Everything is going up except our income.

I love the TK Maxx soaps too. The only trouble is that some of them are as big as bricks, so you've to leap out of the way when you drop them in the shower, or risk a broken foot. Or perhaps it's just me.

Perhaps I should start sawing them in half?

Thanks for the soap tip!

I like Scottish Fine Soaps and they now do a liquid hand wash. Also some handwash made in New Zealand.

So do I Jalima and really nicely packaged liquid soaps too, if the bottle is especially nice I have been known to refill it with Aldi hand wash! Aldi hand wash is rather nice actually but I do like the lovely french style bottles from TKMaxx.

I buy nice soap from TK Maxx [shhhh] hope I'm not advertising!

Little treats are nice to have, aren't they, Gillybob? I like nice soap for my bathroom and so I buy them. Not mega-expensive stuff but more than a bar of carbolic and it feels like a luxury.

I make mine 'spreadable' by mixing briskly 1/2 portion of butter to 1/2 portion of olive oil. Cuts the cost and cholesterol as well.

He is just a creature of habit SueDonim and Norah my late mum always bought Lurpak (which she spread so thick you could see impressions of your teeth in it) and so he always does too. To be fair he does little else. He also likes the spreadable type (which I believe is blended) and I am not sure you can get in other brands.

I love butter on everything, especially kerrygold. Has you Dad tried KG? Lurpak is delicious of course.

Gillybob I just use Tesco's own Scottish butter, but they also sell British butter. I think they're identical, apart from where it is sourced. Maybe your dad likes that little luxury, though.

Thanks Rigby.

Yes the working young person has to pay the whole amount. If his salary is low, he may be entitled to some council tax reduction. I also think there are plenty of other reasons for not living in a mixed house

One of my sons graduates soon. As a student he has been exempt from Council tax. Does anyone know what happens if he lives in a mixed house of students and workers next year? If say 3 are students and are exempt would one working young person have to pay the whole council tax themselves? It is putting him off living in a mixed house.

Thank you for taking the time to carry out a "field report" SueDonim I really appreciate it. I would love it if I could convince my dear dad that there was a cheaper/better brand available to him . Which butter do you prefer? Is it available UK wide?

There was always a choice of Lurpak or Anchor at my grandparents' house as they both had their preferences!

I'm reporting back on my experiment with Lurpak butter. I really can't discern what makes it any better than any other butter. If anything, it seems oily and over-processed. So, I can save myself the extra pennies in future by carrying on buying my usual Scottish butter!

How would you quantify the happiest?

I agree with DJ and maybe it's more to do with equality.

Baden

Well it does depend on the criteria you chose what results you get in these type of surveys. I do remember one not so long ago where Columbia came out as the happiest country. Having lived in Switzerland for many years, I would have described them as self-satisfied rather than happy - at least the German speaking part.

The five happiest are four Nordic and Switzerland. Perhaps the cold does have something to do with it, but it's more likely to do with equality.

Not really. Because Norway is the happiest country in the world doesn't mean they have to stay there all the time.
They go elsewhere in the winter to get away from the snow and ice, just like wealthy Brits. Maybe more Norwegians do because they are wealthier. Maybe in Cyprus you only meet the wealthier ones who can afford to go away for weeks at a time.
It has nothing whatsoever to do with happiness.

We are well down in the happiness stakes because of the differential in pay, more than anything else, and because we have more in poverty.

so it is different.

But we are not the happiest country in the world - apparently!!

No different to people in this country going to the Canaries for winter if they can afford it.

That's interesting - Norway is 'the happiest country in the world' - interesting because I met a Norwegian man when we were on holiday in Cyprus one year and he said that everyone who was able to fled Norway in the winter to escape the snow and ice! He had been in Cyprus for several weeks with friends.