From debt to freedom...

Honeysucklelou2

Yes I have AA Homestart. They replaced the battery inOctober, which is why I’m surprised that it isn’t working. I know the battery has a 12 month warranty/guarantee so they should be my first pointer call.  The weather is still really bad here...been woken by the wind ....and certainly didn’t want to call anyone out in this.

mumtoomany

Morning Lou. Wrong time of year now but, with blackberries , I always freeze them on baking trays, then put in boxes/bags when they are solid. That way we can use as many of as few as we like. DGS1 likes them in his packed lunch, a small tub thaw by lunch time. Hope you sort your ex out soon, mumtoomany.

crazy_cat_lady

Hope that you get the car sorted soon HSL. I am also at the point where I cannot afford anything else to cost me money in the short term because I want to throw literally everything at this stupid debt.
Birthdays sound like such a lot of fun and you always have so much cake on the go - I am completely jealous.

VelvetFreak

Hope the car issue is an easy fix!

savingholmes

Hope the car sorts quickly/cheaply. You are very gracious to the ex and to your kids. Well done for continuing to show grace under fire.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Mumtoomany - a good tip. I’ll have to do this next blackberry picking time.
Thank you CCL, SH and Velvetfreak.  
The storm has raged on today.  We’ve had continued high winds, sideways rain and thunder and lightening! I’ve been very thankful for travelling mercies as my route to work is through a twisting tree lined road.

The post today included a letter from electric company saying my monthly direct debit will rise to £207 from 1st March 😳😧...need the eek emoji!  About 18 months ago,I was getting money back from the electricity board as the direct debit was causing an overpayment.  We are using the tumble dryer and a couple of oil fired radiators as the only means of drying clothes , so whether that has caused the increase. Or just that we use a lot.

Not a NSD today as I had to get cooking ingredients for DS2. Also had to get money out for DD3 who is on a trip tomorrow, although if the weather is anything like today, I’d think about postponing it, if I was running it!

Cherryfudge

Crumbs, that's a lot of money. We certainly need the eek emoji. Drying clothes might be a factor but it's hard to know what else to do. Some of my neighbours have a sort of car port with a clothes line in so they can dry theirs whatever the weather (almost). I always thought that was a very good idea, but it's an investment in itself.

janb5

Hiya,

Have a look at the Lakeland heated airer.  They cost 6p an hour to run.  Well worth it with a large family.  My sons got one each from me  via Mrs Ebay and I think I got one for £35- 40.  They are expensive to buy from new.  You buy the cover as well and the drying can happen overnight.  Hope that might help.x

Honeysucklelou2

Thank  you Janb5...I did look into those last year but didn’t think of looking on EBay. Thank you.

Bizarre day at work today. I think everyone is ready for half term!   A NSD today and meals sorted out from ingredients we had in. DS2 made apple turnovers at school although  I didn’t get to try 1...think he’ll have to make more!!

Another wild, windy and cold day today so very glad to be safely home and the fire lit.

Honeysucklelou2

It’s  been a trying day here. Got off to a good start with a work meeting that was really interesting and productive 🙂. After the meeting I decided that, as I was in the vicinity, to pop into the council offices to tell them that DS was now 18. It’s clearly been some time since I visited the council. Last time I went to a smaller local office where you could ask a question and within a few minutes a person from the right dept would chat with you face to face.  Today, despite being a bigger, centralised office, I came across the main receptionist who was in deep conversation  with her mother/sister/friend judging by the side of the conversation heard at the desk. In the end the security guard helped me and said there was no one in the building who dealt with council tax but he could take me to an interview room and dial a number on the phone so I could speak to someone in a bigger office, an hour’s drive away😟. I tried to look on the bright side- the room was warm and dry, the phone call wasn’t costing me anything and  it was quiet, without the cacophony of all the dogs in the background 🙂. Unfortunately because I couldn’t quote my council tax number I failed the identity check so could only give them the information. 
I do understand that I will now lose the 25% discount on the council tax. I explained about how it had been with the ex where I was left to pay the bills single handedly and my concerns that DS, having not contributed a penny since September, may not contribute and what would the council do. Frustratingly I was told that the council  don’t get involved with who pays the bill but only the adults on the tenancy agreement or title deeds are named on the bill. Any other adults aren’t named, so if any payment is outstanding the council will pursue the named adult, in my case, me😟.  

I came home to me to find the ex here. His dog managed to attack mine again, having attacked my dog last night when he was here to cook for the children. I asked him why he let a dog with a past record of attacking other animals, in the house and near the children. I thought it was a reasonable question but got treated to a tirade of horribleness. It left me quite shaken and I left to do the school run.  He was gone by the time I returned . It’s taken the rest of the evening to feel ok again.

Not  NSD as I had to get some top up bits from Mr T’s.