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Perhaps you'll learn more about me as you read my blog. For anyone who translates my blog using the translator facility, don't forget if you wish to read the comments in your own language to click on the title of the post down the left hand side otherwise they will remain in english. Also I assume that the translation is accurate but I don't know, so please allow for errors.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

A New Day...

Sunny but it seems very chilly.

Bit of a late night night watching a little TV on the laptop in bed. Mixed variety of choice. I gave a new edition of the TV quiz "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" for Christmas with so called celebs but it has lost it's appeal and in 45 minutes few if any questions were asked and there was a lot of the time full of small talk. I don't think I'll bother again.

I watched a lighthearted but usually good programme that advises you how to save money and make your money go further but again there wasn't much to help people like me. They told how to save and make money out of interest but if I save more than £6,000 I lose help financially, I am not allowed to save even for the future even if I promise not to use it now.

I could not afford to save because income is so low and if I had savings unless it was won or inherited and it was silly money I could easily spend £200 a week if very frugal but in reality to have some kind of life with some fun nearer £300. So that's £15,600 annually! Spent on essentials nit luxuries(Rent, council tax, utility bills, food, bedroom tax, perhaps running a car, paying fares for a bus ride/taxi ride, insurance etc...)

Even if you found yourself with a gift of £50,000 in someones will that's all very nice and who would turn it down? But that would at best last you two to three years. You also need not to be paying a weekly rent or mortgage and have savings more in the £250,000+ range to really benefit(That would only last 15 years)

Is it any wonder savings are hard to build up or have there for a rainy day/later in life? No wonder so many of us need help or so many honest people have to be a little dishonest so they can survive(you know those who share wealth with family and friends, if they have any)or hide it(remember the stories about older people who used to hide it in the mattress)or those who do some work and are paid cash in hand.

Most are not hardened criminals just struggling to get by from day to day.

So again, I'm not sure of the worth of such programmes. In my circumstances I have not been able to pay into a pension scheme either so if I live long enough to retire I suspect my income will be pretty low too.

I forgot my troubles by finding an early screening of a special of Rod Stewart(with guests Kylie Minogue and Michael Bublé)with a show set in a castle in Scotland and mainly Christmas standards which is also quite a good promotional vehicle for his new Christmas CD. It is kind of funny though having someone ask what he and his wife how they celebrate Christmas time and what gifts they give "To someone who has everything!" and you hear that his wife gave him a boat for "The lake " they have at one of their homes in England.

It may not be as grand as it sounds but how many of us have a lake at our property? I'm not envious but in these austere times...

My final viewing was by chance and of happier times I found a comedy series from 38 years ago. Where did all those years go? I was still a teenager(and still had not started working)Mum and Dad were still in my life and it was quite gentle humour. In the States it was remade as "Three's Company" but over here starred Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox, Sally Thomsett, Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy and was known as "Man About The House" so I watched a couple of them.

Well, I'm going to get myself dressed and shaved. And get ready to go through to a neighbouring town and attend a memorial Christmas carol service to remember Mum and Dad and put a little dedication on the Christmas tree. If I get there a little early the theatre is nearby and I may go and collect my tickets for some shows I am hoping to see next year(they are all paid for)

Then if I can get back to town in time I hope to attend part of the live music night I have found on the town(I manage an hour or so if I am lucky)but the the service may over run and buses are not very frequent any more and only one of them goes on a route that is near to the venue.

As difficult as things are I am trying to improve my health in little ways by eating the right food(even if smaller portions)and also trying to add some vitamins etc...to the mix so I have a mineral and general vitamin tablet daily and I also have added Ginkgo Biloba which is good for eye health(macular degeneration, glaucoma, Reynaud’s disease)and I do have eye problems and have had occasions where my fingers and toes are cold and numb. Glucosamine to try and help my joints which can be painful especially my knees. Ginger to help reduce cholesterol. So we'll see how it goes.

Well, I'm away to get ready, have something to eat and I have to wash my trousers(yes I said trousers)I managed to get some paint on them when I did some painting over the weekend and being emulsion hopefully it will come out of them.

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