Horace's Biting the Bullet Diary

beanielou

Job sounds good.
Positive vibes.

Horace

It has been an up and down kind of day today - I decided to be very MSE and use the Veet wax strips that belonged to twerp (I can see why he cried now) on my armpits (read that as one pit)...big mistake because I ended with with a strip of paper with no wax or hair on it and a big strip of wax on me that I could not get off.:o:eek: I shoved a pad of toilet paper under my arm to stop me from sticking to me.

Rang my business bank who notified me that i was now over my overdraft limit with them - I didnt know until I received my letter yesterday so now they have cancelled all direct debits and standing orders (need to tell webgeek)) but at least they have waived charges for a month but in the meantime I am not to use my account. So I have had to cancel the breakfasts and have removed my bank account from paypal. I rang the business debtline people who pointed me the direction of a Foundation account but on enquiring because I am overdrawn at the bank I cannot have one and this is also due to an arrangement I have made about paying a business debt in instalments:mad: I cannot help being in this pickle..I am not a criminal. I have had to cancel my insurances too because I cannot afford them..damn the flipping labour government for sailing us down the river and damn this ruddy recession:mad:

Could not use the computer today either as the broadband connection wouldnt work so I had to spend an age on the phone trying to sort it out. Turns out (according to a message I received later) that it was a fault in the area which has now been fixed. Wanted to finish off application for job too so rang webgeek and went a borrowed a computer in his office - application now complete and submitted. I am so pleased that I mystery shopped them yesterday because I have oodles of ideas although I have told them about the ideas, I havent said what they are (why should they pinch my ideas lol).

I swallowed another frog today, I rang up the jobcentre to see about signing on and I was kept hanging for an age and then spoke to someone who couldnt complete the claim and now I have to wait for a phone call on Tuesday sometime between 8am and 1pm. No wonder this country is going to rack and ruin when it takes 2 people to sort out the jobseeking claim of one.:mad: Didnt know what to say about my business really - I said that it was finished which it could be but I am still doing what I can for free to keep working at it. Once my claim for JSA is sorted out then I can speak to the HMRC about my working tax credits. Dole money is considerably more than WTC.

I have also managed to list something on Gumtree - I shall have to be careful of them because they seem to charge businesses and I want to list things on an adhoc basis.

At least I managed to get rid of the wax with some baby oil (another of twerp's belongings).

beanielou

JKeep plodding!

Horace

Plod, I shall..it is only now that my credit is shot to pieces. Still what was broken can be fixed.

I am still on the jobhunt and when the jobcentre ring on Tuesday to finish the claim I shall say that I could well have work next year (it is true) because I forgot to say that yesterday so in essence my business isnt closed. If I can clear the overdraft on business bank, I may well be able to continue banking with the Co-op only without an overdraft facility. Prices are going up on my website too - offering breakfast for £10 is nonsense when I would only get £2.05 profit, other breakfast networking businesses are asking £15 which would net me more profit. It is time to introduce an annual membership fee as well, I don't want to set it too low or too high - I think that as there is no membership fee in place at the moment that people think that there is no value in joining. Steady steps being made. I feel sure that I will still be able to get dole money if I have a business because I know others who are claiming whilst continuing with their own businesses.

I have gotten some mince out of the freezer - it is a 1lb bag and shall cook it up later, some will be used for a cottage pie, some for bols. I should get my jusrol out of the freezer too so that I can peel all the cooking apples and stew them and maybe make some apple turnovers or some small pies.

Horace

I have done a load of washing up, emptied the fridge (found furry things lurking:eek:) and emptied the bin (first time in 2 weeks). I peeled and cut up 3 apples which I have now stewed - eyes must be bigger than I thought because I have enough for a reasonably sized pie and I still have apples to peel.

Tried using a knife - reasonable but afraid to cut myself, the evil peeler which doesnt like apples (I took the top of my finger off with it once) and the old fashioned peeler which seemed to be a bit of an effort - not used for yonks but it will need to be used for spuds tomorrow.

More washing up to be done - a start has been made on the tidying too even though I am feeling low still and depressed with the whole situation.

I shall chat with the jobcentre on Tuesday because I really would like to keep my business going especially as I have work coming in next year. I have refunded the chap who paid me via paypal and will be speaking to the lady who pays by standing order on Monday so that she can cancel it.

Need to do some listing on gumtree and elsewhere. Found a load of dried herbs in my cupboard too - some of which have a use by date of 2008 and some 2009 but after sniffing them they seem ok and they have been kept in a cool dark place too.

Horace

I rang Virgin Money today and this time managed to speak to someone who was quite kindly and quite unlike the vile individual I had to speak tto before. I got a darn good grilling and they could not see how I can live because their system says that I need to allow myself £300 a month for food - blimey I could live on pate and foie gras for that (not that I like pate or foie gras I hasten to add). Their system would not allow anything less than £175 even though I spend far less than that each month - I am on wartime rations. Fingers crossed they will allow me to make extremely reduced payments for 7 months and they will not charge me any fees or interest. The lady could see where I was coming from and knew of my efforts to get back on track.

I took advantage of something I saw today about funding for small businesses - I can apply as a Ltd Company - it is a mentoring project with Aston Uni, The Said Business School at Oxford Uni and Goldman Sachs - I thought I would ring and enquire even though I don't employ staff. I have been invited to an event on Thursday night (a networking opportunity too) and have been sent the application form to complete.

I was supposed to be meeting someone this afternoon to discuss a mayor for Birmingham but she has cried off which leaves me going out a bit later to Jurys Inn for a presentation about Forever Living.

I am in the process too of applying for another job with the National Trust which would mean me commuting to Swindon but it has a salary of £36K and is a job that I could do quite easily, just need to adapt my application form. They have a few jobs listed so I shall apply for them all:rotfl:

When will this situation end? I need to work..I am so stressed that my hair has now started to fall out - judging by the amount of hair that is in the comb each time I comb it and what I found in the plughole after washing it at lunchtime.

In other news, the kitchen is a lot cleaner than it was - my worktops are gleaming and no longer covered in clutter (except for the one where the microwave is as that is still a bit cluttered). Some stuff was listed on gumtree yesterday and my original advert updated because someone thought I had rooms to sell as opposed to one room for 2 people for one night.

Tomorrow I have the joy of joys to look forward to the second interview for jobseekers allowance - am hoping they will allow me to stay as self employed and then I can notify the HMRC about my working tax credits.

Millie2008_2

:wavey: sorry, I have been AWOL, mad few weeks with finishing off one lot of students, then start of term (you know the drill )

Off to catch up with your diary, but big hugs from me in the meantime xx

Horace

Not long off the phone to Virgin Money again - hateful people. Asking personal questions like what was your salary before you were made redundant, why were you made redundant, why isnt your self employment working yada yada yada, I felt suicidal by the end of it and even said to the woman that if she wanted me to commit suicide then I would and she wouldn't get any money then:mad: I have spoken to CCCS who have told me that they shouldn't be asking such questions and that I should keep paying my £1 each month and if they call again to remind them about CCCS. Needless to say I am feeling rather tearful at the moment:(

I needed to get change for the bus so I have been out and got a litre of milk from the corner shop for 82p, I withdrew £10 from my bank too to allow me to pay the woman who paid for her breakfasts at least I will not owe her anything. I am off out tonight to the Forever Living thing (the mayor thing had been called off) so will pass on the money then. May have to withdraw a further £10 or raid my coin jar or even my sneaky box which has £2 sitting in it at the mo to provide bus fare for Thursday night.

I hate being in debt - I didnt mean to get into debt either. Here's hoping the gumtree things sell, I have even listed a wedding dress stating that it was used as part of my coursework:rotfl: I have things like unworn new deck shoes, my life jacket may as well go too and I have that daylight wake up light and a few other bits I can get rid of such as 25 DVDs.

Millie - I know you have been away skiing and messing about with students. We must catch up sometime.

Tomorrow I have that second interview with the jobcentre - why they can't get it all done in one sitting gawd only knows...trying to justify their jobs I guess?

beanielou

Keep plodding x

startagain_2

Horace,

My God- you are going through the wars at the moment - but it is "going through" and there will be better days ahead, and soon. I am just catching up on your diary having just emerged from my own little black cloud. Good Luck for today and the JSA - keep on and on until you get what you are entitled to - whether it be benefits or the repayments to Virgin. I remember the days when I was wrestling with creditors and I just stayed firm, armed with the advice and support of the CCCS and it all worked out, eventually. Remember that they are just trying it on in a lot of cases - stand your ground! Thinking of you,
Hugs
SA