fall a couple of weeks ago and although she's making a full recovery, it is sad to see her losing her ability to do her garden, her cooking and her knitting.

HariboJunkie, been following the non-payment saga and feeling for you. My Mum knew 2 women, one thru work, we'll call her A, and another who'd been a sort-of pal since they were young mothers together forty-odd years ago, we'll call her B.

A was married to a CORGI-registered gas fitter, self-employed, one man band. The business was viable but it couldn't afford bad debts. A's hubby fitted a central-heating system into B's ex-council house, which B knew, for all the period she contracted him, was in the process of being repossesed by the mortgage lenders.

The c.h. was never paid-for and it was the debt which bust the business and the marriage failed soon after. I'm not going to be melodramatic and claim that A and her husband would have still been together if B hadn't stolen from him, because that's unknowable, but it certainly didn't help. Incidentally, B, as a lady with disabilities, was immediately re-housed in a lovely housing association bungalow 10 miles up the road. Mum and B aren't on speaking terms anymore and this dishonesty is the reason.

:mad: My blood boils just remembering it and if I could do anything for small and medium businesses, it would be to put swingeing legal penalties in the way of non/ late payers, heaven knows it's been discussed for enough years, why the heck doesn't the government get their finger out and do something?!

Didn't get to the lottie after work yesterday; we had a weather pattern of heavy showers with very short spells of non-rain so there wasn't a window of opportunity. Today looks like it will be very similar and it is decidedly autumnal.

The Magic Greengrocer didn't have anything suitable yesterday afternoon but I may check in with him after work today. Looked in the tinnery section of the 99p store and have noticed that items which were 3 for 99p are now 2 for 99p and that the place has lost it's advantage over the Basics range at the ordinary supermarkets. It used to be a little treasure-trove of food bargains, but not any more, it seems. Sigh. Spend ages learning my tricks and then they move the goalposts.

Softstuff your comments about tucking some spare cash into useful things for the home made me smile and remember a pal who was recalling older family and friends in the 1950s and 1960s. If they had a little extra cash, they'd invest it in things for the home which they knew they'd need eventually like linen, blankets, towels. That way it wouldn't just disappear with nothing to show for it. Another older friend who lived in London as a businessman's wife in the 1960s and 1970s, recalled how they'd buy antique furniture, not just because they liked it, but as a deliberate hedge against the high rates of inflation in the 1970s. At the time I knew her, she was supplementing her pension by selling some of these pieces via the better London auction houses.

At this point I grin and pause to admire my sitting-room furniture; 3 pieces of faux-mahogany blockboard, a small country table and matching stick chair, a Habitat trolley (cast off from a friend 10 + years ago) and a well-worn DFS leather sofa cast-off from another friend. Add 2 hooked rugs made by yours truly and a couple of my photographs in bootsale frames, and you have a comfortable and friendly home with a resale value of.....diddly-squat.:rotfl:

On the subject of trollies, I see some very funky little numbers on the market and some younger-than-me women wheeling them about, too. I agree that a trolley is preferable to having your arms stretched but many people find a trolley designed to be towed by one hand puts a twist and strain on their backs. About 20 years ago, Mum and I tore the county apart looking for a 4-wheeled trolley for Nan (they are widely available now but we had to resort to accosting strangers on the streets of several towns to ask where they'd got theirs). The 4-wheelers are great because they support themselves and you can balance a shopping basket on their tops when you wheel them around the supermarket.

:eek: Oh, if anyone is of a nervous disposition, don't make the same mistake as I did and go into the food section of M & S at whoopsie time. I'm nearly 6 feet tall and sturdily-built and not easily phased but those ladies were like piranha on a corpse; it was actually frightening. I've never been back since. It's much more genteel in Mr T and Morrisons.:rotfl:

Have a good day, y'all and I'm heading for the teapot....memo to self, check teabag stocks are sufficient.........

silvermaid

Sorry, I haven't had time to catch up.
I agree it is feeling quite autumnal here in the south-east as well.
I do hope we get some more summer before it finally changes as we need the big yellow ball to ripen all our tomatoes and the plums and damsons.
Made a big pot of fridge soup yesterday which fed 4 of us royally for lunch. The fridge now looks much more organised with no wrinklies:)
Will be trying to use up the mountain of freezer meals we have amassed. When cooking for the two of us, I usually manage to save at least half to the freezer. Again, on the 4 days a week in termtime when I cook for 7 there is usually enough leftover to freeze for me & DH for another day. These freezer packs mount up, so must make an extra effort to use them up as I am running out of space!

Molly41

GreyQueen wrote: »

:eek: Oh, if anyone is of a nervous disposition, don't make the same mistake as I did and go into the food section of M & S at whoopsie time. I'm nearly 6 feet tall and sturdily-built and not easily phased but those ladies were like piranha on a corpse; it was actually frightening. I've never been back since. It's much more genteel in Mr T and Morrisons.:rotfl:

Have a good day, y'all and I'm heading for the teapot....memo to self, check teabag stocks are sufficient.........

M and S is definitely the worst for scrumming either for the meal deals, christmas or whoopsies. I use a mobility scooter and can very carefully stand up as long as people dont knock me over. I cant get a look in and have to take my very tall and bolshy Kids Dad or the kids themselves (although I have brought them up to be polite and have manners which are no good in scrummage situations).

ceridwen

GREYQUEEN

Looking ruefully at your comment re "changing goalposts" - as I've now got to an age where there ARE things about which I simply put my foot down and literally refuse to "change goalposts" (privilege of getting older - part of the "When I get old I shall wear purple" mindset:rotfl:). There starts to come a point in one's life where "changing course" just isnt going to happen...whatever Society gets up to...(crosses fingers there re US threats not to pay THEIR pensioners due pension and tells British Govt "Dont you go getting any ideas - at retirement age I WILL be retiring - so there...).

Anyways - on that tack...shall have to have another go at trying to persuade my parents to get onto t'Internet. I'm not pc-literate enough to get it sorted for them - but I know a man who can (ie a friend of mine who earns some pennies doing this sorta thing). I've only managed to get them into the idea that its a good "reference library" to date - so I'm not holding out too many hopes there. I've got them as far as my mother will say "Could you just look up so-and-so on your computer for me please?..." - but thats as far as I've managed to date. Not quite sure whether they've got the idea of comparison websites yet - as a recent query was that she wasnt happy about the huge increase in my fathers car insurance premiums - so asked me to check out some other prices. She was so disbelieving initially of how much they could save by changing to the one I suggested that they had a friend of my fathers check as well - and he came up with the same one as I had - and then they swopped over...:cool:

Anyway - I shall keep on pushing the "window on the world" aspect of going onto t'Internet for them - as they rarely go outside their 4 walls these days except for the numerous medical appointments they have between them.

*************************

Softstuff

GreyQueen wrote: »

Softstuff your comments about tucking some spare cash into useful things for the home made me smile and remember a pal who was recalling older family and friends in the 1950s and 1960s. If they had a little extra cash, they'd invest it in things for the home which they knew they'd need eventually like linen, blankets, towels. That way it wouldn't just disappear with nothing to show for it. Another older friend who lived in London as a businessman's wife in the 1960s and 1970s, recalled how they'd buy antique furniture, not just because they liked it, but as a deliberate hedge against the high rates of inflation in the 1970s. At the time I knew her, she was supplementing her pension by selling some of these pieces via the better London auction houses.

Hehe, funny you should say that, I think I'm channeling my inner 50's housewife at the moment. I was baking a quiche for lunch, and some little coffee cakes, and was telling hubby that I'm rather enjoying being a housewife at the mo. He says he's enjoying it too, and has continued to call me housewife all day .

Our furnishings are what they call in the magazines "an eclectic mix". Some was in here when we bought the unit, a couple of bits off ebay as local pick up, a few bits from op shops and a few new things. Gradually we've been adding to or replacing the odd thing with what I'd describe as "furniture for good", things we'll keep forever, so solid wood items I can refinish if need be. Certainly not antiques, but things that should hold up for the long haul. The first things we replaced were the rattan headboard and side tables.... it was as though someone had specifically designed a material to hold dust.

There are no scrums for reductions here, but then there are very few supermarket reductions. I am hoping my current yoghurt supply continues to hold out, I seem to be consistently able to obtain cartons of it on its best by date at only 20% of the original price. And frankly old yoghurt just gets more yoghurty.

Sorry for rambling as always, head is foggy, migraine afternoon.

GreyQueen

ceridwen wrote: »

Cant understand why your mothers former friend stole that work from the other person??<puzzled smilie> and thats a totally innocent bankrupt created because of her. (I say "innocent bankrupt" because I've seen the other variety too - a guy I know is still owed money by a former employer of his having chosen to go bankrupt and this guy has to go past the expensive house and boat outside that they still have - ie because the "immoral bankrupt" that his former employer turned out to be did the "hang onto what he no longer morally owned by putting it in the wifes name trick"). Obviously the guy I know will never get his money - because this "immoral bankrupt" clearly has no intention of repaying any of the money he owes ever...and will just quote the law that says he doesnt have to...grrr!

I agree it's incomprehensible, Ceridwen, but this is the real world. Everytime we go on and off Mum's estate via the road we pass the house-formerly-belonging-to-B, which keeps the memory fresh. A and her hubby didn't go bankrupt btw but he did have to close his business in disarray over it and, as I said, their marriage failed not long afterwards.

In my hometown, in the 1980s, a small independant furnishings store went under and extracted a unique revenge against the non-payers. They had to close down and, once the store was clear, got several huge sheets of paper which they used to create a sarcastic big "thank you" to Lloyds bank for their support and they wrote out, in very large poster-style, the names and addresses of those people who'd taken delivery of their goods and hadn't paid for them.

The honour roll was taped up on the inside of the plate glass windows of the closed store for many weeks and was the talk of the town. Not quite as effective as the stocks, but I can't find it in my heart to blame the shopkeeper. It was on the main shopping street so thousands would have read it.

On the subject of dishonest bankrupts, I have come across a few myself (and I stress it is a few, probably a very small minority, one of my friends went bankrupt and I certainly don't assume that anyone in that position is a wrong'un).

In the debt advice service where I used to do admin, we were contacted by the Official Reciever over one of our ex-clients who'd been caught out by them going over his credit cards accounts in the months leading up to his bankruptcy. Without giving real-world identifiers, this charming bloke had been on major shopping sprees for expensive (and re-saleable-at-most-of-their-new-price) items at a point where he had obviously made his decision to go the bankruptcy route. The OR called him on it and his reaction was to accuse our service, whose use he had had for free via legal help, of mis-advising him. Fortunately for his adviser and our insurers, we had paperwork signed by this bloke that proved otherwise. He also had tangible assets which he'd neglected to declare to us which would have changed the advice given, had we known. We had another client who conveniently forgot their foriegn holiday home, owned outright, whilst signing off on a statement that they had assets/ capital of under £3k !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Real life is a shocker, isn't it? I come across stuff every week in reality which any editor would call you on if you put it into a work of fiction.:rotfl:

HariboJunkie

trifles wrote: »

I am conscious that the only real wealth that we have is the quality of our relationships with others who matter in our lives and our sense of humour to get us through whatever life may challenge us with.That,to me is the essence of O/S living.

Thank you for that Trifles. What a lovely sentiment and you are so right. I count my blessings every day for the family and friends I have. :A

Grey Queen, thank you for that story. I have seen it here too. In fact we have found out that one of the businesses I am taking to court has broken the back of another small business in the area before. I agree about the penalties too. This company squirmed out of a recent court case on a technicality and really are just using the court system as a means to extend their credit. I find that a shocking waste of tax payers' money. I know that there are those who have no time for business people but no on deserves to be stolen from. I won't keep on about it though, but I will let you all know when the b uggers start to cough up.

SoftStuff I am glad you are enjoying your role. You do sound very content recently. (Apart from the hoover/boob incident of course.

Re the autumnal feeling in the air.... Some of you know we were hit with a gale in May which stripped the trees of leaves and turned most of the remaining ones brown so in that sense it has been autumn for months. However the temperature has risen in the past week and things are ripening (way behind the rest of you) so it's still quite summery here.

Can't believe some people are picking autumn rasps and brambles. Our brambles are only just budding. :cool:

Am also watching the US situation with interest. As usual I am fairly sanguine about it (what will be will be) but will keep looking for new ways to be frugal all the same.

Softstuff

HariboJunkie wrote: »

SoftStuff I am glad you are enjoying your role. You do sound very content recently. (Apart from the hoover/boob incident of course.

I am, and thankyou
And hey, if a small scar on my left boob is what it takes to get Miles (that's the name of my Dyson, yes I have named him), then so be it.

Wondering what kind of scarring I have to incur in order to get a new shower.... but now worrying about tempting fate.

I hope they cough up for you soon. I was a small business owner when I was in England, and cash flow was a big problem. It flowed quickly out, but was a trickle in. I resorted to taking large advance deposits in the end (I took enough on the deposit to pay for the raw materials, and the rest I had to wait for was my profit). Some people made a big hoohah about it, but it paid off for me. The amount of time spent chasing some people for work done was equal to the amount of time spent doing work for them, and that just sucks.

HariboJunkie

Softstuff wrote: »

I resorted to taking large advance deposits in the end (I took enough on the deposit to pay for the raw materials, and the rest I had to wait for was my profit). Some people made a big hoohah about it, but it paid off for me. The amount of time spent chasing some people for work done was equal to the amount of time spent doing work for them, and that just sucks.

Thanks for that. We are a consultancy to the need for raw matierials is rare. On very large jobs we do ask for a deposit and have reduced our credit terms but it doesn't work. They still take their own sweet time to pay. The invoices I have sent out this week should be payed promptly as they are part of a rolling programme of work and I have politely pointed out that work will not begin on the next stage until payment is received in full. Anyhoo.... Am off to tackle the ironing mountain and decide how the rest of the day is to be spent. I refuse to spend my childrens' holidays getting myself het up about it. Would much rather knit and make jam.