Greenparent

where DO you put your money where your mouth is?

2013-05-17T21:19:42+01:00

I’m curious.
I’m aware many of us are frugalistas on GP, and we love sharing our ‘how to save money’ tips but I’d love to know which areas of your life have no expense spared.

Is there a hobby you won’t compromise on? (I’m hearing stashes of yarn calling from the cupboards!)
A ‘must have’ gadget you can’t be without? (hello iphone)
Something you feel so passionately about you will buy it no matter what? (do shoes count?)

I’d love to know where you splash out and what the value of that is to you.

For me I eat about 80%+ organic food - my food bill is pretty extortionate but I won’t eat non-organic because I value the way I feel when I eat organic food and I feel good about the lessened impact on the environment.
Another area I don’t skimp on is therapies; I currently have reflexology and see a healer because I’m not particularly impressed with what orthadox medicine can offer me to support my health.
If my laptop broke there would be no hesitation; I’d replace it straight away (but then I do need that for business, but even if I didn’t I’d replace it for pleasure…)
Ditto the vitamix; if that broke I’d buy another straight away - it’s revolutionised the way I eat; I eat far more healthily now and I use it every day twice a day, so it earns its keep. I’d rather have a one ring camping stove with no cooker and splash out on the vitamix if I had to choose one or the other.

Over to you…

3 children…would you have 4th?

2012-09-05T10:44:59+01:00

Hi all,
Ok, so I am after some objective views on this
We currently have three girls 7, 5, 2.5 so the question is would you have a fourth or not? And what would your reasons be?
I am interested to know about your family dynamics especially those who are a little further along, i.e what happens in a family of 3 when they get a bit older? At the minute the eldest two play very well together and the youngest still is happy to be with me (we H.ed too) but what happens when they get a bit bigger?
I was one of two sisters and so knew I didn’t want to replicate that (direct comparisons etc) but are there any mums out there who were one of three (girls?) and what was your experience of it?
Anyone had 3 girls then a boy? How does that change things?
Also the age spread and h.edding, would that influence your decision?

Excitedly awaiting replies
thanks!

Would you buy Nestle if…

2013-03-14T13:03:12+01:00

Would you buy Nestle if Nestle were no longer going to profit from it? Would you buy Nestle if the alternative was that the product would go to waste?

I shop on Approved Foods regularly. And I don’t buy Nestle. But sometimes I wonder about it, especially when I’m spending other people money and buying for group activities. Then I’m supposed to get the best price I can. My understanding of Approved Food is that they buy excess from supermarket central stores when packaging has changed or they product is about to go out of date.

What would you do?

Doctors and their criteria to treat you or not

2012-09-29T21:45:32+01:00

How about this for a debate topic, your GP that you are registered with decides that if your BMI is not in the ‘normal range’, if you drink, smoke or are on long term medication they will no longer see you ... What are your thoughts?

I ask this as not being in a ‘normal’ BMI range my GP would not see me for a bad cough, which became a chest infection which became mild pneumonia ... Then to add insult to 6 weeks of only being able to sleep and not function, a letter drops through the door saying can no longer have pill as they want a cheaper long term option or even better to be on the safe side have no more kids ever and have it all taken out ... Leaflet titled ‘Long term contraception for larger ladies’ Don’t even go there ....
After talking to others it appears many doctors surgeries have this new criteria, they only like ‘healthy’ people who fit the tick boxes, perfect weight, dont drink, dont smoke and wont cost them anything. Anyone else facing this?
Just wondering what other peoples thoughts and experiences are on this.
L xx

Gift Giving

2012-11-28T20:30:35+01:00

Here’s a great article on gift giving at Christmas, we now do a secret santa with all the adults in our family which is a real breakthrough, do any of you do something similar or would you like to?

Bribery

2012-10-02T21:08:10+01:00

Today I was sent some info about this years campaign for flu vaccinations at work. As always, it comes with pamphlets which oversimplify the pros and cons of getting your jab (well, oversimplify the pros and forget the cons). And, as always, people are offered a free cup of tea or coffee as an incentive. To me, the tea and coffee teeters on the edge of coercion. However, this year a number of local companies have donated gifts and each person getting jab will be entered into a prize draw.

I think this is beyond OK. I’m not against the jab itself per se, but I have issues with this approach. There may be targets to meet or whatever, but offering gifts for people to have their jab is, in my opinion, unethical. But is it that bad really? Perhaps they are just trying to encourage the people who sort of want to get it but wouldn’t otherwise bother? Your thoughts please…

Hmmmm the olympics- what do we think then?

2012-07-27T23:31:09+01:00

Sooooo-as I sit here watching the opening ceremony what do people think?

Waste of money?
Fabulous sporting event?

We will be watching aspects from a once in lifetime perspective…...we did apply for tickets but like most that applied for the ‘pay your age’ we didn’t get any…..

Environmental vandalism?

2012-07-14T20:35:38+01:00

I have a random question which i would like your views on. I wont be offended by any answers i get - i am genuinely curious as to your views.

I am a Geocacher. For anyone who doesnt know what this is, it basically is a treasure hunt with the use of GPS systems. There are over 1 million Geocache boxes around the world all logged onto a GPS system, which we go out and hunt for. They are usually some kind of waterproof box which contains a log (for you to log your details and date you found it) and sometimes some little gifts for kiddies (think xmas cracker type stuff). It’s all just good fun really. We do it to get us and the kids out and about and the kids get so excited to find them. It takes us on walks and adventures we would probably never have discovered without it. The boxes obviously have to be pretty well hidden so that a non-geocahing member of the public is unlikely to stumble across it.

So here is my question: do you consider the placing of these boxes littering? There is a UK environmental group who have started to hunt out the boxes and destroy them. I had never thought there would be such an issue, but it has made me wonder if im doing the right thing?

So, to be socially acceptable you should earn this much!

2012-07-10T09:42:44+01:00

Have just been watching the tv and on the news it just informed me of a new study apparently a couple with two children should be earning 37,000 at least to acheive a socially acceptable (whatever that is!) lifestyle. Phahahaha! Who is this aimed at and done by?!

Sorry haven’t bothered to search for the actual study as I think it would make my blood boil but what are your thoughts on this?

I know that 5 years ago in Bristol, when I was working we were living on quite alot even for the basic needs, housing, transport, groceries, etc were all far more expensive than elsewhere. I have previously lived in the Midlands and Somerset and both were much cheaper.
Now back in the Midlands we have barely noticed apart from groceries the increase in various costs. Obviously they are there but having spent so much for so long…

Thoughts?
sarie

So, the budget, what do we think then?

2012-03-21T23:02:57+01:00

I do welcome the increased fuel tax (despite being a motorist) and the increased personal tax allowance for lowest earners.

I am really, really angry about the way that the child benefit scrapping has been done. I think, first and foremost, its right that a civilised society makes sure that women have money to raise their kids. I remember, from working for a charity, that CB was so often the only income that an abused woman had and it was a REAL safety net. I also think its right that we get some kind of financial tokenist gesture (assuming you are on £60k I guess CB is pretty tokenistic) to acknowledge that we are raising future citizens. But primarily I am angry that its now being assessed on the higher wage earner’s income not family income. I just do not understand the logic of this. Its certainly not necessary-almost every other benefit is assessed as a “household claim” so the DWP and Revenue are more than used to assessing joint income. TBH, the Revenue, which administers child benefit, has this information already for most of us because it also assesses tax credits, which are jointly applied for. So that’s a load of rubbish. The Tories and Liberals want to penalise families where a partner, usually the woman, stays at home and they are going to amazingly convoluted lengths to do so.

I also think freezing the income tax allowance for pensioners at the level they are at is ludicrously unfair. I think it fair enough that there should be a cap for super wealthy pensioners, but at the rates they are talking it just seems gratuitously mean. FGS if someone is still working at 65, give them a break!

But I am just FURIOUS at cutting of the 50p tax rate. So we can’t afford to subsidise families, pensioners, or generally poorer people, we are cutting jobs and rights left right and centre-but millionaires? Yes yes we must make sure that those starving millionaires are alright. In the midst of the deepest recession in…however long its been, millionaires are without a doubt the most deserving group to receive a massive, massive tax break. After all we wouldn’t want them to leave the country, because then we wouldn’t get the pleasure of them screwing us over.