The advice thread for random problems #7

[Mamacita]

All my shoes come from FitFlop now. I've had so many foot/knee operations that I find them the most comfortable.

My feet have got wider thanks to the menopause so I had some insoles made by the NHS podiatrist and got some wider sneakers from D B Shoes which are nice and bloody comfortable!

I ordered fitflops recently but found them so narrow ended up getting birkenstock bend low trainers which have a really wide toe box!

 

[Former_Antelopee]

Has anyone seen the influencers new video of Brittney's the dola app advert one

 

[Snippysnips]

Never played a video game in his life and rarely watches tv, the school have said that he’s an ideal student and never disruptive, and he hangs out with the quieter, nicer kids, it’s been a complete shock to see him do this and enjoy it as I can’t point to something in his life and say it must be learned from that

Don't feel bad, it could just be a random little one off, maybe he couldn't say why because deep down he truly doesn't know why an sort of panicked

I'd say if it starting to become a thing maybe see if the school can offer some CBT, I don't know if his school will have councillors, I know most schools are at least trying to have mental health therapists now, if not the doctors could hopefully offer some guidance

Is there a way you could talk to the parents of his friends? See if they have noticed any slight differences in his behaviour, I know you said that he hangs out with the quieter nicer kids but sometimes that behaviour is only seen at school an in front of parents, and alone is completely different, so I'd maybe have a talk with both your son about how he feels being around his friends, an then talk with their parents, it could even be something stupid as him being dared to do it by a friend

 

[Former_Antelopee]

This is a problem for a while away but I need time off work next January for my granddad's special birthday. With how my shifts work I need to swap to days to have them off. Do you think it's too early to ask the people I could swap with now? Should I wait a few months

 

[DWASN]

Anyone have a filtered water tap/machine? Fed up of buying bottled water (from Costco). We drink a lot of it so wouldn’t want a Brita jug.

 

[Former_Antelopee]

I use Voxi too. Best signal for me in the area I live, and I like the freebies they have sometimes too.

I changed when I got a new phone with a contract but I'll definitely go back to voxi after. I looked on their website they have a discount code at the moment as well

 

[RandomFrog]

Has anybody had any experience with banks not letting you empty your account? We've been saving in an account to pay off our mortgage, I've tried to transfer it and now they're asking for loads of stuff I don't have before they will let me withdraw any

 

[Chocolategoggler]

Yeah, I’m afraid I gave up on warm AND stylish. I have these for work and they’re good but not pretty! I bought some for using outside work too.

Best Selling Tegera Gloves - SafetyGloves.co.uk

Experts In Hand Protection. We Stock Safety Gloves, Work Gloves, PPE and Hand Protection Products. Free Delivery Available.

www.safetygloves.co.uk

I got some gloves from Primark a few years back. Pale grey, padded and I think they were £8.
I get loads of compliments on them, and shock that they're from Primark, so I decided to buy some more the following year. Not seen them since, though.
I'm now paranoid about losing one.

 

[chickhicks86]

Supposed to be travelling tomorrow for a work trip on Tuesday. It’s snowing pretty heavily here (probably enough to shut schools tomorrow but that’s neither here nor there as there’s freezers that operate in warmer conditions than a primary school), but won’t be at my destination as it’s much further south. I’ll have to go on the motorway (could get the train but it’s a faff). Husband is having kittens — am I stupid for attempting to go?!

The motorways should be fine. Not sure where in the south you are going, but I'm in Devon and while it hasn't snowed much (not at all where I am!) it's been really icy and people have been caught out by the black ice.

 

[Serene Serena]

Don't really know where to ask this question anyone have recommendations for a good water bottle that'll keep drinks cold?

Home Bargains do an insulated water bottle for less than a fiver and it’s perfect

 

[T-time]

I would call her out on it. I work in an industry where the main workforce (including me) get slightly above minimum wage. The management team are on 4 times that, and if one of them told me they were broke, I’d tell them they need money management lessons asap.

I won't tell them to take money management lessons. I'd tell them my wage and to survive on that for three months

 

[Kim Mild]

I have to have a zoom call at 7pm on a weekday evening. I won't get any privacy at home so Im wondering where to go . Costa will have closed by then. I'm not sure what will be best between sitting in the car in a car park, Witherspoon or the leisure centre.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

I wonder if anyone has any ideas what my skin irritation could be? I have a itchy sensation within my skin , it's on an area of my left arm and on my left thigh. It is red , probably due to me scratching, and small red spots tend to appear within the itchy area. This is about the third time Ive had this over the last 15 years or so . It only ever happens when it has been hot and then it just disappears like magic after a while. The first time it happened, I got some cream from the gp but they didn't really explain what it was .
Someone I know suggested shingles which I suppose is possible

Sounds like a heat rash. They’re small round blisters

 

[becca7721]

My intention was/is the following:

£2000 to credit card (puts my account at £4000)
Clear second credit card - £300
£1000 to electric company (doesn’t clear debt but WILL prevent being forced to have prepayment set at hundreds a month)
£900 to water (clears debt, stops collecting people - bailiffs?)
£750 rent arrears (clears arrears)

Shelter advised it’s hundreds (around £500 they thought) to be evicted by court/bailiffs, so some kept back for that.
I need splints replaced (can’t get to nhs clinic in Cardiff) so that works out about £900 (possibly more now not bought any in a long time).

Remainder could possibly be used to pay rent in full for remaining weeks I have a home and help with that situation.

Its not enough to get to medical appointments (ambulance transport here is horrendously unreliable (I can no longer get into a car or use bus) and private runs to thousands - more than I thought).

So, it won’t clear the debts totally, but will reduce them by a lot, and get my accounts being responsibly lending again (that’s not the right phrase!)

 

[becca7721]

New development. Had letter delivered at 4:30pm (not letters since new year eve due to weather) says…

Trying to be optimistic surely the DWP can’t say this is deprivation given it says :

“THERES A DEBT OF £5,071.13 ON YOUR ACCOUNT - PLEASE PAY TO AVOID LEGAL ACTION”

We want to support you (reply to my sodding letters then!!) if we don’t hear from you within seven days of the date of this letter (29th December 2025) the next step will be to pass your details to a debt collection agency this will result in additional charges.

Its important you know what this means for you..

Failure to pay within 28 days* of this letter could result in a default being registered with credit agencies.

Then how I won’t get a mortgage or phone or rent.

Is it 7 days or 28????

Ive no idea how it is so much it was £800 a year ago. I can’t even check becasue their bills are now all in light green and I’m colourblind. I know it reads in reverse to other meters due to age.

PLAN was to go to jobcentre with legal info from executor (amount, how it shows on bank statement, full details of estate), address, DOB, NI and then list of payments needed, maybe just take this one, then hub Tuesday and transfer full amount? 7 days were up on Monday.

My landlord will evict immediately, and is allowed to, if have CCJ, he’s done it before.

I looked on FB and people have been complaining about no post where it can be delivered to safely so they went out this afternoon. We’ve had loads.

 

[Captainmouse]

Can the executor help?

 

[tagliatelle]

It’s not exactly a problem as such, but I’m currently on maternity leave and we’d like to try for another baby relatively soon. Is it career death to have a very short break between leaves?! I’d go back to make sure I qualify for my 90% SMP properly.

On one hand I fear it is; on the other hand, I know I shouldn’t plan my family around my job.

 

[Chocolategoggler]

If you can try to take a picture of it and use the Google Lens function to find similar pictures and see what other symptoms are described. I've had more success with that in the past couple of years than going to a doctor who maybe will prescribe hydrocortisone but fail to give me a diagnosis.

I tend to get very itchy skin when it gets hotter and sunnier outside, but not with the red spots you describe (or at least not so many that I would count them as a key symptom) - for me I know it is a mildish form of sun allergy, which goes away after a while (allergy medication helps a lot with the itching). I don't know if I'm simply lucky and don't get the red spots you describe though, I bet there's a lot of variation as with anything skin-related.

I had some kind of rash years ago which I think the pharmacist said was to do with the sun and gave me a tube of aqueous cream to clear it up.

 

[Ivegone]

Has anyone ever had their child deliberately hurt them?

Tonight we were watching a Christmas movie all laid out on the sofa as a family, my 7 year old son moved to lay down on top of me and asked if he’d hurt me with his elbow, (he commonly leans to get up and I’m usually what he leans on) I said no, he then lightly whacked me with an open palm and asked if that hurt, I said no and asked why he was doing that, he didn’t answer and settled down. About 20 mins later he did it again across my throat but this time really hard, I answered that it DID hurt, and he said under his breath “yesssss!” with a huge grin. I paused the film, asked what the fuck was going on, why did he hurt me and enjoy it, and he couldn’t give me an answer. His dad took him up to bed to let me calm down.

I’m still really freaked out about it, my kid is very sweet and cuddly but seeing him actively enjoy hurting me is burned into my brain and I’m sat here staring at his Christmas presents I need to wrap and I can’t bring myself to do it, I want to refund it all and buy him therapy because clearly I’m doing some vastly wrong.

Is this a normal thing? Am I raising a psychopath? Where the fuck has my sweet child gone?

My 6 year old does this

 

[Melian]

Is it the sleep/standby mode it puts itself into? I think with Samsung TVs (at least ours) if it's been paused for so long or left without using the remote for so long it will turn itself off unless you acknowledge it on the remote. I'm not sure if there's a setting for it though. I think its meant to be a power saving thing for if the TV is on when no one is watching it. This might work if you've not tried it?

Samsung TV Auto Power Off: Disable or Configure

Stop Samsung TV from turning off automatically. Configure Sleep Timer, Eco Mode, and power settings. Fix unwanted shutdowns on all models.

techjunctions.com

I get this with my virgin media box bit there's always a warning before it goes off. If you press ok it stays on and it goes off if you do nothing

(I know the OP said TV and not TV box)