Day 5 - PJs and business stuff
Is it really Saturday? I wasn't sure when I woke up. Loosing track of days fast and it is only week 1.... I often work weekends, which is fine, as I love (not "loved" - I will be back!) my job, and I am so lucky that what I do doesn't feel like work. But I also love (and really appreciate) a weekend off to spend time with Mia, and go out to lovely places. Usually on these Saturdays I wake up with butterflies in my stomach, excited about the 2 days ahead. But today I awoke with the same sense of dread and worry that I have woken up with for the past few weeks, and more so in recent days. Dread for the situation the world is in, and worry for the UK, who are really only just starting on this journey.
However, a Saturday off work is still a Saturday off work, and I am trying to normalise this shit as much as I can, so to mark the occasion I stayed in my pjs until 10am. I also treated myself to wearing make up on this special day, which I haven't done since Tuesday, which is unheard of for me, unless I am on holiday thousands of miles away from anyone I know and with a tanned face.
Mia and I took a walk to my 98 year old grandma's house. She still lives alone and is in excellent health physically and mentally. We stood at the end of her path having delivered her paper to the door and chatted for a few mins as she stood in the doorway before heading home. She was as upbeat as always, and when we asked how she is, she just said "fine, life is no different for me as I don't go out much now anyway and I have my crosswords". She is my inspiration (although I am crap at crosswords) Grandma kindly (as she always does) popped inside for some treats for Mia, however, we have learned over the years to check these well before consumption, and decided the "best before June 2017" fruit pastilles were not worth the risk. Bless her! This, for me and many others, is by far the hardest thing in all this. I would be devastated to loose my business, but it is worse not seeing my mum and grandma properly.
Part of this afternoon was spent tying up loose ends from the things I started yesterday, and if this a dull read please don't finish this blog! But if it helps even one person then great! Yesterday, after the announcement the night before that the self employed would be entitled to 80% of our average earnings over the last 3 years gave me some hope that me, and others, can come through this. We need to wait until June to get anything, but there is hope. So, I have gone through all my outgoings, business and personal (thanks a million to all my lovely sis-in-laws for their advice). I have phoned or emailed everyone on the lists to ask for help. And I have saved some money each month with hopefully more savings to come:
- Mortgage - asked for a 3 month payment holiday - they are looking at my claim but I am hopeful
- Mobile phone (Vodaphone) - payments put on hold (no change to service) for a month and will review at the end of April
- Loans - 3 month payment holiday
- Home and building insurance - 3 month payment holiday
- Utilities - waiting to hear
- Council tax - no holiday offered but there is an option to claim for help which I am not doing yet but might
- Universal credit - (I filled in the claim, but missed my turn in the huge virtual queue to verify my ID, so I logged on first thing in the morning and by the evening I had moved to the top and was able to verify) I may get nothing, but I think it is worth a try for something.
Sorry to anyone who has got this far, I have almost put myself to sleep.....
So a dull day yesterday. But productive. My finances are sorted as much as they can be, now it is time to baton down the hatches and try and ride it out til June. When I am hopeful of a government grant. At least there is nothing except essentials to spend my money on at the moment...
Talking of essentials, it is Saturday of course, so time (5pm, a couple of hours earlier than usual but we are in hard times) for a triple gin and tonic. Followed by Prosecco, because in these tough times, we need to try and keep some kind of normality if we can.
(Pic from one of my fave places, on top of the Yorkshire Moors, sunset by The Lion Inn)
-
However, a Saturday off work is still a Saturday off work, and I am trying to normalise this shit as much as I can, so to mark the occasion I stayed in my pjs until 10am. I also treated myself to wearing make up on this special day, which I haven't done since Tuesday, which is unheard of for me, unless I am on holiday thousands of miles away from anyone I know and with a tanned face.
Mia and I took a walk to my 98 year old grandma's house. She still lives alone and is in excellent health physically and mentally. We stood at the end of her path having delivered her paper to the door and chatted for a few mins as she stood in the doorway before heading home. She was as upbeat as always, and when we asked how she is, she just said "fine, life is no different for me as I don't go out much now anyway and I have my crosswords". She is my inspiration (although I am crap at crosswords) Grandma kindly (as she always does) popped inside for some treats for Mia, however, we have learned over the years to check these well before consumption, and decided the "best before June 2017" fruit pastilles were not worth the risk. Bless her! This, for me and many others, is by far the hardest thing in all this. I would be devastated to loose my business, but it is worse not seeing my mum and grandma properly.
Part of this afternoon was spent tying up loose ends from the things I started yesterday, and if this a dull read please don't finish this blog! But if it helps even one person then great! Yesterday, after the announcement the night before that the self employed would be entitled to 80% of our average earnings over the last 3 years gave me some hope that me, and others, can come through this. We need to wait until June to get anything, but there is hope. So, I have gone through all my outgoings, business and personal (thanks a million to all my lovely sis-in-laws for their advice). I have phoned or emailed everyone on the lists to ask for help. And I have saved some money each month with hopefully more savings to come:
- Mortgage - asked for a 3 month payment holiday - they are looking at my claim but I am hopeful
- Mobile phone (Vodaphone) - payments put on hold (no change to service) for a month and will review at the end of April
- Loans - 3 month payment holiday
- Home and building insurance - 3 month payment holiday
- Utilities - waiting to hear
- Council tax - no holiday offered but there is an option to claim for help which I am not doing yet but might
- Universal credit - (I filled in the claim, but missed my turn in the huge virtual queue to verify my ID, so I logged on first thing in the morning and by the evening I had moved to the top and was able to verify) I may get nothing, but I think it is worth a try for something.
Sorry to anyone who has got this far, I have almost put myself to sleep.....
So a dull day yesterday. But productive. My finances are sorted as much as they can be, now it is time to baton down the hatches and try and ride it out til June. When I am hopeful of a government grant. At least there is nothing except essentials to spend my money on at the moment...
Talking of essentials, it is Saturday of course, so time (5pm, a couple of hours earlier than usual but we are in hard times) for a triple gin and tonic. Followed by Prosecco, because in these tough times, we need to try and keep some kind of normality if we can.
(Pic from one of my fave places, on top of the Yorkshire Moors, sunset by The Lion Inn)
-
Comments
Post a Comment