Keep calm and carry on....

kaycastle

Getting out for regular walks sounds lovely - I can't imagine not having done that in so long. Hope you had a nice time and manage to get out again soon

South_coast

Thanks kaycastle, I definitely will be. I am disgusted with myself TBH. At least in normal life I climb stairs at work/BF's as a minimum, but being in a ground floor flat has made my fitness levels even worse 😦

South_coast

So, I've been outside for an hour, and....I've got flippin' sunburn 😯! I am not impressed!!!

themadvix

Sunburn or not, I’m glad you got out for a walk!

South_coast

Me too, but it's ouchy!

Got £1.22 + £0.14 current account cashback this morning. Deducted the £1.00 fee and have sent 36p to the credit card. They'll love me for that....😂!

themadvix

Hey SC, you’ve been very quiet today - hope you’re ok!

debtfreeoneday

I am pretty disgusted with my lack of fitness and exercise during this time SC. Resolved to start tackling that today. Glad your walk went well even if it was a little hot. 

kaycastle

I know its difficult but don't be too hard on yourself everyone - its been a really strange time and its difficult as we're not doing the normal amounts of natural moving and fidgeting either, not to mention our sleep is probably more disrupted than usual.

I also got sunburn a bit on my bike ride last week - I put suncream on but was out longer than expected. I have to wear so much suncream at the moment. Don't forget to moisturise the affected area lots!! I got my OH to do this and have used it as an excuse for medicinal massages hehe

South_coast

Hey team, 

I've been AWOL for a bit as I've had some really sh*t work news which it's taken me some time to properly process. I wasn't sure about baring my soul on here, but you're all so nice, plus I thought it might be a bit cathartic (and maybe I can read back on it in the future and laugh at myself and wonder what all the fuss was about). And if my boss is reading this then so be it, as they're not going to be my boss for much longer anyway. Because....I am being made redundant. There, I said it 😦

So everything is on hold at the moment and stripped down to the bare bones. S&S payments cancelled, pension contributions slashed, dentist appointment (private 😡) cancelled, haircuts remain on hold indefinitely and I am entering The Escape Artist's Monk Mode. I wasn't sure how I could continue to contribute on here, as I don't really feel like a MFW any more and I can see the £120k money needed figure getting further and further out of reach. I have been lurking though and keeping up with you, as this is where my heart belongs (and this makes getting rid of the mortgage more important to me than ever), so I thought it was time to come back out of the shadows. 

People in my department have been very nice, offering to help (then swiftly following it up with comments that they don't know how they could, which makes it seem a bit throwaway), but the relief coming off them that it's not them affected is palpable. My Mum also delivered the classic line of "I've been made redundant three times and it's horrible - but then I didn't have a mortgage or car payments....". Thanks Mum 😦

BF doesn't understand, despite also being made redundant himself. He is on the verge of landing himself something new, and cheerfully announced last night that another company he met with before COVID landed (which only piqued his curiosity because the size of the package made him goggle) have been back in touch. Thanks BF 😡 He just thinks that I should see it as a good thing, because I get to leave a company where I have been really unhappy, but when I think of how much I've invested in it in terms of my own time, my health and my sanity, I can't help but feel constantly teary. BF has also had the luxury of an employer which furloughed him at the beginning of April on full pay and that told him well in advance that his job might be at risk and gave him their blessing to start looking for something else. What a difference to mine, where they cut my salary, have had me working throughout and still have me working full-time! And while it continues to take up so much head space, I don't seem to be able to gird myself up to take any positive steps about my situation (although I have managed to get my council tax changed from 10 months to 12, so maybe one small step each weekend is the way forward at the moment).

I'm also not helped by the fact that I don't really know what I want to do when I grow up (despite now being 37). I started off in my current industry after returning from Uni and being unemployed for 3 months, at which point I was just delighted to have found a job. Almost 14 years later and I'm still doing the same thing - and it's certainly not something little girls aspire to when they think of their future. Having said that, I would ideally like to stay in the same industry, as a) the money is good and I could power on to the £120k and escaping the rat race altogether; and b) I don't really have experience doing ANYTHING else 😯 I don't think it's going to be an option at the moment, but maybe in six months or so it could be. 

Looking on the bright side, I'm not ill, the £10k I have in savings, the paltry amount of redundancy money and the smidge I should get in unemployment benefit, plus my MSE ways should keep me going for nearly a year. And I will have some time and head space to focus on health and fitness goals - no more months without exercise 😀 I've also been continuing to attack the credit card to reduce the minimum payments and these are now down to around £180/month from a starting point of £250. I'm also now allowed to go to BF's, as he is my "social bubble" (possibly the most ridiculous expression of the pandemic so far) - I did last week as well, but don't tell on me! 

I'll be back....

Jessy103

I'm so sorry to hear about your job SC. I wish you all the best with what you decide to do and please keep posting! Your posts make me giggle and motivate me to keep going and although we don't know each other irl, I'm really pleased to have met you. Take care xxx