Beverly W

Is it just me or is anyone else sick and tired of being an accountant as well as a parent and every other role we have to survive?

Yesterday my son was clearly worried about telling me someone spilt coffee over the back of his dry clean only suit. There's unexpected expense to calculate in or off set.

The irony last night was too much when the landlord sent an electrician round with a brand new fan oven to replace the broken one we had sat gathering dust. Ironic because I was able to buy a new all singing and dancing multi cooking pot/air fryer with the petrol money we had saved when the car was with the mechanic for 7 weeks. This new oven is 'A' rated for energy efficiency too. Which makes it seem an exciting proposition to use it because I'm under the impression it'll be really cheap to run based on a rating chart on a sticker. As it was I had to run it on maximum heat setting for 30 minuets to get rid of the odour from the manufacturing processes. What a waste of electric. I was half tempted to leave the shelves and oven tray wrapped up in cardboard and plastic in protest at the idea of using it at all. But, since it's here, we are compelled to give it a go and bake stuff this weekend.

Also, to my horror this morning, I came downstairs to discover the hot tap had been dripping into the kitchen sink all night long. Another complete waste of our money. I'd replace the washer myself if I had a spare and knew exactly what I was doing rather than book a repair with the landlord. Coincidentally, it was only last night I went to great lengths explaining to my son about squeezing the tap really tight to avoid it leaking. Talk about tempting fate.

All part of the trials and tribulations of living life on a fixed low income during a cost of living crisis. Rather tragic as we navigate our way though years of austerity, cut backs, shortages, pandemics and wars. Feels like we've been wading through thick mud for years plunged into these situations time after time.

I recall the words of the Citizens Advice volunteer telling me divorce would cause me to fall into a poverty trap. It was without doubt, the best decision I ever made in my life to end my marriage, yet I'm still stuck living in poverty some 24 years later.