make do and mend for tougher times

Popperwell

Well, at least I have eaten at last(nothing exciting I'm afraid)sandwiches containing lettuce, tomato, gouda cheese, spring onion, cucumber and a packet of crisps and a small bottle of water. I've left my small custard pot with peaches in downstairs will get it soon. Its a little dessert to finish off with. I'm back under the duvet keeping warm just listening to the radio...been lazy all day really.

Then again not much to do.

westcoastscot

GreyQueen wrote: »

Hey, check this out:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/sep/16/unemployed-call-centre-website

Deliberately holding people in phone queues to make them claim online. Appalling.

they don't realise that yes - it's free to call from a landline but many vulnerable people don't have access to a landline so they're paying mobile prices to listen to messages telling them to use the internet (something else they don't have access to) - just marginalises people more and more - the gap between the haves and the have nots is widening isn't it?

WCS

SpikyHedgehog

fuddle wrote: »

MrsC you gotta try those breadbuns! Bloomin' lovely!! Possession I love peach cobbler and EV custard. So easy too.

Family have gone. I despair but won't bore you all with how they annoy the life out of me. Shesh!

I will say (and I love this thread!) that I was telling my sister that Tesco value baked beans were no longer available it seems. Her reply "Ergh, I don't buy cheap sh*te, I buy Branstons!" I replied "Oh, they're in Lidl for £1 aren't they?!" I could see her annoyance when she said "Maybe so, but ours are from Sainsbury's" Snotty mare :rotfl:

Also, my sister went on and on about her house hunting and that her budget goes up to £250K. My mam chirped up "our fuddle would just be pleased to get a terraced house but bless her, she can't even get that" :mad: I am very sensitive and do take things to heart but there's only one way to take that I feel, and yeah I took it as a dig. Back to lying low, back to my happy little life

Opps. I did bore you with the details

Chicken dinner for our tea tonight.

Transferred the blackberry wine to the demijohn. Smells really nice and is such a deep colour

Annoying sister day, I think... My sister is all about how poor she is & I felt really good the other week as I'd told her about MSE & Cheap Family Recipes, talked about saving money by not buying crisps etc when she can't afford them. Since my hours at work are down, baby sis had her cake & a voucher I'd won in the scouts raffle for a fish pedicure as her birthday presents, but she was pleased with them.

Younger sis (the skint 1) gave her nothing, grabbed loads of food, took cake home for her BF & step daughter. & had a big discussion with her kids about which are their favourite flavours of doritos. If you're so skint, don't buy doritos! Or tell me that you didn't bother looking up any of the links I took my time to help you with!

(Didn't want her on here anyway, couldn't moan about her... M'not sulking, my face has just fallen into a pout... Oh, ok, ignore my moaning, but I feel better for having told y'all ;-) !)

Smoosh wrote: »

I have a feeling this may turn into a bit of a vent, so apologies, just need to get some things out of my mind.

I feel like it's all my fault me and OH are struggling so much at the moment Last summer we moved and few hours away from our families and moved in together. And to everyone's surprise, even our own, we managed to set up a fairly stable home, we were both earning better money than we ever had before and things seemed to be ok. Then this year I started struggling with stress, anxiety and depression and realised a lot of that was down to my job. After being signed off for a few weeks, I decided to go to university - hopefully to make a better future for both of us. So, we had to move. I'm thankful that I get the biggest loan possible from student finance, but that just covers our rent, everything else has to come from OH's earnings. He managed to get offered 3 jobs when we moved down here, but now he's on minimum wage and only working 20 hours a week, which is certainly not enough to live off. He says he feels bad because he feels like he's not good enough, but I feel terrible because it's my fault we had to move and he put up with me when I was going through the depression.

Wow, sorry, gold star for whoever reads that. I need to stop moping and get over myself, I know it could be a lot worse.

Smoosh, it's not your fault!

Are you getting all the student finance you can? My course was paid for through work, so I didn't need a loan to pay for it, but I was able to get a non-repayable student grant based on Errant Husband's earnings, & once I'd got that I could apply for a bursary from my uni. Also, have you got a letter from uni to say you're a full time student so you don't have to pay council tax & OH can pay single person - in fact, as he's only working 20 hrs, you may be able to get some CT benefit.

Find out what help you can get. And find out from here how to make the best of what you have. You can do it!

GreyQueen wrote: »

Okay, quick Q for the lady persons (Popperwell and Nuatha are excused if they're reading).

How long does pain post-smear test usually last? This is day 5 for me and I'm getting really p*d off with abdominal and lower back pain, like monthly cramps. I may have to go down to the surgery tomorrow and grumble.

Thing is, I'm a redhead and we have a biologically-determined low pain theshold so not sure if this is normal/ abnormal or if I'm being a pathetic wimp. Help!

Get yourself to the doctors, missus, t' ain't right to be in pain still now. I have tummy ache for the rest of the day when I've had mine, but I've found it's worse the older I get.

Smoosh

SpikyHedgehog wrote: »

Annoying sister day, I think... My sister is all about how poor she is & I felt really good the other week as I'd told her about MSE & Cheap Family Recipes, talked about saving money by not buying crisps etc when she can't afford them. Since my hours at work are down, baby sis had her cake & a voucher I'd won in the scouts raffle for a fish pedicure as her birthday presents, but she was pleased with them.

Younger sis (the skint 1) gave her nothing, grabbed loads of food, took cake home for her BF & step daughter. & had a big discussion with her kids about which are their favourite flavours of doritos. If you're so skint, don't buy doritos! Or tell me that you didn't bother looking up any of the links I took my time to help you with!

(Didn't want her on here anyway, couldn't moan about her... M'not sulking, my face has just fallen into a pout... Oh, ok, ignore my moaning, but I feel better for having told y'all ;-) !)



Smoosh, it's not your fault!

Are you getting all the student finance you can? My course was paid for through work, so I didn't need a loan to pay for it, but I was able to get a non-repayable student grant based on Errant Husband's earnings, & once I'd got that I could apply for a bursary from my uni. Also, have you got a letter from uni to say you're a full time student so you don't have to pay council tax & OH can pay single person - in fact, as he's only working 20 hrs, you may be able to get some CT benefit.

Find out what help you can get. And find out from here how to make the best of what you have. You can do it!



Get yourself to the doctors, missus, t' ain't right to be in pain still now. I have tummy ache for the rest of the day when I've had mine, but I've found it's worse the older I get.

The amount I get is currently still based on my parents income (which is effectively 0 as they are retired) because I only finished sixth form 2 years ago and haven't been independent for 3 years. So, I do get the full maintenance loan and grant available. My uni say they automatically pay the bursary to people getting full student finance, so fingers crossed I should receive that next year too. I haven't been able to amend our council tax yet as I don't register at uni for another 2 weeks so I have to wait until then. I definitely want to look into if there's anything we can get help with with OH only working 20 hours per week, so council tax benefit would be a help. Thank you

prepareathome

Keep forgetting to say welcome smoosh:wave:

GQ I know you are most likely offline now but when you read this in the morning I agree with everyone, doctors asap as no way should you be in pain now and obviously is really bad wit you needing two hot water bottles. I hope you took the ibuprofen with food, they are not good on an empty tummy.

Caught up at last.

Finished my home made day by making hubby a jam sponge pudding cooked in microwave which he happily ate with custard.

Right going to have a bath, showers after I get up are all very well but nothing beats a bath in my book.:D

Hugs and Love to all xxxx

monnagran

Am exhausted with reading so am going to bed,

Smoosh - be warned. When you are catching up on this thread you have to read fast to try and overtake the posters who are notching up the pages as you read. You think you are just at the end and when you are reading the last page suddenly 2 more appear.

Night all

x

Softstuff

Gawd you lot can talk. I step out for five minutes and I come back having to read a volume of War and Peace to catch up! It's a good job they haven't taxed chat yet.

GreyQueen wrote: »

You should get together with Softstuff - she once described celery as tasting like Satan's armpit.:rotfl:

I stand by my statement. And if celeriac is related I won't tell you which bit of Satan it looks like it might taste like. And Fuddle, making a soup out of it turns it into Satans... ahem.

Fuddle, I'm afraid I too imagine you as Cinderella and them as the ugly sisters . I have a tendency to wind people up more if they're being stuck up. There's just no need for it. I've never figured out where taking a pride in paying over the odds for something comes from. Strikes me as insanity.

Hi Smoosh. We're not as well off as we could be here either after I quit my job (various reasons) and we rely on hubbys wage. I've learned not to feel bad about it as in any good relationship you support each other, sometimes financially, sometimes in other ways and you don't always have to be equal for it to work well. You need to reassure each other right now that things won't always be this hard, but you'll be there for each other whatever.

Onesie wearers question: I thought they looked lovely and snuggly, but am a "middle of the night bathroom visitor" and didn't think that would be dignified or warm, am I right?

Smileyt, if the pizza wasn't furry when you picked it up it was safe to eat!

I just had my interview and I start volunteering at a charity shop tomorrow. It's not open yet, but they found out I can paint, so I'm in!

Love to anyone I missed as I was reading quickly.

Popperwell

Softstuff wrote: »

I've learned not to feel bad about it as in any good relationship you support each other, sometimes financially, sometimes in other ways and you don't always have to be equal for it to work well. You need to reassure each other right now that things won't always be this hard, but you'll be there for each other whatever.

Onesie wearers question: I thought they looked lovely and snuggly, but am a "middle of the night bathroom visitor" and didn't think that would be dignified or warm, am I right?


I just had my interview and I start volunteering at a charity shop tomorrow. It's not open yet, but they found out I can paint, so I'm in!

Love to anyone I missed as I was reading quickly.

Hi Softstuff...

Good luck at the charity shop for later today(Your time)

I like to think that is true regarding supporting each other and that's how it should be...

Your Onesie question is what gets me:pa bit awkward in that situation and if its cold having to remove the garment may be not so good...

I can't believe I'm looking on the web at earplugs...I'm seeing some concerts soon and they've given me a great seat view wise but I am only two or three rows from the frontI want to protect my hearing(some big bands and in a week or so the old sixties pop group The Searchers so tomorrow I'll buy some...I have never been that close to artists and it's been years since I was at a concert.

At least recent shows at another theatre I have been in the Dress Circle...but I digress...

Take Care...

fuddle

I'm a onesie lounge wearer, can't sleep in the things but you are spot on.. A whole lot of pain when you need the toilet and freezing cold too. You also have to watch that your arms don't dangle down the toilet to avoid an icky dunk. I learned that one quick. Yak.

[Deleted User]

another brilliant thoughtful sharing idea

http://www.fruitshare.net/