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

Margaret54

Hi everyone. Just reading all your posts. I am sorry to read about so many people struggling. It seems there is no let up either. I am only 57 and I honestly do worry about the future and am not going to be spending but saving as much as I can now. Even as Greyqueen said earlier about asking should I have a cuppa out or wait until I get home etc. My dh and I do have savings but they are for when he retires from his job(minimum wage) It is lovely though that I have this wonderful forum where we feel we are amongst good friends and like minded people. Take care everyone and have a good weekend. xx

[Deleted User]

grhh my kitchen scales stopped working at a crucial moment today, so I had to drive out and get batteries. Over £4 :eek: unbelievable!! I am getting a hanson mechanical scale when my salter breaks down, as it will. These things just don`t last and who cares about weighing less than 20g. What was wrong with good old estimates or 1/4 tsp etc. I must look in my newest cookery books, I bet they measure in g rather than tsp. There is something to be said for the american way ie cups of this and that

I did a pretty good veggie meal today with my last marrow ie added puy lentils, feta, mint, chilli and tomatoes. Enough for 2 days, which makes tomorrow easier as both meals are done and by the way the boston beans in the slow cooker turned out really nice, I just don`t like the idea of adding sugar but it was a one off that has lasted 3 days

I bought a paper today as there are river cottage cakes in the telegraph and we had a quick look at holidays. Blimey at least 1-2 thousand for a simple rail holiday abroad, well I would n`t enjoy myself knowing how much it cost. I might have a look at b and b or a cottage in oct, maybe yes or maybe no. I don`t feel that I need a holiday but a change of scene might be nice, then again we love where we live and could do with exploring the local areas

we are expecting an indian summer in the south (so sorry for those up in the north) so am going to have some r and r days in october, before the real cold sets in

BigMummaF

Gigervamp wrote: »

Barstewards! 'Scuse my language.

Hubby works for the council. His salary was ok, but a lot less than he would be getting in the private sector. We've been getting by ok although we can't afford any big cost things like holidays and we've found over the last few months that despite my carefull budgeting, the end of the month is pretty tight moneywise.

Yesterday, all the staff got a brochure with the new employment proposals and hubby's wages are being cut by 20%. That works out at about £500 a month less.

Some of the other proposals include stopping unsocial hours wages and essential car allowance. These thi local'ngs won't affect hubby, but they will affect people such as care workers who have to do nights and use their own cars. They don't get paid much more than NMW as it is and now they're expected to work nights for the same pay as daytime staff and get no help towards the wear and tear of their cars which they have to use for work.

Guess who the cuts don't apply to!

It's disgusting. Hubby might have a chance of a job in the private sector. He didn't want to go for it before because he felt a loyalty to the council, but not now. Fingers crossed for that because otherwise things are going to get incredibly tight here.

Our 'local' news covers Southampton, so we're pretty clued up about what certain councils are trying to do with their employees wage packets. There's so much I could say that I'm not sure I can post it in a joined-up-thinking way but I've got to get it out of my system or I shall explode!

1) This is directed at the toppest of the top! I shall be more inclined to believe that "we are in this together", when I see *supermarket's:- *value range fleece throws on the benches of both Houses during PMQ etc; they have half the lights on & those that are, are *energy saving bulbs; their dining halls are replaced with a few *budget microwaves & vending machines; their cars are electric/hybrids with no more than 995cc engines; they & their partners wear high street fashions--& more than once!--for offical duties, & their expenses equate to Ge0rge & Fr3d instead of 4tnum & Maisin :mad:

2) Those members of the general public who are 'asked for their thougthts' for news bits about dustmen's strikes etc, make me wish I were a venomous spitting spider when they are more concerned about their own comfort than the bigger picture. Many's the time I can be heard by my neighbours, shouting that they (on telly!) should try being--eg, a care worker--if they think it's so easy, & don't come to me for support when their job is the next being considered for extreme cuts :mad: We all need each other, doing what we do, to keep society ticking over.

Public transport workers lose their jobs = no way of getting to work.
Highways budget cuts = more potholes in roads & pavements = no way of getting to work.
Tanker drivers = no milk, no fuel, no grain, no support = no way of getting to work.
Education & social care = facilities closed = kids & dependent relatives at home = no way of getting to work.
NHS auxillery = nurses doing the cleaning & portering = longer waiting lists = longer off work.

And STOP telling the unemployed "there are plenty of jobs out there" when you look down your nose even driving past the j0b centre :mad: How on earth can you expect someone to take a position on a 12wk contract knowing that it's going to take you six weeks to get any money when that time is up & you're back on the dole, & you'll be charged with fraudulently claiming benefits because dwp haven't caught up with the paperwork from when the work started!

My brain hurts now but I'd just like to add that the situation has not been helped by people who think they are entitled to have exactly what they want, when they want it & to He11 with the consequences. I speak from experience, as a family member is currently boo-hooing over a situation that is entirely of their own making. I'm going through the motions of expressing sympathy, but in reality I wish I had the guts to tell them to wake up & smell the instant coffee

Here endeth the Rant according to me :cheesy:

SDG31000

Hello Everyone

I'm sorry to hear about everyone's problems and pay cuts. I'm lucky that DH has a reasonably secure and comparatively well paid job, but we are feeling the bite from all the price rises. Those added to the credit card bills and I've had a few sleepless nights. We were paying them down until my very generous MIL and FIL gave us the money to go on holiday over Easter and our friends put in a new bathroom for us. Spending money in Florida and a new bathroom suite in the same month really added up.
DH is working overtime today and down in London, so I went to Sainsburys alone on the bus. It's amazing the difference in the bill when I go alone. I will admit to sneaking some rhubarb into the trolley, but in my defence I'm desperate for crumble.
I've spent the week helping out my neighbour as he had a nose bleed that wouldn't stop and he was in hospital for a few days. So I've been on dog walking duty, which to be honest has been nice. DH is very allergic to dogs and I never had one growing up. There are days I would swap DH for an Italian Greyhound. It would have to earn a decent wage however.
Tomorrow I'm hopefully going to The Belgrave Hall Food Festival. It normally costs us a fortune as we are real foodies and DS2 can eat enough to bankrupt us, but we need a day out together. I'll think of you while I'm munching on cupcakes.

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Afternoon all
Have been keeping up with reading this thread but have not had time to post. I know the frustration wage cuts and pay freezes cause. I have been on a pay freeze for the last 4 years, shame the food prices have not been frozen as well :mad:.

Greyqueen I agree the NHS sickness and absence policy or managing attendance, as it is now known is very sever. A colleague of mine suffered a fracture following a fall on a wet floor on a ward and is now on half pay as a result of the time it is taking for her injury to heal.

My niece seems to have recovered from the car accident but mum is still suffering, she is still in too much pain to sleep in bed so she sleeps upright in a chair with dad on the sofa.

Have had to go back to the GP as my high blood pressure is causing me a lot of worrying symptoms. The GP advised me to start on aspirin as a precaution until all of my tests have been competed and she must be into money saving as she very sensibly advised me to buy it over the counter rather than have them on prescription as they would only cost around a pound over the counter. I go for my heart scan next week so fingers crossed. I was so ill yesterday that I have cancelled all of my extra shifts this weekend and have been taking it easy. The family are watching me like hawks.

Harvested a turks turban squash from the lottie last weekend and made a squash tomato and spinach curry with it . Cannot post a recipe as I made up the curry past from spices in the cupboard. It was very tasty, have frozen a couple of portions. Have not tried this type of squash before but we all enjoyed it. It was however a bit tricky to peel.

Have made my very first pesto today using spinach, American land cress, parmesan, olive oil, garlic and pine nuts. OH and I had it swirled onto HM tomato soup. OH is making a pasta dish tonight to use up the rest of it.

Ok its time to persuade OH that I can manage to do a bit of ironing whilst watching a film without doing myself any damage.

GreyQueen

Mrs VegPlot, I am about to harvest turks turban squash and would love to have sight of what you did with yours, am a complete newbie with this squash. Any tips from anybody at all would be gratefully received. I wouldn't mind if the spices were a bit hit'n'miss as that is my style of cooking anyway. Pretty please?

Well, the allotment was about at the state I thought it would be in; very shaggy and lots of stuff going over. I wanted to clear the nettles and brambles from around my shed; they come over from the plot over the back and I let them stay as a sort-of anti-burglary device. Well, I couldn't find my gardening gloves and had to tidy out half the shed before they resurfaced. Shed got de-nettled then the heavens opened and rain has stopped play.

My flat is a mess, my allotment is a mess, I am a disgrace to womankind and should be put in the stocks forthwith.:o

However, I have nipped into the library and got 2 books; Ask Aggie about household tips and a book on decluttering, which will send forth vibes which will solve all my problems via osmosis. Erm, that may be wishful thinking on my part. And I took down the bedroom curtains and have washed them and will re-hang in a few hours; picking off the Autumn Cleaning tasks one at a time.

Still struggling with inherant weariness and being woken at all hours by selfish neighbours, but have many blessings and have been making out like a bandit at Little Mr T today and yesterday with the whoopsies. Had been drawing a blank recently and was concerned that my mojo was completely ruined or that the Times were so Tough that there would never be another whoopsie left for me.

However, now have bread and pancakes and croissants and even chocolate muffins......lucky me.:D

HJ, loved the sound of the balsaam polish; could I be a nosey moo and enquire the brand? I have a few pieces of real wood furniture which get a rub down from time to time and this sounds lush.

Well, soon be taken away from t'interweb and back into the RW where housework awaits. ((hugs)) to all and BigMummaF, I hear what you're saying, gal, and I'm with ya on most of it.

PS, is anyone else with a T*sco clubcard getting snowed under with till spits? I normally have one Spend £20 get £3 off every few months and I have had 6 this month so far. 4 of them this week. Even my favourite cashier at the store is noticing. I don't know whether to feel harrassed or pleased as there's no way I can use them all.

Love and peas, GQ x

Patchwork_Quilt

To all those with Turk's Turban squashes - my only cooking method was to pierce them several times and then bake them whole in the oven until soft. After that, you can slice the top off and eat the insides as they are or turn them into soup, risotto and so on.

GreyQueen, I am also getting lots of coupons out of the till at T-sco but they are no use to me. They're all for top of the range brands of what I normally buy or they're completely random.

The annoying thing is that our allotment made £15 to £20 difference a week last year (or was it the year before?) but food prices seem to have caught up with us and we don't seem to feel the benefit as much.

Even worse is the lack of traffic on Mondays and Tuesdays. It's lovely getting to work so early and I hardly feel I deserve it but it does mean that fewer people are going into work locally, which can't be good.

mardatha

http://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/northern_hemisphere_multisensor.html

For masochists and nutters like me who love winter ! If you click "latest image" it will show you how far south the snow has come every day. Bit like waiting for Santa but different!

Rosanna79

Grey Queen
It's interesting and entertaining to read your posts. Sorry to hear to hear you are facing what a lot of my friends and I have to deal with- the advent of orthotic wearing and LACE UP SHOES!! I did have plantar fasciitis some years ago and since osteoarthritis finished my nursing career have to wear these inserts all the time in order to be able to walk without horrendous pain. Even though it's a very common problem and even if you don't mind wearing very practical shoes most of the time it can get you down if you want to look more like a lady than a fella!

Once you get your orthotics may I suggest you try Hotter shoes- they do mail order but have a number of shops around the country. Last June a new one opened in Meadowhall, Sheffield and the staff bent over backwards to find me something I could wear with a skirt AND the orthotics... I got TWO pairs of skirt shoes!! They're not cheap but often have offers on so it's worth looking at their website and a store locator.

If you're having orthotics specially made that's brilliant as our local orthotist takes stuff off the shelves. One size does not fit all -I'm lucky they work for me.

You're right about the NHS as well. I spent the last 10 years of my 43 year nursing career having to deal with the kind of savagery you mention. It's no wonder so many staff are on long term sick leave.
Hugs(( )) to all who need them - OH requires my presence in the garden so I'd better sign off...

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Hi greyqueen I made the turks turban curry for 4, here goes

Brown an onion and two cloves of garlic, add 2 teaspoons each of powdered fenugreek, garam masala, coriander and cumin and fry for a minuite or two. Add 2 tin chopped toms and quartered fresh toms and peeled chopped turks turban (large chunks). Simmer until squash is tender, add a large handful of washed spinach, stir it in and allow it to wilt.

I served this with steamed rice

Rosanna79 any staff at out local trust that are on long term sick seem to loose their jobs at the 6 month mark irrespective of the cause of their illness