OS Singlies - We Do It Our Way!

grousescot

Feeling a little more organised tonight than usual as I've just prepared a week's worth of lunches so all I have to do is take one out of the freezer and let it defrost overnight. I've also managed to get all the dirty dishes dealt with. Wasn't a big deal to do so I really mustn't let myself just leave it.

Re the discussion you've been having about banking and finances, what really irritates me is that people who have been prudent and saved something have been severely penalised by the ultra-low interest rates we've had for the past few years. I watched my ISA rate drop at the same time as the base rate was cut over about six months from 2007 to 2008, and right after I'd fixed my mortgage too.

I took out a new deal quite recently and reckoned I should be able to clear it in about 6 years, just before I'm 40. I used to think I was in a secure line of work but given how much has changed in the past few years, I won't allow myself to be complacent. If redundancy happens I'll hopefully either have no mortgage to pay or will be able to negotiation a payment holiday. That's the most complicated my finances get.

I've never looked on my home as a way of making money (re-mortgaging, trading up) and surely most people will only own the property they actually live in, so it seems incredibly short-sighted to have so much of our economy based on house prices. It'll just crash like it did in the early 90s.

If there was ever an attempt made by the government to help themselves to people's savings, I honestly think we'd have civil unrest. Folk may well decide to help themselves to some government-owned stuff to compensate. I sincerely hope it doesn't happen but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

mum2one

grousecat - you have hit it on the nail regarding Isa rates, even my DD's childrens account, aren't worth the interest that she gets.

Secure line of work - that literally appears to be a joke, on one of my business courses, what stuck in my mind was that the average person only looks at 3 yrs for a job.....

Industries have changed, - when I left school (late 80s) the industry that was seen as a job for life was the banking industry.....

As for wages - some of the basic / shopwork / supermarket - etc there just basic pay 24/7 all round.......

I use to work for a supermarket (no longer around) (1997/2000) I was in double time Sunday, triple time + day of in leiu for bank holidays, overtime after 39 hours, subsidied canteen.
I see people still at the same location (different chain), - no extras, canteen just seats and drinks vending machine, - theres no real loyalty offered.

When I was a mgr in my last job, the mgt turnover was 25% and the comaony didn't care, you were just a number on the payroll. x

LavenderBees

I have a king sized bed....love it, and wouldn't change it. Have slept in a king sized bed for ever.

In my spare room, i couldn't fit a double, so got a 3/4 bed. More room than a single, obviously, and I feel it is more comfortable. I've slept in singles in hotels, and was worried I'd fall out. I didn't... but didn't sleep well either.

Personally, I'd go for at least a double if there is room.

LB xx

moneyistooshorttomention

Frugalsod wrote: »

It was an arbitrary figure. The £85 000 is the current guarantee level. At the moment if there were a bail-in the banks would probably take 40% of whatever is in the account above £85 000. They might actually decide to spread the burden out a bit more and have a new guarantee of only £70 000 (again arbitrary) it could be more or less. There may not be enough money above £85000 to raid so they might lower the level. It all depends on if some customers will be protected ie councils or hospitals.

Though out banks have lent more than 9 times the GDP. So if there was a bail-in, the government will probably have to lower the level of guaranteed deposits in order to avoid yet another bailout by the taxpayers. As you said £16 000 could be a valid level but if they had it as low as that they might end up with serious public unrest. £50000 could still be problematic for them to get to. It could be lowered just a few thousand pounds hoping to skim 40% of whatever funds are above that level. The lower you are below that level in what ever account you have would reduce the risks of the banks skimming a big slice of it.

Don't forget that if and when they do this, there will be a bank holiday so you cannot access your accounts to move money out.

Obviously, it would be hoped that any the most "thieving" of Governments wouldn't dream of "going as low" as beneath £50,000. I would imagine there are lots of perfectly ordinary "pensioners in the street" for instance that might well have somewhere between £16,000 and £50,000 in savings, but that isn't "spare" money. Its money that they've put to one side to subsidise an inadequate income and is meant to "see them out". I know my own parents have an inadequate pension per se, as in it wouldn't cover repair and replacement of anything the house required and that, when that type of expenditure is necessary, it has to come from savings (rather than income). Therefore, those savings cannot be raided, because they would have no way of replacing them and finding the money to keep their perfectly ordinary house up to scratch or cover any major expenses of keeping their car on the road.

moneyistooshorttomention

Mrs_Bones wrote: »

As it's the singlies thread, can I ask does anyone else use a single bed?

I've got to get a new bed for the other room before my dad comes to stay in March. I'm wondering though about getting myself a single bed and putting my double in that room. The pro's I can see are that it would; be cheaper than buying another new double bed, make me a little more room to move in my bedroom, be easier for me with making up and washing/ironing etc. The only con I can see is that I'm not sure I could get use to sleeping in a single bed now and I'm trying to tell myself it would be quite cozy without a cold empty half but not convinced myself yet.

You've been through the menopause then?:):rotfl:

A double bed was definitely necessary then, as a way to swop from a hot side to a cold side was regularly needed for some years then.

Having got used to a double bed (had one for years by now and my current one is a 5' wide one at that) I wouldn't dream of swopping back to a single ever. I can see the advantages of more room, easier to change the bed, etc, but nope...

Even for those of us through the menopause, it comes in handy on hot nights to have a cold side to swop to. That may depend on the type of house you live in though. In my last house, that was necessary, because of the nature of the structure of the house meaning that it would retain too much heat in the summer and thus a hot bedroom. I am waiting to see whether this will still be the case in this house, but will certainly keep my double bed anyway, as I regard it as one luxury that is affordable to me and its nice to have lots of room to spread out.

Of course, there are a lot of cat and dog owners out there by the sound of it who share their beds with their pets. So, if you have any pets ever, and you decided to "share", then you would find yourself "elbowed out" of a single bed with one shove of a furry backside pushing for more room.

dibuzz

Mrs_Bones wrote: »

As it's the singlies thread, can I ask does anyone else use a single bed?

I have a single bed and it's fine, easier to change the bedding too.
My 3 boys shared a room so when son no 2 started bringing his girlfriend home it was a bit tricky. He persuaded me to let him have the larger living room as his bedroom and wanted to cut the top single bed off his bunk (bottom was a double) so rather than that I gave them my double, son no 1 went into the bottom bunk and I got his single bed.
It confused the dog for a while and she kept falling out :rotfl:

JustKeepSwimming_2

calicocat wrote: »

JustkeepSwimming.........did your friend lose ALL her money...??...jeeze.!?

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

JUSTKEEPSWIMMING - I'd add in astonished voice "...and she's still alive....and, more to the point, so are the thieves responsible!!!!" Wow! I wouldn't care personally if there were people lying in hospital beds with broken necks if I'd identified them as responsible for money stolen from me. Tony Martin eat your heart out friend (if anyone remembers that man who shot would-be thieves some time back and HE was the one who got in trouble....).

I believe she lost all her money - not a huge amount as probably "only" a few thousand but what struck me was that she was under 18 when she lost the money. This was round 20 years ago when I wasn't so MSE as I am now & I regret not getting the whole story. I don't know whether her money was in her own account or if her parents were looking after it for it (bad enough that adults account are raided, but children's :eek:). She went back home after a year in GB & we lost touch.

ETA - Yes I remember the Tony Martin case - scary.

Mrs_Bones wrote: »

As it's the singlies thread, can I ask does anyone else use a single bed?

I've got to get a new bed for the other room before my dad comes to stay in March. I'm wondering though about getting myself a single bed and putting my double in that room. The pro's I can see are that it would; be cheaper than buying another new double bed, make me a little more room to move in my bedroom, be easier for me with making up and washing/ironing etc. The only con I can see is that I'm not sure I could get use to sleeping in a single bed now and I'm trying to tell myself it would be quite cozy without a cold empty half but not convinced myself yet.

I'm going to go against the tide & say yes, yes, yes to a single bed. My room is just big enough for a double, provided you don't want to put anything else in there :rotfl:. After the demise of my last disastrous relationship I decided to treat myself to a new bed & fell in love with a day bed with beautiful "railings" (these are also really handy for hanging clothes on ). I love it - it feels like a cocoon as I've kept my double duvet, & it warms up really quickly. A small part of me thinks I ought to be sad that I've given up on that side of things, but I'm sure I'll be single forever, so it makes sense to me. So much easier to make, although I still have the fun of the double duvet & I can now get dressed without banging my arms on the walls due to the extra space.

Must admit thought, I didn't consider the menopause when I bough it so I may live to regret it. I'm 45 now so will report back when it strikes.

I had a few flickering lights last night but thankfully no power cuts - did do a stocktake of candles & matches though just in case. Hope all are surviving this dreadful weather.

calicocat

Morning people,

If the banks stole money to a low level they would surely just be grabbing a quick fix as they would then put a lot of folk on the benefits deal then.

I'm also not entirely sure there would be mass unrest...us British are pretty backward compared to other countries when it comes to sticking up for ourselves or acting on things, we tend to sit in the house and moan about it rather than doing something. I would think a lot of people have stashes of cash somewhere other than banks these days too....as levels of trust are already pretty thin.




On the bed scenario.......personally I would always want a double, I hate single beds, would have a king if I had the space. I fall out of singles........and along with fairylights one of life's pleasures is making star shapes at will.


Also re: the menopause thing....your duvet will keep finding itself on the floor so you will then have to keep getting up to get it again when you get cold....where will the dog or cat sleep....and if you have a cat and it throws up on a single bed the sick is likely to be right next to you or on you, rather than the other side of the bed. If you have a dog that sleep with you you will have the 5 inches on the left hand side of the bed only....however this can happen with a double too.

EmilyTee

Hi All

I'm glade I have found this thread and will subscribe!

I have a Question:

I'm trying to spend as little on food as possible a month so I wondered - how much have you allocated for food and household spending (cleaning stuff)

I've started shopping in [EMAIL="Al@i"]Al@i[/EMAIL] which is much cheaper but I wondered how much others had cut their spending down too?

spirit

Mrs_Bones wrote: »

As it's the singlies thread, can I ask does anyone else use a single bed?

I've got to get a new bed for the other room before my dad comes to stay in March. I'm wondering though about getting myself a single bed and putting my double in that room. The pro's I can see are that it would; be cheaper than buying another new double bed, make me a little more room to move in my bedroom, be easier for me with making up and washing/ironing etc. The only con I can see is that I'm not sure I could get use to sleeping in a single bed now and I'm trying to tell myself it would be quite cozy without a cold empty half but not convinced myself yet.

some (married) friends of mine have a single bed each - in the same room.

I have king sized bed [STRIKE]all to myself[/STRIKE] shared with the cats. I don't think I'd like a single bed even without the cats since I like to spread out a bit.