make do and mend for tougher times

prepareathome

Mrs L please don't think I assume all pensioners are wealthy, far from it, as I said I only know the finances of one pensioner my friend who is on full benefits and I know she is comfortable even if she will not have it. I know many many more like you have to struggle......just being over the limit is always worse than being below it for whatever benefit......

Hugs and Love xxxx

[Deleted User]

PAH - the biggest thing is I've always had is the idea that we look after our own by our own efforts wherever possible, I've been so poor that we've had to collect lemonade bottles for the deposits, (admittedly when a child), or we didn't eat. I've been lucky enough to never have had to claim benefit, and we've got all we have by sheer hard work. We don't consider ourselves anything but rich in the things we care about. We grow our own food and if we couldn't I'd be out foraging and doing the street markets as they close , or skip diving at the supermarket etc. etc. etc. - what you cannot say about us is we depend on the state or anyone else for a single thing. Long may it continue. I know you aren't having a pop at me personally, but I know lots of people just like us, we're not all dependents!!! Cheers Lyn xxx.

westcoastscot

Some really interesting and thoughful contributions today - Kittie I do hope I haven't contributed to your feeling bad - I certainly never intended that.

I guess its a many-facetted problem isn't it? I do wonder about the automatic exemption of pensioners though - what with equal rights and all - but nevertheless the reality is that too few people are paying council tax to cover too many services for a growing population - and I'm not sure what we can do about that. Yes, vulnerable people will be protected, but the exta burden placed on people by the perceived threat of this could prove disasterous. As for the so-called "bedroom tax" it shows a lack of planning - in our area there are no small homes, in fact there is a dearth of social housing altogether so the option of a smaller house is not there which in reality takes away any concept of choice or consequence.

For me personally, I'm trying to get my life into such a position where I am self-reliant as much as I can be, although with deteriorating health that is becoming more and more difficult. I too am an optimist, and it's lovely to see sho many like minded folks sharing on this thread, albeit from totally different backgrounds in terms of life-experience and living conditions.

Perhaps we need to bring the discussion back around to how to survive the changes? We don't want to lose either our thread or any contributers do we??

WCS

ginnyknit

Basically its bl**dy awful out there, none of us are rich and so we struggle. I didnt intend to stop work at 50 and care for hubby, I wanted to carry on building a nest egg whilst enjoying life as a couple whose kids have flown and grown. Reality is Im here, Ds is back and saving like mad for a rented house which probably doesnt exist. he is working all the hours god sends as a manager with no pay rises to look forward to. DD is slogging her guts out at Mr M because she cannot get a chefs job and trying to bring up DGS and misses him every minute she works - of course she could give up work but she doesn't want to.

So all we have is the grim determination to get through the very best we can, with good food, full cupboards and have a laugh when possible. Everyone who posts has a part to play in our war on want and calling in here keeps me motivated as does sharing everyones ups and downs.

Can some one please post a link for a halogen oven as its next on my shopping list, I dont use the oven much due to the cost but would love to do more - and on that note am off to bake the scones I mixed at 5 am this morning - not been to bed at all so am running on auto pilot ..wish me luck with the scones hugs ginny

fuddle

You know for a learner/newbie this is all inspiring stuff. That's me, that's what I want. I want to depend on me and me alone, not even DH to a point. Me.

halogen oven ginnyknit http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-James-Deluxe-Halogen-Warranty/dp/B002LYJP5E/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1344342655&sr=8-5 the one I'm waiting today for. I'm about to leave for the library craft session with the girls and worry that when I get back I will a missed delivery card through the door.

PhGage

Byatt wrote: »

Phgage, here's an example my council have giving for the following...[/B]

I've now read through the document. It would be very helpful if my Council had provided any examples in the same way as Byatt's Council did but they haven't. The so-called Easy Guide isn't at all: it discusses tapers and a raft of premiums etc. as if everyone already knows how those work.

I've now found what our Council Tax is for next year: judging by Council tax levels set by local authorities in England 2012-3 it's quite a bit above average.

My household doesn't have CTB, so we 'only' have to budget for next year's CT increase (effectively, we don't have anything above that to lose). I don't know how some people who currently receive full CTB for a Band D will be able to find that extra £300+ if they're not in one of the exempted groups. £6 a week extra is a lot when people have already cut their spending down and they need to find more money to cover travel to work and other increases.

Possession

It certainly seems time that more one bedroom properties are built doesn't it, particularly in social housing developments. There are loads of new houses around here and definitely some one bedroom properties which I think are in demand, but it would seem more are needed. I guess one problem is that one bedroom properties can be quite transitional, perhaps used when a couple have split up and one person moves into a 1 bedroom property, then sooner or later starts another family unit and moves. But that means there is probably a good buy-to-let market in one bedroom properties and doesn't preclude them being built.
One thing's for sure, when/if DH gets a job again we are going to pour everything possible - after he restarts a pension - into paying off our mortgage earlier so that we're in a better position for when it all goes wrong again.

ginnyknit

Thanks fuddle, thats a great price, I might be able to scrape the dosh together for that next week! It also stops me worrying about my cooker giving up the ghost as its a reconditioned one.

Am busy chaning the curtains in the living room, the ones I made from the stashed fabric. Have scrubbed the frames and washed the nets and it looks much better now. just got to move everything (wool) and do the back window then I think I must sit down for a while and ponder - olympic team ponderer you know :rotfl:

greent

My mil is another pensioner who seems to think that she is on the breadline. She is only just a pensioner (4 months ago) and was on benefits before that (incapacity) (Hasn't worked in nearly 30 years and then mainly cash in hand part time bits and pieces) She has full housing benefit (inc discretionary award because she lives in a 2 bed property), full CTB, free prescriptions, a motability car (so only pays fuel - and does about 1500 miles in it a year - mainly used to go to the shops and back most days (less than a 2 mile trip). She smokes. She cannot see that she is better off than many (she has? higher rate DLA and some other top up thing she's told me about) As far as I can see, she has to pay for (essential wise) food, heat and water. Property is leasehold and the management company pick up all gardening bills (the landlord pays the ground rent to management co) Theoretically she should be reasonable (property has new bathroom, double glazing and 7 year old kitchen, so is in fair condition and LL redecorates - due next year) but spends far too much money on convenience foods (inc too many family sized snacks for a single diabetic)

Whilst a lot of her clothes are bought at charity shops, she will happily buy several things each week from them (all adds up) She's now moaning because she doesn't have a flat screen tv....

ETA: I know that there are lots of pensioners who are on the breadline - don't get me wrong

kidcat

looking at amazon for halogen ovens and they have the one fuddle posted and another for £10 more but I cant see what the difference is other than warranty?