Preparedness for when

Perplexed_Pineapple

I totally agree, Frugalsod, but I wouldn't necessarily add extra insurance for individual items which a lot of insurers offer, bicycles for example, because we could afford to replace those although it would be a pinch. The savings thing is difficult, ideally I would hope to save enough to not be instantly relying on benefits, it's sometimes said that you should have six months income in savings but how many people have that? Difficult to justify too when the return on savings is so small. Also if you have savings you are a target for "haircuts" and the like as well as the slow theft of value via inflation. No wonder hardly anybody bothers to save these days. Better to save in consumables and make sure that the pantry is well stocked and there's a back up plan for emergencies. Prepping in fact
ETA yes, I've used Avast! with XP GQ and it was fine, that was a former version though and they have updated it a couple of times since then.

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

Hey, shout out to nuatha, or any other techy person reading, have you any idea why microsarft security essentials has suddenly started to work on my unsupported operating system (XP)?

It did a scan and is now sitting down there in the corner with a happy green pavilion with its tick mark, instead of the cross red pavilion and the bossy twice-every-start-up pop up windows telling my my computer is unprotected.

Any clue WTH is going on here?

It should have done that back in July. MSE should expire July 14th 2015, currently we are in the 15 month grace period.
I presume you've not been getting updates until recently?.

Like Perplexed Pineapple I'd recommend moving to Avast's I don't have issues with the big brother aspect (I just assume they are all spying - its easier that way) but the effectiveness of MSE has been falling and I've had a couple of the systems that I look after infected. (MIL does not do dodgy sites per se or open email attachments without checking with me).

HTH

ETA:
Avast works with XP, if memory serves they've committed to XP support till 2019. The defaualt tick boxes are fine (and don't install redirects, new search engines and homepages, unlike some of their rivals.I agree that working hardware shouldn't needlessly be replaced but suspect I would have problems justifying an XP system in 5 years (other than the one which drives my specialist printer and scanner that is)

Doveling

How can you stop getting onto dodgy websites? Our son has offered to put parental controls on for me, but when he altered something I couldn't get onto land of bay so he altered it back.
I tried to get some accessories for his football boots once.
After I'd typed "studs" into the search engine it took me two days and half a bottle of brandy to recover :eek:.

Frugalsod

Perplexed_Pineapple wrote: »

I totally agree, Frugalsod, but I wouldn't necessarily add extra insurance for individual items which a lot of insurers offer, bicycles for example, because we could afford to replace those although it would be a pinch. The savings thing is difficult, ideally I would hope to save enough to not be instantly relying on benefits, it's sometimes said that you should have six months income in savings but how many people have that? Difficult to justify too when the return on savings is so small. Also if you have savings you are a target for "haircuts" and the like as well as the slow theft of value via inflation. No wonder hardly anybody bothers to save these days. Better to save in consumables and make sure that the pantry is well stocked and there's a back up plan for emergencies. Prepping in fact

You can have up to £6000 before you get impacted by most means tested benefits, which is still a higher amount than most people have in savings anyway.

As for using an ISA as a pension pot, I do think it is a great idea which eliminates the risks of stock market plunges. The problem is to protect it from means testing you need to wrap it in a Self Invested pension wrapper which can be expensive to set up. Even then it might not be safe from a bail in.

As for the bicycle I would consider additional insurance. Bicycles can be quite valuable, and will be stolen if not chained properly. Though even that will not stop a determined gang, who will use acid to eat through a lock. Personally I do not bother with all risks cover because I am very careful, but if your circumstances (i.e. clumsy family) demand it then it is a wise add on. If you travel with some expensive items then you will also need additional cover as thieves target tourists. A high end phone could be £700 and then add in all the other contents of a handbag and many women are carrying more than £1000 of valuables in a handbag.

Frugalsod

Doveling wrote: »

How can you stop getting onto dodgy websites? Our son has offered to put parental controls on for me, but when he altered something I couldn't get onto land of bay so he altered it back.
I tried to get some accessories for his football boots once.
After I'd typed "studs" into the search engine it took me two days and half a bottle of brandy to recover :eek:.

Many browsers have a safe search feature. Turn it on and you will have fewer incidents of an embarrassing nature.

nuatha

Doveling wrote: »

How can you stop getting onto dodgy websites? Our son has offered to put parental controls on for me, but when he altered something I couldn't get onto land of bay so he altered it back.
I tried to get some accessories for his football boots once.
After I'd typed "studs" into the search engine it took me two days and half a bottle of brandy to recover :eek:.

Herself works in social services, we hadn't been together very long when she was doing some research for a promotion interview. A search for Adult Services brought my computer to a standstill. She switched the machine off and rebooted, but no sooner had she launched a browser than the screen filled with pop-ups.

The only way to be sure you can't access dodgy websites is by using white list software. A whitelist is a list of permitted sites. As such it would be different for everybody, a lot of people regard ebay as a dodgy site, or at least one where they waste a lot of money. The government seems to regard all fora (including this one) as subversive. However it may well mean that you can't see webpages that other forum users recommend or post for reference.

Baileys_Babe

jk0 wrote: »

Here's an odd one:

As you guys know I make my own bread in a bread maker. The other day, I found organic flour at Sainsburys, so thought I would give it a try.

The loaves it produces are only about two-thirds the height of the non organic flour.

Why on earth would that be?

I have no idea, but we have found we get different results with our bread making, either machine or by hand, depending on which brand of flour we use. We prefer the results we get from Marriages over Doves. I was surprised at first in the difference as I thought all bread flours were the same.

siegemode

Another vote here for Marriages flour. In the search for the perfect loaf we've tried supermarket standard and organic stong bread flour. We've also tried various brands of organic flour and found Marriages gives the best results for us. It isn't the cheapest, but we try to stock up when on offer.

We also use fresh yeast and although T's will sell you a small amout for a few pence that too can vary in age and quality so we buy ours through 0cado and it has been more consistent.

We haven't managed to get the rise and lightness off supermarket bread, but at least we know whats in ours. Due to poor health and too much happening in real life we haven't made any for months and really miss it. Guess what one of our new years resolutions will be.

fiftyeighter_2

Thank you Frugalsod, but I don't own my own home and I have no savings as such. I just save weekly for all my bills etc so I probably only ever have maybe £300 plus in my little hoard.
Though I had thought about whether the local funeral parlour would hold my insurance policy incase of my death. Or can't you do this I don't know.
Just the idea of trying to make it as easy and stress free as possible for my family.
On another note somehow or other I have mislaid the little things that turns the breadmaker. I hate supermarket bread and havnt the patience to make my own. Plus I have arthritis in my wrists and find it so painful kneeing.
If I can't find a replacement I will have to dig into my emergency fund but with only £60 in there it will probably take all of it.
It's cold and damp here I don't like this gloomy weather.

GreyQueen

nuatha wrote: »

It should have done that back in July. MSE should expire July 14th 2015, currently we are in the 15 month grace period.
I presume you've not been getting updates until recently?.

Like Perplexed Pineapple I'd recommend moving to Avast's I don't have issues with the big brother aspect (I just assume they are all spying - its easier that way) but the effectiveness of MSE has been falling and I've had a couple of the systems that I look after infected. (MIL does not do dodgy sites per se or open email attachments without checking with me).

HTH

ETA:
Avast works with XP, if memory serves they've committed to XP support till 2019. The defaualt tick boxes are fine (and don't install redirects, new search engines and homepages, unlike some of their rivals.I agree that working hardware shouldn't needlessly be replaced but suspect I would have problems justifying an XP system in 5 years (other than the one which drives my specialist printer and scanner that is)

I do get updates but they haven't caused the pavilion to go back to happy green; she spins, updates, the updates are confirmed when I open up MSE and I get the cross red pavilion back.

My happy green pavilion wasn't here this morning, back to cross one. Ne'er mind. Thank you for the info about Avast, I shall check that out in the next few days. Any link in particular or do I just search under Avast and it's obvious which is the right one?

I will eventually have to replace this PC, it's very obsolete and wouldn't be good enough for some people; heavens, it's putty-coloured, how old-fashioned is that?! but I'm not aiming to speed the day.