My Debt Free, Lose Weight & Be Super Frugal Diary 2009

Bambywamby

Morning all :j

Thank you for the link Rags, I shall have a look later on today as I need to do a shop for next week.

The counter is for small DIY and improvement jobs that we need to do around the house. I couldn't list them here for lack of room but they are keeping me focused at the moment. Having no job and swimming in a mire of debt makes me quite depressed so doing anything constructive gives me a lift.
The jobs we are currently working on: decorating the spare bedroom, removing nasty fitted 80's wardrobes, painting, glossing and cleaning. Next on the agenda is resealing the bath, emptying and cleaning the shed and de-cobwebbing the dogs room lol.

The admin job interview went fine, I will know in the next two weeks after they have interviewed all the candidates if I have the position or not. The office was busy and the staff friendly, it looked like a good place to work.

However I was flabbergasted by my second interview.
Firstly the number of people that went for the fruit shop job was EIGHTEEN!!!
I know we are in the midst of a recession with people losing their jobs willy nilly but I wasn't expecting that level of competivity.
The real problem was the witch with thick mud under her nails that was interviewing me, badly.
The scraggy moo pointed out I had no retail experience and other candidates had... "so don't hold your breath so to speak".
She had very poor people skills and was quite rude. A tres !!!!!! attitude.
When I didn't instantly grasp the concept that spud stacking was a required art and designed to give consumer pleasure she said she thought the job may be "too challenging for me."
She wasn't wrong, I certainly wasn't working for a scruffy, bad mannered munchkin with a chronic attitude problem and halitosis that needed medical intervention. So I walked out.

All in all a mixed day.

Lemon_Tree

hope the admin job comes your way. I used to work on a fruit and veg stall but luckily as my dad managed it i didn't have to interview, but i know the type you're talking about, boy did we have some customers who thought we were all as thick as pig's muck just because of the work we did and looked down on us. my dad taught me the art of discount selling (up the price before you discount it to the normal price) and i was happy as long as i was able to eat any of the loose grapes.

Bambywamby

I would never assume anybody running a business is thick, that is a skill in its self regardless of what is the product or service. I know some people look down on certain trades or professions...very often working in a nursing/care home (my last job of 12 years) is seen as a "crappy" job but it can be very rewarding (if you're in the right establishment).

The last few days I have applied for more jobs, stripped an old wardrobe of paint (rather than buy a new one) and cleaned the oven. Yay! That's my least favourite job and because of that it gets done about once every six months...it should last until Christmas now.:rotfl:

For lunch we just had a very nice homemade chicken and frozen cauliflower soup. It made quite an unusual texture but beautiful flavour.
For tea we are having pork fillet (whoopsied) in a mushroom and cream sauce.

My O/H is very pleased with himself at the moment as he has managed to get some motorbike trousers off Freecycle (has saved about £120) so I am pleased too. He has an old pair but they are too small so they are going back on Freecycle in return. I love Freecycle and what it stands for, most people are so kind, friendly and polite, it's a lovely community.

However my O/H also put an old motorbike on offer...we were flooded with requests. I was surprised that we had one or two replies saying such things as "We will collect it tomorrow, what's your address?" and "Make sure you put some petrol in it so I can ride it home", "Why haven't you replied, are we getting the bike or not?"
I know it's not gold bullion we are giving away but please...manners people.

The bike ended up going to someone who asked politely of course.:T

mooomin

I like the idea of Freecycle, but something has been putting me off rejoining. I forget what - something to do with how Yahoo uses personal data I think, but it was ages ago that I quit it so I can't remember!

Lemon_Tree

hi, i didn't intend to imply that you thought the woman was thick. I was just remembering when i worked on the fruit and veggie stall, sorry if it sounded that way.
you're right about freecycle, 9 times out of 10 they're lovely people but you do get some people who just demand/assume or just try it on. i always reply to all people who contact me as i know i hate it when i don't hear back from someone, sometimes i find the hardest part sometimes is deciding who to give the stuff to.

Bambywamby

I didn't think you meant that Lemon lol ...it is sometimes difficult to get the real intention of what somebody puts in text isn't it.

Don't put your real details into Yahoo then Fresian, I don't...I always knock ten years off my age.

The last few days have been productive, I did a few hours paperwork for a friend and made some pocket money - I paid it straight off one of the CC's, Yay back to the card slaying. :T

The job front has been quiet, no more interviews and no more posts that I could really apply for. There is a job going at the top of the street in the Fish & Chip Shop but I know I would find it purgatory. The smell, the heat and having to have a shower at midnight when you come off shift (it takes me half an hour to dry my hair as it is very long). I have actually worked in a F&C shop before many moons ago and I hated it then, I know I would really struggle to do it again. BUT if nothing becomes apparent in the next week, if it is still available I may go and apply...very begrudingly though.


Other cash making and saving bits - I have sold a few more things on Ebay, done the usual clicks and surveys etc.
The last two days have been fabulous washing weather so all the bedding has been stripped, washed and dried in the sunshine. Meals have been light salads and sandwichs so that has saved cooking. And today I posted a parcel for Ebay and paid for it in 5pences, the lady in the post office rolled her eyes...but do I care? It's all legal tender and it saves me having to get another tenner out of the bank.


My son is due back from his hols tonight and I am looking forward to seeing him so much...but he will get a days grace to rest and relax and then he will be job hunting. He is at college but only part time so he needs a part time job. Not only so he can pay his keep but I want him to learn to have some responsibilty too...we can't support him for ever.

Well m'off for my prawn and garlic stir fry...no snogs from Mr Bamby later...he hates garlic. :rotfl:

Bambywamby

Mr B has a day off today so we are going out for a picnic. It's gorgeous weather, we can't really afford to sit and guzzle in a beer garden so we are taking sandwichs, fresh fruit and fruit juice and going for a laze around in the countryside. We shall have a good hours walk first though, build up an appetite and get some free calorie burning.

My son returned home late last night, tanned, tired and very happy. He has never been away with the "boys" before and he has now caught the holidaying bug. This holiday he paid for with his 18th birthday money and last night he said quite desperately, "I can't wait a whole year before I go away again."
I replied, "You better get a job and get saving up then".
"That will take forever, I can't wait that long."
"Welcome to the adult world of working all year to have one weeks fun."
God I sounded pessimistic...sad thing is it's being realistic too.

I can't wait to play this bloody credit cards off! Our spare cash will then be our own...and a decent holiday may be on the cards.

Right, we better start as we mean to go on and I will show my son how to work the washing machine. He has a weeks worth of shirts, t-shirts and jeans to wash...and a newly purchaased towel. It has the picture of a nude woman dancing around a pole on it. Only from Magaluf...

ragstoricheswannabe

Hope you and mrB had a good picnic?! The weather up here is gorge too, although missed it yesterday with working boo!!!!

I too remember the holiday bug! oh how life was cruel when i actually realised how much they cost!!!!!!

Any news on the job front??? Are you wanting to get out of the caring scene??

Bambywamby

Hello all,

Good news on the job front! I have a full time job as a cook in a residential home - starting as soon as my enhanced police check arrives. :T Hopefully that will be in the next couple of weeks rather than couple of months as it can take that long.
It's not ideally what I want to do, but it will get the money rolling back in.

I am actually thinking of going in to Nursing. I have an appointment with a nursing careers advisor at my local uni next week for advice, so I will glean all the information then.

It's humid and overcast here today, it has been all day so the washing just isn't drying on the line and I am oh so hot and sticky. I think I will pop for my second shower of the day shortly...after I have done my exercise DVD. Ho hum, really don't want to do it but as the pounds are coming off nicely I want to keep it up.

Exercise dvd here I come, have a nice weekend peeps. x x

ragstoricheswannabe

:TCONGRATULATIONS ON THE JOB:T

If you need any help with nursing stuff give me a shout, but if you are going to do it start researching current stuff happening to/for nurses ie agenda for change, no tolerance policies etc. Interviewers are mighty impressed if you know your stuff!!!!!!

I think (not that i know you personally) you will be a brill nurse, you have done caring for long enough to prove you dont do it just for the money!!!! Many people who qualified with me had done caring for years till their littlies grew up.