make do and mend for tougher times

westcoastscot

Hi Guys,

Apologies for absence, have been reading but not posting.
It does seem to be getting dire doesn't it??? I did read somewhere that the unemployment figures were artificially buoyant due to people being on government "work experience" programmes. I know a few of my clients regularly temporarily lose benefits also due to the stringent requirements of job-seeking, particularly as we have a long journey to the job centre and expenses don't actually cover the real cost. It is a huge worry though.

It would appear my job is unsettled, with threats of take-over and re-structuring, so am doing my best to get better set up, including taking my wee craft business more seriously as a buffer. First threat is due april 2013, with second to come in 2013/2014 so a long period of uncertainty - am trying to think the best and expect the worst, but am less able to switch off my wee brain these days!!!!

Congrats on the order Mar, and thankyou so much for the wool - it arrived today, and have pm'd you.

Hoping the dry weather that's promised us reaches my side of the coast - really need to trim back the garden and look for veggies :-)

Interesting to hear about the Kemps lucky bags - I wondered what might be in them.

WCS

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Have just sat down for half an hour. Downstairs is gleaming like a new pin except fot the kitchen floor. OH used the mop bucket when he washed the car but goodness only knows where he has put it. I have searched everwhere with no joy so will have to put that off until tomorrow.

I remember the first time OH had to sign on when he had ben made redundant in the mid 90's. They were very interested in what savings our children had (then aged nearly 4 and 10 months). That money was gifts thry had recieved and no way werewe going to touch that. I went back to work 2 months early from maternity leave and he took over child care and went to college part time. I was taking the full year off as DD2 was born with problems that ment daily painful physio that OH could not bring himself to do and a very real risk of suffocation once she was able to roll over in the cot. When he signed on two years ago Ido not remember him being asked about the childrens savingsbut hewas told off for applying for too many jobs as he filled in the booklet they gave him in one week. Honestly how can you be trying too hard :mad:?

Have found some courgettes and an aubergine in the fridge that have seen better dayssowill make somehting inventive for tea with them and some pasta.

Hhave any of you been listening to radio 2? There has been a greatinterview with a multi millionaire called Dave who has opened a bank in his local area when he realised that the small businesses he was dealing with were in danger of going under as the banks had stopped lending to them. There is a programme on TV tonight about it but I did not catch when it is. His customers get 5% interest, he lends at 8% then pays his overheads from the 3% made and donates the rest to charity. Due to legislation he is not allowed to call himself a bank nor is he allowed to call what his customer pay him a deposit. I think the programme will be worth watching as it does the soul good to see the big banks being shown the way to do their job properly.

Right will have a quick look at a few other pages and then tackel upstairs.

Mrs VP

mishmogs

I live in a market town in suffolk and there are so many claiming unemployment benefit (and me being one of them from company going into administration) that since the middle of June, new claimants are being sent to 2 major towns about 20 miles away as our JC doesnt have enough people to deal with the volume of claimants!

I have had a couple of interviews and subsequently rejected as I am too old! Yep even the chap who gives 121 assistance said I needed to find a job before I was 50 otherwise its nigh on impossible to find an employer willing to take on older staff. Errhm, I had to remind him I was 51, so where does that leave me??

No don't answer that, it will come eventually, that all elusive job. My personal advisor at the JC said it generally takes 12-16 months to find employment. Hopefully, it wont be that long. Still, I now know the wild birds in my garden and their habits and that pesky cat from across the green which flattens my plants when hes sleeping (when its not raining of course).

Uniscots97

A lot of the invisible unemployed might be in a similar situation to me. I was made redundant 3 months ago and as I got a small redundancy payment (which has nearly gone thanks to simple things like paying bills) I don't get any benefits or NI credits, as I am self employed for the tarot I do which doesn't bring in much (maybe maximum £100 a month) so I don't appear in the figures.

Kouzapastella

Hi all

The number of people in my office that are bieng made redundant is 32 including me:(...and over the whole company it's about 175... all long time employees most of them, most over 50 odd and few like me in there late 40s.

Whilst I'm enjoying a few days "sick leave";) and the lie in I had this morning:D it's also begining to hit home that I may never work again. Well possibly but I will do the right thing and apply for jobs etc but there isn't that many places who will take on a creaky boned wreck over 45....still miracles do happen.

I'm even thinking about going back to Uni and doing a degree, maybe teaching or another subject, just a pipedream at the moment but totally possible now.

The Survivor cupboard is filling up nicely, I took some broken gold necklaces and old jewellery to a gold place in town after checking the best offer price and came out with £123 pounds so spent half of it on my rations and yep it's a good good feeling knowing your food cupboards full and you have enough cleaning and loo rolls to see you through for a while.

Now need to find out to sell on ebay and get rid of some clutter.

This council tax benefit reduction thing would that mean my £108 ctax per month that would be covered 100% at the moment would be reduced by 10%...so another £10.80 to be found out of my JSA?..each month looks like I need to take this redundancy much more seriously, my one fear is rent or ctax arrears or losing the roof over my head..just dawned on me I'm in a bit of a pickle:eek::eek:
Will slap on a nothing will defeat me smile:D:p and get on with it.

Can anyone give me a link to the 5 minute bread recipe that has been mentioned in quite a few previous posts, would be most grateful as it sounds interesting and easy:rotfl

Will be back on soon with another update on how my life is going down the pan but I don't intend letting anyone flush me down it yet...
S

Popperwell

Mishmogs,
And they say too many people are doing ok on welfare...even if you can "manage" an existence they don't add the stress and worry often caused by having to fit the criteria laid down to be entitled to the help you are given...

In a funny way you do appreciate the simple things in life and see things differently.

Your values change or are re-enforced but that does not pay the bills...

Popperwell

westcoastscot wrote: »

I did read somewhere that the unemployment figures were artificially buoyant due to people being on government "work experience" programmes.

It would appear my job is unsettled,

I hope that your fears are unfounded. And yes, that is exactly why the figures look better than they really are. But this was missed for most of the time by the BBC when they lead their news with the good news that unemployment figures have reduced.

Kouzapastella

Mishmogs duly understand about noticing things more when you have time on your hands,nhaving just moved into my bungalow a few weeks ago I ve noticed that next doors cat is using my plant pots as a loo it got a surprise this morning. Holly had sprung up overnight...won't be coming back I think....

And yes I'm a cat lover just don't want it plopping in my plants ...

Popperwell

Mrs Veg Pot,
Missed the interview but he was on radio a lot last week. First programme was on last week but it may still be available for a few more hours on the internet or on catch up via Channel 4's Four On Demand.

Episode 2 is on tonight at 9pm on Channel 4

Margaret54

Hi all I am busy at home today and have lots of posts to catch up on, but just wanted to say how very sorry I am to hear about so many folk losing their jobs.It is shocking to say the least. I will catch up soon and pop in again. My son and his lovely fiancee are staying with us for a week so we are out and about with them. Take care everyone Margaret xx