It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Wednesday2000

Elisheba said:

Wednesday2000 said:

It is true that some people cannot do even simple maths in their head. I went to a very good school in London and I was in the top stream as well, but I remember being told many times that "Girls don't need to know Maths" and I am only 46 by the way. I am okay at basic maths as my Dad helped me with my homework occasionally, but a lot of my friends at school were not. I was the one who had to work out splitting the bill between us in restaurants when we went out.

How odd! I'm 4/5 years younger than you and went to a not particularly good school in a not particularly nice area of Glasgow, and Maths was compulsory until till 4th year (the year we sat Standard Grades, the Scottish equivalent of O levels) and we were all pushed and gender was never mentioned. Things can't have changed that much in 4/5 years surely? 

It was a convent school and very old-fashioned in attitudes even though it got good exam results. Quite a few of the girls in my class had a private Maths tutor during their final year of GCSEs as the teaching was so bad at the school. The teacher just seemed like he was just there to pick up his pay check. 

diystarter7

Thank our parents and the Lord for doing what they did to teach us to be sensible with money. Because of their advice etc we paid the mortgae early left work just before the age of 55 and have some cash may buy BTL not sure

Just done the, updated Tesco online. We go out almost daily for odds and ends but started the online shop when covid arrived.

Everything, everything is going up and up and up almost daily but certainly weekly. The crooks are using the excuse is 'covid, fuel prices cost of living' and IMO they are taking advantage and making bigger profits.

I dread to think how those with big mortgages etc are doing as interest rates are up and going up as well as everything else. 

We are seeing our savings going down and down.

it's hard for most of us and me and the family, not the children are cutting back where we can

tooldle

My institution does a lot of outreach work. Much of this is focused on primary schools, which is the stage where boys activities and girls activities start to be embedded, often unconsciously. Some of this work does not involved science at all. The sole aim is to expose very young kids to STEM researchers. 

Bluegreen143

I’m so glad we still have nearly three years left on our mortgage fix - hoping rates come down before then?! Our mortgage is not overly large for our incomes and the area (£115k) but this spring we borrowed more mortgage on top to build a conservatory (£29k). I’m looking forward to it being built but my key aim the next couple of years is to overpay as much as I can to bring the borrowing back down again before our fix ends. But before that I need to build my emergency fund back up properly - lots of car trouble this spring and now this week has reduced it to about £400 which won’t cover a very large emergency…

Spendless

Loads to catch up on but remember the water bottle debate that ended in stalemate when teenager declared she only wanted a 'love island one'. At the weekend I bought some more disposable ones, but due to the heat many had sold out there was a lack of choice and I couldn't get my usual brand instead I bought the supermarket own brand that had a different top. Yesterday it leaked in her bag and affected her phone! £80 repair today but better than replacing the phone! That and a  long train delay yesterday may have also cost her an appearance. She's in the finals of a paegant and was due to go to a meeting about promoting a community issue in her role. The delayed train and only briefly being able to contact the organiser to explain she couldn't attend - sigh.

I've gone through the bag and it's contents and though I think the water bottle the most likely culprit, there was also a mini bottle of perfume with the top not completely pushed down. She works as an actor at a tourist attraction which has an 'authentic' smell to it, so has the perfume to freshen her up after her shift. So I've taken the bag wiped it down, sprayed it with a mini floral disinfectant spray, wiped and hung outside to dry. Today I am on a mission to put something nicer smelling in her bag (soap??  that would keep the bag smelling sweet and also a small preferable see through pouch to keep her little items like the perfume in. I know I could drive 10 mins away and buy exactly what I'm after but I also know I'll have suitalbe items in the house that won't cost me a penny. Just have to hunt! 

London_1

When my DD left school and went to college to do her 'A' levels,  one of her subjects was Politics, and she was the only girl in a class of lads, she did very well, in fact better than the boys who seemed to spend most of their time in the local pub playing pool ,whereas she was interested, and worked hard and got an A*. mind you, never used it since, but I was really proud of her as she said the boys used to mock her and call her 'mini Maggie' this was 1984 after all. I'm glad she beat the boys though as even the tutor had doubts about a girl in the politics class  She also did Law, as at the time she was considering Law as a career, but went into banking instead. She now works for a large corporation and did her degree in business management instead 
JackieO xx

diystarter7

If you read this, please start to cut back now rather than leave it late and make things worse by borrowing. If things get better quicker than you thought, good and then enjoy the money you saved.

We live in London often warmer here than the north so in winter they will be hit harder by higher bills.

euronorris

For the upcoming hot weather, I have a few suggestions:

Cooling towels. Simply wet, wring out and hang around neck/over head/wherever you want
Hot water bottle, frozen, place under bedsheet before bed (or wrap in tea towel and hug to cool down)
Fine mist sprays
Have the bathtub filled with cool water to get in and cool down every now and then
Stay hydrated
Lots and lots of ice poles lol

Any others? Aside from the usual fans (and air conditioning units if anyone has them)?

Floss

Open the loft hatch to allow warm air to escape.

Bluegreen143

@Spendless hope this doesn’t come across wrong, but why are you rushing about to fix your daughter’s bag issue? If she’s old enough to work surely she can sort it out herself and get an appropriate water bottle? If it’s cost her an £80 phone repair and maybe had bigger consequences that’s a learning experience for her to be more careful in the future surely? So not necessarily a bad thing. Only cos it seems like a lot for you to do!