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Sep. 8th, 2015 06:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
turpsIt was James' uncle's funeral yesterday. It was a humanist service and was a lovely mix of personal moments, funny memories and little touches that meant a lot. James' aunt was devastated, which was very understandable as they'd been together since they were 15.
We went to the wake afterwards and I got to meet lots of James' extended family. Including someone who now lives in Australia. He was telling us how he has a big house in a lot of land that's surrounded by loads of bush. He also said that sometimes he gets kangaroos on his lawn, but I'm not sure if he was pulling our legs a bit about that or not. He did joke about Fosters, saying actual Australians don't tend to drink the stuff.
I've got a new computer monitor. Well, I say new, I got it off Freecycle after my last one went off last week. It's the same size as my last monitor, but instead of a rectangle it's a square shape, so things are just that little bit out of place than I'm used to. For example, in tweet deck there's only room for 3 columns instead of the 4. I'm not complaining though, after struggling to use my iPad for everything -- I usually use that for reading, general browsing, games etc. Actual communication I need a physical keyboard for -- I'm just glad to have any monitor.
Corey is off to uni on Thursday so we've been busy getting all the last minute things bought and sorted, and man, those last minute buys add up finance wise. It doesn't help that his child benefit and child tax credits stopped this month, too. We'll be okay, but no lie, this is going to be a tight month.
We went to the wake afterwards and I got to meet lots of James' extended family. Including someone who now lives in Australia. He was telling us how he has a big house in a lot of land that's surrounded by loads of bush. He also said that sometimes he gets kangaroos on his lawn, but I'm not sure if he was pulling our legs a bit about that or not. He did joke about Fosters, saying actual Australians don't tend to drink the stuff.
I've got a new computer monitor. Well, I say new, I got it off Freecycle after my last one went off last week. It's the same size as my last monitor, but instead of a rectangle it's a square shape, so things are just that little bit out of place than I'm used to. For example, in tweet deck there's only room for 3 columns instead of the 4. I'm not complaining though, after struggling to use my iPad for everything -- I usually use that for reading, general browsing, games etc. Actual communication I need a physical keyboard for -- I'm just glad to have any monitor.
Corey is off to uni on Thursday so we've been busy getting all the last minute things bought and sorted, and man, those last minute buys add up finance wise. It doesn't help that his child benefit and child tax credits stopped this month, too. We'll be okay, but no lie, this is going to be a tight month.
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Date: 2015-09-08 09:23 pm (UTC)In Germany, child benefit is paid until the end of one's 25th year of age - precisely because the costs don't magically disappear once someone turns 18. (I'm not too clear on how it works where you live - is it tied to being in school?)
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Date: 2015-09-09 03:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-09 07:45 am (UTC)Getting child benefit until 25 makes a lot of sense. Here it stops at the end of August after your child's 16th birthday unless they go into further education. If they do that they get it until the August of their 19th birthday as long as they're on a full time course.
Which is what's just happened with Corey. It's a significant drop to get used to, especially when there's so much to buy.
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Date: 2015-09-09 07:47 am (UTC)You're so right about funerals. It was nice to see James' extended relatives, but not in the circumstances. Sadly, it tends only to be funerals when everyone gets together like that.
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Date: 2015-09-09 03:57 pm (UTC)Yay for a monitor! Glad to have you around as always. *g*
Tight months are the worst. With all my trips, I am living paycheck to paycheck myself. Good luck.
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Date: 2015-09-09 06:48 pm (UTC)All the good luck to Corey at university!! (When did he get old enough to go to uni?!! It wasn't that long ago he was just a little kid!)
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Date: 2015-09-10 05:10 am (UTC)And best of luck to Corey! Hope he has a good start (and that you get a break from the extra expenses after this).
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Date: 2015-09-11 07:13 am (UTC)I'm so glad to have a working monitor. I love my iPad but can't get away with writing much on it. Then I found out the wireless keyboard had no charge at all so was stuck at all ways.
It would be nice to have enough money we could both do away with tight months. We bought Corey's first grocery shop yesterday as his grant doesn't come through until Monday. So that was another hit. Then the washer is broken. The repairman is coming sometime today. I really hope it's an easy fix.
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Date: 2015-09-11 07:14 am (UTC)Tell me about it! The years have flown by so fast.
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Date: 2015-09-11 07:16 am (UTC)He seemed to have a good start yesterday. He was talking to the other flatmates after I left and intents to check out all the freshers stuff this next week. I suspect little sleep will be happening.
We need a break from expenses. Sadly our washer broke down on Wed, so that needs sorting now.