From debt to freedom...

Honeysucklelou2

The puppies are now 8 weeks old. DD2 has paid her Dad over £300 for one of the puppies. They are an energetic breed which does concern me, especially with my elderly lurcher in the same house. I asked the ex to remove the mother dog as she is very unpredictable and turned on her own puppies. That was enough so I asked for her immediate removal. I just feel a bit edgy about having 4 dogs in one household as I know from past experience that they tend to become more pack like in their thinking and behaviour. It's fine if everyone pulls their weight in helping to look after them but not if it's left to me. Decisions have to be made though as these pups need inoculations and chipping this week and I don't want to be left with dealing with the cost of that.

Spendless

I should think not,esp as ex has had £300 for one of the pups, that you've been looking after!

I didn't know you could find jobs on facebook either. Good luck to your DS.

Eager_Elephant

I have [STRIKE]stalked[/STRIKE] followed you from crazycatlady's thread and have read your whole diary today.

I know you don't have time for CAB but hopefully I can help, I am a Money Adviser in my day job so know a lot about benefits.
The issue with Tax Credits can be resolved - you need to ring them and ask them to consider Notional Offsetting which is where they reduce the Overpayment by whatever you would have been entitled to as a single claimant (any extra is not paid to you)
HMRC should have been doing this automatically with all Overpayments but I doubt they are.

If you want more guidance have a read of this - https://revenuebenefits.org.uk/tax-credits/guidance/how-do-tax-credits-work/understanding-living-together/#Notional Offsetting - nearer the bottom if mentions Notional Offsetting.

If you don't want to ring them and be fobbed off then write to them instead.


Can I just say how wonderful you are, being a mum to 8 and working nearly full time as well. I declare you superwoman!!!:rotfl:

Honeysucklelou2

Had a lovely day with my parents and grandmother. I had work to do but it was relaxing to feel I was away for the day and chat was going on around me as I worked.

This week needs to be a super frugal one. I still have DD4's camp to pay for.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you EE, for your kind words. I'd never heard of notional offsetting but have always thought it strange that I should have to pay back what I'd have been entitled to anyway as a single parent. I only get chance to deal with bigger issues on my day off so will make a note to ring them and see what they say. Thank you for that, I appreciate it.

Honeysucklelou2

I've just read your link EE and I think I might write a letter to make sure I lay everything out in sequential order. It will also prevent getting interrupted by the toddler, dogs or puppies! That link was really interesting reading. Thank you.

Honeysucklelou2

Sunday was a NSD and today has been a NSD too! ( 4 NSDs for June so far) Hurray! :j I resisted the urge to go to MrT's to buy quiches to have with salad and thought that there was no reason at all why I couldn't make one from scratch. At least I have decent sized flan dishes so 1 quiche will feed all of us rather than buying lots of the smaller ones. I'm pleased the MSE thinking won over.:)

Honeysucklelou2

Another busy week has flown by. The good news is that DS1 has got a job!:T:T:T. He applied for 3 seasonal jobs via Facebook and heard back quite quickly. He had an interview at one place on Wednesday but was invited by a second place to come in and work a trial shift. He did that yesterday and is at work as I type. If it teaches him a sense of diligence and the value of money I will be very happy.:) I have tried to talk to him about saving half of his wages but not sure he can see the need yet. Still one teenager occupied for the summer and able to earn some money of his own...wonderful!

I've been up since the crack of dawn, really, and got the poultry fed. I seized the opportunity to harvest some elderflowers and now have the sorbet mixture ready to be frozen:T. I must confess that I did spend £3.60 onsrawberries and raspberries. I thought I could mix them with last year's remaining blackcurrants to make a summer pudding. I found some reduced white bread too which will help to make the pudding. That will have to be for tomorrow as it takes time for the pudding to bleed through the bread and make that wonderful colour and shape.

Have got at least 3 loads of washing through the machine and dried:). The little push mower continues to be such a blessing as we can keep the lawn looking nice and tidy. Even better the children are still rushing to take a turn at mowing the lawn:rotfl:.

On a less positive note I have had 2 warning lights come on in my car. I popped into the garage yesterday and spoke to a mechanic who very helpfully came out with a diagnostic computer thing and a wire to connect it to my car. He said that nothing had come up except that the dashboard had lost contact with whatever part of the car ( can't remember exact term). I drove off down the road and it still came on. At the moment it's all fine when I start up. I can even drive for 4 miles or so but then it comes on again . I'm quite worried about it so will try and pop up to the garage again and see what they say.

The puppies still need inoculating and I'm being put under pressure to take the puppies to the vet and pay for it:mad:. At the moment I simply can't afford it until payday next week. At the moment the puppies are only roaming the house and garden. I'm trying to be robust and remind myself that the ex has had money from DD2 so they can utilise that to inoculate if they want it done any sooner.

Cherryfudge

Hope the warning lights turn out to be nothing much... always worrying. And how annoying about the puppy inoculations! If I remember rightly they aren't even your puppies.


I thought of you the other day - the online version of the magazine Garden News has a page where you can vote for your favourite garden from a long list of public ones. When I'd voted I unexpectedly received a link to download a free gardening magazine as a thank you. There's a choice of about 4.

Honeysucklelou2

Oh wow, thank you for that Cherryfudge. I'll go and have a look!

Summer pudding is made and can sit in the fridge overnight. Lemon drizzle cakes are in the oven and I'm ready to sleep!!