make do and mend for tougher times

bossymoo

monnagran wrote: »

who were given no money at all from before Christmas to the beginning of February.

That's just awful. My husband died in November, I called to cancel his DLA, which had only just been awarded. The young man was very helpful, and took me through everything, including tax credits. What he didn't tell me was that would suspend my claim, a month before Christmas, with two toddlers and a funeral to pay for. It was the end of January before I got a new notice, stress I really didn't need at the time, but thankfully I had other means of supporting us.

I was aghast at how there was no "fast track" for bereaved claims, I was just told I was a single mum now, and had to start again.

I kept thinking how awful it would be if I had no other money and no family to help, but the reality is there are young widows out there with young children, exactly in that situation. It beggars belief.

Popperwell

bossymoo wrote: »

That's just awful. My husband died in November, I called to cancel his DLA, which had only just been awarded. The young man was very helpful, and took me through everything, including tax credits. What he didn't tell me was that would suspend my claim, a month before Christmas, with two toddlers and a funeral to pay for. It was the end of January before I got a new notice, stress I really didn't need at the time, but thankfully I had other means of supporting us.

I was aghast at how there was no "fast track" for bereaved claims, I was just told I was a single mum now, and had to start again.

I kept thinking how awful it would be if I had no other money and no family to help, but the reality is there are young widows out there with young children, exactly in that situation. It beggars belief.

Morning Meme and BM,
Agree with what both of you say and couldn't put it better myself...

fuddle

Good luck Mr Possession, hope you both got some sleep.

Meme, your band of brothers post was lovely

Katie aw look at Bhodie, what a little treasure. I hope today is a less stressful day for you.

Monngran, well done on reaching the end

Off to go catch up on the headlines while I sup my cuppa. I have a fleecey blanket on this morning, there's a nip today.

I sowed spring cabbage last month so want to find out what veg I can sow in August. Also going to look for fruit bushes. I need to take a couple of cuttings of my black current too.

Edit:

guardian - zero growth forcast, under pressure to ease austerity

Can I ask, what did Gordon Brown do to people's pensions?

GreyQueen

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

Fuddle - I always take a stick with me when blackberrying or collecting sloes - one with a good hooked handle - vital for slashing down nettles and hooking down the best berries, which are always out of reach. Also very handy for seeing off nosey coos !

This is exactly right. An old-fashioned walking stick, the kind with a curved handle, is just perfect for berrying. And if you wear stout shoes and sturdy trousers (jeans perhaps) you should laugh at the nettles.

My stolen-from-somewhere-I-can't-recall-where preferred berrying receptacle is a 4 or 6 pint milk bottle cut down across the shoulders to open the top up widely but still leave the handle attached. It's perfect as most of us will have once been picking berries into a bowl or a marg tub, knocked the edge and spilt the lot.

Meme30, lovely post, couldn't agree more.

Katie thanks for posting Bhodi's pic, what a sweetie. I love that dark brindled sort of colour. I know several people with Staffies, most rescued, and they're all as soft as butter and very child-friendly.

Mar, I have only 3 boxes of teabags on the premises (hangs head in shame) so will fold. I once played poker with pals for a laugh and am useless at it..........:rotfl:

It was kezlou who was performing as part of the Olympics opening ceremony, wasn't it? I haven't seen her posting lately but I guess she may be busy with other Olympic stuff. Hopefully, she'll pop back and tell us how it went.

I forced myself offline early yesterday evening and actually got some housework done. Go, me! Such a bore but necessary.

Fuddle, what Gordon Brown did, when he was chancellor, was change the tax relief on company pensions which effectively killed the final salary company pension overnight. Most schemes were closed to new employees and a lot have closed, full stop. As a result, many millions of people in those schemes will be a lot poorer than they anticipated in their old age. He also flogged off the nation's gold reserves cheaply when the world price for gold was at a historic low. He always used to tick me off because when things went well, economically, it was usually because of global economic events, and he'd claim it was his Prudence. When they went badly, it wasn't his fault because it was the fault of global ecomonic events beyond his control.

Prudence was presumably deep in the gin at that point and not giving a four-ecks.:p

Ach well, thank goodness for tea or I'd been even more of a crabby so-and-so than I am already..........:rotfl: I have washed my hair which is hanging all over my face like a tragic mop-head as it evaporates dry. The joys of solo living mean that you can look like the cat dragged in before you face the rest of the world and no one gives you grief about it.

Have a good day, everybody. GQ x

grandma247

A funny from an email this morning.


I was visiting my son last night when I asked if I could borrow a newspaper.

"This is the 21st century Mom," he said. "We don't waste money on newspapers anymore. Here, use my iPad."

I tell you what, that doggone fly never knew what hit it...........

Cheapskate

Morning all

meme30 - your words ring very true! I know people in various financial states, from doing quite nicely to on the brink of bankruptcy, different work situations and education backgrounds, yet we're all more or less on the same page - that being one chapters ahead of the Westminster gated complex!

Our income will be, at best, static for the next 6 to 12 months, yet my gas has just gone up from £70 to £74 a month, despite being £18 in credit? :mad: DD, who's 23, pleading poverty again, and of course it's not her fault, and we've loaned her another £170 this week, which I can ill afford. I say loaned, but I'm not expecting anything back soon!

Pension question - I have one with the LA, the job I'm just leaving, so that will be suspended, I've just started one with the new job (NHS), can I start a small private one, or are they like ISAs, just one at a time? TIA

I don't post much, but always read this thread and others, a combination of despair at all the sorrow on here but delight that this "band of brothers" is holding up those about to fall! :j

Have a good morning all.

A xo

Popperwell

I've already been to the supermarket and done my shopping for the day and had a cup of coffee...

From my blog...

You Must Eat Pops...

That's what a few people have said when I have posted how little I have been eating some days but I always eat well or try to and have variety. But it would appear that smaller portions and restricting calories to some extent is starting to show positive health signs. It appears during times of great hardship when people were poor or food was not as abundant life expectancy actually increased.

There is some research being carried out which means you eat one meal of 600 calories one day and then eat whatever you like the next day.

A documentary has been aired here where the presenter decided to do two days of fasting and eating more on the other five days. He has lost but maintained weight but has seen dramatic reductions in all the things that can harm you from glucose, cholesterol etc...so perhaps what I have been doing unknowingly has not harmed me but probably done me some good.

So just maybe I'll carry on as I have been or might do it on a more official footing. So that's 600 calories say each day(mon/tues)wed to sun approx 2,000calories daily.

What do you think:pIt really does seem to work...not a fad...

Florence22

Hi Everyone,

Like Monnagran I have just caught up too so feel I can actually post now!

I would really like to thank all of you for keeping me (and I suspect many others also lurking), going since I found the last thread in January and couldn't stop reading.
You have all kept me smiling and hopeful and determined to plough on after a particularly bad time and have brightened my days and nights with recipes, tips, warmth and sheer bravery in the face of the most dreadful things that life tends to throw at us all - a kick up the backside really for me, I've learned such a lot, thank you so much :A:A:A

I wish I had something helpful to add but I am still learning from you all! The only thing I can offer just now is for PAH: I would think that the problem with your machine would be the bobbin tension, the site grandma linked to explains really well how to sort it out. If not, then as GreyQueen suggested, could be the feed dog teeth.
Best of luck with it, and to all of you with the problems you're grappling with xxx

Popperwell

I won't turn into an alcholic but I have discovered White Rum combined with other flavours and I prefer it to wine and cider/larger, they are smaller, not quite as strong but taste nicer so whilst I can I came back with a box 12 Bacardi Breezers but actually saved £5 doing it that way and I got some similar items...some will be put into my store room.

My lottery tickets(plus Euromillions)I'd won twice on earlier tickets so that paid for the new tickets...

I had to pay £4.99 for each of them but got three fleece blankets, pink, grey and blue. Another crate for my store room.

Three dishes of vegetable medley, broccali cheese and Colcannon for £5 serve two but if I halve the portions and save them in the fridge/freezer I can get more meals out of them and get the price down further.

Some fancy yoghurts, some pouring yoghurt instead of milk and some fruit juice. Bread and some bread buns...

Will tidy up later and throw some rubbish out and plant some pansies and marigolds in Mum's garden...

The sky looks a bit suspect...

I'll lie here and doze...

Popperwell

Nice to see you Florence and thank you...Join in the more the merrier:)