Choices and lifestyles

CockneyRebel

We all want  to live the best life that we can, whether we have disabilities or not. To do this we have to make the right choices for our selves. Being forced to live on benefits makes this even more important.

It does cost more trying to lead a "normal" life but what is "normal" and are some of us trying to lead a more than normal life ?

Many working folks can't afford new cars or foreign holidays, so what makes us think we are entitled to these ?

For those of us that are in receipt of PIP, we know that this is paid to us to help with the additional costs of everyday living and/or mobility. We can choose to spend this in any way we want and this is where your choice of lifestyle is important.

To share some of my choices
When our home burned down we chose to pay off the mortgage and bought two park homes.
I am very fortunate that I don't have some of the large expences that many of you do and most of the adaptation we needed I had already made in anticipation of retirement due to my wifes life long disability. I changed all the light bulbs for LED's which last longer and cost less to run. I chose to add extra insulation to our home to keep heating costs down. I choose to drive an older car, which with careful reasearch I have never paid more  than £500 for. If it lasts for a year I can then afford to change it if necessary. I have always had breakdown cover that covers the driver not the car. I don't have high annual mileage so a limited milage insurance is a cheaper option.

I am an e bay warrior, things like bath lifts, hand rails, lumbar support cushions, over bed monkey bars and wheels chairs can all be sourced in this way.

A halogen cooker cooks a meal quickly and cheaply

An  instant water boiler heats enough water without waste like a kettle

I am not a fashionister, most of my clothes come from chaity shops or Aldi

I have never been abroad, so holidays are not on my agenda.

I only have a basic mobile phone, not a smart phone, for emergencys

I now have to wear Bifocals but with a current eye test, it is simple to use an on line optician saving around 50%

Most of my garden is either patio, gravel or grass. I did invest in a ride on mower so can manage grass cutting duties. For colour I grow flowers in raised pots, when they die of I plant silk flowers in the pots for year round cheer.

Life is not perfect but it  is the best I can make it, even a lottery jackpot would make little difference.

CR

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