I have come to the conclusion that I need to pee off my bank. I need to open a new account, transfer direct debits and write letters offering meagre payments rather than drain my rainy day pot. So so undignified. I could afford it BD- before Dave. Comfortably in fact - well comfortably for a fugal thrifter with green leanings like oneself. I take control of the repayments and annoy my wonderful lovely bank. I know the staff and see them in the street at lunchtimes and say hello. Bollocks - humbling, undignified but a need to be done.
As I have no margin for error these days its essential that I conserve what I have. My resolutions after filling the car up for the second time in two weeks is to drive more efficiently. Keep to speed limits nice and steady. I have a budget of approx 25 per week to get me to work and back and a few frugal journeys into town -4.4 mile round trip. As a rural dweller I need to commute. I use the car sparingly and always try to acccomplish multiple tasks. It is mostly for work and for this I have no choice. I drive diesel and it is economical. It is a banger however and its emissions could be improved. This was to be the next on the list BD.
Public transport would really be a luxury!!!! - A complete hour on the bus/train to de stress, read. Ahhh the peace! But not for me - journeys would take more than an hour and would not fit with child care arrangements. I need a car so the best I can do given the green leanings and the budget is to drive sparingly.
Radio 4 is a saving grace most of the time.
Things could be much worse. I could be being treated like a second class citizen and completely powerless about my situatution signing at the job centre. Client I suppport is working incredibly hard to put his life back on track has been crapped on by the wonderful job centre! Literally by the Martinas of the job centre. If anyone can remember Bread from the 1980's they should be able to remember Joey Boswells dole officer with starchy flicked up hair and a sour mush. My client turns up every week to the employability drop in to work on his basic skills - literacy and numeracy and complete his job search and application forms. He is there for at least three hours per week using the internet and printing facilities. He had an interview- notified the job centre as his interview clashed with his signing on time. He completes his job search diary in full each week btw. They asked him to sign on before his interview. He needed to catch a bus just after nine to get to his interview for ten. Signing on before his interview they attempted to make him complete an in depth job search . He all suited and booted and prepared for his interview objected explaining he needed to catch a bus. She - for it was a Martina, warned him that he would lose his benefits if he didn't play ball and go through his indepth job search which would take approx 15- 20mins. HE WANTED TO ATTEND AN INTERVIEW FOR A JOB! He left after explaining where he was going, advising her that the job centre had proof in the form of a photocopied letter. He went to the interview, returned to the job centre to sort out the issue of not being allowed to sign on.They said No. No money for two weeks. No crisis loan. No electricity. No money to visit his son. No electricity meant the freezer defrosted. No food. How he managed I do not know- relied on friends to cook his food I suppose. The CAB have taken up his case but there will be no compensation for his lost freezer food. He was judged and even in the face of overwhelming evidence the little Hitler would not back down. We were happy to advocate on his behalf to 'testify' to his consistent efforts to improve his situation but to no avail. He has had his benefits reinstated now and a kind of apology from the job centre. As a frugal I get how pissed he was about his food stocks. Hard work, wasted money to buy them, money to prepare the home made frozen meals - all gone because of a judgement. He has graciously accepted this state of affairs andd is getting back on with his job search and studying. I doubt I could have been so gracious and have moved on so well.
