Preparing for Winter V

shanks77

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

We've just come back from a drive almost across West Sussex and the beech trees there are starting to colour up their leaves quite noticeable, looking quite yellow in places. The cereal crops in the fields are ripe and straw coloured and the hedgerow fruits like hawthorn are very nearly ripe. I know it's only August but with the lack of rain we've had this year it really does look like autumn out there!

Lack of rain????? Oh please come up here and take some away with you. You don't even have to bring the yellow ball just stop us having webbed feet for a while lol xx

[Deleted User]

Oh poor you, mind you it's poor us too, there must be a happy medium where we all get some rain and all don't as well mustn't there? We've had two and a half days of rain in the last 3 months and it's arid here in Hampshire. It hasn't been wall to wall sunshine, lots of days have been overcast but it's been warm for the whole of that time and things are just drying up!

Rainy-Days

Got to say it has not been too bad in terms of rainfall for us, it has come in mainly overnight which I have been really glad about. Had a few days where its been like an April type shower but other than that...

The Rowan berries on the trees are now very ripe. Next week is forecast to get much hotter though! Having said that the nights have been really chilly in places - in fact some have had a ground frost which is almost unheard of in summer :eek:

Nargleblast

I am just coming towards the end of two weeks annual leave, so you can bet your boots we will have a heatwave next week!

Eenymeeny

Autumn? I've just realised that I'm still wearing flannelette pyjamas! There just hasn't been the need to change into lighter summer ones this year....
(I've also noticed a few yellowing leaves and berries forming. No, not yet please!)

Spendless

betterlife wrote: »

I`m self employed, and sept-jan tends to be pretty quiet, which is not great when you have a family of 6 to support! so i`m stocking up my cupboards with items we use more in the winter (like oxo cubes, pulses, etc) and i`ve been buying cheap and reduced meat joints for the freezer when i see them, so that will certainly help when moneys tight. I`m trying to put some money aside as well but not always easy, especial with the 4 children home on summer hols. I`ve managed to get winter clothes needed from the millets sale, and have been buying bits for xmas throughout the year (have almost finished there stockings

I have a similar situation to yourself, in that my job is ad-hoc and though I've been working full-time hours since March, due to various changes taking place with my employer my work is likely to become very quiet from mid-Sept until 2016. I want to do similar things to what you've mentioned, ensure the cupboards and freezer is full and make sure Christmas is sorted before work dries up altogether.

I've had my youngest at various dance and drama summer schools which I paid in advance, so far these holidays whilst I've worked and eldest is happy at home on his pc, he went fishing yesterday, so far it hasn't cost me much more than the cost of packed lunches, but that will change over next couple of weeks as I'm off, fortunately I have some vouchers to use for activities.

Spendless

Spendless wrote: »

I have a similar situation to yourself, in that my job is ad-hoc and though I've been working full-time hours since March, due to various changes taking place with my employer my work is likely to become very quiet from mid-Sept until 2016. I want to do similar things to what you've mentioned, ensure the cupboards and freezer is full and make sure Christmas is sorted before work dries up altogether.

I've had my youngest at various dance and drama summer schools which I paid in advance, so far these holidays whilst I've worked and eldest is happy at home on his pc, he went fishing yesterday, so far it hasn't cost me much more than the cost of packed lunches, but that will change over next couple of weeks as I'm off, fortunately I have some vouchers to use for activities.

Well that didn't last long! I had a message at 3.30pm yesterday cutting my hours from next week. Can't say I'm happy about this, especially since I've already forked out for childcare in anticipation of working. :mad:

Now to bring forward all the jobs I'd planned.

MyHappinessProject

Spendless wrote: »

Well that didn't last long! I had a message at 3.30pm yesterday cutting my hours from next week. Can't say I'm happy about this, especially since I've already forked out for childcare in anticipation of working. :mad:

Now to bring forward all the jobs I'd planned.

Sorry to hear Spendless that it has happened so quickly. Do you think your childcare provider will be able to refund you a bit of what you have already paid out if you contact them quickly to give as much notice that you can that you do not need so much childcare? May be if they have a waiting list they can fill your place up?
I am interested to know what kind of contract you have for your work.It doesn't seem right that they can give you less than a weeks notice(especially when they know you have to arrange childcare).
Good luck for the plans you have to get things done.

Spendless

MyHappinessProject wrote: »

Sorry to hear Spendless that it has happened so quickly. Do you think your childcare provider will be able to refund you a bit of what you have already paid out if you contact them quickly to give as much notice that you can that you do not need so much childcare? May be if they have a waiting list they can fill your place up?
I am interested to know what kind of contract you have for your work.It doesn't seem right that they can give you less than a weeks notice(especially when they know you have to arrange childcare).
Good luck for the plans you have to get things done.

Hi, Thanks. DD is 12 so her 'childcare' is the form of day summer camps run by her dance and drama schools, so unfortunately I can't have a refund as I committed and paid for it in anticipation of working some weeks ago and it's non-refundable.

My contract is a zero hours one. I requested this as previously I was employed via an agency and at the time I had a child in Primary school and my Grandmother I helped out with has dementia. She has now moved into a nursing home so I don't have these circs anymore so was going to look around for something else from Mid Sept when I thought my work would slow down. I cover an admin office for holidays and absences. I've done this for over 3 years. There's been changes for past few months, a role changing as part of a new computer system and I've been helping out and working f-time most of the time since Mid March. I knew things were going to change in a few weeks, but not at the speed at which it's been done and no way would I have booked dd in to a club if I'd known I wasn't working.

MyHappinessProject

Spendless wrote: »

Hi, Thanks. DD is 12 so her 'childcare' is the form of day summer camps run by her dance and drama schools, so unfortunately I can't have a refund as I committed and paid for it in anticipation of working some weeks ago and it's non-refundable.

My contract is a zero hours one. I requested this as previously I was employed via an agency and at the time I had a child in Primary school and my Grandmother I helped out with has dementia. She has now moved into a nursing home so I don't have these circs anymore so was going to look around for something else from Mid Sept when I thought my work would slow down. I cover an admin office for holidays and absences. I've done this for over 3 years. There's been changes for past few months, a role changing as part of a new computer system and I've been helping out and working f-time most of the time since Mid March. I knew things were going to change in a few weeks, but not at the speed at which it's been done and no way would I have booked dd in to a club if I'd known I wasn't working.

Good luck with making the best of a difficult situation. At least your daughter will enjoy the activities. So I guess as well as getting organised around the home, you will be looking for work? Good luck with that too.
Sometimes these things, which weren't planned or expected but make us change direction, can turn out better in the long run. Hope the money situation is ok for you -I know how hard it is when you are working for minimum wage / don't have much ' give' in the budget.