It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

rosieben

ceridwen wrote: »

May not do a lot for supermarket suppliers either - as it is the supermarkets were in emergency talks in December to look out for new suppliers - as they thought some of their existing ones were going to go bust (nowt to do with the supermarkets playing all sorts of "games" with suppliers to beat them down in price then:cool: ). ...

This was mentinoed some time ago and linked to a newspaper article? sorry cant remember where? I was impressed to read then that sainsbury's have started paying their suppliers early to help them keep afloat, whereas other supermarkets were 'searching for alternate suppliers' so we can tell how supportive they are going to with their current suppliers..... :rolleyes:

ceridwen

Hi Caterina

Fully agree that the railways need nationalising (re-nationalising in fact).

It will happen at some point - as Thatcher said famously "there is no alternative". When I pointed out to an influential Green figure that we had lost a lot of the railway lines we need when a certain person involved in the motor industry (otherwise known as "that *** Beeching") and a lot of the land they were on has been sold - the reply was to the effect of pointing out to me the relative figures of getting our railway land back via compulsory purchase orders on the one hand versus buying new land (ie that never was our railway land) on the other hand. Lets just say I wont be buying a house sited on our railway land anytime soon - it will be much cheaper to compulsory purchase the land we used to have for railway lines and my estimate is that this will happen somewheres between 5-20 years time. I dont think I would feel at all secure if my house was sitting on land where a railway line used to be.

ceridwen

rosieben wrote: »

This was mentinoed some time ago and linked to a newspaper article? sorry cant remember where? I was impressed to read then that sainsbury's have started paying their suppliers early to help them keep afloat, whereas other supermarkets were 'searching for alternate suppliers' so we can tell how supportive they are going to with their current suppliers..... :rolleyes:

I read that article...am sitting here wondering if I was the one to post it? (cant recall). It was one of the quality newspapers - probably the "Guardian".

rosieben

ceridwen wrote: »

I read that article...am sitting here wondering if I was the one to post it? (cant recall). It was one of the quality newspapers - probably the "Guardian".

Original post was by Frosty #859 and I quoted in post #868 which prompted a bit of a discussion. I really applaud Sains for supporting their suppliers this way. :T

sillylittlejill

Hi guys

Just coming on here for a bit of support really. It's definately tough for me and OH. Have been working my booty off for 4 weeks at an xmas temp job but they arent keeping anyone on in the region (north west) which is so frustrating because I would have been kept on if it wasn't for the credit crunch.

Now I'm trying to find somewhere else to work which is proving almost impossible. Am looking at jobs in Newcastle/Gateshead and as I live in Carlisle so that would be an 2 hour train journey there and back not to mention the cost of that.

Anyone else in a similar position? I am going to go to the council housing people next week as we can't afford to keep renting the place we are now as it is private and way too expensive!

My OH is earning a fairly okay wage for his age (£11500) but after 31st January I won't have any income at all. We have no savings and are in a couple of grands' worth of debt with NatWest and Barclays.

Any pointers/tips would be really helpful as I'm panicking right now!

xxx

Icemaiden

Welcome slj,

You should be able to claim some unemployment benefit for yourself when your job finishes and also housing/council tax benefit but they will take your partners income into account for the latter. I know its really difficult at the moment but try and keep your spirts up something may turn up by the end of Jan. If i were you I'd consider anything at the moment, a jobs a jobs and will put food on the table, I basically had to get a job fast a few months ago in order to support myself and two kids. What I do now is mind numbing, only pays basic wage, but its money coming in, however little, well thats what I keep telling myself:D Do you have any children or is it just you and OH?

Hugs & support

Ice
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Caterina

Hi slj,

Have you considered trying to consolidate your debt with a long term 0% credit card? Look on the Credit Cards thread in the forum, there must be someone able to give you advice on that.

Failing that, check with your local CAB re. debt help and they might be able to negotiate something with a more favourable rate of interest. I am sure that many people here have found themselves in this situation and might be able to share their experience with you.

I hope that you find a job soon, grab whatever you can for the time being until you are debt free, then you have more choice on what to do. Even if you have to clean homes for a little while, or babysit, it is only for a temporary period and then you will be free to look at better jobs when you no longer have the debt to worry about.

Best wishes

Caterina

sammy_kaye18

Icemaiden wrote: »

What I do now is mind numbing, only pays basic wage, but its money coming in, however little, well thats what I keep telling myself:D
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I think too many people lack that attitude Ice. I am in the same position - in a job I hate, on minimum wage and the bosses are complete b****rds but at the end of the day all my bills are paid and i have no debt to worry about. My little boy is fed,clothed and happy and although he doesn't get millions spent on him I can afford to get him something he wants with careful planning before hand for special occasions. I took the job when my partner went blind overnight and it was my job supporting us and making sure we were fed, warm etc and although it was a meagre £247 a month - its better than nothing. I have tried looking for another job but to be honest Im in a *whispers* secure job at the minute and ive been there now for 3 years and dont want to risk leaving there to find another job and not being able to

mardatha

When I moved down here the 80s depression was on & there was no work at all. Local towns were all woollen mills and all on short time. Shops were paying off and there was nothing else for miles.
I got a wee Yamaha m/c and took cleaning jobs in farmhouses --these poor ladies were run off their feet and found it hard to get help. I really enjoyed those days, cups of tea, nice people to talk to, learning about how farms worked, and zonking over all the remote empty wee country roads. In winter the snow would be piled high each side of the road & I would be thinking why didnt I get a nice cosy inside job!! and in thick fog the sheep would jump out in front of me, the same colour as the fog, and I'd get to practice my emergency stops... it was great fun while it lasted. But I eventually found a night shift full time job.
So what I think (!!) I'm trying to say is dont be fixed in your thinking ...try things you might not have considered in normal times, just whatever you can to get by.

Icemaiden

I would of never normally contemplated doing this job but needs must, and actually dispite my moaning its not that bad. The people I work with are kind hearted and are prepare to listen to me rabbit on & on & on....:rolleyes: I was just grateful that someone would employ me after being a sahm for nearly eight years. I got some lovely gifts from the ladies this christmas which I wasn't expecting, it really made me feel part of the team.

Ice
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