make do and mend for tougher times

recoverydust

PS Here's your Quote of the Day, from a certain worthy gentleman called Aneurin (Nye) Bevan, who is no doubt rotating in his grave at considerably faster than 33 rpm:

No amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.

And that was over 50 years ago, people. I'm off to get some rat poison, myself.

and so say all of us.... maybe ....
xxx

Possession

What a ridiculous situation. DH is getting stressed through having too many job interviews. He has another tomorrow (for a job he really wants), a recruitment agent on Friday and two more interviews being arranged and they keep clashing with each other. I'm trying to get him to look on the bright side which is that employers want to interview him but he isn't seeing it at the moment, nervous for tomorrow I think. Surely he has to get a job out of this?!!

recoverydust

Possession - its great he's having interviews
good luck to him in the one tomorrow
xx

silvasava

Just a thought after reading all the superb posts today - why do we need so many MP's? Could we not have one per county? That would help
towards the deficeit & maybe a few redundant MP's would galvanise the ones left to get their finger out! Failing that I'm sitting in the front row with Mardatha - I'll be the one in the red hat

[Deleted User]

Morning toughies, We are pensioners, I only have basic state pension as I stayed at home for the children. We payed the necessary stamps for me to get me a full pension at the cost of lifes luxuries. It seemed like sense at the time. DH does have a private pension, but it's not huge. We do own the house but only because we lived frugally, did not spend every penny we earned on holidays, meals, designer clothes etc. We saved incredibly hard when we had a spell abroad with the company not like the other ex-pats who spent all thier money on holidays and living the high life. We paid off the mortgage!!! When we had done this, we continued putting the same amount of money as the mortgage cost into savings. We have worked and damned hard at that, to get where we are now. We still have to work hard at all the things that make our life comfortable, never anywhere near easy or luxurious - we make every saving that we possibly can in all aspects of life and make what we do have go as far as it is possible to go!! I don't think you can tar every pensioner with the same brush, as in all stages of life there will always be those who work the system, and others who try as hard as they can to make out on thier own, and provide themselves with a viable future. Survival instinct can be learned, sometimes the hard way - it isn't easy, but it's incredibly rewarding. We shall all make the best of whatever life throws at us because we have the best support group possible right on here. It isn't going to be easy street for anyone!!!!!!! Lyn.

stiltwalker

If only we were in charge!! Seems to be a bunch of sensible and level headed types on here, some excellent and very well written posts.

Just checked our council site and apparently we have the largest percentage of pensionable/vulnerable claimants in England at 60% so it seems as if everyone else may have to bear a bigger burden around here :eek: Options being drawn up, public consultations expected by Sept. Will keep a close eye in case I need to start making placards!

It won't affect us personally as since DD got DLA and consequently our tax credits went up we don't qualify anymore (we were only getting a little bit of CT benefit) and we'd count as vulnerable because of the kids' disabilities but that's no reason not to get stroppy about it on other's behalf.

Byatt

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17139088

Haven't checked the credentials of the info myself as yet, but interesting.
I don't believe most people are work shy, there are the those that take advantage of a system which has always been human nature.

I know of people who are doing lots of little jobs with great effort, paid minimum wage and don't earn enough to pay tax on their income for the year, but they are working all the time, or looking for work, traveling to work...they work long, unsociable hours because the work they can get, care work or bar/cafe work is unsociable. Professional people who cannot get full time work.

Having a survival instinct has its extremes too and I believe as humans we all have it. Some people's instinct's mean they get what they can when they can, they survive by any means that they feel is justfied in their eyes. Many women sell their bodies to survive, to provide for their families...many people survive by mowing down others... definition of survival is individual.

The very act of survival can imply doing things we wouldn't normally do to take care of our families.

My cushion was the belief I would always be able to take care of myself, I would always be able to find work, I would always be healthy. I would always, always have a home because I had struggled and sacrificed and stayed in a job I hated, and did all the right things, prepared in every way for every eventuality. By doing things in the right way and as previous govts have suggested, then surely my future security was guaranteed? edit: don't mean to make that sound as if it's the govts fault (past or present), just didn't take into account my life partner's bastwerdness. :rotfl::rotfl:

Mrs L, I didn't have designer clothes, holidays or anything either, but wish to goodness I had now!! And I paid full stamp at a time when the extra money would have been useful. I'm not bitter, I'm not bitter...:p another edit, it's lovely that you and your partner/OH were on the same page and it makes such a difference, you both deserve all you have, well done. I love the thought of you working together to make your future secure.

fuddle

MrsL all of his has had me thinking recently about really getting to grips to get our own place again. I was always hopeful of my own home as a want, now I'm looking at it as a need for retirement.

Just how we're going to save a deposit I don't know but again, we have to try. There's still cuts to be made in our budget, I know there is.

[Deleted User]

You are a survivor FUDDLE - you have the moral courage to look life in the face and stare it down, don't beat yourself up over your own house, get your balance back first. You're doing so much better than just OK!!!!! It will happen - you just have to keep chipping away and BELIEVE!!!!! Cheers Lyn and Docky xxxxx.

Mrs_Chip

This makes very interesting reading - I fear many people will be facing such times again...

There is a lot of very interesting stuff on that site for anyone interested in social history.

ETA - I was referring to the section about 'Family Budgets' - click the link on the left of the page and the text on the right will go to it.