Fiona Caine
bn23
FIONA CAINE
Q
COMMUNITY TIMES’
AGONY AUNT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
IT'S GETTING HARDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET
The cost of everything is going up so much and I am starting to worry about making ends meet. Food is one of our biggest costs and although we only eat one main meal a day I am sure there are ways I could cut back without starving the family. I'm not a great cook and don't have a lot of confidence in my knowledge of what's good and what's not. I could do with some pointers but don't know where to start.
FIONA SAYS:
PLAN YOUR MEALS TO SAVE FOOD COSTS
Food costs do seem to be spiralling at the moment, probably part of the knock-on from the rising cost of fuel used to transport it. One thing I do is plan and that has saved me a lot of wastage which, in turn, has seen my food bills reduce. We sit down together and plan the menu for the week and that includes breakfast, a main meal and a lighter meal each day. We don't always stick to it accurately but we buy just what we need and make most meals from scratch. If you don't have the confidence to cook why not see if there are any courses available at your local adult education centre on basic cookery? That would point you in the right direction.
49
My husband died about three years ago leaving me a widow at 41. While I am still very sad, what really depresses me is thinking about the baby girl I gave up for adoption before I met him. I have three other children (14, 12 and nine) but no one knows about this fourth child. I have always known where she is and how to contact her but have never done so as I don't want to mess up her life. She's 16 now - knows she is adopted but has never made a move to find me. What should I do?
.A.T. ................................
A
M.E.
A
Q
SHOULD I LOOK FOR THE BABY GIRL I GAVE UP FOR ADOPTION?
FIONA SAYS:
DON'T INTRUDE ON HER LIFE
The circumstances around your daughter's adoption seem a little unusual as you seem to know quite a lot about her and her life. The Post Adoption Centre run a support and counselling service set up to help birth parents like yourself and others that you can reach by calling 020 7284 5879. I think it would be a mistake to intrude on the life this girl has; especially as it may all be connected with the grief, solitude and loneliness you are experiencing following the death of your husband. It may be that, in time, your daughter wants to find out more about her birth parents and tries to find you. The Post Adoption's Contact and Mediation Service can help you here too as they support all aspects of contact between adopted children and their relatives.
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