It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

mardatha

Listening to the news this morning and wondering what the h*ll planet Gordon Brown lives on ...
while we're hearing every minute about job losses and record dole queues, he is saying that every week thousands of job vacancies are sent to the job centres.
I wonder if he's the modern equivalent of Marie Antionnette ? I sort of hope so ...

mandy.h_2

hi all

not posted on here before but been on other threads, well today oh discovered he might be being made redundant hes not happy as he only got promoted to office worker from shop floor six months ago it took a lot for him to change as he is on autistic spectrum somewhere. and now only office workers are being made redundant he has asked for his old job back but not sure if this is allowed.

dont know how we stand as i am 7 months of finishing my nursing course and he claims tax credit for us all but i also get a bursery, they say he will get 3 months notice but last year the others did not

adouglasmhor

Thousands of full time better paid low turnover jobs get cut. Thousands of part time low paid short term high turnover jobs still exist. The man is an implement. (Terms of service would possibly take exception to me saying tool in that context).

cw18

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Thousands of part time low paid short term high turnover jobs still exist.

Listening to a LOT of the parents outside the local primary school, I think we'd like to know where these jobs are.......

I know of one person who applied for loads like this a few years back, and was rarely offered an interview. When an interview was given, no job offer was made -- and the reason given was always along the lines of "over qualified", or concerns that they wouldn't stay in the job long as it was on much lower pay than the person was "used to". No amount of telling prospective employers that the pay was significantly better than unemployement benefit was going to make them reconsider either :mad:

adouglasmhor

cw18 wrote: »

Listening to a LOT of the parents outside the local primary school, I think we'd like to know where these jobs are.......

I know of one person who applied for loads like this a few years back, and was rarely offered an interview. When an interview was given, no job offer was made -- and the reason given was always along the lines of "over qualified", or concerns that they wouldn't stay in the job long as it was on much lower pay than the person was "used to". No amount of telling prospective employers that the pay was significantly better than unemployement benefit was going to make them reconsider either :mad:

From my search at Jobcentre plus site 39464 Job(s) found (more than a 100 within 5 miles of me), what in you wee story about the person you know contradicts what I posted? A lot are going to be unsuitable for people with kids anyway, wrong hours, long hours, antisocial hours etc. http://www.washijb.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/jcp/Customers/index.html

cw18

sorry, but your post implied to me there are loads of jobs out there - so no need for people to be out of work.

and in the case of the parents outside school, a lot of them are 'one half of a couple' with the only working parent (or, in a couple of cases, both of them) being laid off ATM -- so hours aren't really a problem if ONE of them can get work.

adouglasmhor

cw18 wrote: »

sorry, but your post implied to me there are loads of jobs out there - so no need for people to be out of work.

and in the case of the parents outside school, a lot of them are 'one half of a couple' with the only working parent (or, in a couple of cases, both of them) being laid off ATM -- so hours aren't really a problem if ONE of them can get work.

Implied it to you but not meant. I don't know where you stay so I cant tell you what it is like there. There are thousands of jobs 39,464 in the Job Centre lists, as I said they may not be suitable at all, lose your benefits by working part time, far away from where you live etc. I was criticizing Zanu PF New Labour leader G Brown, not the people we all meet day to day. What he said was true but useless.

Edited to add - I have had a couple of spells of unemployment due to redundancy in my time, I would not dream of kicking at someone when this happens, I would rather give them my best wishes for luck and help them if I could. My own brother got paid off due to redundancy last year after 28 years doing the same job.

elona

Have just answered the door and the two huge boxes from approved food have arrived. The Heinz and Baxter soups work out at around 12 pence a tin, so worth having for a quick snack if DH or DD come home early and main meal or lunch is not ready.

Even DH does not complain too much about me shopping when he realises what a bargain I got.

Have just about got him to the stage where he thinks the idea of early retirement sometime this year is his idea. I'd like to get him sorted out before things get bad for his area of employment and they cut back on pensions, conditions etc.

Hugs to everyone facing unemployment etc (fingers crossed DH can dodge the bullet).

The only thing I can do is continue to save as much as I can and keep using "thrifty" recipes etc.

Had a phone call from a marketing organisation asking me what I thought of the current financial situation, interest rates etc.

Was so fed up - I told her exactly what I thought - (politely but succinctly).

She ended up in tears of laughter - as did I, think it did us both good!

[Deleted User]

Im wondering now how on earth do we preserve our savings. What stuff to buy? I mean inflation is supposed to get to 0.5% over the next couple of years and interest rates look set to fall to near zero. We all KNOW that foods and essentials are not going down so how they get their poxy inflation rates is beyond me

Give me ideas please, anything that will keep longish term and that will appreciate in value

BB1984

I think that the best bet as far as storing food goes, is to grow as much of your own fruit & veg as you can, if you can.
I've never grown anything before but we have recently moved to a house with a big garden (currently a rubbish tip / jungle) so I want to try and grow so veg this year. I won't go too mad this year as I won't have time, what with sorting out the house, the garden and organising my wedding, but I will give a few easy veg a go, in pots.
Meanwhile, I will attack the garden, with the aim of digging up all the concrete, chopping back the more unruly shrubs and creating some really decent raised beds. Then I'll be ready and raring to go! I'd like to aim for growing 90% of all our F&V.

In terms of things that store well - first thing that springs to mind is toilet rolls! But food-wise, I guess most things in tins and jars have long use-by dates. Also dried foods such as pasta and rice. I imagine the cost of rice might go up seeing as we have to import...