₦airaland Forum

Chreze:
Please I need help with a kids cream (body cream). He has passed the baby stage. We have stopped the baby stuffs. We have been using sanex kid soap, but We never see cream since. I have checked Morrison and asda. Also asked the people who worked there but they keep directing to the baby section and na baby lotion de there (asda).

NB: If the complexion is necessary, The baby is fair and becoming lighter in complexion.

One of mine had dry skin issues so we used Aveeno for everyone - still use Aveeno almost 8 years later

justwise:
This post is getting a lot of people banned for no reason, please avoid quoting it.

Hian! Why o? I mean why are people getting banned?

obalala:
Big question is should I keep applying for daytime office job and keep my daughter in daycare or start off with picker and packer jobs till we are fully settled.
My wife work timetable has no nights till March + I'm a certified data analyst with few months experience back in 9ja..

Looking forward to your advise .. thanks alot

1

Take the day job. Put her in childcare especially as childcare won't take all your income. She gets to socialise with other children (and build immunity by acquiring every passing cold), you both also get to know other parents and people in the area which can come in handy in building a support network too.

canadaishome:
Has anyone here done support worker job previously?
Can you please share your experience

It's hard work especially if in the hospital or nursing home. Physically demanding and can be monotonous. Quite a bit of personal care - washing, changing incontinent pads, showering where required, feeding including actually spoon feeding like you would a baby. For clients with mobility issues, there's hoisting in and out of bed, chairs etc. Some are bed bound, so there's turning the client to avoid bedsores as well. Emptying catheters, cleaning colostomy bags if any. Shifts can be long - breaks are very welcome and sometimes, that's all the break you get unless you smoke haha

On the other hand, some can be relatively easy where the client is mainly mobile and capable and needs supervision and guidance - ie reminding them to wash, brush, cut food into smaller pieces, cook for them, take them out for walks, appointments etc. This is also same for learning disability care as well. Although with learning disability, some of the clients can also exhibit violent and aggressive tendencies to include hitting, biting, spiting etc.

There's palliative care - end of life stage - where clients have a syringe driver in and are basically waiting to die so likely also nil by mouth, tube fed and maybe intubated and the support worker's role is to keep them comfortable. So there isn't much to do apart from sitting around and ensuring their comfort.

Nights vary in different places but day support is almost always harder - although you're also not allowed to sleep on shift at night but there can be differences and nuances in different providers. Some will have a sleep in person.

There's also support work for supporting children in care - neurotypical children and or those with LD as well. It's very very similar to a teacher/ parent/ guardian role. You do get lots of being sworn at, rooms thrashed, some fixating behaviour etc.

Support work will also have you despairing about humanity and oyinbo life in general. You get the see the best and worst of humanity and realise that wahala and family drama full everywhere

TheGuyFromHR:
I find all those funeral insurance adverts such as the Coop Funeral Care one most interesting.
I always wonder how such providers make money given that this is an insurance policy that every subscriber is definitely going to claim on.

Theirs is part of their life insurance. With the others, they do charge annual admin fees plus invest the money don't they? So the funeral insurance companies make money on the premiums paid. I have specific instructions to be cremated wherever I kpai. Ajala traveller is my middle name and once we retire, I plan to just travel and travel. Our life insurance is sorted as well as wills and guardians for the children especially as we have young children. Last thing I want is for my children to end up in state care whilst our estate is being sorted which can take forever.

Lexusgs430:
So your friend separated her mum and dad, at death....... Buried one, in constant and continuous summer and the other in continuous & constant winter.........

No o, they want you and other willing contributor's, fund the corpse repatriation logistics (possibly because mama said, they must bury her in nigeria)........

The family drama that ensued following that decision ehn...
Apparently papa said he must be buried at home. Mama enforced it with lots of wailing and crying. For her dad's repatriation, she and her sister (both in the UK) ended up owing money left, right and centre. Mama fell ill just after she returned from 9ja (she spent 5 months at home) and never recovered. Both parents had ILR and were retired but as our people can be somehow with future financial planning, they had absolutely no savings and were just drawing standard government pension.

My in laws have insurance in place to cover the cost of their funerals which was shocking to me initially as per no be our way. FIL wants to be buried and has a plot ready (bought one in his 40s, he's now early 70s). MIL wants to be cremated and her ashes scattered in the Scottish Highlands - her favourite place. All documented in their wills and they tell us often what they want

fatima04:
I have been seeing too many heartbreaking stories like this on the Canada groups and thought to share.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ryc7q-support-for-the-otaigbes-family?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

They need to bury mama there o and then pay the hospital bills by agreeing a payment plan for the rest of their lives. The cost of repatriating a corpse home no get part 2. ,My friend did it for her dad and when the mum followed suit 7 months later, they just buried mama in London.

Icesnow:
Thanks for the reply. I'm using great aupair. Is there au pair on Facebook?

There is an au pair/ nannies group on FB. Great au pair is US centric. You're better off using Au pair world.

canadaishome:
Why is childcare so expensive though?

Bane of the developed world - apart from certain scandi countries. Childcare seems to be expensive everywhere that is not a developing country. So crazy. I now understand why people look forward to children going to school - free childcare during the day

Icesnow:
Hi! Did you pay for sign up? I'm trying to sign up but I'm required to pay 45 dollars for 30 days validity.

Au pair world used to charge in euros - cos it's based in Europe. Yes, when I used it I paid but try finding one from the FB page first especially as those ones will already be in the UK and there's no guarantee that you'll find a suitable au pair in 30 days either should you pay up. Which website are you looking at?

DFmum:
Okay....am really confused in making decisions on this matter, should I leave my kids back home with their father or bring them here with my mother for how long? Are there agencies where I can hire helps to stay with the kids when I go to work? So many on this little head of mine

Depending our buoyant your pocket is, you can hire an au pair (lives with you) or a nanny (does not live with you). Some families also do a nanny share to keep costs down. If you want to go the au pair route - have a look at au pair world - you can look through as an au pair looking for a family to give you an idea what's available/ pay.

PS - We had au pairs for about 6 years. Brexit has decimated their numbers a bit. If you're on FB, there's a UK nannies, au pairs and host families FB group that is quite large and is a good starting point. I can also share my au pair manual with you if you want. Au pair world has 1, 3, 6 and 12 months membership options. It's also worth noting that au pairs can also be very very unreliable and finding the right one takes time. There was a year we had 4!

teeebest:
Can you please expantiate a bit on the charge back opportunity?

I might be able to get someone in the UK to help pay the deposit with credit card

Using a credit/ debit card to pay gives you protection to claw back the funds if the goods/ services paid for are not delivered. All the major debit cards and credits cards have this function - you raise a dispute with your bank and they'll retract the money - however if the vendor can show/ prove they delivered the goods/ service, the money will be handed back to them. You must first ask the vendor to refund your money and show evidence you have made that request.

All UK credit cards have a section 75 consumer protection by law - where if you dispute the provision of goods and services, then card company will pay you your money back then either claw it back from the vendor or eat the costs themselves. A S75 offers more protection than a cash back cos you're guaranteed your money back under a S75 cos the card provider is also held liable. I make all major transactions on my CC.

See more here - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/section75-protect-your-purchases/

Lexusgs430:
I recommend paying your deposit on a credit card .... Too many scammers out in the real world ......

Someone from 9ja might not have access to a credit card tho. But you're right a credit card offers a charge back opportunity plus S75

teeebest:
Hello, please I need advice/suggestions.

Elders, is it possible that this woman want to scam me or it's just one of those things? I got to know about the co-owner when I got the rent contract and according to her, she has a lower share in the property. The account number for payment is also hers.

Can I proceed please?

You can ask for proof of ownership. Have you signed a tenancy agreement? On a proper tenancy agreement documentation. Do not pay the deposit till you have signed all those documents. She need to provide right to rent documents, deposit scheme form, EPC cert and Gas Safety cert. But more than anything, do not pay for something you have not seen. Pictures and videos can be very different from real life

ObaOfEsan:
Feb 20 something.

You most likely will not be able to come in. The selections for the 1000 slots have been done and invitations to apply sent. All the universities also now have registrations to deliver offshore online. Ensure the admission letter states that it's a face to face delivery otherwise even when the borders open, you won't be allowed in based on that admission.

temmy59:
A question I am curious about to help in my decision making. Can someone on study permit invest or buy real estate properties in the UK. I believe people already living there are best to answer this question..

Yes you can. But - you most likely will need to buy outright unless you can show evidence of continuing income enough to pay the mortgage and your living expenses from somewhere and have a visa longer than 24 months. Your deposit will also be much higher as well as higher interest rates. Basically it's not impossible

ObaOfEsan:
Hey guys. I got admission in AUT. Is the country now open to accept foreigners?

No but the universities have quotas allocated for international students. Not sure what the selection criteria is but there are 1000 spaces for Feb intake. When is your resumption date?

missb50:
Madam!

I always look forward to your view on properties in the UK.. Kindly clarify the ffg:

1. Can someone on a T2 visa with just about a year living in the UK get mortgage at 10% (even 25%) deposit?

2. Which specific banks should one target?

Many thanks.

Good morning! Q1. Yes. Q2 - it depends. Some 2nd tier banks won't talk to clients direct. Start with your bank and if no headway there, use an independent broker - ie not one affiliated to a bank or estate agents

Another option is to contact building societies eg Coventry, Swinton, Dudley - they'll talk to you and refer you to brokers they will deal with.

brine:
That's interesting, thanks Another question, any ideas on how to sort out proof of funds for people that have some of the deposit come from abroad(Nigeria). This includes personal savings, selling personal items, loan repayment from friends, etc . Also, how about all the transactions from lemonade, moneyfex for example? What are those classed as? I might be over thinking this now.

Banks statements or move the money into your UK accounts and leave it there for 3 months. It's a long time ago now but part of our first purchase was financed by selling my house in 9ja which was paid for in cash (9ja sha, we get liver!)
It took about a month to transfer the funds to my UK account and then another couple of months to buy the UK house. No bank has ever asked us for more than 3 months statements so that's my rule of thumb

brine:
I think it's 25% now if you don't have ILR or have not been in the UK for up to 5 years.

Not for first home buyers. And most banks will accept less than 18 months on your visa. 2nd tier banks will even take any overseas income into consideration too.

AirBay:
Nice Idea.
What would you advise, is it better to find tenants on my own or register with letting agencies?

I always use letting agents and manage the agents. I always request all full applications from potential tenants, speak to the tenants myself, give them our details once they're in and make it my business to know all the rules and regulations and tenancy laws. Now I am more conversant with everything, I'll be managing myself when we return - mainly cos I'll also be dropping to part time work.

brine:
Congratulations ! I'm wondering if it makes sense to start looking for a house few months before you have your full deposit ? Let's say, you are certain your 25% deposit is going to be available in your account in the next 3months; Can you start looking for a house now? Agreement in principle and a substantial part of the deposit is available to the person.

You only need a 25% deposit if you're buying an investment property. For a house to live in, 10% deposit is the norm. Even if you have more than 10%, with interest rates currently low you're better off starting with 10% and investing the elsewhere. Then overpay monthly/annually if you have spare money.

Contra5:
Hello,

I just want to appreciate everyone here. You guys are doing a great job. I have learnt so much here from discussions on building credit score to buying a house.

Please be careful when choosing a mortgage advisor. Some of these white folks can only deal with the straightforward cases - they literally know nothing about BREXIT or immigration rules etc. I recall Fatima had said she was calling banks herself. I wish had done that! It's best doing everything yourself because no one knows you more than yourself. After 3 rejections from 3 banks with a 10% deposit and the reason the advisor gave was because of my nationality. I knew something wasn't right!. I got on the phone. Got mortgage approved with Natwest within 2 weeks.


I digress, this is an appreciation post. Thank you all.

Congratulations! The first house is always a steep learning curve! Especially in this very hot market. For first home buyers - my advice is to always go through your own bank first as they have all your financial history right there and can give you a good idea of your chances.

Re- brokers that's why I use 2 brokers. One for vanilla purchases who of course doesn't charge a fee but any small K leg will say oh you can't get it. The 2nd broker runs interference with the banks and pulls all sorts of mortgage miracles (completely legal o!). It's instructive that he is also BAME (I hate that term) and also owns investment properties.

Santa2:
@Ticha Please did he study this in undergraduate or post-grad.

Post grad

bamangar:
Hello everyone, i need a better advise and judgement. I will be coming to the UK in 2022 for my masters, the enrolment will soon start. I studied Agric. in my Bsc but have been working in IT related fields since i graduated. I will be piking one of the below three courses:

DATA SCIENCE
CYBER SECURITY
CLOUD COMPUTING

I have passion and love the 3 but i only have to pick one and i want to do it based on availability of employment in the UK after graduation. If you are in my shoes, which course would you advise and reason why

Thanks

My brother studied Data Science. He had job offers and accepted one from one of the big 4 before he graduated. With a very good salary package as well as sponsorship.

hermetic:
Hi all!

I need some advice. I'm looking to buy a car to be used mainly for commuting to work. I am not paying cash for it so which one of these methods of financing is advisable; CS, PCP, or HP. The car is just a means to an end and I might sell it at the earliest opportunity. My budget is less than £150 pounds monthly and less than £7,500 cash value.


Also can anyone recommend an automatic driving instructor in Birmingham for a refresher course (I've always driven manual. I'm looking to transition to automatic. I hate changing gears with my left hand). I live around King's Heath.
I'd appreciate any reasonable contribution.

Get a loan rather than using finance from a car dealership. Check MSE and use the eligibility calculator for loans. Interest rates are lower and payments are more flexible

LagosismyHome:
Do we really do it back home now.... our parents did yes but does that world still exist ?

Good point as I'm sort of basing it on when I growing up. Saying that, my sister is still doing the same thing but I guess it's less widespread cos her children definitely don't know their cousins and extended relations like we did.

My husband says I collect people. He's a saint to be honest when it comes to our culture. There are always people in my home but I also set very hard boundaries and operate a one strike principle but I'd never see anyone struggling and not offer a helping hand.

LagosismyHome:
Until you walk in this shoe , is all I can say. Its not an easy waka taking in others, carrying your load and another person (even if na sibling) ..... but I give it to the Asians. Them dey try when it comes to lifting each other even of its a great inconvenience

Picture seen and copied from facebook, don't know the author

Pop of India - 1.38b, Pop of Nigeria - 206m. We can't even begin to compete in terms of the sheer number of people they have to be employed in these places.

I do agree with you tho that the Asians (Indians, Pakistanis especially) will unite to lift themselves. I was chatting with a Nigerian friend about how all corner shops are owned by Indians who employ only Indians. They will live 3 families to one house and pay down the mortgage on that, then pool resources and buy for the next person then rinse and repeat. They will not only employ family members but sort visas etc. Our people no go gree to share house like that o

It's a lot harder for us to do so abroad even though we do it at back home. It's an interesting phenomenon!

Very interesting reading and stats.

https://monitor.icef.com/2021/12/uk-issues-record-number-of-study-visas-in-2021/

For those who want the main gist -


UK issues record number of study visas in 2021

In 2021 (for the year ending in September), the UK issued 428,428 sponsored study visas to international students and their dependents – the highest total ever, surpassing the record previously set in 2010. Visas issued to EU nationals composed only 9% of the total

There was significant growth from key non-EU markets including China, India, Pakistan, and especially Nigeria

gistbite:
I think electronics should not be bought second hand.

BHF, Red Cross and the bigger charity shops will also give a warranty on electrical goods - usually 6 months. There's no reason to buy new when one is trying to save money! Just buy from reputable places so if it breaks soon after purchase, you have some come back.
We've just cleared out my aunt in law's house to a charity shop - her TVs (all smart TVs) were mostly never used and one still has the clear tape round it! She had a new kitchen fitted at the end of 2019 with brand new appliances and all have gone to a charity shop.

[quote

Always a pleasure reading through @Ticha post omo, semi-retire at 50. We don bookmark the post and hopefully save enough to venture into it.


Endofmyjottings [/quote]My sister! I wish I started way, way earlier! But better late than never!

I had the opportunity to buy a 2 bedroom flat in 2008 and turned my nose at it. It was going for peanuts and I was in a shared accommodation fa that cost me only about 60 quid less than the mortgage! I stayed in that grotty shared house for another 1 year If only I could go back and shake my younger self!

What got me started was reading Your Money or Your Life and then finding out about the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early). I don't subscribe to all of their advice cos I only have one life and I must enjoy it to the fullest however, the main gist is worth taking onboard.

jtech17:
Can students do this also as side hustle in addendum to their 20hrs work schedule or just do it only

I'm sure you can as the biggest chunk of marking is done over the summer holidays (end of May to end of June when most unis would have finished) and for the assessment development work, you determine your hours. You do need industry experience though