Living on Capital..

epsilondraconis

There may be grants available from your local council to help you set up a new business.

You could try looking at:

https://www.businesslink.gov.uk/

ceridwen

These qualifications of yours - are they in "conventional" type job skills or something a bit more "alternative" - eg "alternative health care"? - I'm still wondering about the "highly qualified" and "very specialised area"......errr...any clues at all?

I'm thinking also that "filler-in" jobs may be a possibility...but it may be a question of being a bit "careful". Thinking of the shop assistant job - maybe they checked out the c.v. you gave them a bit more in retrospect - because they were looking for excuses because you were more of a "square peg in a round hole".

What I'm thinking is that the reference to a fair-size inheritance quite possibly means you come from a more "upper crust" type background - and this becomes obvious after a bit and you then show up as not "fitting in" (ie talking differently/dressing differently/reading different newspapers/eating different food). In which case - maybe shop assistant is possible - but pick carefully what type of shop (eg an expensive designer type clothes shop rather than Poundland for instance) or if you were to take up cleaning - do so on your own in private houses, rather than in a firm of cleaners.

So - it could be....just a guess mark you...that you need to choose workplaces where you dont come over as THAT different to your colleagues....or work on your own if that isnt going to be possible for whatever reason.

Mehitabel

Ceridwen, you are very sharp! No, I'm not from a "posh" background, but I am from a very educated one, and my CV shows it. I have had issues in the past with other staff assuming I must be "stuck up" and trying to bring me down several pegs, right from the get-go. It has made me very miserable, and is one reason I'm nervous.

SandC, I was sacked very many years ago, from a shop job, when my employer phoned a previous employer and found out that I hadn't been an input clerk, as I'd claimed, but one of the bosses. But had I been honest, they wouldn't have taken me on.

What's a bit uncanny is that I had a phone call this afternoon, offering me a job..! 4 days a week, retail work, but working with books, which is a special hobby of mine, so I'm made up! :j It's not the solution to everything, but it's a start.

I do realise I posted in the wrong forum, for which I apologise. So I'm even more grateful for the patient responses. I will follow up on all your suggestions...

- mehitabel

catz1ct

Congrats on the job. This should be a step on a right direction for you.

-BA-

Mehitabel wrote: »

Ceridwen, you are very sharp! No, I'm not from a "posh" background, but I am from a very educated one, and my CV shows it. I have had issues in the past with other staff assuming I must be "stuck up" and trying to bring me down several pegs, right from the get-go. It has made me very miserable, and is one reason I'm nervous.

SandC, I was sacked very many years ago, from a shop job, when my employer phoned a previous employer and found out that I hadn't been an input clerk, as I'd claimed, but one of the bosses. But had I been honest, they wouldn't have taken me on.

What's a bit uncanny is that I had a phone call this afternoon, offering me a job..! 4 days a week, retail work, but working with books, which is a special hobby of mine, so I'm made up! :j It's not the solution to everything, but it's a start.

I do realise I posted in the wrong forum, for which I apologise. So I'm even more grateful for the patient responses. I will follow up on all your suggestions...

- mehitabel

Absolutely no need to apologise for posting on the wrong forum, I was merely pointing out that for specific responses you will get them from specific forums. For example I tend to only hang out in this one and the benefits one as that where my knowledge is best.

Very pleased that you have found work and actually it sounds an excellent place to start. Not too many hours to be a huge shock to the system but also potentially enough to put a stop, or certainly a slowdown to drawing on the last of your inheritance. Congrats

SandC

Now that is good news!

Mehitabel

Thanks once more to everyone!

:beer:

getmore4less

Mehitabel wrote: »

Hi SandC.

I have done shop work in the past (and yes, was once sacked when they found out I had "dumbed down" my CV!) I'm applying for lots of jobs in that area, but keep getting rejected.

I have wondered about IFAs. But friends have warned me off, with the argument that a) they are rarely truly independent, or b) They can't tell you anything you can't find out yourself from sites like this.

Having tried to research it and confused myself hopelessly (hence my first post!) I am less and less convinced by argument b).

Still, I'm nervous of trying to find an IFA I can trust and get along with. Picking one from the Yellow Pages, or even a pro website, seems so random...

Hi,

I think part of your problem has been not spending enough time "Working your capital" getting the best you can, managing investents and savings to produce income takes a fare amount of time, which you have had over the years. You probably could have produced a stratagy that would have ment the inheritance would have lasted for ever and if not realised that you needed to top it up with earned income sooner.

Now you are down to £16k there is not a lot an IFA can do for you this is the sort of savings someone needs in the emergency funds anyway.

As you have realised what is important now is generating an income to trying to restore the savings investments for real retirement later.

I would still try to understand what you need to do with your finances as well as getting work. Another good site for the investement side of things is www.fool.co.uk

On the work front I don't think you have enough capital left to spend a lot of time doing stuff for free,

How big is your house, could you take in lodgers that would at least be some income to keep you going.

Good luck with the new job perhaps this hobby is the way to start a business, helping out other retailers, do a good job and word of mouth might bring in more work.

ceridwen

Congratulations - that job with books sounds a possibility....hmmm...and possibilities of a discount on any books you buy yourself:D

Edinburghlass_2

Mehitabel wrote: »

Ceridwen, you are very sharp! No, I'm not from a "posh" background, but I am from a very educated one, and my CV shows it. I have had issues in the past with other staff assuming I must be "stuck up" and trying to bring me down several pegs, right from the get-go. It has made me very miserable, and is one reason I'm nervous.

SandC, I was sacked very many years ago, from a shop job, when my employer phoned a previous employer and found out that I hadn't been an input clerk, as I'd claimed, but one of the bosses. But had I been honest, they wouldn't have taken me on.

What's a bit uncanny is that I had a phone call this afternoon, offering me a job..! 4 days a week, retail work, but working with books, which is a special hobby of mine, so I'm made up! :j It's not the solution to everything, but it's a start.

I do realise I posted in the wrong forum, for which I apologise. So I'm even more grateful for the patient responses. I will follow up on all your suggestions...

- mehitabel

Now you need to research finding an IFA and do some pension planning for your future