'supporting each other through really tough times'

[Deleted User]

Morning Toughies, cold again but dry so not quite as depressing as yesterday. He Who Knows and I are both retired now, and although I was a SAHM most of the time I had worked for 14 years before I had my first child. I also worked when I could as the second one started school and when she decided she wanted to read medicine at university I got a job to earn the fees as it was a 5 year course and we didn't qualify for any financial help at all. We took the decision some 10 years before I was due to retire to pay in enough for me to qualify for a full pension in my own right. It wasn't easy as we are not too well off, we have enough for a comfortable life but that's mainly because we have tailored out lifestyle and expectations to be what we could and can afford now. I know it is a different world now in 2013 but it was achieveable then, if enough strong decisions were made and sacrifices/choices made to achieve it i.e No holidays abroad for all our lives together, only buying/rescuing second hand furniture, living with the kitchen we inherited with the house and even doing a repaint job when it got too shabby to bear. Very few new clothes, if mine get tired I dye them to make them look respectable again, I don't do gadgets, jewellery, make up, hairdressers, entertainment other than reading and the TV but it has been worth it. We have managed to save enough by various means and now I do have the new kitchen albeit purchased in a sale and installed by DH and his friend, and we have had the woorburner put in, which was not cheap, and we have had the windows replaced, all of which have enabled us to have a more confortable life and save money too as they are more efficient at retaining heat . I guess what I'm preaching to the already converted is that the choices you make and the cost to yourselves for making then and now are never easy but usually worth while. So if there is any way whatsoever that back contributions could be achieved, it would most definately be a worthwhile thing to do.

FUDDLE congratulations on the car, it will make your life so much more comfy and take away the worry of walking the kiddlers to school, well done both you and Mr Fuddle for finding it and achieving ownership!!

OMO have a look at the PALEO DIET, which is virtually carb free and quite achieveable if you buy things like bacon pieces, rather than rashers and the cheaper cuts of fish and meat. Not cheap by any means but it might help you with some ideas for living this way.

UNIXGIRL glad your interview went well, keeping fingers crossed for a happy outcome.

Stay warm and safe all, particularly if you are out and about in the icy weather, Cheers Lyn xxx.

Popperwell

Most of what I own is old and I doubt will be replaced now can't see the point of doing so when there is only myself. Never been abroad or had a holiday in the UK for around 13 years.

Most meals are simple but gadgets are just mainly for speeding up the preperation and cooking. For now the three I use most are the microwave, slow cooker and minichopper. When I see how things pan out and if I get my mojo back to try something a little more complicated I may use the other equipment more often.

One night I had a meal in 6 minutes and used both microwaves simutaniously. That was because both items had to be cooked for different times but that way I could serve everything at the same time.

Been looking at a leaflet about the food bank in my town/networked in the county it says 1 in 4 are now on the poverty line. It is part of the Trussell Trust who seem to run most food banks across the UK(though there are many that are independent)

Try and stay warm and indoors if possible as they say it is going to become even colder especially overnight and into tomorrow.

maryb

I took early retirement because I was just worn down by working in the City for 33 years (and I never got the silly money, though I am thankful that I was able to save enough to retire early). At the time I had 32 years of NI contributions which was enough for a full state pension. Fortunately, I then did some part time consultancy work for my old employer which has clocked up another 3 years worth of contributions - otherwise, with my retirement date being pushed back until well after the date this new system comes in I would not get a full pension.

I am in the group of women particularly badly affected by the move to equalise pension ages faster and extend the retirement date. I got hit with a double whammy and was looking at waiting an extra 2 years beyond what I had expected. As it is I will have to wait an additional 18 months.

I thought at the time that this government either didn't know what it was doing or did know but didn't care. I found it hard to believe they didn't know what they were doing because the Civil Service is still full of reasonably bright people (even if a lot of the more experienced ones have left). So I assumed they didn't care.

Now I think it's both that they don't know what they are doing AND that they don't care. They don't listen to advice because they think it's all so obvious what ought to be done and when the (possibly) unintended consequences become obvious, they won't back down - particularly if it affects women disproportionately, I've noticed.

Moving goalposts and allowing people who are late on in their careers very little time to adjust their plans is nothing new to this lot.

I have a small amount of SERPS due to me from when I worked for an employer that had a contracted in pension scheme - quite unusual and I remember having a row with a telephone drone in the DWP who tried to tell me I wasn't entitled to SERPS if I was in an employer's pension scheme because she had never heard of a contracted in scheme. (EDIT I'm only being rude about her because she flatly refused to put me through to anyone more senior who was technically trained even though she was only supposed to answer basic questions within her remit)

Anyway, as far as I an make out, the SERPS I have built up will be preserved but it's far from clear. The amount takes me just over the new flat rate pension. If it's not preserved I will be a loser. Not too much for me but some people who have been contracted in all their careers could have a lot at stake.

Even if this doesn't apply, the new proposals will cut the cost of state pensions both immediately and in the long term. Middle income earners will lose most but it won't be obvious to them.

Another example of how George Osborne doesn't know what he's doing/doesn't care: removing child benefit where one earner is a higher rate taxpayer. People in that situation are being encouraged to opt out of receiving child benefit rather than the mother continuing to claim it and then the benefit being clawed back through tax from the higher rate taxpayer(s). If the mother doesn't work she NEEDS to claim it to get her childcare contribution credited towards her pension entitlement. So they will be paying with one hand and taking away with the other - to the ones who realise what the implications are. A lot will just not bother to claim and, again, it will be women who suffer down the line

Sorry this has turned into a right old rant, I'll go make a cup of tea and calm down

nuttyp

Sorry if i raised a touchy subject, reguarding what was said on big brother. Maybe what she said will make some of the MP's think. maybe if they had to take a walk in some of the 'normal public' shoes they would see things differently. In our little village, we have a MP and his family living there. He is really approachable He uses the local village school for his children and the local village shop, butchers and doctors. And he has to wait in turn like everyone else!!!

Well ive gone and changed the bed, then remembered theres no way of getting it dry unless it goes in the tumble dryer. Is so icey outside, have checked on elderly lady next door, shes ok. Has got enough shopping. Rang mum who lives up the road and shes all ok. Has heating on to barbados temperature, said shes spending our inheritance!!! Bless her, and so she should. I would hate her going without anything.

Take extra care everyone, and keep safe and warm x

grandma247

Softstuff you are not a wuss. You may have done some damage to your knee. I did that three years ago when it snowed so much I could not go out and used the old treadmill we had to keep my bad hip free. The back of my knee swelled up. My dd who had done some sports trainer work told me to chuck the treadmill because my knees can not cope due to having arthritis and she advised a glider instead. I managed to get an old one on freecycle.

I have made your mincemeat biscotti twice now using wheat free ingredients, with cherry brandy as that was all we had. Instead of following your directions I just put dessert spoon blobs on the tray and flattened and shaped them with a fork. They are a huge success.

Popperwell

maryb wrote: »

Moving goalposts and allowing people who are late on in their careers very little time to adjust their plans is nothing new to this lot.

Another example of how George Osborne doesn't know what he's doing/doesn't care: removing child benefit where one earner is a higher rate taxpayer. People in that situation are being encouraged to opt out of receiving child benefit rather than the mother continuing to claim it and then the benefit being clawed back through tax from the higher rate taxpayer(s). If the mother doesn't work she NEEDS to claim it to get her childcare contribution credited towards her pension entitlement. So they will be paying with one hand and taking away with the other - to the ones who realise what the implications are. A lot will just not bother to claim and, again, it will be women who suffer down the line

Sorry this has turned into a right old rant, I'll go make a cup of tea and calm down

I can see all your points Maryb not just the one above and don't see your post as a rant. I have no experience of Child Benefits but that is a very good point. It may be better in one way to not take it at the time but as you suggest and in the media I never heard any expert say that if you are looking after children whilst they have done the Government a favour by refusing to take the benefit now, you may suffer later when you need a pension. TBH you may be doing them another favour because you may be paid less or not have a pension at all later in life.

So really the winner is the Government every time. I can understand this being discussed here at present because it does feed into how we live now and how we may be in the future.

kidcat

nutty - as you have confessed so must I, I to have begun watching CBB - I used to watch it ages ago but recent years I have given up, this year due to little else on I have begun again

Popperwell

nuttyp wrote: »

Sorry if i raised a touchy subject, reguarding what was said on big brother. Maybe what she said will make some of the MP's think. maybe if they had to take a walk in some of the 'normal public' shoes they would see things differently. In our little village, we have a MP and his family living there. He is really approachable He uses the local village school for his children and the local village shop, butchers and doctors. And he has to wait in turn like everyone else!!!

Well ive gone and changed the bed, then remembered theres no way of getting it dry unless it goes in the tumble dryer. Is so icey outside, have checked on elderly lady next door, shes ok. Has got enough shopping. Rang mum who lives up the road and shes all ok. Has heating on to barbados temperature, said shes spending our inheritance!!! Bless her, and so she should. I would hate her going without anything.

Take extra care everyone, and keep safe and warm x

I think most decent people even if they are doing "OK" are decent and I reckon the "Silent" majority not those in the media feel much the same and you've said it all in your opening paragraph...I'd like to think what you suggest would happen but sadly we know it is unlikely.

Even those who look as though they are doing ok when you get talking and they drop their guard which often happens especially on forums like ours where we are still to some extent anonymous we are much the same whatever our sex, incomes, age or social class. We generally have the same worries, dreams and hopes.

The older I get(though I think I have always been this way)they become even more modest and less important. I try to be happy with as little as possible and if I wasn't I can't change things. Its a matter of trying not to have goals that cannot be achieved but trying to maintain the standard of living you have and not being worse off. So I am very much OS'er through and through.

Later I will be darning my thermal socks and thermals that have a hole in them.:p

TudorRose

Good Morning everybody. I catch up with all the post on here every day but rarely post.

I am 57 and like others on here I am continually seeing the pension goalposts changed.
I do not have sufficient NI contributions to get a full pension. I have credits for my childcare years & I have some contributions from employed work but I have also been self employed when I didn't earn enough to pay NI.
I have been widowed for nearly 10 years (2nd husband) and have already been told a few years ago that I qualified for a pension on deceased husbands contributions. Looking at what is proposed I should still ok. If not I am heading for a poverty stricken old age as my savings will be long gone before 2021.
I want/need a job but think my chances of finding one are slim.
I do not qualify for JSA. Does anybody know if I went & signed up at the Jobcentre if I would get NI credits even though I don't qualify for JSA?

I am trying to gear my spending this year to 'Need not Want' and so far I'm not doing badly - only another 11.5 months to go! I'm trying to use up what I have before buying more as have loads of clothes, enough toiletries, tinned & dry goods etc to last a while.
Also decluttering all I can. Lot of stuff has been recycled/sent to CS but hopefully I'll start Ebaying in a few weeks and get a bit of money in.

Sorry about length of post but helps to share views with others.

Popperwell

Mum and myself were really up on everything news, people in the public eye and so on but I have to confess I watch so little TV and not buying papers I find myself asking who many celebs are.

And most of the people I know are often not on TV anymore or every day I hear one of favourites has passed away...

I think I did see who is on CBB this time and I know Frankie Dettorri, Gillian Taylforth, Tricia Penrose, Paula Hamilton and Neil "Razor" Ruddock. You'll notice those I know are from the TV of some time ago and they are the older contestants. Listen to me...I'm older than those I am calling older in the house

The other night I was watching the old sit com from the 70's Man About The House(Many of you are too young to remember that)frightening when I realise how much time has passed and how old the actors are and me too:eek:(if they are still alive):(

It doesn't sound that long when you say the 70's even for me the 60's but that's 40-50 years!