Struggling along as best I can

Jellytotts

Have just read your diary and loved it! We too have an allotment with the never ending courgette issues.

Our income is tiny as DH is disabled and I’m his carer, he was able to take a couple of his small pension pots early as they had a medical retirement clause so they help but as he’s only just turned 50 it’s not ideal to be using them now….but needs must.

My parents are at the same sort of income level as you, just slightly too much to get any help but only just enough to pay the bills.  After much discussion with myself and sibling they’ve decided that they are going to release some equity from their home to make things a bit more comfortable. They’d been determined to leave some inheritance but at the cost of their own comfort now. I don’t want their money, I want them to not worry about turning the heating on, to get a new front door that won’t let the wind whistle past it and to buy the new bed and sofa they need before they damage their backs further on the old stuff.  I’m really glad they have the option of dipping into their “house” for this.  It might not make decent financial sense long term to some but it does put them in a much better position now.

nannygladys

WinterWarrior - great idea about the advent calendar, I'll just have to make sure I only open one a day!! I did see in hb that they sell beanie mixed flavour coffee sachets in boxes, thinking I could have one of those a day with a choccie!! It's a shame we're no where near Xmas I really fancy some Lindor ones now!!!

Nannyg

WinterWarrior

It wouldn’t be an outrageous treat to get a box of lindor and the coffee sachets and have one a day throughout October. It’s the little treats that make our days happy and everything else you do is frugal. I usually allocate some money each month for treats for MrWW and I. 

nannygladys

cbsexec - aw thank you, I do my bit for dds and dgc, they're the only family I have really and I love them all to bits. In fact I have one of the littler dgds sitting with me on the settee as school rang me a couple of hours ago to say she's feeling poorly, I think she's got her sisters cough and cold, poor mite. It's nice to be able to help out.
Family is important and anyway I might need them later on in life ha,ha!!!!!!

Nannyg

nannygladys

Jellytotts- I can appreciate how your parents feel about inheritance etc,  I think it was the 'way' when we were being bought up. When my mum and step father died I had some inheritance and gave a large chunk to each daughter, one used it as a deposit for a house, one bought a car and caravan (they already had a house) and the third one still has it in savings, I didn't mind how they spent it as long as it wasn't used irresponsibly, they had worked hard all their lives and I didn't want it frittered away! The girls are more sensible than me I think, that's why I gave it to them, it would have all gone if it had gone into my bank account!

Ref allotment I seem to be good at growing cabbages and kale at the moment, I think we all might start to turn green!
Nannyg

nannygladys

WinterWarrior - I think you may have convinced me, you are a wicked one WW!!!!! I think when dgd has been picked up I will take a wander down to hb for reconnaissance reasons of course and if a box happens to fall in hand it was obviously meant to come home with me.And the exercise will counter act the choc
Nannyg

nannygladys

Ps I don't think they will last until October though!!

WinterWarrior

Excellent news….it really is very frugal if you divide the cost by the days they will cover. On Amazon, which won’t be the cheapest, a box of 48 works out at 28p each, so a lovely treat of coffee and a choc for say 50p a day is really frugal and it’s something lovely to look forward to on a night as the evenings get darker. I’m sorry I’m a bad influence, but you do really deserve to give yourself a small spot of happiness whenever you can! ⭐️

nannygladys

Couldn't agree more and hopefully sil will be here soon, I suppose he would like a chat and a coffee . Little dgd has gone to sleep now

WinterWarrior

A chat and a coffee and a lift to hb? 😬