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

Rosanna79

Hope those up in Scotland are finding the weather easing off somewhat...

Here in North Lincolnshire our regular Friday morning walk although cold to start with was what my late brother used to call 'a bright shining morning' which did much to lift everyone's spirits. I find walking against strong winds so physically unpleasant and difficult I end up doing half the distance and feel totally exhausted for hours afterwards. It's when the X trainer I bought from our vendor comes into its own. As I'm off peak membership I don't get to visit my gym at the weekends so rely on walking to do exercise.

Interesting to read posters' thoughts on kindles, libraries and charity shops. In my more afffluent days i acquired a vast library of audiobooks, mainly on cassette tape which used to keep me sane driving to and from work and around the patch. As I still have machines that will play the tapes I'm currently enjoying relistening to them. Was also introduced by my SIL to the pleasures of Audible books where for a modest monthly fee I can download these to my laptop or MP3 player. Have a gadget downstairs whjich allows the mp3 to play through a speaker system so I can sit and listen as well. The mp3 was considerably more reasonably priced than an ipod ... however am so busy out and about with the walking groups and my various craft interests/ classes and writing group don't really have the time to listen to or read as many books as I'd like.

My 5 year old washing machine appears to be on its last legs and so I woke OH before heading out this morning to see what he could do, as he's a very practical chap... I usually start the first load and he carries on for me during the morning while I'm out walking. ... so I come home to finished laundry!!

Anyway we tend to support local business and our local shop was rather depleted today as they are waiting for stock to come in. it seems that they will not buy stock at ridiculous prices to sell in the local area and this causes delays sometimes .. although I liked the look of the Zanussi they had in stock I want something else to choose from so this will have to be next Tuesday. Thankfully most of the washing got done.. No idea what to buy for the best as we've repeatedly found expensive so called 'good' brands prove very costly to repair/ maintain- our local shop also repairs and services appliances right across the region and there's no pressure to buy extended warranties either.

Whe I returned home I received a letter from the Nursing and Midwifery council , obviously on a recruitment drive regarding return to practice as a health visitor. I retired on health grounds 18 months ago and here they are telling me that the 'return to practice' courses can be completed in 3-6 months and they will pay for it!! I cannot help thinking that some young nurse would benefit from that money to help create jobs for younger midwives and health visitors? Apart from a wealth of experience what can a burned out old bat like me give to the profession? When I think of all the work related stress and health problems that nearly killed me- haven't really worked for 2 1/2 years- and the wonderful time I'm having in retirement it seems , as another former h/v friend said, 'like turkeys voting for Christmas'!!!

shegar

When I had my last little dog and she had to be put down it me £42.......I thought that was quite a lot, but £104 for 2 hens is unbelievable expensive, :eek::eek:its a 10 min job, you need to ask for a breakdown and see where they come to that figure, I guess she may say £20 consultation, £41 per bird??......

Ive just got my little yorkie billy insured , I did put a thread up on the pets section to ask what people thought about insurance for pets, it was quite surprising to me that a lot of pet owners said dont do it and keep saving the pet ins in the bank, I went with instinct and got him insured, because say if he had something that would be very expensive to him id probaly have to have him put down as I couldnt possibly afford the vet bills, or take out a loan , its a helluver decision to have to be faced with, so he is now insured and its definately peace of mind........................ @ £9.18 per month . I always say if you have pets/animals then you have to be prepared for the worst if or when they get ill....................

I have hens as you know , but you cant insure them so your !!!!!!ed when they get ill...............so sorry for you SMILEYT.........:mad:

Mardather .......Cheap desserts , one of my favourite is cheap and cheerful, bread an butter pudding, also boiled rice its so filling and very cheap to make..............:D

Hope this thread find you all keeping your heads above water and not drowning, the economy looks dreadful in the news, its all very scary ,will be some people go cold this winter im sure.............ive been paying high DDs for elec and gas so im well in credit to start the winter off, ive got the warm throws out ready for the cooler days, ..all take care......

Rosanna79

Greent
Just to say I'm sorry to hear of the massive vets bill you received at such a sad time. They do seem to be very expensive. As for her brother we had Jennicat individually cremated and received her ashes yesterday- she was only put to sleep a week ago today. Her brother's bill 2 1/2 years ago was about £149 and Jenny's bill was £191!! OH wanted to do the same for Jennicat as for Jasper . Perhaps we should have brought them back and buried them in the garden but weren't sure this was a good idea in case of selling the house and a future owner coming across pet remains...

I don't understand why it costs so much and we will probably not go ahead with acquiring another cat in a hurry. Such big bills do rather put one off further pet ownership, especially on a fixed income.

Thinking of you at this sad time ((hugs))
Rosanna

Rosanna79

Sorry Smiley
Should have addressed the post to you. Apolgies for my error. Think I need to eat something = the dietician's plan is affecting my grey cells with drops in blood sugar or whatever

maryb

I'm not in a panic about the downgrade but I am a bit puzzled by it. From what I understand, Moodys have divided them into too big to fail, probably too big to fail and not too big to fail. So RBS is in the first category, Nationwide and Santander in the second category and the third category includes West Bromwich et al. So far, so understandable.

But if that is all there is to it, why only 12? Surely the third category would be much bigger than just the ones they have named?

Two of the ones on that list are currently offering the best rates around for instant access - Nottingham and West Bromwich (some of the others may be as well but I know those two have been featured in Martin's best buys). Sometimes you wonder why they are offering such good rates. But then Coventry is offering similar rates and that hasn't been downgraded. And Northern Rock has a good rate and that wasn't on the list either - maybe because the Government has explicitly removed its guarantee. And also it no longer has the rubbish that the old NR had on its books.

In the past when building societies have got into trouble, they have had a forced merger with a stronger society and that will probably still happen. None of the other societies would want to have to pay a levy to fund compensation under the compensation scheme - that would just be money out without even getting the benefit of the failed society's assets.

So I don't think you need to deposit everything in the bank of Silentnight just yet

smileyt_2

Thank you for the 'virtual smelling salts' you have all provided to bring me round after the shock of the vet's bill. An itemised bill along with the receipt thingy you get when you pay by credit card should arrive either tomorrow or Monday so I will know what cost what and whether I can challenge the bill. I have been going to that practice for 12 years with ratties, a hamster, the dogs and the chooks so I knew having the girls put to sleep wouldn't be cheap, but I have had other hens put to sleep and that certainly wasn't £52 per hen! I'm a bit stuck though for finding another vet because I don't have a car and have to rely on public transport. The next nearest vet is a half-hour bus journey away, and Bruno wouldn't be able to cope with that length of journey. I am going to ring them and see what they charge, though - if they are cheaper then that might cover the cost of a taxi. I could take Tess on the bus as she loves buses (daft dog!). If I decide to swap I will most certainly be writing a letter to my current vet practice to explain that they have lost a customer due to their high prices.

Even the receptionist sounded a bit stunned when she told me how much it cost. I could hear it in her voice that she was hoping I wouldn't make a fuss. Well, there's no point shooting the messenger, is there?

I agree with many of you that the vets have us pet owners over a barrel. When I spoke with the animal rescue centre that the hens' gubbins is going to, they were saying that they were bursting at the seams and that the first thing many people have to give up in a recession is their pet, and I can see why.

Anyway. I have a bottle of wine in the fridge, which was a present from a friend, so I might have a glass to steady my nerves (;)) as it's a Friday night.

Thank you to Kittie and RAS for preventing me running down to the cashpoint and drawing out all my money .... :eek: As I don't even have £1000 in savings I don't think the Government are going to be sweating at the thought of compensating me if my bank fails :rotfl:

Have a good weekend, toughies.

ETA Roseanna79, no problem. xx

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

Anybody see the news about Moody downgrading the RBS and Lloyds?

Yep....and it included my bank on the list - even though it aint a bank..its a building society...

Was not a happy bunny and came back home muttering to myself "Betrayed is the first word that will come to mind for someone who has planned their finances as carefully as I have if anything ever goes belly up"....and am now arguing myself back into "If Society even let down people who have planned as well as all that and always taken the most secure option - then it aint gonna last in its present form much longer---and surely THAT wouldnt happen...so SHUT UP ceridwen/hush your mouth. Even the 1930s only affected some - and they must have been the ones who didnt plan/took the less secure option/etc/etc...so stop worriting woman".

Now - I've given myself that "little lecture" for the day....time to plan dinner...butternut squash for the basis of....

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

SQUEAKY - I'll "blame" you and Kittie between you for turning my attentions to Kindle my lad...well I've had initial glance at accompanying leaflet to date and thought "looks like it should be pretty easy to operate - thanks to getting that 3G model"...goes off to summons up some more nerve to look into it further...

Lionel_Blair

RAS wrote: »

Please do not cause unnecessary panic here or elsewhere.

The Government raised the limit for single holding to £50,000 a few years ago and last autumn the protected limit was raised to £85,000.

So you savings are safe up to that limit.

The one to watch for is that some of the takeovers mean that companies have amalgated their credit licences and the £85,000 is per credit licence, as I understand it.

So if you have holding savings or other money in two or three branded organisations that are owned by the same parent company, you need to know if they have separate licences.

If they are separate, your money are safe to the limit of £85,000 per institution but if they share a licence you are only covered for one lot of £85,000.

Long time lurker here but your post has brought me out of the shadows!

I am concerned you have mentioned about panic causing, yes you are right to do so, but let me say this. In all my many years of being in the banking sector I have never seen nor experienced anything so bad for so long. RAS - there will be hardly if any takeovers, banks are shoring up their capital and are having to separate their business from 'normal' banking conditions to investments with a fire wall being put in between. Effectively anyone who has investments will stand lose the whole lot! If you think that there are going to be takeovers then I would interested to read of them. The fact is the government is preparing to allow a certain amount of building societies to fail - that is a given!

Yes she may have got the figure wrong, but what happens if this country goes down the slippery slope that Greece is currently experiencing - it's a long shot and we have some considerable way to go before that happens, but in truth these guarantees are only safe while the government remains solvent!

Kittie and RAS, with all due respect I really don't think that you are grasping how serious this situation really is, quantative easing is the last resort to kick start the economy, we are in stagflation - Stagnant economy and rising out of control inflation. Quantative easing means that inflation will rise higher and that means you - the end consumer - will see this in the price you pay for your goods. This is actually worse than 2008 in some respects because Moody's and Standard and Poor abjectly failed to downgrade certain banks even though they saw a perfect storm brewing and failed to act in 2008 but have done so this time around.

HariboJunkie

mardatha wrote: »

I was thinking. ....Remember way back early in the year the Icelandic volcano that disrupted flights... there were links online to past years this had happened and how it always caused famine in Scotland. There were years called things like "the year of no summer" etc. It might be this that has caused us to have no fruit and no berries , and not just the weather ?

The wild berries here (brambles, sloes and raspberries) did really well this year with monstrous fruits although the brambles were slow to ripen. The same can't be said for my cultivated crops so I'll just blame that on the volcano.

Smileyt...That does seem excessive. Our last cat was euthenised at home which they charged extra for but it was still only £60ish.

westcoastscot wrote: »

lovely morning here but the gales are back again,rain pelting down.
WCS

We had a stunning day here until about 4pm (which strangely coincided with my MIL coming over from your direction) :think::silenced::D Then the heavens opened and we were deluged for half an hour. Sunny again but the wind is picking up where it left off yesterday.

Our next door neighbour is chipping the last of the felled wood so that will go in the hens run tommorrow. :j It's the 2 week half term here but my kids are away for the first week so OH and I shall mostly be decorating the bedroom and hall. Having great [STRIKE]flaming rows[/STRIKE] civilised debates over the colours. :rotfl:

Hope the house hunting went well VJsMum. More and more folk are buying second homes up here to put their pension pot into. :cool: I'm like you Kittie and don't set too much store by the significance of Moody's rating. Both my bank, my mortgage provider are on the list as well as our business bank but I'm not stuffing the mattress with cash just yet.

parsonswife8

So sorry to read your post smileyt..it's a da*n disgrace, that amount of money.:mad: