13 Moons part 2 - Freebird & Frugabulous

Karmacat

Lula-Hula wrote: »

Hey guys,


thanks for the support as always :A. I'm really struggling to feel positive today.

I was working with Cockney Rebel today & asked his advice about whether I should speak to Gropey re childcare, he agreed that I should & when I got the chance I did.

His answer was to say that he hadn't made any decisions yet about how to cut costs, but that staff redundancies was an obvious choice.

He said that he enjoyed working with me, had a lot of respect for me & fully understood my situation & why I wanted to know about childcare ... I was taken on during a busy time but that Goblin was already saying that she has nothing to do ... * ( more about that in a minute).

He would think on it & let me know tomorrow, but he could forsee a situation where he 'let me go' for 3 + months & then take me back on again if work picks up.

* When I started there, the idea was to take over a lot of Goblin's tasks which would then allow her to return to her contracted 25 hours per week. She has not reduced her hours & continues to work full time although this clearly hasn't been necessary for some time. In fact, she has increased her hours, as, since her manic outburst she no longer takes monday morning off whereas she previously used to not come in until 1.30.

I really feel demotivated. I'm unsettled, edgy, anxious & actually couldn't face going to Sainsbugs after work.

The CC repayments are only feasible within the 0% time limit as long as I have another 4 months worth of salary coming in.

I'm actually bricking it now & know damn well that I can only last about 2 months on what I have put away.

Should I just clear the CC now ???

Aaaaaggggggghhhhhh dont' know what to do :think:

Oh blimey no wonder you're struggling to feel positive is there any chance Goblin will at least go back to her contracted 25 hours?

If you cleared the cc now, whats the effect of not having that money? And if you're made redundant, surely you have the right to benefits? You must do! Actually, do you have the right to any redundancy money? I don't know how long you've worked there....

And what about home job? isn't it right that you can work 16 hours a week and still get benefits?

I understand you feel edgy and demotivated - don't fight it today, let yourself have some recovery time - it sounds like he spoke about it all really seriously, fancy actually using those phrases to you You'll know more tomorrow - just take it easy till then.

Lots of hugs, Lula.
xxx

museumworker

Blinking hell, cats, crows, parakeets...do you live in some kind of menagerie? :rotfl: My pathetic attempt at a joke to help distract you from uncertainty at work.

Lots of hugs - it is tough out there at the minute - redundancies likely to occur at my place too. I hate the uncertainty, it makes me feel v anxious. Hope tomorrow goes well. How long have you been there now? After 2 years you have the same rights as a permanent employee, so should get notice period etc.

And yes, I think you can work up to 15 hrs per week and get benefits. Or if you *expect* to work an average of 16 hours a week you are entitled to working tax credit.

Sending you some mental sky scraper heels.

Souk08

It was good that he was positive Lula but of course you will be scared. There are benefits out there if the worst does happen and excuse me while I shout YOU MUST TAKE THEM THEY ARE FOR FOLK LIKE YOU WHO WORK HARD AT TWO JOBS AND THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN NEED A BIT OF SHORT TERM HELP. THATS WHY WE ALL PAY TAXES. Sorry rant over but THATS what they're there for, not the 'I'll just wait for this offie to open so i can get my booze and fags and then go and get a chip roll for my breakfast' types who Im practically falling over up here. You are fabulous, however you earn your money and dont be forgetting that!!!

makeup

I'm sure there is some kind of saying like plan for the worst hope for the best?! And that definitely works in this situation.

My advice to you is to:

1) Check out benefits entitlement thing, I'm sure there is a link on here and you can play around with it and see what happens.

2) Get your CV in order, register on jobs website, make sure you have a list of all your transferable skills. Just doing this kind of thing can give you hope, yes we're in tough times but there are jobs out there and from the way you have described your job it sounds as if you have a lot of things that you can 'talk up' and impress potential employers with.

3) Can you take on extra homejob hours? I know you don't want to but it might come to it?

4) Work out some scenarios and plans with your cc repayments. Nothing helps like a good plan.

5) I'm gonna pm you about something.

6) Stockpile cheap but lovely Rose wine.

7) Stay off ebay unless you're selling

Massive hugs to you, such a stressful time. We're going through this at work and it looks like those that take redundancy are those who really want it.

I hope you get to know for certain soon, I think that certainty is easier to deal with than this not knowing.

Have fun next week at the gig. I'm off tomorrow on the canal boat for a week so out of reach of the internet!

xxxx

Shoe_Gal

No advice from me but loads of good vibes coming your way :A I was made redundant 3 years ago and agree that the uncertainty is the worst bit :mad:

Fab advice from makeup :A

Lula-Hula

Ladies,

thanks again for the lovely posts - you really are all splendid.

I tend to bumble along taking each day as it comes & I haven't really thought too seriously about losing my job until today . There is still a part of me that thinks " they wont get rid of me, I'm far too fabulous" :rotfl:but of course, out there in the real world, incredible self belief & deprecation is not necessarily going to save your @rse - unless your Jim form The Apprentice .

I've been a bit proactive & had a hunt on gumtree for jobs - not very many real ones, then on the actual job centre website - quite a few in the local area & one that is actually quite tempting in some respects as it's close enough to walk to & a bit more money than I'm on now, although not my ideal site.

I have also had a look at what I would be entitled to if the worst happens, & it seems that the rent & council tax would be covered which is my main concern & I do still have home-job so not completely improverished.

Anyway, I spent 2 hours at the local library meeting earlier & I am now supping on some of that tasty rose. The meeting went on for 2 hours & wasn't at all what I was expecting. Apparently, Surrey has the lowest government funding per head in the entire country & needs to find 1.6 billion pounds worth of 'savings'. They are not prepared to cut services for needy children, care for the elderly or schooling & it seems that 11 libraries are the easy way to make those savings.

The councillor had everyone on side until he admitted that by handing over the actual staffing of those 11 libraries would save ... £220,000.

Yes, just Two Hundred & Twenty Thousand Pounds ... :huh:.

The council is prepared to pay for the maintenance of the building & the stock, the internet & training of the volunteers who are to replace the salaried staff who now run it.

The current salaried staff are to be redeployed to vacant situations in other areas of the library service & it all becomes a bit vague as to how they are actually going to save any money at all.

This brings me back to my original cynical thought that the library actually stands on a very tasty piece of land that would be perfect for redeveloping. They own the freehold & it's right next to the shops, whereas the library in the next village is in a car park. It was about 5 years ago that the first murmurs of closing the library occurred & the opposition was so great that they slunk away & I reckon they've just been waiting for the perfect opportunity to relaunch the planned closure.

I sat next to a lovely lady who was as baffled as me as to the reason for the meeting. We had all turned up ( 140 people registered as volunteers to help out in the library) expecting to offer our availability & were confronted with the shock that actually we needed to form a 'steering group' which would then consult with & act alongside the county council in order to take over the running of the library.

It seems like madness to me & even now I still can't work out how they are going to save money if they are to continue to maintain the building, cleaning facilities, stock, computers & internet, & train a potential 140 volunteers. Add to this mix, a woman who represented the county volunteers group ( salaried, along with her team of 5 staff also salaried by Surrey County Council) who would be helping the steer group with marketing, training etc ...

It all sounded like bollox to me & just a typical case of govt funds transferring bullsh!t & creative costing & accounting.

I was sorely tempted to sign up for the steer group just to keep up with what goes on, but in the end & after conversation with the other 2 non pension aged women, I realised that I really don't have time to attend regular meetings. The revelation that actually, of the £2,000 + registered members, only £1,200 of them are 'active users' of the library & the fact that only about 5 of the attendees were under 60, did make me question just how essential the library really is for the majority of the population in our village ?

Buffythedebtslayer

Can't really add anything to what Make up has said - fab advice.

bloody hell its all a bit much really this job business.

am thinking of you and hoping the poison dwarf cuts her hours. what an idiot she is.

Hugs

Buffy xxx

RosaBernicia

Trying to resist sending evil vibes to the Goblin - probably failing.

If you want to stay in touch with library stuff try the Fight For Libraries campaign that The Bookseller are running - just google. Did you have the kind offer of bringing in a US company who can allegedly run them cheaper despite them not telling anyone what the running group would actually have to provide? My county have finally given up on the idea at least for those libraries that are well used - and the thing that made me so cross was that my local one is always full, including kids - it's in a posh area but on the edge of town so also supports a couple of less well off areas where people can't just order everything from Amazon. I have to be at the same meeting as the council leader who proposed this nonsense in a couple of weeks and someone will probably have to stop me spitting at him :rotfl::o

Makeup is spot on and you have plenty of volunteers to help if you want ideas or CV proofing or anything. How about applying for the vaguely interesting jobs just as practice and in case they turn out to be fabulous?

Brain fried with revision so can't help with CC debate but sending you lots of extra-fabulous thoughts and also ((hug))

Rosa xx

Lula-Hula

Great post makeup - I am particularly drawn to number 6 & yes, I am on the case re your other advice :T... crossed posts.

I'm all done with ebay for me for now - I forsee a super frugal Clothes Challenge coming up :eek:

To go back to Karma's previous post re how I would actually pay off the CC .. well, it would involve using up all funds money ( bank & cash) or what's left in the ISA after paying off previous CC :whistle:.

I actually don't want to use my funds at all as they are my pride & joy - of all the mistakes I've made during this journey, I am sincerely proud of my funds.

I paid for a year's car tax out of what I had saved, I paid the Gas & Electricity bills the same way, I will pay for the service & mot from what I've saved & the insurance too.

I have worked hard at making sure these are topped up regularly & they are sacred. It would serve no purpose to drain all these just to clear the CC right now.


Ideally, I would like to keep my job until November; this would enable me to clear the CC within the 0 % period, & with a bit of frugality, build up some extra savings to stash away for future events.

I am now feeling rather relaxed & am going to wallow in the bath - have an appt with doctor tomorrow & I'm trying to forget about it with a book.

Thanks again for all fab support - I love you all :A

The upside of all this is that I have now achieved 4 NSDs in a row

G'night

fedupandskint

Hey Huls - I hope things work out for your job wise - where I work the powers that be are threatening to pull the contract if we don't hit our targets. We're working really hard to make sure we do but things are really up in the air

On a happier note I'm off on holiday tomorrow for some country air, relaxation and recharge and, for the first time in about 10years I'm taking my running stuff with me to go for a few runs! Shock horror! Also taking to yoga dvd for a few stretching sessions too. Good grief what's happened to me what a change from sitting in a pub all afternoon!