'supporting each other through really tough times'

fuddle

When I was 22 I drove from Durham to Penzance - 9 hour drive. No sat nav, just a post it note on the dash. Why does confidence dwindle as I get older!

I am ginnyknit. I'm going to walk around and take it all in.

Want some good news? I have £82.43 in my pension fund. :rotfl: i'll be able to put more in per month if I can get a job. That money in my private pension will all come to me won't it? The government can't suddenly take any can they?

Byatt

kidcat wrote: »

I have seen that done its a good idea - assuming you are handy at building an outdoor enclosure that is :rotfl:

there will be a you tube video I am sure

We visited a farm in the summer which had metal guttering around the pens and barn, eight foot up in the air - and the goats used it to get from area to area.

Handy, moi? :eek::rotfl:

GQ, so glad someone else knew what I was talking about! mmmhhh builder's merchant...

My farm shop are selling eggs for 80p a half dozen, free range as like Kate I only buy free range...but that's no help. :cool:

kezlou

2t - great news regarding the commission, those tremors sound really scary.

When the new bedroom tax, housing benefits and council tax benefits come through its really going to hit us hard.
We worked it out we get less than £10,000 a year that's including all benefit entitlement. From this we pay over half our wages in rent and council tax alone. Of the other half, the majority goes on bills, debt and a very small amount left over for food and travel etc
In April this will change and we'll right find out how much hb / ct we'll get.

Right now i'm stopping the children from having school meals at £20 a week as we just can't do it anymore. We would have to do this regardless of whether we move or not. Its not that much of a hardship as the boys always have at least one hot meal a day, or toast, porridge or cereal on the morning. Or sometimes a combination of toast and cereal.
DS2 is not used to carrying a little rucksack on his back with his schoolbag, drink and fruit in it so thats good. Took us a while but he likes it now.

Pops you must understand why people get annoyed, think of it from another persons point of view. Regarding heat allowances etc


Fuddle: aw glad alfie had a good chance to run around and coming back so quickly fab!
sounds like you had a lovely day.

Aldi none actually i stockton but there is one in norton
heres the link, no idea where it is http://www.localstore.co.uk/store/111983/aldi/stockton-on-tees/

Could be a better idea to go into boro we have two.
Oh and parking in stockton is free for two hours if you park near the arc . Thats where we always go.


Regarding standing charges i switched over to m&s energy because they don't have them. Were not a contract so we can leave anytime. Only problem is they put the price up in December and the bills still haven't come down

My friend and i went to view a house near us today, were both in the same boat we both want to move and stay in the local area. Its 3 bed with a garage, its really nice and the landlord seems genuine. only thing is he wants £500 cash (rent) up front, but will accept bond as a cheque and an admin fee of £120. so £1120 up front :eek:.

The house itself doesn't have gas central heating. Instead it has these tiny eco friendly electric wall radiators and an electric , but didn't know how much how heat (if any) it pumped out. Very clean and no signs of damp. Told OH about it and he's going to phone me back later about it.


After we move I'm thinking of mooching over to the next town when i get an arriva bus pass, haven't been to s'ton for ages. The mind shop there is so cheap and always has lovely stuff in store.
May even find a nice little cafe and have a cuppa there

Popperwell

fuddle wrote: »

Edit again: Could anyone tell me the price of eggs in Aldi and how many you get for that price?

I think I saw some for £1.15 and some for £1.37...I think Tesco have some everyday value ones 15 for £1.59...

Pooky

Byatt - sounds like Polo is going to be one happy moggy with tubes to play in.

I brought a 7.5ft tall cat post thingy for the kittens, it's got lots of levels and hide holes and they love it. They race up and down it and we often end up with all 5 cats at the top. I've put a box on top of my wardrobe too and they love the climb up and privacy of it.

craigywv

good evening pops how did your concert go...or have u not been yet. wish we had aldi over here those eggs are a great price, as i now buying eggs again as sisters chucks not laying at the mo xxx

fuddle

Aldi is the place to go then. Norton? Never ears of it. Ill get DH to take me to 'boro.

Kez where's the arc? If you ever in Stocton send me a text, I'll meet you fr a cuppa. Kez how the divvil you manage on that amount of money I do not know. My hat goes off to you x my two are on packed lunches too. My bill would be slightly cheaper than £20 per week but a lot of money to pull out all the same.

Byatt

Pooky, Polo loves to play, I do have a cat gym for him but he's not that bothered, but that may change as he settles more. I have my eye on an XL post. He doesn't climb much right now, but is very agile and light on his feet, so hope in time he will enjoy climbing. He enjoys playing with a cat tunnel I got for about £3, and goes in half way and then thinks !!!!!!?! and shoots out again! He's so lovely. He met my friend for the first time today and was very sociable, just a little nervous.

Pooky

Mine love the tunnels too, we have a 6ft one with a couple of holes in, one will race in one end and a different coloured kitten comes out the other, as if by magic.

There's pics of my cat tower on FB, it came from a german company on eb@y and was very well priced.

Popperwell

kezlou wrote: »

2t - great news regarding the commission, those tremors sound really scary.

When the new bedroom tax, housing benefits and council tax benefits come through its really going to hit us hard.
We worked it out we get less than £10,000 a year that's including all benefit entitlement.

Pops you must understand why people get annoyed, think of it from another persons point of view. Regarding heat allowances etc

Regarding standing charges i switched over to m&s energy because they don't have them. Were not a contract so we can leave anytime. Only problem is they put the price up in December and the bills still haven't come down

After we move I'm thinking of mooching over to the next town when i get an arriva bus pass, haven't been to s'ton for ages. The mind shop there is so cheap and always has lovely stuff in store.
May even find a nice little cafe and have a cuppa there

I don't get a heating allowance but am using the CWP and once I have a better idea of income etc...I will use it more...Planning on saving during summer so there is more to use next winter and also I hope the other plan I had will work...

Round here you lose 14% for one unoccupied room, 25% for a second but no loss of HB if all bedrooms are used. So if the rent was £100 you'd pay/lose approx £14/£25.

Council Tax is being handled by individual councils now and some are not going after people on benefits or a low income and some are, I have heard of anything from 2%-10% on the radio today...so hopefully you'll occupy all your bedrooms at your new place...If you do you may not have to pay any BT.

My Utility company still say that they are cheap even with the rise in prices at the end of March but if I remain with them, I'll be looking again when the contract is up at the end of October...by then though they may all be much the same thanks to the plans of the Government etc...

It's been years since I have been to Stockton(even though it's been "Done Up")the bus service from here to there is bad and stops very early in the evening. It is easier to travel to Durham(even though Durham is only 4 miles less distance wise)

And that's not great.