A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

kidcat

When we took our mortgage we had to quote our pension age - mortgage adviser said no idea why, by then it will be at least 70 before pension kicks in

katieowl_2

3v3 wrote: »

We do enjoy a bottle of wine once or thrice a week (ok, sometimes four) but with it being expensive and now on the luxury list, savings have been made as it's now officially off the shopping list. Going to keep my eye out in the charity shops for any home wine making stuff and then dig out my mother's recipes for nettle wine (my garden grows those in abundance) and pototo peel wine. May take a while to hunt down the equipment via charity shops but I'm not prepared to pay full whack for it; plus, it will cast me back to my childhood and the rhythmic: plop-plop-plop-plop of the fermentation process :rotfl:

G'night Toughies; another day survived, sleep until revived

I've got another suggestion...actually ASK in the charity shops...I did that in several of ours, and they said they'd keep their eyes peeled, and the last shop I asked in the lady said she'd a load of demi-johns in her way at home and she'd be very happy to give them to me if I was going to use them. We met up in a car park locally about a week later and she gave me 6 demi's and wouldn't take a penny from me!

I've also fished demi johns and glass cider bottles, you know those ones with a loop, out of glass recycling bins at the tip. Those cider ones being a bit smaller are really handy for sloe gin and the such like.

Kate

Mrs_Chip

I made this wine years ago, it's dead easy and iirc it was not half bad!

Byatt

gardenia101 wrote: »

Just popped in to say that my claim for ESA will continue & will be reviewed next year :j

Like a lot of people on disability/sickness benefits I was secretly terrified that I'd be found "normal" & put onto JSA. But the system has worked well for me - I am genuinely less able to work than a person who isn't partially sighted, I have said this on my forms & this has been agreed at my medical assessment just over a week ago. I'm staying in the work related activity group & hoping to get more practical advice & help to find a job. (Which is where it all goes a bit pear shaped for me).

I hope that everyone else worrying about a similar situation can take some comfort from my experience - although it must be "easier" for ATOS to deal with a "disability" (how I struggle with that label) like mine that is fairly obvious. You are either partially sighted or not, as you wouldn't get registered as such by an ophthalmologist if you weren't.

Impressed with the speed of the whole thing too - just over 2 weeks from the 'phone call to arrange the medical to getting my result today. Now if they could just manage to send the result letter in large print so that I could actually read it.....

Off to catch up, wine in hand (so spelling may deteriorate in later posts :rotfl:)

It is a relief isn't it. I am in the working group. Had to fill in another form just 3 months after my medical, so was a bit worried. Got a letter yesterday, basically the same as the first time, saying I needed to have interviews at the job centre, which I have been going to anyway, so think it must be a standard letter. Think also it was done as i asked for permitted work clearance.

Starting a 5 week course for improving confidence etc next week.

I think I started something with mentioning the pension age When I was married we concentrated on my ex's potential pension paying into private or company schemes. Stupid me. He now gets to retire earlier than me. I'm of the age where we were told we would retire at 60. I always paid full stamp (remember that?!) even when I got married. The man's pension was given priority and then of course I gave up "paid" employment to look after DD...now I do not have the opportunity to improve my pension situation and may well, with my health, not live long enough to enjoy retirement.

Do people remember how difficult it was for women even in the 70's to be married and working? I was always being told I was taking jobs from younger unmarried people. :eek:

lizzyb1812

scrabbles wrote: »

Thanks Kimsmum and Bitterandtwisted. I can get semi-skimmed most places but I was hoping to be able to get skimmed - I can only have around 25-30g fat per day, so every bit of fat makes a difference! But I suspected it might not be easy as I'd already checked the two biggest household names without success. Ah well.

It was you lot talking about cream a few pages back that got me - one of the sheets the dietician gave me suggested that you can whip very cold skimmed evaporated milk like cream, but obviously with a lot less fat! But lots of the info she gave me is obviously American and downloaded off the web, and the products aren't very easy to get hold of over here. And the waiting list is so long I'm not due to see her again until the end of April.

Honestly, sometimes I think I'd find it a lot easier to just buy a load of pre-packaged weightwatchers carp and live off that instead.

Scrabbles - if you have a strong enough stick blender you can whip cold skimmed milk into a topping for desserts. But it needs to be a really quick blender. Rosemary Conley is good for low fat eating as well - she originally designed the diet to avoid surgery on her gall bladder.

Getting colder and colder here. Luckily once I did check the gas usage it was within my monthly payment despite having the heating on for part of the day so I'll carry on with what I'm doing now. I'm sure the winter prep I did is helping a lot.

Another one here who had a pension age of 60 that was moved to 65 then 66 . I've got a small frozen NHS pension but don't know when I'll get that or if the proposed changes to NHS pay will affect the timing. Currently looking for part time work - should contact the local agency but I know they will want me to do roles more senior than I want because of my qualifications. Doing that burnt me out 15 months ago and I don't want to go back to that. Hey, ho, onward and upward.

Stay warm everyone.

prepareathome

Byatt wrote: »

PAH, I may be stating the obvious but did you make sure your checked the box for being a woman? I know when I did it the other day I forgot and of course it was higher for being a man. I nearly had a fit! :eek:

Nope its correct, went back and did it again its 66 now so another 11 years of battling to for ESA or as I told specialist on Monday I live in hope that he will find a cure and I can go back to work though heavens knows as what, doubt there is much call for a nearly 60 year old archaeologist with no real experience as took ill during degree. I had given up work to homeschool youngest son and decided to do degree while doing this as didn't want to go back to old job, to much stress. Mind you harder for hubby as rumour is getting stronger in his place that firm will close within two years, usually management quash these type of rumours but this time they are staying quiet and who is going to employ a 60 year old guy..

On the kitchen front I also have a galley kitchen, although still small much better since we had in modernised 3 years ago as there was a big 6ft outside coal cupboard that took up half the space so getting rid of that and making the space part of kitchen at least doubled the size. We also had one of those 6 in wide cupboards that went along one wall with hot water tank in corner, apart from the water tank kitchen was still c1932 when house was built) I drove designer mad ( mind you he was thick told him I wanted was going to have a separate hob and oven and he kept giving me designs with oven underneath hob, he eventually got the idea I wanted a wall mounted oven and he then started coming up with good ideas. Programme he used on his laptop was fab he just put in size of kitchen, what appliances I wanted in it and it worked out everything else, they made the cupboards to fit, so he just put in how many and where and it told him sizes. So I do have WM;DW;TD;FF ( with MW on top, its not a full size FF), wall oven and hob. My chest freezer lives in hall as only place it could go, as original was smaller and lived under stairs but this is a bigger one. All my kitchen knives are on a magnetised strip above hob. I have on side with sink a big one piece work top ( they broke two getting it in as space for sink made sides round it weak) on which lives bread storer, steamer and two scs on one side of sink and kettle and tea things on other as its smaller. Other side I have two small worktops either side of hob with cups, utensils holder and rolling pin on one side and other side tends to be dumping ground although kenwood mini grinder does live there. I have one of those wooden kitchen trolleys at end where BM lives and is used there and shelves below hold oven ware/ food mixer and blender and wine rack has any old bottles in it although at moment there is actually wine there. I have a what is meant to be a pantry at other end but had to have window bricked up as it was just damp but it only has one shelf so have put one of those 5 drawer plastic units on it and store my baking and soup things ( dry goods) there and veg is kept at bottom. I have 5 single bottom cupboards and I double wall cupboard and 3 single ones. Still no room, so have a bookcase in study as my storage area, but need more space as also now have 2 big plastic boxes full of stuff like pasta there but then where to put the books. Oh forgot the double one under sink which holds cleaning bits and bobs. Tops of cupboards are used - double wall one holds all spare light bulbs and other single ones have all my spare glass jars, flasks, teapots and coffee jugs. Don't have a hood over hob as want to one day get a good one but just now because of dogs back door always being opened so smells soon go so would be more an ornament just now.

We don't have a dining room so dining table is in alcove next to fireplace in LR, luckily its deep enough and do have one built in cupboard that has wooden doors below then an open area then shelves with glass doors above but that is filled totally with books - they go back 3 deep and ones piled on top, to many books in this house, but those ones especially are ones I will never give away. Would love a unit in there to hold dishes or even store tins etc., but window a bay and tv lives there and only small walls at side, other main wall has radiator with big couch in front of it, other main wall has small couch with a small corner unit and cabinet ( both used to store CD/DVDs beside it and a smaller couch but if I put something behind it then couch will jut right out into room and look daft. We have a trolley ( was my parents they got it as an engagement present and I got it when mum died as I had always loved it), it has three shelves on it and have thought of using bottom two for tins but they would be on show and don't want that and don't fancy putting something over it to hide them, so they have books on them, top has plants, on one side of big couch and fishy in his tank on small table on other side. Big space in middle of room but my treadmill is there now in front of fireplace as its not used ( horrible gas fire is hidden there behind fire screen), one day will clear study and treadmill can go up there, don't do coffee tables they annoy me.

Gosh where has time gone, going to have a cuppa. Oh had one cigarette today, while typing this actually, being on here is my downfall, can cope not smoking anywhere else.

Hugs to all


Compared to what I had before its luxury but amazing how soon you feel its still not enough, although I still totally adore my new kitchen.

prepareathome

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

Scrabbles
Another one here who had a pension age of 60 that was moved to 65 then 66 . I've got a small frozen NHS pension but don't know when I'll get that or if the proposed changes to NHS pay will affect the timing. Currently looking for part time work - should contact the local agency but I know they will want me to do roles more senior than I want because of my qualifications. Doing that burnt me out 15 months ago and I don't want to go back to that. Hey, ho, onward and upward.

Stay warm everyone.

You reminded me I have a small extra pension from when I was in Air Traffic Control, it was to be paid with my state pension at 60, so I think maybe a call to the CAA might be in order to find out if I will still get that at 60 as I paid into it, so my money not theirs. I remember they gave me a paper when I left with all the details on, but where it is now heaven knows not seen it in years. Thanks for reminding me:)

HariboJunkie

3v3 wrote: »

I'm not so sure I agree with that.
Until 18mths ago I lived in a 1930's house. Lovely sized sitting room, same sized dining room and a teeny kitchen. In the '30's the majority of food was cooked from scratch in these tiny kitchens.

A 1930's kitchen required a sink, a cooker, a fold down type table and came with a built in larder (very roomy! I know because when I moved it, it was used as a coat/shoe cupboard, but when I rearranged everything *all* the food which had been kept in kitchens modern cupboards fitted very neatly in my one proper larder. Cooking from scratch for your 1930's housewife meant shopping for fresh dairy/veg/meat daily or at least every other day. No boilers, radiators, food mixers, toasters, fridges, washing machines, coffee makers, bread machines, food processors, microwaves cluttering up the work surfaces, walls and floor spaces.

I now live in a 1950's house (which has a lovely big kitchen - well, twice the size of the 1930's house. By now refridgerators were coming into vogue but still a built in larder came with the property.

By the 1980's, the "Wimpy Houses" were designed with modern families in mind (2.4 children, both parents out working) who were fast becoming meal assemblers and de-skilling themselves as people who cooked from scratch and were buying up "labour saving" devices, but with little space to put them into.

A good "cook" can prepare a hearty meal on nothing more than one hotplate if need be

Completely agree with this. I too am in a 20s house which had a tiny kitchen, and a big parlour which we have knocked through to create a kitchen/diner/family room. My previous house had a really small kitchen and although that was pre children I definitely considered myself a "proper" cook. I think that a kitchen size is irrelevant when it comes to affecting your ability to cook and size is only important when it comes to how many people are using it. If I was single in a teeny kitchen I'd be fine, and I'd still cook properly. It's just my lovely family who would clutter it up. :rotfl:

I am finally making headway here with a project I have been procrastinating about for ages so I feel like January hasn't been nearly as depressing as usual. Weather permitting, OH and I will be reparing storm damage in the garden this weekend and I shall be using his brute strength to help get it ready for spring planting. :j

Freeeeeeeezing here tonight so I am snuggled infront of the stove and OH has kindly taken the dog out for me. Early night when he gets back.

Take care everyone. I am reading but lacking the time to post every day. x

Edited to add. Brilliant news gardenia101. What a relief that must be. x

prepareathome

gardenia101 that is great news. I sent my ESA form in early December ( transferring from IB) and not heard anything yet about my medical, so trying to just live day to day, and make the most of my IB each fortnight for buying extras we could do with or stocking up as I know it might stop although charity benefits advisor told me if I was refused I would go down to £64 I think it is a week while I appealed, so at least that would be better than nothing and actually would bring us down to CTB range, and appeals when I spoke to him in Nov last year were taking 2 years. As I am married I don't think I could claim JSA so if I lose it that is it, as no way I could work, how I wish.

As for me growing my own vegetables, one of the reasons apart from lack of space in greenhouse - no where to put another one as cannot put it on side garden as you need planning permission to put any thing permanent on it ( and as its so open anything out there is likely to go walkies, I know plants will be at risk hence me planting the bushes but this year no protection and no room in back garden its on a steep slope and plastic one I have is propped up on one side to stay up and patio very narrow. Another reason is even if had space I could not tend and check them daily, last year lots died as couldn't get out there for days. Having the plants just ready to put in ground means I only need to get out there once a week and weed, if I can will do it more even hubby can water them if we ever have a dry day. The garden faces south - the window I took photo from faces south, so its south to side road and east to main road where tree and broken fence is ( where another tree fell down a few years ago) so it will have light all day. It is fairly level but I have to go up steps to reach it as it is actually on a hill, just was flattened down when house was built. Ground level on side garden is about 4ft above ground level on house. The pavement on main road side actually does slope down gently so ground still a bit sloping but at least it means water runs off just unfortunately to my left front garden.

Right I better shut up posted on here more than enough, will keep quiet now and go back to reading,

Hugs to all

smileyt_2

I'll be 67 when I retire. Another 24 and a half years. Oh well. I can't imagine doing the job I'm doing when I'm 67 - notetaking for students. Who will want to employ a creaky old woman with only partial hearing?

Never mind - you can't tell what's around the corner so I'm just taking each day as it comes. What else can we do?

It's chilly tonight ... I'm going to try filling hot water bottles for my dogs as I'm sure they feel the cold when it's so nippy outside. I hope they don't burst them .... I won't be best pleased if I have to mop up a mini-flood at two in the morning .... :rotfl: