Thats very good to know, thanks grenfell - there's a lot of them, to be suregrenfell wrote:They're perfectly ok and legal to use as long as the total value meets the required postage cost. We had a couple of sheets of 11.5p , 15p , 17p as well as quite a few smaller dominations all of which we have used mainly for ebay parcels .Arzosah wrote:quite a few with a value of "10.5p", for instance which I don't think I *could* use as a stamp any more But I'll use what I can, especially for sending out those parcels of sold books
Financial prepping
Re: Financial prepping
Re: Financial prepping
Deeps, have you investigating the prospect of transferring a credit card debt, once incurred, to a 0% card? There's lots of offers on the go, and if you have a logical atittude to debt and don't let it get out of control, which is obviously the case for you, they could be really convenient. See here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit ... edit-cardsDeeps wrote:I'll be misusing my credit card tomorrow. For me its for a couple of season tickets for football, we all have our wee indulgences. In the past I've been able to pay them off quickly but I'm poorer now than I have been in a long time. I'll be buying the tickets anyway so 'whats a guy gotta do' . While I don't like having debt I do anyway
I couldn't agree more it's like any tool.For me credit isn't the enemy, its what you do with it. Toss in a good old dose of "can you afford it" and it comes down to the individual. Mortgages are credit and plenty businesses use credit, as in most things its being clever in what you do with it.
Re: Financial prepping
Yep, agree Arzosah, I have two credit cards for that very reason and when I need to use it, I phone them to find out if there is such an offer available. I'm not big on using credit, but if I ever need something I will generally try and use my credit card in conjunction with a 0% balance transfer deal than cash(even though I have it) I would never borrow money like that if I didn't have the cash to cover the debt, but that's just me.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
Re: Financial prepping
I've transferred in the past but my debt is pretty small and to be honest I'm too lazy to bother, I use my card for online purchases mostly. Her Maj on the other hand......no she's pretty much the same.Arzosah wrote:Deeps, have you investigating the prospect of transferring a credit card debt, once incurred, to a 0% card? There's lots of offers on the go, and if you have a logical atittude to debt and don't let it get out of control, which is obviously the case for you, they could be really convenient. See here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit ... edit-cardsDeeps wrote:I'll be misusing my credit card tomorrow. For me its for a couple of season tickets for football, we all have our wee indulgences. In the past I've been able to pay them off quickly but I'm poorer now than I have been in a long time. I'll be buying the tickets anyway so 'whats a guy gotta do' . While I don't like having debt I do anyway
I couldn't agree more it's like any tool.For me credit isn't the enemy, its what you do with it. Toss in a good old dose of "can you afford it" and it comes down to the individual. Mortgages are credit and plenty businesses use credit, as in most things its being clever in what you do with it.
Re: Financial prepping
I don't know why they don't teach budgeting in schools, especially given so many kids are living in poverty due to UK (and US by sounds of things) govt!
When I was growing up we had a tight budget for 4 of us and a dog but my parents always managed to pay the bills and put food on the table AND save up for xmas and take us camping.
I had to mange a tight budget at university and again many years later after being disabled many years and my savings having to be used for vet fees for my old dog and mobility equipment over the years and hit more bills and further benefit cuts to come.
My idea has been to try and get anything I'd need to replace that would be expensive, so when the further cuts do happen I only have to find money for basic bills. I've stopped magazine subscriptions, and swapped gas/electric. BB etc to cheaper suppliers.
I think it be handy to know how long best before and use by dates are for different foods (which have longest dates etc for saving up and storing extra food), particuarly food that could be still be used incase of power cuts
When I was growing up we had a tight budget for 4 of us and a dog but my parents always managed to pay the bills and put food on the table AND save up for xmas and take us camping.
I had to mange a tight budget at university and again many years later after being disabled many years and my savings having to be used for vet fees for my old dog and mobility equipment over the years and hit more bills and further benefit cuts to come.
My idea has been to try and get anything I'd need to replace that would be expensive, so when the further cuts do happen I only have to find money for basic bills. I've stopped magazine subscriptions, and swapped gas/electric. BB etc to cheaper suppliers.
I think it be handy to know how long best before and use by dates are for different foods (which have longest dates etc for saving up and storing extra food), particuarly food that could be still be used incase of power cuts
Re: Financial prepping
The cynic in me says budgeting isn't taught as TPTB want kids to grow up as spending , borrowing , debt ridden consumers to make the GDP figures look ever better.katilea wrote:I don't know why they don't teach budgeting in schools, especially given so many kids are living in poverty due to UK (and US by sounds of things) govt!
Re: Financial prepping
grenfell wrote:The cynic in me says budgeting isn't taught as TPTB want kids to grow up as spending , borrowing , debt ridden consumers to make the GDP figures look ever better.katilea wrote:I don't know why they don't teach budgeting in schools, especially given so many kids are living in poverty due to UK (and US by sounds of things) govt!
I have a credit card but its used for emergencies.My dogs previous Insurance company, you had to pay the vet first and claim it back, or scooter needs new batteries, or needs replacing. Its not an high limit but it's enough for me to get myself a decent scooter within a few days if mine breaks down as it gets heavy use with dog walking twice a day, everyday. That's my biggest expense as my luxury is my dog I always wanted a border collie and its a breed that needs a lot of exercise, without my scooter it wouldn't have been possible for me to consider one, as I'd never get a dog if I couldn't cover its basic care needs.
I never borrow more than I could afford to pay back and use all my DLA as the monthly repayments (if I've used the full limit) so I pay back well over the minimum payment until its paid back, ready for the next emergency or piece of equipment needed.
I really need a back up for my scooter so thinking of getting one of those trike attachments that fit to a manual wheelchair as they are easy to store and my old manual wheelchair can still be folded. My biggest issue is I can't manage the throttle (motorbike type) control so need a model that offers an alternative for people with limited mobility in hands consequently these tend to cost more and start at around £3,000. If I get one sorted though it should last for years.
I don't have a car and this is my only way to get round a not very wheelchair friendly rural village. Alot of people are losing their cars where they've got them from the Motability scheme so I'm sure at some point scooters and other powered attachments will go up in price even more, just as people have even less money to buy some of their independence back!
Re: Financial prepping
I agree with Grenfell, the governments want us to be in debt, it is just another way of control, but also i believe that nowadays, we are bombarded with things that we are told we must have, the latest mobile phone, the next best tv, the list goes on, and to pay for all this must have, we need to borrow if we are not lucky enough to be rich enough just to buy it.
Up in the wet South Lakeland
Re: Financial prepping
I don't get the government wanting us in debt stuff, its our own greed as a society that gets us and keeps us in debt. I've always thought that governments want us to be model citizens, buy/rent a house, have kids to keep it all going and not do anything exciting that will require them to spend money on us as long as we're paying the taxes. If we have something tangible to lose or have taken away from us then we're 'controllable' anyway. If we owe that much then we've got nothing to lose by rebelling.DustyDog wrote:I agree with Grenfell, the governments want us to be in debt, it is just another way of control, but also i believe that nowadays, we are bombarded with things that we are told we must have, the latest mobile phone, the next best tv, the list goes on, and to pay for all this must have, we need to borrow if we are not lucky enough to be rich enough just to buy it.
Re: Financial prepping
We have a debt based financial system , that's why we are encouraged to take out loans. The banking system works on fractional reserve or in other words they have a limited amount of assets but can loan out much more. Thus if a bank has a million pounds it can loan out something like nine million , that extra money being literally invented out of thin air , plus those loans now count as an asset . Such a system allows for very quick and very large increases in wealth compared to a system that uses a finite resource such as gold and silver coins.
I've heard or read somewhere that it's reckoned if we all got rid of our debts , all debts including mortgages , that our financial system would collapse within six months. Not sure about that one completely it's a bit of a "what if "scenario but it does make one wonder.
I've heard or read somewhere that it's reckoned if we all got rid of our debts , all debts including mortgages , that our financial system would collapse within six months. Not sure about that one completely it's a bit of a "what if "scenario but it does make one wonder.