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

Rosa_Damascena

mumf said:

I am rather Ill right now. It’s laying me off work,indeed I am in hospital. As a result of the illness,my job will have to end,and our incomes- wife and me- will decline drastically. Reading on the Old Style MoneySaving will be a great help in the coming time . Thanks. 

This is sad to hear. Take one step at a time, health first - which means heating and eating properly - and then finances. It doesn't sound like your employer is being very sympathetic. Is there no chance of a return to role when you recover?

Floss

Rosa_Damascena said:

mumf said:

I am rather Ill right now. It’s laying me off work,indeed I am in hospital. As a result of the illness,my job will have to end,and our incomes- wife and me- will decline drastically. Reading on the Old Style MoneySaving will be a great help in the coming time . Thanks. 

This is sad to hear. Take one step at a time, health first - which means heating and eating properly - and then finances. It doesn't sound like your employer is being very sympathetic. Is there no chance of a return to role when you recover?

It may not be that the employer is not "being very sympathetic", but as supportive as they can be depending upon the particular circumstances.
@mumf keep reading & keep us posted on your wellbeing x

mumf

I’ll get standard sick pay for up to 6 months - and believe me,he’ll try to get rid of me.He is a typical bas****. However, I can handle that,and those details are less important than my illness,for sure. The surgeon here is superb,and already sorting paperwork to put me long- term off work. Lovely man. He pointed that I WOULD NOT work if I was Ill anyway! Me ‘keeping going’ hadn’t helped me either. 

My dear Wife and I are not big spenders anyway - which is good. Our small house is long paid for,and - dare I say? - well maintained. I am not allowed to drive now for at least a year,so my daughter ,who is in the car industry,is getting the best price ,and paying off my car ( paid) to pay Mums lovely little motor that is only four years and very low miles and a very low debt. Our ONLY debt. There will still be some left from the sale ,not a lot,but not negative! 

Positives are where I will head now. Hopefully the Surgeons and God himself will help me to continue life with my lovely wife of 35 years. I now have what is valuable time - but it’s on my terms,if that makes sense? Physically I am actually a strong and fit man - it’s my damned brain that’s gone wrong - but I won’t go there - that’s for our wonderful NHS. 

I have time now to work upon my terms,and I’ll use that time to benefit us as far as possible. I am looking forward to it,and thanks all for ‘listening’ to me.

Pollycat

mumf
just to say that if money is going to be tight, you might want to take a look at the debt-free wannabe board (you don't need to be in debt).
You could post your SOA (statement of affairs) - there's a template somewhere - and people will give advice on cutting down your expenditure.

And of course, this board is great for all sorts of advice.

EssexHebridean

Sorry to hear your news @mumf - wishing you better very soon. 

It's nippy here again - indeed we had a surprising dump of snow last night - about 6" of the stuff on the ground at home this morning, clearing the car took a while! Even in London where I am now there is still a fair bit of the white stuff - it does look pretty mind you! 

More price increases noted when I shopped on Saturday -  my usual little punnet of baby plum tomatoes are now over £1, and thanks to them no longer stocking the value type brand, a punnet of mushrooms had gone from 86p (? I think) to £1.25. 

Rosa_Damascena

EssexHebridean said:

Sorry to hear your news @mumf - wishing you better very soon. 

It's nippy here again - indeed we had a surprising dump of snow last night - about 6" of the stuff on the ground at home this morning, clearing the car took a while! Even in London where I am now there is still a fair bit of the white stuff - it does look pretty mind you! 

More price increases noted when I shopped on Saturday -  my usual little punnet of baby plum tomatoes are now over £1, and thanks to them no longer stocking the value type brand, a punnet of mushrooms had gone from 86p (? I think) to £1.25. 

Essex had it bad last night but somehow Southend missed out (what fell didn't settle, at any rate) and I have no complaints. It was very cold though.

London_1

I dislike snow, unless its on a Christmas card.Its cold, wet and blooming lethal to me as I use a stick to get around. I know kids love it and have a lot of fun playing in it. But I would much rather be indoors with a hot chocolate and a nice biscuit than falling over and breaking something, and ending up in hospital, especially at the moment .

I have just been watching a car sliding backwards down the hill opposite my house, I have to go out later but will go the long way round to miss the hill  

Because of the rail strike the roads may take longer to defrost as a lot of people will be staying at home to work if they can. I drove down to Faversham yesterday to see my sis-in-law and the roads down there were pretty clear and most of the snow seemed to have missed them , but the Medway area had a fair amount and what's left has frozen to glass this morning so I am being extremely careful. The dustmen are due this morning so their big lorry hopefully will churn some of the stuff up a bit.

Keep warm and safe chums
JackieO xx

Longwalker

Have no option but to drive in it

Facebook memories show snow is normal from the first week of December onwards here

Actually I dont mind driving on snow, its the solid ice we have had these past few mornings that stress me. Even more so the ice thats there on the way home again. Ive never had a slide going in to work, but a couple coming home - luckily not serious, worse was having to sail on past my house as no way was the car going to stop 

I could have murdered Zoe Ball the other morning, I had spent 15 mins trying to get the car ice free ( doors completely frozen shut ) and was crawling down the road, and she was blathering on about how she would love to see snow and how lucky those that had it were !!!!!

It was so cold in work yesterday, our toilet froze. Long queue by time it finally became operational 

Back to prices, a loaf of hovis was 1.40 at the weekend (lidl) and I thought sod that so looked at their other options 38p or 78p, I went for the 78p loaf. Its ok but doesn't make nice toast - turns brittle. But 62p cheaper its going to have to do.  Anyone try the 38p loaf?

RobM99

@Longwalker - have you tried LIDL low-GM loaf from their bakery? I like it - others might not though!

shandyclover

Longwalker said:

Back to prices, a loaf of hovis was 1.40 at the weekend (lidl) and I thought sod that so looked at their other options 38p or 78p, I went for the 78p loaf. Its ok but doesn't make nice toast - turns brittle. But 62p cheaper its going to have to do.  Anyone try the 38p loaf?

We buy both the Lidl and Aldi 38p loaf for just toast. I was buying the posher seeded one, but looking at the ingredients realised the 38p loaf was actually more wholemeal, fibre, protein than the more expensive one. We do buy other bread occasionally for sandwiches etc. but for toast the 38p loaf seems perfectly fine.