Family Life

With Mother’s Day around the corner, it looks unlikely that we can do our usual Sunday roast at the pub. If they are over 70 and in self isolation (‘self ice skating’ at a 6yr old was over heard at school) how can we support them? I have put together 10 practical ways that you can help them with no physical contact necessary.

1) Set up an online delivery for them. With up to 4 hours queue on Ocado, try the smaller supermarkets. I also recommend leaving the online shopping slots available fro people who CANT get to the supermarket.

2) Investigate local Facebook groups in their area. Are there any pubs doing home delivery?

3) Order some frozen meals from Cook.

4) Ring around their neighbours and ask if they can be an emergency telephone number for your parents should they need it.

5) Get the kids to do a voice or video message or even better set up a video call on Whatssapp (up to 4 people) and have tea together! FaceTime. Give them a lesson on how to use it! (Press the video option rather than the telephone option)

6) Is there a local support network in their village or community? Gather the details and post them. The post office is still running!

7) They need to keep moving. Find them a low level fitness video on YouTube! (Any ideas most welcome)

8) Send them a personalised card. Try moonpig. Send them a gift. It is Mothers Day on Sunday after all!

9) Add them to your Netflix account. (I think this is legal) and set them up with some films or series you think they might like. Or phone them to remind them that there is something on terrestrial they might like.

10) Promote a sense of purpose. Have a plan in place for when this passes. A holiday to talk about, a gathering or a party is a way to keep them focussed on the good things in the future.

Do you have any other ideas? Would love to hear hello@thelondonmummy.com
Lucinda xx

With the kids back at school, a sense of normalcy has returned, but the to-do list just never seems to get any shorter and for most of us, buying a new car is still one big hassle. Who has the time and energy to schlep around all the car dealers on the weekend? Not only that, buying a new or second-hand car can be a really intimidating experience, particularly when you don’t know your carburetor from your car bonnet; and researching all the options before opening the pages of AutoTrader can be a real challenge.

This is where Car Sleuth comes in handy – it does all this for you!

I have interviewed Scott, the founder of Car Sleuth – to answer all the questions you might have…

How did it all begin?

After hearing too many examples of friends or colleagues who didn’t have the time to research the market and then felt pressured when finally making a purchase, I knew that I could help. Thanks to my lifelong passion for all cars and having undertaken auto mechanic courses, I have the expertise to help you find the perfect family load-lugger, the ideal city car or your dream weekend sports car!

Who have you helped?

Recently I helped a family replace their old diesel Audi with a new hybrid. They were becoming increasingly concerned about the rising costs of driving a diesel in central London but didn’t know where to begin. Thanks to my enthusiasm, they actually found the whole process to be quite fun! The hassle had been completely removed, and they were thrilled. Whoever thought that buying a car could be… fun?!?

Another couple had deliberated over what kind of car to buy for nearly a year. They were definitely not car people! Just one week after contacting me they were driving into the sunset in a shiny new car – a model they had never previously considered – that also included getting them a great price for their 15 year old estate!

Overjoyed, they’ve been telling everyone about Car Sleuth

How does the service work?

The service works very simply.  After asking you specific questions, I’ll spend a couple of days shortlisting suitable cars by order of preference and present this list to you with my reasoning behind the choices.

In the case of a used car purchase, the shortlisted car dealerships will be vetted and the cars personally inspected by me once confirmed by you; whilst any new car dealerships will be based at a showroom conveniently located near your home or office.

I’ll organise test drives at times that are convenient for you and they’ll be undertaken with me alongside. Once a decision has been made to purchase the car, I’ll negotiate the final price for you!  I can also run through the pros and cons of the various financing options that are available, too. I actively encourage people to ask me as many questions as possible – I love cars so am always happy to talk about them!

How much do you charge for your service?

Unlike other car buying services across the UK, I don’t get paid by the car dealer. This more common payment method could lead to favoritism towards one brand or dealer rather than ensuring you get the right vehicle for your needs. With this difference in mind and appreciating that it’s better for you to know our fees up front, Car Sleuth’s car buying services start from £500 depending on the price of the car, paid in two installments: a £100 deposit and the balance paid upon completion of the car purchase.  My fee will be recouped in the car price negotiation, so I’d say that this is money well spent!

What a great idea! For more information, contact Scott on tel: 07880 646 098

scott@carsleuth.co.uk

carsleuth.co.uk

If your family car isn’t safe you should certainly consider upgrading to something new. If the car isn’t safe you might want to use a business to sell it.