Quiet

Hello fellow readers, bloggers & miscellany of the internet world.

 

I’m blogging. Yay. Not really about anything. This past month has been tough. Scrimping on everything. More than I did when I was at uni even.

 

I’m glad we have Centrelink in this country to use during tough times but bloody hell they don’t make it easy, even when you’re 100% entitled to it like I am – I meet all the criteria and yet it’s still a confusing process. And I’ve worked in  (state) government and large companies before so I’m used to bureaucracy. And it’s still frustrating and confusing. I feel really sorry for those who may not have great speaking or writing skills and who need to negotiate the system. It must be nearly impossible. And those are the people who really need it. Thankfully most of my issues should be worked out and, fingers crossed, I will get paid this week. Then, my new job starts next week. Though I think they run fortnightly pay in arrears so I’m not sure how long it will be until I get paid from that. Hence, Centrelink payments.

 

I’ve blogged before about savings & freelance  before, so I feel a bit silly saying that I’ve had to apply for Newtstart (aka The Dole/Unemployment Benefits). Basically over Christmas/New Years my dog got sick and we had a lot of expenses which basically blew my savings. Then I only had a few months left on my contract, which wasn’t enough to replace much of my savings. But I still feel kind of ashamed that I’ve had to apply. Even though I’ve barely used them in my life and always paid tax. It’s silly to feel this way.

 

I was trying to write a book while I was unemployed but it was hard. Too hard to sit down and concentrate on something that wasn’t making me money RIGHT NOW. I was only stressing myself out more. And the book was supposed to be a supportive and inspirational one, yet it turned out mostly negative. A good example of you write what you know, I guess. The good thing is that now I feel like I’m less stressed (though there’s still a small chance everything could go wrong!) so I can use the content I’ve got, strip it down, play with it and make it useful. I will be self publishing it as an eBook so keep an eye out in the coming months! I’d love to do a print book, because I still like print better, but I haven’t looked into if that’s practical financially yet.

 

Random things I’ve learned being unemployed:

  • It’s amazing how much money your jar of 5c & 10c coins hold. I had nearly $20 in there! That’s a generous week’s groceries for me right now.
  • I really miss fresh veggies. Frozen might be healthy enough but I have the best local veggie store and their veggies always taste so good and I can’t wait to get paid so I can buy zucchini again!
  • I had a lot of crap in my study. It’s so nice and clean now. I actually use it again.
  • No one buys second hand anymore. This makes me sad. I finally had the time to do clean outs of my cupboards and all the decent stuff I had & figured I could sell (ranging from name brand clothes to electronics) just never sold. Or anyone who was interested wanted it for such a ridiculously small sum that I’d rather donate the items to charity and make no money at all from them!
  • I have too many ideas. I really do. I am always coming up with them. I need to learn to work with what I already have.

 

How have you been going in the past month? Any news I’ve missed out on while I’ve been in self-preservation mode?

 

2 Replies to “Quiet”

  1. Even in the toughest of times, we manage to learn and grow. Sorry that life has been so rough lately. I hope you start getting paid soon and that your new job is phenomenal. I’ve been in really tough situations financially before and I know how hard it can be, but alas there is always hope. You seem to be taking steps in the right direction.

    1. I’ve been through it many times, having pretty much always been on contracts. But it doesn’t make the uncertainty any easier! Thanks for stopping by.

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