Struggling along as best I can

kayannie

I got the information on how PC is calculated from MSE site, as some of the other sites I looked at were out of date & gave the wrong figures or weren't very clear.  MSE explains it in plain English!  
My letter that gave the number I passed on to you said to ring them on that number if payment not arrived by 13th Jan (today).
It's surprising how much savings a person can have & still get PC - if only!!
Good luck with your phone call.

KA

Chrystal

NannyG I think the *pension credit guaranteed* is the one where you're entitled to the extra benefits.  It sounds as though they may have made a mistake with yours.  I think you can ask for benefits help at Citizens Advice, and they'll work it out for you.  Keeping my fingers crossed that you can get the extra help.XX 

nannygladys

I'm not mentioning this col payment again unless I receive it🙂 but I found my award letter for pc and it was back dated to last May!! But it took until November before I received anything. I will be phoning the number kayannie has given me and the other one I have, this coming week and if I don't get through I suppose I'll have to keep trying. I'm finding it a bit frustrating to be honest and getting to a point of I really can't be bothered' but then Im thinking it would really help, it's not as if I would use it to go on holiday, it would be used to help with bills. Anyway next time I mention it will be if I get it. 🙂

So yesterday, I picked up two small dgds from school and we as l came back to mine for tea, I'd made some tiffin for afters which they enjoyed and then gave their dad the rest (bar 4 pieces) to take when he collected them after work - about 7.30. We watched a Barbie film, played Jenga and then made Stonehenge out of the Jenga pieces, their idea!!!! We used fairy people for the stone age people. It's amazing what they learn in school about such places and things, I was even told about sabertooth tigers!!! They are both delightful young girls but very talkative 🤣
I didn't sleep very well at all (,still awake at 4am,) but that's ok as I didn't have to get up for anything,  but one of my neighbours across the road phoned to ask if I was ok as they were worried my curtains were still closed at 11.30 I'd been up made a coffee and was reading under a warm duvet!!! 😀 It was nice they were concerned as they are a few years older than me and both have health issues 🙂 
Before I picked the chimpettes up from school (their nickname) I actually went shopping in asdas, I made a menu plan and only bought what was necessary, didn't have a coffee and soup that I normally have in there (they have extended the OAP offer until march) so I spent £19.19 so just under budget but enough food to take me through this week and hopefully a bit beyond, just got to stick to the menu plan, that's the bit I'm not so good at!! Ha,ha.
Tomorrow l have nothing planned but if the weather is dry I may put a wash in and visit the Lottie. It's green bin day on Monday so I could bring a bag of green stuff, weeds etc home and it would be good to just be there for a little while.
So going to make a coffee and put some cheapy Bailey's in it, I seem to be having one about this time each night, it'll be a shame when I reach the bottom of the bottle 😀
Nannyg 

retiredinfrance

NannyGladys, I’m glad Chrystal mentioned the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, as I was thinking that they might help and if you can get anything extra- go for it- it all adds up. 

I enjoy reading about your days and frugal ways- Bon Courage as the French say.
And keep safe!

nannygladys

retiredinfrance - thanks for the encouragement, I will carry on, it sometimes feels like wading through treacle 🙂

WinterWarrior

Meal planning is so hard. You need to make sure you are planning enough to eat nannygladys. There’s nothing so miserable as being hungry and having nothing in. 

Definitely keep trying for the payments, if you are due it, then you should have it. I hate how there are so many hoops to jump through 😖

[Deleted User]

I always enjoy reading your diary. May I ask the amount of pension income your receive? You seem to cope very well. Do you have a works pension too? You might find this thread interesting too.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6228191/how-much-to-live-on#latest

nannygladys

Baron_Dale - I receive just over £10100 which is my OAP plus pension credit and a very small works pension that brings it to nearly £10,5000 thats annually!! so not much at all really but I do manage pretty well. I own my house and my car that I bought just before I retired 8years ago using cash and have no debt. I do a zero budget each pay day and have to stick to it otherwise I'd be in trouble. I save whatever is left over in an emergency fund. I was always a low paid office worker, single parent, but at least I bought a house🙂so I'm used to not having a lot and stretching it out.

nannygladys

So today has been very quiet, I did a bit of housework this morning and watched two dvds this afternoon. The Host and the first Harry Potter, I haven't watched the HP films for ages so I thought I would see if it was suitable for the chimpettes, I think I'll have to ask their mum🙂
The weather seems to have gone really cold, I looked on-line and according to them the area I live in shouldn't be having any snow yet, but it's quite high up so I hope they are right!!
That's about it really, eldest DD has given me a lavender scented jigsaw so I may start that tomorrow, it hasn't a lot of pieces but it ends up circular and some of the pieces are very oddly shaped, so that should be interesting.
I had sausage to mash and veggies for tea tonight and really enjoyed it. I'm cooking recipes out of a Joe Wicks recipe book this week, the meals are veggie and light - right up my street, I made the menu plan on Friday and shopped before I picked chimpettes up so I have everything in, really looking forwards to them 😀
Don't worry WW i still have plenty of Xmas goodies left, in fact I've given some more to my sil when he collected the girls on Friday!!
Nannyg 

nannygladys

Not much has been happening here, I looked after dgs and dgd on Tuesday and on the way back it started snowing, so managed to get up the hill and the Close where I live just before it really came down, so was really pleased😀 it snowed overnight so I looked after my 3 dgds (the chimpettes and eldest dgd)for the day as school and college were shut. Eldest DD started work at 5.00am and had a really bad journey to work, but it got a bit better as the day went on. 
Today it's lovely and sunny!! With very little snow left - yay!!
The menu has been fine and it's been nice doing a bit of cooking of 'proper' food. Tonight it's tomato and mozzarella rice, I haven't made it before but the recipe sounds nice, so I'm looking forwards to it. Next week will be pinch of nom week, so I will decide the new menu on Sunday and shop for anything on Monday all being well. I still have food in that's needs to be incorporated in my menu somehow🙂

Just read one of my posts above and I'd put an extra 0 on the total I receive - I only wish I did receive that amount!! And on that note I managed to get through, (after many tries) to the right place in the DWP and apparently I should receive the last col payment but they are so far behind!! Anyway the lady said hopefully I should receive it in the next two weeks as she has put a note on it, as I've been waiting so long, she was really helpful and pleasant and if it does come through it means I can buy a bit more food in, do a bit more insulating and put some more into my g&e fund incase it gets really cold again. I won't assume it to be correct though so won't be counting on it, but it's nice to know that I am entitled to it and will eventually receive it 🙂

So that's it for today, I'm going to make the back bedroom bed up again, as eldest dgd is staying Sunday night as I'm taking her to the orthodontist on Monday, I like to get the hot water bottles in the bed to air it out and make it cosy!
Nannyg