It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

maryb

Kittie I absolutely swaer by Money as well. I don't find its budgeting features all that helpful, but what really helps me is to use it do do cash flow predictions. I just enter expenses in the relevant account in the normal way but with a future date. It has a line across the page so you can still see at a glance what the balance is at today's date but reading down the page you can see where it will need funds transferring etc. I think from what you described that is what you are doing as well

I use my John Lewis card a lot because I get JL vouchers which I can use in Waitrose or John Lewis. So I enter the expenses as I incur them in the credit card account in Money and then enter a transfer from my current account to come out on the payment date. So the balance is always zero but I can see in my current account how much it is going to go down by.

The fact that you can't get Money for Apple Macs was a major factor in choosing a Windows computer when I needed to replace my laptop last time. It's a shame that Microsoft no longer support it and haven't released any updates but it works fine with Vista and I installed it on my husband's laptop which uses Windows 7 and it seems to work fine on that as well

Thanks for the tip about Northern Rock. I actually opened an account with them about a month ago but it was the ordinary e savings paying 2.85%. I've now opened the Reward account as well. Coventry BS are paying 3.15% on their Poppy account but you can only make 4 withdrawals per year. That works for us because we are still at the stage of trying to build up savings in preparation for retirement. However it is very disheartening that we are getting negative returns when tax and inflation are taken into account

[Deleted User]

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lucielle

7_week_wonder wrote: »

Oooh well done PIGSMAYFLY on the whoopsies!

I've put the damsons in the freezer until the weekend and tomorrow I'll use the plums to make some spiced plum chutney when I get home.

.

Please can I have the recipie for the chutney?
Thanks
L

RAS

PIGSMAYFLY wrote: »

Hi I have de lurked to ask the wealth of knowledge that is the tough thread a question. My sister is turning 21 in November and as a part of her pressie I want to make it legal for her to become the guardian of my daughter, we have spoke about it many times and she is the best canidate for the job. But I don't know how? I don't have anything of value but I guess everything would go to her towards my daughters up bringing. Do I need a will? How to i go about doing that?

Please make a will. You can appoint your sister as both executior and guardian, although if your daughter's father is still live he can claim her and it is normal for children to go to their surviving relative. You can also make her trustee, which means that your daughter's inheritance, whatever that might be cannot be access by your ex if you do not want it to be.

If the ex is alive, have you spoken to him?

ChocClare

Thanks for the link to spices of india, kittie - they are just up the road from me so may well be worth a detour!

Charis

RAS wrote: »

Please make a will. You can appoint your sister as both executior and guardian, although if your daughter's father is still live he can claim her and it is normal for children to go to their surviving relative. You can also make her trustee, which means that your daughter's inheritance, whatever that might be cannot be access by your ex if you do not want it to be.

If the ex is alive, have you spoken to him?

This may not be true in PMF's case, as she has said that the father isn't named on the birth certificate. If they were not married, without a parental responsibility agreement it seems that he has no parental rights.

It would still be best to get good legal advice and make a properly witnessed will which will be legally valid if it's ever needed.

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Afternoon all

After my relaxing Saturday afternoon and evening I have made up for it over the last two days.

Sunday morning was spent at the allotment and foraging apples, blackberries and pears. In the afternoon I made damson jam, marrow and ginger jam and started off both damson gin and blackberry gin. Some of these will be used as Christmas gifts. Froze 14 lbs of damsons as well. Also made a jar of pickled gherkins and boiled a few beetroot and froze the blackberries

Today have made autumn tomato chutney, spicy red onion chutney and apple chutney. Just need to clean the kitchen up (I am a messy cook) and then start blanching and freezing runner beans and a very large cabbage.

Have some fennel from a colleague at work and a recipe from beetroot and fennel soup so will be making that for lunches at work. Have brought three very large beetroot home from the lottie and will boil them today to see if they are still edible. If they are ok I will dice and freeze them to use over the winter. My freezer is groaning with frozen home grown produce at the moment and it is getting tricky to fit more stuff in it. I think I need to empty it and re pack it.

Right tea break is over, back to the grindstone.

Mrs VP

Seakay

Hello all!
still trying to catch up with the last few days posts. I have been at my sister's for a couple of day which was lovely although we are both paying a bit now (she has ME I have atypical Fibromyalgia). I bought back some fat sloes which are steeping in gin at the moment and also some wild pums whhich I stewed with the remains of the sloes and which now need sieving. Haven't decided yet if it's going to be fruit butter or fruit sauce but hope to bottle it all either way.

Someone (winchelsea?) was asking for uses for Cream of Tartar - it's an ingredient in bath bombs and in baking powder. According to the following it will keep indefinitely:
http://www.kitchensavvy.com/journal/2007/01/cream_of_tartar.html

I'd just like to thank everybody who contributes to this thread on an occasional or regular basis; it's such a comfort to know that there really are caring and helpful people in world willing to take the time to sympathise, empathise and share their experience.

suzid

Afternoon all :wave:

Whinge coming up so be warned!

Kittie I so empathise with you. I was looking forward to spending time with my brood this weekend but ended up feeling like I run a B&B without the benefit of payment. Two sons and GD (not seen her for 2 years) arrived 4.45 pm Saturday. I had to drive them to a family meal that evening and was asleep before they arrived home. By 8.30am the next morning they left :mad: Yes DS had a plane to catch, which I'd known nothing about, but it doesn't stop the feeling of being used and disappointed.

DH felt rotten all weekend having developed a stinking cold on top of his leg problem so spent all his time stuck in one room trying not to infect everyone else. His boss is continuing to send nasty emails to get him and everyone else involved in a certain project to do more, while doing b****r all himself. Poor DH has been on the construction site every day including this weekend and feels totally used, abused and undervalued. He was telling me that some of the guys haven't had a day off for a month and I was welling up with tears, it all seems so unfair.

Not feeling too good myself as get very emotional, feel under the weather and everything getting on top of me. DH and I decided this lunchtime that we're having a break from the usual, everyone here at Christmas because it's been such a stressful year and we need a change. Don't know how it will go down with the family and at this point in time, don't really care.

Sorry for all that folks and will try and recharge myself with positive vibes before I next post.

Jedi all my best wishes for you and your little fella ((hugs)).

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