The recession, benefits, the safety net, and the learning curve

SingleSue

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Or watching Jeremy Kyle and Trisha and Homes Under The Hammer and Bargain Hunt and Flog It and Deal or no deal and 60 Minute Makeover...

I'm one of the weird ones, I feel I have to justify every move I make when I go for my interviews at the job centre (ok it's not every 2 weeks but you still have to go from time to time).

I don't get the chance to watch those programmes either apart from the odd time when I am at my parents house and my mum has the telly on, too busy studying (ooppss that comes into the course bit of PN's post) or peeing about at the latest appointment or school meeting for the boys.

I hate not working, I hate not being seen as a worthwhile member of society (had it pushed down my throat the last 2 weeks from my aunt about how much better her children are than me and how much better my married sister in a minimum wage job is than me), I hate being thought of as some kind of dumb baby making machine despite with no brain at all and I hate having to rely on benefits, it's not my style and was never something I thought I would have to do when I started out on adult life.

fc123

SingleSue wrote: »

I'm one of the weird ones, I feel I have to justify every move I make when I go for my interviews at the job centre (ok it's not every 2 weeks but you still have to go from time to time).

I don't get the chance to watch those programmes either apart from the odd time when I am at my parents house and my mum has the telly on, too busy studying (ooppss that comes into the course bit of PN's post) or peeing about at the latest appointment or school meeting for the boys.

I hate not working, I hate not being seen as a worthwhile member of society (had it pushed down my throat the last 2 weeks from my aunt about how much better her children are than me and how much better my married sister in a minimum wage job is than me), I hate being thought of as some kind of dumb baby making machine despite with no brain at all and I hate having to rely on benefits, it's not my style and was never something I thought I would have to do when I started out on adult life.

Ignore the Aunty Sue..your time will come, get those boys a bit bigger, finish the degree, keep at it......it will deff pan out long term.
Trust me..... I am a guru.

I have to say, now my kids are big (22 + 15) the amount of quality time (like brain not being mashed half the time) that I can put into my work is wonderful and it is showing too.
And all the chasing back and forth with school runs da de da is now over. Hubby does the late night taxi service.
They are also useful labour now too (handy and DD has great techy skills).

Don't let anyone make you feel bad or 'not worthy' just stay focussed on the end game.

Max_Headroom_3

Totally understand Sue. It was said with tongue firmly in cheek, I'm well aware that not every benefit claimant fits the stereotype, particularly since I'm one myself!

Unfortunately I'm guessing a good few do though.

SingleSue

Totally agree Max, I have a few friends who fit the profile exactly...and it was a source of frustration when me and hubby were working so hard to get the basics and there they were, getting everything handed to them on a plate.

Thanks FC, eldest is at that stage now where he can help out an awful lot more although I always feel guilty about asking him to do so much, he is older than his years (so much more mature than his peers) and the guilt I feel at him not really having a proper childhood is immense. Obviously since his father left, he has had to take on an increased carers role to help me out, he wants to help more but it just isn't fair on him nor does it do his school work any favours.

Anyway, I have a quiet ish house at the moment.....youngest has momentarily stopped ministry of funny noises and it is bliss, it won't last long though!

JanCee

Max I am going to make a suggestion which follows on from a comment you made in your blog about getting any job, as opposed to a job you are qualified/suitable for. Another direction to try might be to focus on an employer rather than a specific job.

I may not be explaining this very well - but a relative of mine gave up a job in financial services a few years ago because they were sick of it and took a fairly low paid manual job with a big company. Fast forward a couple of years and they now have a really interesting job, totally different from what they trained for, because opportunites arose within that company which they were able to apply for.

Best of luck with it all anyway and I am really enjoying reading your blog, all it needs now is a happy ending.

Max_Headroom_3

Thank you JanCee, good point. Who knows where the most mediocre job may end up. With a big enough company the skies the limit.

JanCee

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Thank you JanCee, good point. Who knows where the most mediocre job may end up. With a big enough company the skies the limit.

Exactly, and the cream always rises to the top.

Max_Headroom_3

Just a bit of news regarding the blog, I've been bouncing off the stats page all morning, and as of just now it reads:

Total views: 10,001

That's over ten thousand views from a standing start in just over one month!! :j:j:j

So a huge thanks to all who've supported me in this. The idea came totally from this site, it'd never have occurred to me to do it, as did so much encouragement.

And special thanks if you've passed the link on to other people, it does seem to have spread I think.

This is really great, feels like a milestone!

Phirefly

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Just a bit of news regarding the blog, I've been bouncing off the stats page all morning, and as of just now it reads:

Total views: 10,001

Does wordpress have its own stats, or are you using google analytics or some other Pastures New stats vehicle?

rolandpol

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Just a bit of news regarding the blog, I've been bouncing off the stats page all morning, and as of just now it reads:

Total views: 10,001

That's over ten thousand views from a standing start in just over one month!! :j:j:j

So a huge thanks to all who've supported me in this. The idea came totally from this site, it'd never have occurred to me to do it, as did so much encouragement.

And special thanks if you've passed the link on to other people, it does seem to have spread I think.

This is really great, feels like a milestone!

put some adverts on it, make some money.
I've got ads on one of my sites, I've worked out that I average around £0.60 per click.

Now, you can't explicitly ask anyone to do clicking for you (as google adsense are like the gestapo), but y'know, wink wink.. i'll click an ad or two and you've got yourself £1.50 for nothing.

you do the maths. Might aswell, every little helps.