My grandmother and friends are all alone since their husbands all died many years ago (they were all miners who seem to have a pretty short life span).
Today i spent an hour and a quarter holding the phone mumsnetting while my grandmother complained about how poor she is. Of course i just made encouraging noises at the right times but actually i cant understand how she can moan about being so poor unless she lived the life of a multimillionaire before my grandfather died (which i am fairly sure she didnt, granted i was only 9 when he died but still i think i would remember).
They all get basic state pension and pensions credits (i have no idea how much this is i assume not alot). But they have no mortgage or rent, reduced council tax I assume (from living alone) and I dont know if they are stopping it my grandmother has heard they are but last year they got money for winter fuel.
Now fair enough i have sympathy with them i know things are expensive BUT alongside moaning about this and repeatedly saying "its heat or eat isnt it" she told me my diet wasnt good enough because i dont eat meat everyday and described her 5th coach trip of the year, they eat out, they certainly dont lack clothes etc (i know this because i spent my teenage years being dragged around clothes shops with them after my mum died and they "took me under their wings") .
AIBU to think that they are being very overly dramatic claiming they will either starve of freeze to death? am i just heartless? why cant they eat cheaper meals or not go on some many trips? It may be that an hour of listening has just melted my brain but my grandmother actually has more leftover after bills than we do so i dont get it.
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AIBU?
aibu to wish my grandmother would never utter the words "heat or eat" again
39 replies
Poweredbypepsi · 22/08/2011 19:42
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