Basically, it’s all loans; both for tuition fees (paid straight to the Uni) and a set amount for maintenance.
It’s gonna be quite a chunk of money by the end totalled up… However, it’s nowhere near as bad as it sounds, all the loans are through a government run scheme, and I don’t have to pay anything back until I’m earning over £25,000 a year, then it’s automatically taken from my wages at a set, low, rate. Unless and until that happens (until this point I’ve never even been close to that wage), it doesn’t affect my credit rating and I just don’t pay anything (I have some unpaid from when I was 18 at a lower payment threshold, it’s had no impact on my life other than the odd couple of £ being garnished from my wages when I did a load of overtime). If I haven’t paid any or all back in 30 years, the remainder gets forgiven. So… I don’t have to pay until I won’t miss it, and if I don’t pay long enough it’ll go away by itself.
It’s a bit silly in many ways; those with access to the figures have told me that, with the cost of administering the system, it’d actually be cheaper to just go back to the old way and just give people free tuition and grants, and the idea of a huge loan scares a lot of poorer students away from Uni, but politics…
At the moment, with my part time job, I’m living well within the loan, which is set at national average prices (there’s actually a higher maintenance loan if you’re studying in London), but a 1 bedroom flat here is cheaper than student halls of residence in some cities, even with the bills on top. Plus I’m a lot better than the average first-time-away-from-home 18 year old at budgeting and not drinking the loan at the pub…
Howdy Y’all. I accomplished errands and church duty this mornin’. This afternoon has been chill time. As I have said before, Netflix is not goin’ to binge watch itself. Bright N.O.S. day but chilly.
**FCD **just called - both of his folks are in the hospital, so we’re heading down there first thing in the morning. This is scary - they’re both in their late 80s and in marginal health. I’ve got a gazillion things to get done before we can leave. Our cruise may leave without us…
I don’t have any real harrowing roommate stories to tell. I did have a roommate once who ran off to Reno with his girlfriend and got married 3 weeks before finals. Then, when they got home, expected everyone else to move out so they could set up housekeeping. Did I mention that it was 3 weeks before finals?
I’m somewhat annoyed. I was gonna go to Costco this morning to buy, among a few other things, a portable hard drive that they have ‘on sale’ for ~$65. Anyway, this a.m. I looked the drive up on the computer to read reviews and discovered that said drive is ~$65 all over the place. Costco’s sale isn’t a sale at all! :mad:
I was also going to get one of their chicken pot pies. We were talking about KFC’s chicken pot pies the other day and we both conceived a craving for a good chickie pot pie, but KFC moved out of our town a long time ago and the last time I bought a frozen pie from the store I was sadly disappointed. (And I don’t want to make my own.)
Does anyone make a decent chickie pot pie anymore?
My afternoon shall consist of helping Wifey hang some pictures somewhere. I’m not sure where and I’m afraid to ask 'cause I get tired of her looking at me like I’m an idiot 'cause I can’t read her mind. I’ll just show up at her office later, and if she’s not there, I have a pretty good idea of where she’ll be.
{{FCM}} I hope things go well for you. That kind of stuff isn’t easy, but hopefully it goes well, whatever that may be.
The only bad roommate I had almost kept my husband and me from getting a mortgage. We all lived together (before my husband and I were married - gasp!), and the way that we split bills was that one month someone paid rent, another paid utilities and another had a month off. Then we’d rotate. Well, we found out while we were applying for our mortgage that our rent had been late 3 times in the past year. WHAT? Come to find out, our roommate wasn’t paying the rent on time when it was his turn. It always got paid before the next person’s month, but it was always late.
That and his computer was in the living room and he would have racy online video chats with random dudes in various states of undress. I had to pee one night and he was fapping in the middle of the living room. I’m all about people getting off however they want to get off as long as everyone’s an adult and it’s all consensual. Doesn’t mean I want to see it on my way to the bathroom.
If we’re going to start on the housemate stories, I could go on for days; what with the angry vegan dog collector, the guy who kinda started a cult, the phantom cheese and glass scatterer, the guy who didn’t know you shouldn’t chop raw chicken on the breadboard then put it away without washing… Cheap housing comes with interesting extras.
When I got home, I got the story - MIL was admitted with a viral infection and they’ve got to do a spinal tap. FIL was there with her and very confused - but he hadn’t been admitted, which was the impression I’d gotten. Anyway, chances are we’ll be leaving tomorrow. Still waiting for FIL to call back.
Got a nap in today, I knew I needed one.
Ripple kept poking me to wake me up. I thought it was because he wanted his spot on the couch, but it was because he had gotten the mail for me. Since I didn’t wake up he chewed it through it. Fortunately, it wasn’t anything important.
I was very worried about the cat. He stayed in all day yesterday but my sonn let him out around 10 ast night. He didn’t come home until sometime after 4 this afternoon. He ate, took a nap, and wanted right back out. I didn’t even get to see him since I was asleep at the time.
{{{FCM and in-laws}}}
I hope everything will be okay.
I’m glad you enjoy my stories Spidey, I always think they will annoy/bore everybody.
I have a picture somewhere of my truck covered in snow except for the top of the antenna.
**FCD **just talked to his dad again - he said they suspect kidney failure, but he didn’t ask the doctor any questions. He’s of the generation that didn’t dare question a doctor… So we won’t know anything for sure till we get there.
Meanwhile, daughter and family are on the road to Orlando. We’ll see them late on Tuesday. Dunno yet of we’ll have Thanksgiving or not.
sticky, I was a freshman in high school during the blizzard of ‘78. My school bus wound upin a ditch and my dad was stranded at some friends’ house when he got stuck on his way home from work. He lucked out in that they were farmers with tractors and winches. They fed him, he helped with the milking and then they went to get his truck. He got to the end of our alley before getting stuck again. At that point, he just walked home.
{{{Mooooom}}} I hope all goes well with the in laws.
bumba, I still make a good chicken pie.
I’ve had few roomates who were platonic. I lived in the House of Queens when I got out of one relationship. Sharing the house with five drag queens can get interesting. At least there were clothes and shoes to borrow.
When a friend came back to Nashville from Oklahoma, she asked if she could stay with me for a couple of weeks until she found an apartment. A month later, I finally had enough when she kept buying furniture for her new place instead of actually putting the money towards a deposit on one. My one bedroom apartment looked like a hoarder situation. A couple of times, she called me when she got off second shift to come get her, since she didn’t have enough gas to get home and no money to buy some. She wound up going to live with her daughter. While she sent someone for the furniture that she’d purchased, she left things like a new set of towels, dishes sheets that fit my bed, etc. I kept some and put the rest in my SIL’s yard sale.
Tomorrow, I’m going to Lowe’s for some grass seed and straw. Now that it’s a little warmer (read: above freezing), I’ll put some down to cover a bare patch in my tiny lawn. Sis and BIL will be here tomorrow night with Nelson’s mother and little brother. I wonder if they’ll recognize each other. He’s seen his little sister since living with me and they did, but that’s been eight months ago.
OK… we’re just about packed. I think all we need are our toiletries which will be packed after we shower in the morning. Daughter called from the NC border. SIL’s brother will be coming over to tend to the cats. I think all bases are covered. I hope, anyway.
{{{Moommm}}} Best wishes to FCD and the folks. I hope the health situation gets straightened out.
Air quality here is still horrible. It’s one of those things where every time we step outside we count our blessings. Over a thousand missing now. It’s just a horrid situation.
Akiko-pup just had her rabies shot and final puppy shots, so she can start going to the dog park next week. I am very excited. My nieces want me to take her to the little dog park, because they like little dogs. She’s already 30 lbs, so I’m thinking she should probably just go in with the bigger pups.
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 38 Amurrkin out and N.O.S. with a predicted high of 67 and mostly N.O.S. for the day. Today begins some prep work for Turkey Day. I shall clean the collard greens and tear them into little pieces. I bought a bunch of ‘em yestiddy with the idea of some for TDay and some for New Year’s Day. I figure if I’m goin’ to clean collards might as well do enough for both times whilst I am at it. I shall place ‘em in da freezer after they get prepped. They freeze well and that will be a thing out of the way for both occasions. I also envision makin’ up some cornbread for dressin’. Mr. Turkey got taken outta da freezer yestiddy and is hangin’ out in the beerator in the laundry room. I think we will swipe The General’s sup this evenin’.
MOOOOOOM and FCD I assume y’all are on the road by now. Have a safe trip and hope all is better with the in-laws today. Here’s hopin’ y’all still get to do the cruise as well.
Sari count me in as one who is always entertained by your stories.
Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, onward into the day. Rah.
