I know the feeling. It makes you slightly despondant does it not that we all work so hard and have so much education, yet are so ruthlessly skint!
I wonder if postdoctoral will pay any better?

I think it does: my friend who is due to have her viva next month has just begun a postdoc position in the same lab, pretty much doing the same stuff that she did during her PhD. She's on 35 grand now!

Juno, get ferrous gluconate if you are worried about iron. It doesn't have the side effects that ferrous sulfate does (the sod). Just take one a day and you will notice a difference. Just buy over the counter.

Thanks H. So I will be nice and regular if I take this stuff? Last time I took iron I was bunged up for a week.

It is much more mild than sulfate (which causes the constipation, black poo and bloating). Take an hour before you have a meal and drink it with a glass of orange juice to increase intake. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that tannin in tea hinders the process!

Actually I didn't know that! I've heard that polyphenols in tea are precipitated by milk and rendered inactive: is it a similar reaction?

(just trying to sound as if I know my medicinal chemistry...)

Actually.... I don't know! All I know is that taking iron supplements whilst drinking tea is BAD!