So how are we all doing?
Monday, 22. December 2008, 22:18:32
Everything ok? How are we all coping with the downturn?
I've lost approx £4000, from my savings, plus I don't know what from my pension. I am in the fortunate position that I had the money to lose in the first place. I also know that had I continued as I was a few years ago I wouldn't have lost a thing, but I allowed myself to be talked around into investing in shares through off the shelf investment packages by people who probably knew as much about investing as I did, even though I knew this slump was coming. I've no one to blame but my own stupidity & greed.
Employment wise I was one of the very early casualties as I lost my job when my company that sold windows to the new build housing market went under in April this year. I was out of work for just under 3 months before starting work for the Department for Work & Pensions at Jobcentre Plus which is the UK's government run employment agency & social security benefit office (a cynic would say that I left one growth industry as it was dying for another). I now get to review people's job search activity to check for compliance, find vacancies for people to apply to & encourage them to do anything & everything to better their employment prospects.
It's an ok job, one that I didn't think I would enjoy as much as I have & it is infinitely better on my side of the desk than the other. Getting used to a 50% salary drop has been a real eye opener though. Money never used to be an issue for me, I never used to check my bank statements to see if I had been paid, I never looked at the price of anything as I entered my PIN & cost never stopped me from going out. Now though I keep track of my spending on a spreadsheet (well worth the effort), I can tell you the price of unleaded at 6 different petrol stations & if Tunbridge Wells would just cancel the farmer's market I'd be financially laughing.
One sad side effect of my new job is that several times now I have wanted to really rant on my blog but because I am now a 'civil servant' I can't, which I think is the main reason my posting frequency here has gone the way of the stock market.
There are still plenty of other things I could be posting about though. At the very least someone needs to document some of the bizarre events that occurred at Abbott Group Ltd.
Bah humbug everyone!
I've lost approx £4000, from my savings, plus I don't know what from my pension. I am in the fortunate position that I had the money to lose in the first place. I also know that had I continued as I was a few years ago I wouldn't have lost a thing, but I allowed myself to be talked around into investing in shares through off the shelf investment packages by people who probably knew as much about investing as I did, even though I knew this slump was coming. I've no one to blame but my own stupidity & greed.
Employment wise I was one of the very early casualties as I lost my job when my company that sold windows to the new build housing market went under in April this year. I was out of work for just under 3 months before starting work for the Department for Work & Pensions at Jobcentre Plus which is the UK's government run employment agency & social security benefit office (a cynic would say that I left one growth industry as it was dying for another). I now get to review people's job search activity to check for compliance, find vacancies for people to apply to & encourage them to do anything & everything to better their employment prospects.
It's an ok job, one that I didn't think I would enjoy as much as I have & it is infinitely better on my side of the desk than the other. Getting used to a 50% salary drop has been a real eye opener though. Money never used to be an issue for me, I never used to check my bank statements to see if I had been paid, I never looked at the price of anything as I entered my PIN & cost never stopped me from going out. Now though I keep track of my spending on a spreadsheet (well worth the effort), I can tell you the price of unleaded at 6 different petrol stations & if Tunbridge Wells would just cancel the farmer's market I'd be financially laughing.
One sad side effect of my new job is that several times now I have wanted to really rant on my blog but because I am now a 'civil servant' I can't, which I think is the main reason my posting frequency here has gone the way of the stock market.
There are still plenty of other things I could be posting about though. At the very least someone needs to document some of the bizarre events that occurred at Abbott Group Ltd.
Bah humbug everyone!
WIDGETIZE