And through it all

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Previously, on Squish Pages

I had got my dream job. Ideal location in East London's Victoria Park. A 30-40 minute journey to work. I had lucked into use of a company car which I managed to end up with it 95% of the time. The company itself suited my personality and style; it was professional, catered to the mid to top end range of properties, and preferred a more laid back style over a pushy, aggressive style of some other estate agents.

But sadly 2 weeks ago I became victim to the credit crunch and was made redundant. A case of last in, first out. I am still coming to terms with losing such a perfect job. In one swoop my salary had improved by 1/3 over my previous job and money worries were soon to be just a distant memory as I now had a wage which was to give me choices with my pipeline of business due to me over the next few months. With the loss of the job I lost my pipeline too, and if I was to tell you there was over £2000 in my pipeline at the time (and growing), you would see how much I've lost.

I'm now in the worst financial position of my life now, from flying high to crash and burn. With no job, no pay, but still £800 worth of financial commitment still to make each month!

I had started to go out socially again as I had money in my pocket. I hadn't been to a nightclub in some 4 1/2 months and actually had a worry attack whether my clothes would look out of date, or if I had fallen behind in social etiquette and would come off like Encino Man.

Now I'm stuck back indoors trying to find a job as well paid as my last, in a industry which is struggling to sustain itself at the moment, and in a company that is not some shyster, spiky hair, pinstripe suit, agent. Plans to buy a car, a bicycle, a summer filled with music festivals and a paid off credit card have all been shelved. My only means of travel right now are my feet and my Oyster card, which I've now found that even a trip to the bank in nearby town of Ilford requires over half the day!

Happy Birthday to ya!

Sorry guys but I am absolutely useless with remembering birthdays. If you don't tell me when its coming up then there's no chance of me coming through. I even struggle with my own Mom an Dad's! I used to pop all the dates in me mobile phone, but as I upgrade every 9 months it would mean I would not be using the same phone and wouldn't have the information any more come the following year.
'What about using a diary?', I hear you cry.
Well as they found out in my old job, I've never used a diary so have never trained myself to look in a little book for numbers, names, address, places, dates or important events. So I would then need reminding to look in the diary, therefore, I would now need a diary to prompt me to use my diary. And for that I would need a diary......

Last Saturday we went out a meal to celebrate Jason's and Martin's birthday's. It was originally to be a dinner at the dog tracks with a spot of gambling afterward but unfortunately the restaurant needed booking months in advance and Jason could not get us a table. Michelle found the Clockhouse restaurant in Epping, and a good choice it was too. It was some cracking grub, yumtastic. It was also the first time I'd seen Martin in nigh on 6 months as he has been adjusting to being a new father.

Happy Birthday Martin.
Happy Birthday Jason.

Ooh, and a quick Happy Birthday to Sam, friend and new colleague . Love ya! xxx

Ha ha ha ha ha!

As of April 1st I had just £50 left in my account. Just £50 to get through to my next payday on April 28th. The bad news was (if that wasn't disastrous enough), that I still had a £45 mobile phone, £43 gym membership and £55 Sky subscription still to come out!!!!
As off today, though, things were looking far rosier. The mobile phone company had already had their money, so its just the gym and Sky to worry about. Down to £30 too.

My March credit card payment is still AWOL, however, Barclays are communication with the credit card company to find out where it went. In the mean time I have been told that I wont have to pay the penalty fines as I made the original payment in good time and in good faith.

Gotta laugh otherwise I'd cry.

Remember the name.

Crikey! Its almost a month ago but me and Channa popped along to see Cat singing in another showcase. This one was different though as she performed one of her own penned songs. Also it was her first time with a live band! She even launched her new stage name that night, which I forget! I've know her as Cat for so long that nothing else will stick.

These showcases are always great fun with the varying styles of music, performing styles and ages, there is really something for everyone, plus I enjoy being a groupie, cheering Cat on from the darkness, along with Channa of course. Your biggest fans.







I actually recorded Cat rather than took photos, but the videos are too big to be loaded here.

Another month, Another money malady!

Is it just me or do you guys get financial mishaps as well? Shesh!

Listen to this one...

Like most folks who have a credit card, I get a statement through every month with a 'payment due' slip at the bottom, which when I pay it keeps 'the man' happy for another month. Having got behind with my credit cards once before a few years ago, I am at great pains not to let this happen again, and make my payment each month like a good little boy. I do then have to 'borrow' it back again, just to squeak through to the end of the month. Only in the last 6 months though.

Thing is, when I checked my balance mid-month to see how much I could 'lean' on the card this time, the automated voice told me that I was now over my credit limit and my last payment had been at the beginning of February.
"Ok", you say, "and what?"
Well, I had made my monthly payment, on time, at the beginning of March!
With my new job I had to pay over-the-counter at a different branch of Barclays Bank; and they had LOST my money. The immediate ramification was I now had the credit card chasing their money, plus I had been charged late-payment, and over-limit charges! Moreover, I now couldn't 'lean' on the card basically wiping out my budget for the last 2 weeks of this month!

Despite having a 4 day weekend this Easter, I went nowhere, as I had no money in my pocket and no fuel in the car. My saving grace has been, 4 days doing nothing, and raiding my penny jar yesterday. I now have £8 to live on till Friday; All food, travel and socializing!

There has to be a light at the end of this tunnel!

N.B. Barclays still don't know where my money went and I now have to make a double payment in April to cover the payment the credit card didn't get this month, further eating into the money I ain't got in the bloody first place..............

Mothaf**ka.

'Merry' Easter

Cold enough for you! Snow at Easter, whatever next.

I hope you boys and girls are having a pleasant Easter; better than my miserable weekend! With no money in my pocket and no petrol in the car, I've confined to the house, with the gogglebox as company. Not a major problem seeing as my Sky+ box was rammed full of unwatched shows. But with just £5 to get me through to this coming Friday and the fact that I enter the last month of my probation period at work, with me effectively not selling a thing during February I'm fearful that I have not done enough to keep my job! :(


At least Kimi Raikkonen provided a ray of sunshine on a dull weekend by storming to win the Malaysian Grand Prix early Sunday morning. It was well worth getting up at 6.30am for. It would of been a Ferrari 1-2 if Felipe Massa hadn't spun off the track whilst running in a comfortable 2nd place, next time. In further good news. the BBC acquired the rights to broadcast Formula One from 2009. ITV coverage has been dire from day one and I'm so happy they won't be showing it anymore. Hopefully ex-drivers Martin Brundle, Mark Blundell and Louise Goodman will be retained as the only ones on ITV at the moment who know what they're talking about!

Out in the big wide world

Like the mighty field mouse poking his twitching nose out of the burrow for the first day in months, the mid Sunday in February was literally my first social trip out since my birthday night out over a month before. Money and new job fatigue were the reasons why, but it was certainly about time as I was going stir crazy!

My darling lil sis had come up with the idea of visiting Speakers Corner in Hyde Park. I had heard of the place, but that was about all. I was up for the idea. As always; doing something new and different will always get me signing up 1st. I done my usual wikipedia search and was buzzed by what to expect; an open forum where ANYBODY could stand up and speak about anything he or she wanted.

As always it was good to see Sarah again, and we 'tubed' upto London's Hyde Park and just behind Marble Arch and the Speakers Corner, which was less of a corner and more of just an area of park where people congregated.




What became apparent after wandering back and forth between the 'speakers' was that that they all spoke on religion. And what I found fascinating was that people could debate, sometimes quite heatedly and passionately, without descending into violence. What also felt apparent was that the speakers themselves were regulars, coming every week to speak, and heckle each other. To me it was very bemusing, not believing in religion, but it was still very fascinating to hear the different points of view.