Cost of living crisis - how are you all doing?

[Dr Jacoby]

PIP is a great help. Without that I’d be in a lot of trouble.

 

[East Level 2]

PIP is a great help. Without that I’d be in a lot of trouble.

And at your next assessment you'll be asked to juggle soot in a howling gale while standing on one leg.
And the assessor will know sod all about the conditions that require you to apply for PIP.
Just a guess.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

In the fortunate position of having enough to live on through my working life and never been bothered by boom and bust or political policies. Now in retirement and with savings and income living comfortably. Not being smug about things and if I had to change I would just go back to work or adjust my life style. I don’t tend to spend much unless it’s on the house but I take great comfort in knowing I can have anything I want without going in to debt but day to day I don’t tend to want very expensive things anyway.

Very similar to us at before the moon towers, we always, once we'd cleared the large debt the CSA had left me (us) with which almost had us bankrupt overpaid slightly on our mortgage to get rid of it, rarely took any sort of credit etc and gradually built a small pot up of savings which was helped by both at the right time taking voluntary redundancy and occupational pensions early as part of the deals when we left work.

Now I temper my life accordingly, do home domestic games only, holiday 1/2 a year rather than 3/4, go out for a beer a couple of times a week but don't go mad. Our only other outgoings are for utilities & car.

Just need to be a little careful but we manage pretty well and as you say if needed would dip back into work (shudder).

 

[East Level 2]

PIP is a great help. Without that I’d be in a lot of trouble.

PIP is a great help for those that receive it but it's badly publicised so many people who are entitled to it don't even know about it. The person I know who receives it was in receipt of another benefit but nobody ever told her she might also qualify for PIP.

 

[halfmist]

Very similar to us at before the moon towers, we always, once we'd cleared the large debt the CSA had left me (us) with which almost had us bankrupt overpaid slightly on our mortgage to get rid of it, rarely took any sort of credit etc and gradually built a small pot up of savings which was helped by both at the right time taking voluntary redundancy and occupational pensions early as part of the deals when we left work.

Now I temper my life accordingly, do home domestic games only, holiday 1/2 a year rather than 3/4, go out for a beer a couple of times a week but don't go mad. Our only other outgoings are for utilities & car.

Just need to be a little careful but we manage pretty well and as you say if needed would dip back into work (shudder).

Yes, a lot of similarities..other than the CSA bit as we have no kids.
We have a drink every night but now Winter is here going out to the pub is less appealing.
My local charges £6.45 for a pint of Peronni and then there is constant battle with the kids they put behind the bar that the 2 inch head on it is not part of the pint.
Add a Chinese takeaway with a couple of beers and there is no change out of £65 for a mid week night out.
A beer and a large glass of red wine at home in front of a log fire just before Tea and then into the lounge to watch the football is far more appealing.
As regards the football I now pick my matches.. those that are 3.00 pm Saturday kick offs that are not on Tele tend to be the only ones I go to.
Attending a European Champions League Final to watch my Club is on my wish list.
Can’t be arsed travelling abroad with all the hassle that comes with it.
If they get there next year I will take my Mrs to Club Wembley well away from all the piss heads up and down every 2 minutes for a piss.
Tickets are always available .. for a price.

 

[MCFC Wirral]

PIP is a great help for those that receive it but it's badly publicised so many people who are entitled to it don't even know about it. The person I know who receives it was in receipt of another benefit but nobody ever told her she might also qualify for PIP.

One of the medics suggested I could qualify for PIP currently wearing a stoma bag. A quick Google tells me not to bother. It’s been on since September last year and is due to go in January or February next year.

I guess I’ll be wasting my time? Reply by PM if it’s not right to post anything interesting.

 

[East Level 2]

One of the medics suggested I could qualify for PIP currently wearing a stoma bag. A quick Google tells me not to bother. It’s been on since September last year and is due to go in January or February next year.

I guess I’ll be wasting my time? Reply by PM if it’s not right to post anything interesting.

I think it depends on how much the stoma bag restricts your ability to live independently. At least you were told about it.

 

[MCFC Wirral]

I think it depends on how much the stoma bag restricts your ability to live independently. At least you were told about it.

It doesn’t. I go to work and do things at weekends. I require nothing additional.

Age is a huge factor in having the ileostomy reversed next year. It’s major surgery again but having to poo in to a bag for the rest of my life is no fun.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Yes, a lot of similarities..other than the CSA bit as we have no kids.
We have a drink every night but now Winter is here going out to the pub is less appealing.
My local charges £6.45 for a pint of Peronni and then there is constant battle with the kids they put behind the bar that the 2 inch head on it is not part of the pint.
Add a Chinese takeaway with a couple of beers and there is no change out of £65 for a mid week night out.
A beer and a large glass of red wine at home in front of a log fire just before Tea and then into the lounge to watch the football is far more appealing.
As regards the football I now pick my matches.. those that are 3.00 pm Saturday kick offs that are not on Tele tend to be the only ones I go to.
Attending a European Champions League Final to watch my Club is on my wish list.
Can’t be arsed travelling abroad with all the hassle that comes with it.
If they get there next year I will take my Mrs to Club Wembley well away from all the piss heads up and down every 2 minutes for a piss.
Tickets are always available .. for a price.

Sounds like you have a little more cash sloshing around than we do £6.45 a pint, my local is expensive for the area and comes in at £7.70 for a Boddies and lager & black!!!

Three quarters of the battle is being content and happy in your own bubble.

I've even been known to flash cars with rag signage out of junctions these days. Mrs Moon thinks I'm losing it ;)

 

[Bigga]

No, there aren’t enough doctors and infrastructure and the NHS has been crippled by a decade of austerity.

We are an aging population that needs migration to fill the jobs that younger people naturally do alongside help in care homes etc.

I'm going to refrain from calling this post a nonsense because it's half correct, but I will say (as I was saying formerly in the politics thread I once posted in) that it was silly to expect to lure people from other countries to work in the NHS, simply because our money is worth more than their currencies.

This just keeps the pay low and the lack of willingness to train and pay more is pretty disgusting of neolib/con Govs, we've had.

This country is willing to spend billions on proxy wars rather than spend on the nation's healthcare.

It's utterly mad how people keep voting these kind of people in and then wring their hands when they don't know where things have gone wrong and we're not even talking about how AI is already gutting out jobs within the NHS system!

If the Chinese are right in one thing, they've let Western minds laud quick money for less work through TikTok, Youtube and whatever young minds find attractive and make this less available in their own country.

It is what it is.