Horace's Biting the Bullet Diary

MrsPorridge

Good luck Horace

Horace

Piggy has managed to scoff all the chocs - the last 4 were had for breakfast this morning:eek:

I had a long lie in this morning - I needed the sleep after the horrid nightmare on Sunday. So far I have washed and dried my hair, flattened some old storage boxes and put them in the front bedroom (aka junk room) and have cleared the mound of clothes off the blanket box and put them in the wardrobe. I still have the pile on what is the washing basket to sort out but already my bedroom is looking tidier:D

I have put my slow cooker on to re-cook the stew I made yesterday (stew served with jacket spud last night), I will thaw some bread later and have it with bread tonight. Omelette planned for lunch to use up eggs.

Have made a start on the applications and already I have lost the will to live. The jobcentre have printed off some letters of introduction but I don't know if these have been sent across already or whether I need to include them with my application (although as the jobs need to be applied for online, I cannot see that I would have to send them). I got an knock back from one hotel chain but I am not that bothered because to be honest I did not want to travel to the NEC every day.

I have pinched an idea from The Matrix Re-Wired elsewhere on the forum and have decided to make myself a treats box to dip into over the Christmas period - it will contain chocolate and a new DVD (I shall use Tatco vouchers to buy it). It will contain a mini bottle of wine that I have had lurking since last Crimble, a pink bath fizzer that I won along with a mini bottle of handcream (something else I have had lurking). I shall put it under my Christmas tree - in fact I may just use one of the Christmas boxes I bought from Lidl a few year's ago and that way I can re-use it:D

Still feeling a bit Meh - but things could be worse, I must also remember to pot up my geraniums and bring them indoors as they are still in the window box. If I can keep them then I won't need to buy more next year.

Horace

I have been out this morning - wearing a thick jacket, clip on sunglasses (to cut down on the glare) and my purple fleecy ski balaclava which keeps my ears warm (I am so prone to ear infections these days) and it keeps my neck warm too.

I went to the post office to put money into business account and then walked up into Northfield (about 2 miles), went to Home Bargains for some Stardrops and I got myself an oversized kitchen roll - found they sold different varieties of Stardrops and I ventured into B&M and found that they too have different varieties of Stardrops to Home Bargains. It as Aldi day as well and I came out with cooked meat, some frozen stuff, a chocolate reindeer for my treats box, I wanted some Pineapple Marzipan but they didnt have any (that is delish) so instead I got a box of mini Foxes Party Rings again for treats box. Luxury Mincepies, jam and a slab of christmas cake was also bought.

I thought there was a recession on? Northfield was crowded and people were spending money like it was going out of fashion, the queues in some shops were just crazy. I got milk too but got that from the corner shop as I walked past it. I don't think that I will need to go shopping again for a while - if I haven't got it then tough.

Millie2008_2

Pineapple marzipan!! That I must try

I haven't ventured into Northfield for ages, but it does get manic this time of year!! Keep meaning to pop into Aldi as I have been to the xmas markets in B'ham a couple of times and colleague said that quite a few of the xmas bits that they sell there, they also sell in Aldi/Lidl for a fraction of the price. Not sure I have ever actually bought anything from the xmas markets, apart from mulled wine and cheesy garlic bread (nom!!)

I am so not ready for xmas, so have decided to bury head in sand and pretend it's not happening J is about as much use as a chocolate teapot, so I have to do everything. Tempted to b*gger off up a mountain somewhere Oh, if only....

xx

Horace

I have had a rough few days - my fridge packed up so had to ask landlord's bods to fetch me a new one, I now have a decent whirlpool fridge sans freezer box. What was annoying was the stuff that was in the fridge went off:mad:

I have spent my time tidying up and I have even put the tree up. I went to tax my car online and found that my credit card has been stopped so now I am well & truly stuffed, I do not have enough money in my current account to cover it either nor do I have enough in my credit union account. Now what can I sell before next week to pay for my car tax which expires on 31 December? The bank have said that I need to keep my current account in credit for 6-12 months before they will consider reinstating my credit card - fat chance of that happening the way things are going. I am currently overdrawn but that will be rectified when my HB cheque goes in along with my JSA.

I am sick now of the knockbacks for jobs that I apply for - some don't bother replying at all and others say that I am not shortlisted for interview..how the heck am I supposed to get a job?? Grump. I would be ok if I could get out of this pickle.

In other news my flat is a lot tidier and the vacuum has been dusted off and used, my tree is up too and I have even sorted out my mum's crimble present (she won't be expecting it) - it is a mini mascara, a mini lipstick and a full size eye shadow palette - all of which were free (call me tight wad). I will use LVs for dad's present.

Tomorrow I am off out for dinner (I haven't had to pay), however, I am already stressing about paying for drinks as I have £4 in my purse and I need to buy 10 second class stamps - I will have to raid the £14 that I have lurking in my £2 jar which I had hoped to put into my credit union account.

cats_slave

Sorry to hear that things are so very difficult financially. I thought something must be wrong when you hadn't posted for a few days. Do you have a separate freezer or are you without any freezing capacity at all at the moment? Do you have any payments that you can defer until after Christmas so that you can get your car taxed?

Applying for jobs is so demoralising, yet you are still managing to keep on top of the tidying in the flat and have put up your tree. And you haven't given up looking for a job.

Don't spoil your dinner by worrying about paying for drinks. You can't buy for others if you don't have any money. Not sure the kind of dinner you are going to but if at all possible be up front and say you have no money. You are out of work. It's not your fault the economy is is in such a state that getting work is so difficult. You are doing your best. You can do no more. You seem to be holding up very well given your circumstances.

Horace

Thankfully I have a separate freezer that I own which does not belong to the landlord and it is jampacked with stuff. My store cupboard is a little bit depleted as I was forced to use my longlife milk (which is eww to be truthful), I have replaced it with a large box of skimmed milk powder.

I decided to spend a few days away from the computer because it has been so cold and I was stressing about stuff. Still need to tidy my office which looks as though a bomb has hit it and I need to find a home for all the stuff on the washing basket (all clean but lazy person hasn't put it away). Stuff has gone to the charity shop including a pair of salopettes which although they said they were large size actually come up quite small (I cannot do the zip up as they are about 6 inches too short around the waist). Other pairs I have managed to salvage including a nice pair bought in a sale yonks ago which are a mediium yet fit perfectly.

I am making do where I can. At the moment I am part way through an application letter for a super job that I have seen at a local conference centre. This centre also fits in with my ethics which is good and I would love to work for them - the added bonus is that I could walk there (it would take me about an hour) or I could use the bus or the car. A full time permanent job is what I need. It is disheartening when I keep getting knock backs and I think it is a) my age b) the fact that I am/have been self employed and c) I am overqualified or d) they cannot be arrissed as they already had someone lined up for the job and had been forced to go through the motions of advertising it:mad:.

I have eaten my store of chocolate - my birthday present lasted a day and a half (those choc seashells are just so moreish) and when my fridge packed up I consoled myself with my Aldi chocolate reindeer.

The folks giving me a lift to the meal tomorrow know that I am skint, alas I cannot defer any payments so all payments for stuff have to be made. The meal is a xmas meal for the business club of which I am secretary and they know that I am in dire straits so I am paid with dinner each month for services rendered. I have a plan to root around in my store cupboard as I know I have some mini bottles of wine so I shall package them up and proffer them as a gift.

I have a plan to sell some stuff - just need to work out how to list it on the new site that I am using. I will get the money to pay for my road tax and I will get a job.

I haven't bought any crimble cards this year - I have been using my stash which is about 3 years' old. I even found some gift tags from good old woolies yesterday as well.

Horace

Whoop whoop whoop

I have an interview on Monday:j

Yesterday I saw a job advertised at a conference centre on the jobcentreplus website so I sent off my CV with written application. They emailed me back at 6.22pm (didn't pick up til this morning) asking me for interview today or Monday, I have opted for Monday because I have to sign on today and I cannot miss that at all. So Monday afternoon will be spent being interviewed for this fabby job. It is something that I can do and that I would love to do because I have so many connections from networking and I network most of the time anyway using all forms of social media.

After getting so many knockbacks - getting an interview is an achievement.

So tonight I shall take £2 coins with me for drinks and keep aside £3.60 for bus fare for Monday. I have no idea what the salary will be for this job but I really don't mind as any salary will do:D

Aesop

Well done Horace, hope you get it, fingers crossed you get it!

My friend went for an interview last monday and got the job :j:beer:

so maybe Mondays are lucky days for jobs

Horace

I hope I get it too - it would be fabulous and there are 3 ways I can get there, by foot, by car and by train (it is a mile from the station). My appointment is at 3.30pm so even though I hate driving in the dark I am toying with going in the car (it will give the car a run too) as it may be awkward getting a bus as I may have to get two of the wretched things.

As long as I can pay my bills - I don't care what the salary is - I need to clear my FD credit card, clear my overdraft (I may even change banks altogether if I can), clear the over draft on my business account (currently using paypal monies to do that), pay my accountant, pay bullying twonk and pay the outstanding monies for my websites. It will be kind of scary working for someone again but I need some stability in my life and need to build savings.

Time to start listing on CashCow methinks...runs off to do that as I have a digital photoframe to list and if I can get £80 for it then that will go someway towards my road tax.