make do and mend for tougher times

shegar

Dont forget tonight at 7.30.Martin Lewis money show on Anglia or ITV.........:)

fuddle

Not a very nice day for the toughies eh?

We're a resilient but sometimes the rubbish days feel like they just keep on coming. My heart goes out to all of us who really need a break right now. My grandma used to say if you can see a break in the clouds that is the size of a pair of bloomers then there's hope. Let's just hope this awful weather tiddles off tomorrow and each of us see that little patch of blue sky.

DH and I have been talking. There are many 1 bedroom properties on the rental market that have a cheaper rental than what we're paying now. In order to save for our future we're going to try to get a 1 bedroomed house. It will be a squeeze but the girls will share a room, we will sell our sofas to get a metal action sofa bed and sleep in the living room. I know it sounds absolute madness but it's a strategy that might just save us at least £150 per month and probably more. Money that can be saved for a deposit for our own 2 bed terraced in the long run.

Lots to think about but ever the optimist

[Deleted User]

Not total madness little one, a practical solution that gives you and yours a better future, you are so clever and always bounce back and make me smile. Good on you, thank you for being another little bit of good news in a grey day - well done Cheers Lyn xxx.

D&DD

Pooky so sorry it wasn't better news for you X

Ginny I'm steaming on your behalf :mad:

Grandma you're braver than me I don't dare even look at those government calculator thingies

GreyQueen

Pooky wrote: »

just had a call about missing moggy. We've been to recover the body and deposited it at the vets.

Up until then I was having quite a good day.

(((Pooky))) I'm so sorry to hear about your cat. I was hoping that it was holed-up with a loving wannabee owner and would come sauntering home in its own sweet time.:(

(((((((Byatt))))))) I'm a former CAB volunteer adviser but am well out of the loop, but wondered if you have a CAB or another kind of welfare rights advocacy organisation anywhere near you to advise and assist? DWP do make mistakes and it would be dreadful if you weren't getting your full entitlements. The CAB also have software which can do speculative calculations, such as if I/we did X what would be the outcome regarding benefits?

I know where you're coming from about the MSE benefit board, though, I have to stay off thre myself as the helpful threads all too often seem to degenerate into a monstering of the OP.

Feeling a bit sheepish concerning the grievous weather so many of us have been experiencing as my part of the country has been dry and warm with a light fresh breeze, so hard to comprehend how it can be so disastrous for so many people not so far away. ((((hugs))))) to anyone struggling with water where it didn't oughta be.

Fuddle, my LA has specialist housing officers whose job is to enforce standards on private sector rented homes. I expect most LAs would have something similar? I was wondering if you and your OH had ever sought housing advice from the LA and if they were aware of the limitations on your ability to source private-rented accomodation because of the banruptcy, whether it might be a way of increasing your banding?

Just a thought, anyway, hope you don't mind putting my two'pennorth into the pot.

Well, it's very nearly dark outside and I'm glad I did my sewing beforre 5 pm. Have bought a shirt from the army surplus (99p or 2 for £1.50!) and am altering it to make it fit. Was attaching the cuffs again after taking 4.5 cm off the sleeves. The edge of the cuff now hits me exactly on the wristbone, not hanging down over my knuckles. Will machine them tomorrow (just tacked them today).

It's my new gardening shirt and being olive, won't show the stains too much. My gardening duds are washed several times a week in season but gradually accrue mysterious sappy marks and then you forget what you're wearing and wander into a shop on the way home looking like Wurzel Gummidge. When you get looked at askance in a Lidl you know you've gone a bit too far.:)

Wandering off in the quest for sustenance....oh bu88er, I ate all the chocolate so will have to make do with tea.

Mar, you've got your monster avatar back! I always liked that one but is it really out of focus or am I having ME-effects?

Laters, GQ xx

Mrs_Chip

Fuddle, I know you are desperate to get out to your forever home, but please think about moving down to a smaller house. One bedroom properties do not just have one less bedroom, they tend to be smaller too. Less room for the family, siblings sharing, and you and OH sleeping on what could be a very uncomfortable bed. Not a scenario to go into lightly. If it all gets too much you will have to move again. I don't want to put a massive downer on your ideas, but this one needs very careful consideration, it could put a lot of additional stres on your little family.

It could all work out fine, I would really hope it would, but please make sure you can make it work .

grandma247

Fuddle that is a really good idea.
We did it when we moved down south. We bought a 2 bedroom flat and all three girls shared the master bedroom and ds had the little bedroom.
We slept in the front room on a metal action sofa bed but with a proper mattress that was stored in the hallway in the middle of the flat during the day so it was out of sight of visitors unless they went to the bathroom.

You do get used to it and we even coped when I had ds 2 as he had his cot in the tiny dining room.

mardatha

Fuddle, I did that too many years ago. Got a big soft comfy sofa bed and gave the kids a room each, it worked well and you can watch tv in bed lol

Mrs_Chip

Oh ignore me :rotfl:sounds like half the board have done it and it works fine!

mardatha

EXCUSE ME hen - its a DEMON! It might be out of focus GQ maybe I shrunk it too much in the wash.
LOL mrs chip xxx