Memorygirls - Make Do and Mend

Memory_Girl

Tregemred wrote: »

Sorry MG

Clare,

You can earn up to £93 per week AFTER EXPENSES (hall hire, materials, equipment, advertising, etc) on a scheme called permitted work. You have to contact the jobcentre and tick all the right boxes and after a year they expect you to come off IB but if things don't work out BEFORE the end of the year you can revert back. You have to keep books and do self assessment.

HTH

TGR

you need to talk to someone claire - and let them figure out your way around the system.

first - like me - you have the disbelief that you would actually WANT to come off benefits and do something, but once you are over that hurdle they have been really cool at outlining what you can and canot do. there are various schemes that give you pratical and financial help.

its a huge step into self-employment - so get them to help you ,map out the stages between - fully on benefits, topped up and independant.

Along with that developping a thick skin and a "whatever it takes" attitude is gonna be invaluable - because the whole system is not set up to exactly help you succeed. but if that's what it takes .....

like just now,

Missing over £90 p week ctx money

as a single mother i am ONLY allowed to "earn" £20 per week - so thats what I've got to replace the child tax credit money. so i am still down £70 per week. Thankfully they guys on mse have taught me how to suvive on pretty much thin air. but if that's what it takes .....

every other penny these guys have generated with me is tucked away in a sperate business account (which they can ask to audit at any time) and i am meticulous about my book-keeping - ie loans, book sales, tutoring fees etc. BUT AT THIS MOMENT I HAVE NO ACCESS TO THAT MONEY PERSONALLY - IT BELONGS TO THE BUSINESS NOT ME. This is my "business start-up" money because i need to buy some kit to get me going. but if that's what it takes ........

they have even advised me that i can do the "memorygirl world tour" - lol as long as the money that raises is direct to the school - that is the school invoices the fees and collects them and i gift my time to the school which is a charity. so sofa surfing and sandwiches all the way there then:rotfl: but if thats what it takes......

there is now no option of failure. every day i need to get up out of bed with my creative head on thinking of ways to get me back earning enough to replace ALL the benefit income, but for you a slower, methodical, step by step solution may be best.

so start by finsihing your decluttering - if you read threads on here you will find most of us started right there. Everything else is pretty bricks on solid foundations - but the bricks are crafted one by one by one. keep it small and simple until you are ready to soar.

mg

Sorry about the ramble - hope it makes some kind of sense.

Memory_Girl

clairewop wrote: »

sorry mg missed your post emo? goth? haven't a clue.

shes a goth girl - if you google emo and goth culture you will see what i mean.

she loves jewellery - but can't find it locally (lots of crosses, black ribbon, diamonte,red "ruby") but very little colour.

she and her friends buy design over anything and often order onthe internet from the states. So a nice little online niche supplying nicely designed jewellery for those kids.

BTW this is not as daft as it sounds - turns out he has more disposible income than i do at the moment.

mg

Memory_Girl

Kittikins wrote: »

Morning, yawn, everyone. GCSE science girl reporting for duty - last night I knew what an atom was, this morning I'm a bit confused and need to reread my notes, but it was quite taxing being back in a science lab after sooo many years!

page 102 of the book hon - "memory after learning" - the good news is you've proved you are absolutely normal:D

have fun today - although for some reason you are in my head this morning in pleated skirt and knee socks a la britney :rotfl::rotfl:

MG - who is seriously searching for her marbles:D

hypno06

So.....am working on my list of contacts - not the "friends" on facebook that I wouldn't even know if I bumped into them in my front room, but real contacts.....and once again, once I relax into it and get over the "but I don't know that many people" thing, it does seem to flow......

I have joined linkedin, and although this will take more than 3 days to build up, I think it will be very useful going forwards.

I am finding that these challenges just release ideas and energy for me. I then have to mindmap the ideas, so that I can mindmap each one individually later in an appropriate order....so, at the moment I have a mindmap of mindmaps, but it is helping me focus on what I need to do in sequence rather than in the jumbled mess that I had before.

Some ideas are about making money, both making the most of my career (which I love) and making more out of those things I have bubbling along in the background (my therapy stuff, which I also love, and my download site which has great potential but which I procrastinate over), but at least an equal amount are about "me", learning what is important to me, learning what I want, truly want, and where I am heading. That to me, given what I have been through recently with OH leaving etc, is absolutely invaluable. And very very exciting

For anyone who is struggling with all of this, don't focus so much on *this* particular method.....there are other methods on the boards that have similar goals but are worded in a different way, so may "hit the spot" with you. EG, 101 things in 1001 days.....or 100 day challenge. It is simply a case of finding something that appeals, that lights a spark in you.

But, whatever way you choose to approach it, and whatever it is that you are aiming to get from it, whether a 4-fold increase on your income, or just a bit of space in your lounge where you can dance along to cheesy 1980's music when the fancy takes you (or is that just me?), there will be people on these boards, and in your list of contacts who will be happy to help you get the best of it (and who may even join in the cheesy dancing along the way).

crickett1234

Morning all!

I step away from the forum for one evening to go to Choir practice and 4 pages pop up!! Blimey! We got to slow down folks!!

Have started on my professional portfolio by doing mindmaps so I can write up the activities in a logical manner. I am still trying to work out how I am going to manage some aspects of it though - like approaching all of my old employers and getting them to initial and sign my sign off sheets. I have thought of sending an email to them initally and asking if they would be prepared to receive a letter from me, and if they could sign the form and send it back to me (in an stamped and addressed envelope that i provide for them...hopefully most of them would agree... but sometimes it is hard to tell if they would or not) If this had been in place when I started training, then this wouldn't be a problem... but it wasn't. Sigh, never mind. I am positive I am going to be able to get it done eventually, and get it signed off by my professional body. And then onwards and upwards with my business idea.

Right, off to get the work started.

Memory_Girl

pants pants pants pants pants

or words to that effect.

the rear brakes have gone on the car - end of the school run but still pretty darn scary.:eek::eek:

talked to my mechanic friend in brum and he says its a easy job to do - but i think the reality of it is that i'm not physically strong enough to get the car jacked up and the wheels off, and i've had a quick phone around and there doesn't seem to be a husband i can borrow today.:cool:

so with a deep breath i am off to phone the garage - wish me luck that this is not going to cost a fortune - also that they can do it today cos ds1 is at school and thats 4.5 miles away on very rural roads so don't fancy walking it with the buggy

so the storecupboard challenge continues for another wee while yet :rotfl:

you gotta laugh:D

mG

never mind - its all going to be turned into a seminar story one day soon

Karmacat

Memory_Girl wrote: »

pants pants pants pants pants

or words to that effect.

the rear brakes have gone on the car - end of the school run but still pretty darn scary.:eek::eek: .....

so the storecupboard challenge continues for another wee while yet :rotfl:

you gotta laugh:D

mG

never mind - its all going to be turned into a seminar story one day soon

:eek: I'm glad you're all okay, MG - and yes, a seminar story it will be. Along with us lot :rotfl: and the general madness on here :j

Mags30

clairewop wrote: »

I do do craft fairs but never on my own.

I do the big cheese, and take good money there ( the big cheese usually taqkes enough money to pay for the beads i've bought boxes etc out of my own pocket and then a small profit )

I have a stall at the local farmers market every month, thats hit and miss some months i don't sell anything then other months its ok.

and I was doing craft around the bay with the woodturner that was a bit like the farmers market some weeksw selling some not.

@kittikins I used to teach science, PM if you get stuck and need something explained. Why are you doing GCSE science? Are you working towards a uni course?

@clairewop Do you have a diary on here where you write about the jewellery and a link to it? Could be an idea, this diary has a lot of people buying books:) It's not a crazy idea that we might buy jewellery too.

Don't wait until the house is decluttered. You know all those people who say "I'll do it when I've lost weight" "I'll do it when I have more money".....the MrBig types always advise against this approach.

Mags30

Memory_Girl wrote: »

pants pants pants pants pants

or words to that effect.

the rear brakes have gone on the car - end of the school run but still pretty darn scary.:eek::eek:

talked to my mechanic friend in brum and he says its a easy job to do - but i think the reality of it is that i'm not physically strong enough to get the car jacked up and the wheels off, and i've had a quick phone around and there doesn't seem to be a husband i can borrow today.:cool:

so with a deep breath i am off to phone the garage - wish me luck that this is not going to cost a fortune - also that they can do it today cos ds1 is at school and thats 4.5 miles away on very rural roads so don't fancy walking it with the buggy

so the storecupboard challenge continues for another wee while yet :rotfl:

you gotta laugh:D

mG

never mind - its all going to be turned into a seminar story one day soon

I'm fascinated by how positive you sound about the situation. If it was me I'd be in tears at the kitchen table. I really hope it doesn't cost too much to fix.

clairewop

Good morning

I'm Shattered, Didn't sleep to well last night couldn't shut down, kept thinking I can do this things whirling around my mind.

ill read posts when i get back, mum has just rung something has gone wrong with her leg, so she needs me to go to the drs with her. The dr rung and asked incase she has to go to A&E.

Need to get dressed quick pop into town to get my money and be there for 11.10