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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be utterly devastated and pissed off

51 replies

Lemononachair · 15/01/2020 23:40

So we're 2 weeks in to 2020 and so far:

I've been told the place I work is closing down so I am out of a job. I have a month left at best

I've been served notice for my shared house and I have a month to leave because of bullshit allegations thrown at me by my batshit housemate.

Fuck. My. Life.

I know there's people out there a lot worse off than me but I've tried so hard over the last year to bring myself back from the brink of suicidal depression and financial ruin. I was just started to get things in place, had finally gotten out of my dead end part time job and gotten the ideal job with decent pay and brilliant hours.

Now it's all shattered. I'm applying for anything and everything and I've had 2 interviews. One of the jobs had over 100 applicants so I'm sure I won't get it. I have no money, no family I can stay with. I have no idea what to do next. I can't move out without a job and now I can't stay here.

No idea how to get up in the morning, go to work and carry on as normal.

I feel so pathetic and so tired of trying so hard and feeling like a failure.

OP posts:
PattiPrice · 15/01/2020 23:51

I’m sorry this has happened to you. I haven’t had such a great start myself and feel similar to you except I literally live for my children.

Will your job offer redundancy or any sort of payout which you could use as a months rent?
Will you get your house deposit back and you could use this too?

My hairdresser told me before she pays very low rent because she shared with five other people. It was a large house and she had her own room. Not ideal but she wanted to save to go travelling. Would a large house share work even temporarily?
Can you do casual work? Bar? Babysitting? Or temping?

There is a saying that it is easier to get a job while in a job. Keep applying and even if you have to accept a less than ideal job, you could accept it and continue looking. There is nothing to say once you accept you can’t leave.

macpumpkin1 · 16/01/2020 00:00

Could you be a property guardian for a while to lessen your rent? www.google.com/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/property/uk/property-guardianship-isnt-just-skint-millennials-older-people/amp/

Sign up to your council temping agency. They will place you to work in different areas of the council and lots of people get permanent jobs through It. You could also get a job in an area that you love that you never thought about. My friend got a 3rd at university but was really talented with computers and through temping ended up head of one of the technical departments.

Good luck and I hope the rest of the year is amazing for you.

NorthEndGal · 16/01/2020 00:07

I'm sorry , that sounds terrible.
Is there a chance you could do live in nanny/housekeeper type positions?

Original poster
Lemononachair · 16/01/2020 00:14

I really would take anything going at the moment, I'm applying for temporary contracts, part time, full time, anything. There's just not many places hiring as I live quite rurally and the nearest cities where jobs are more plentiful are an hour away (although I'm still applying there too!). I check job alerts on Facebook and indeed constantly. I was scared about losing my job but now I'm fucking terrified.

I've only been in the job 3 months so no chance of anything redundancy wise. Best I'll get is a good reference and maybe a few days holiday.

My LL is convinced I didn't pay a deposit but I'm 99% sure I did. Either way it was only a week's rent as I'm in a shared house so either way not enough to do much with even if I did get it back (which I won't).

I can't do babysitting as I don't have any friends with kids but I'm looking into live in catering positions as that's pretty much my only option for live in stuff in this area. A lot of jobs around here require a full drivers license which I don't have.

Trying not to be pessimistic but I can't want to fucking sob my eyes out. The council won't help me and benefits will take weeks more than I have.

Never even heard of property guardianship but I'll look into it, thanks for the suggestion 😊

OP posts:
PattiPrice · 16/01/2020 00:25

What age are you OP? Could you be a live in au pair! Or a companion for an older person? That might be nicer tbh. You could look at being a care worker if that is something that would suit your personality?

You could then type out a note and put it in people’s letterboxes around where you live offering cleaning on your days off? That would be cash and wouldn’t affect any benefits?

These are just short term suggestions until you get sorted out with a job you really like. You’ve been employed before, you now have even more experience than when your last employer took you on making you an even better asset to the next employer!

Marleyj8 · 16/01/2020 00:26

How about pet sitting if you like animals?
Could you offer tutoring in any subject?
Trying to think of ideas for you

Mummy0ftwo12 · 16/01/2020 00:29

Have a look in The Lady magazine there a lot of live-in jobs advertised there by older people who need housekeeping help and gumtree as well has live-in nanny jobs

MT2017 · 16/01/2020 00:29

Do you particularly want to stay in the area? With no ties it might be a good time to move esp if not much work in the area?

Sparklfairy · 16/01/2020 00:29

Oh OP. It can feel devastating when everything seemingly collapses at once Sad

I will say that if one of those interviews had 100 applicants, and you got an interview, that's pretty good odds! They won't have interviewed very many as they'll have had the luxury of cherry picking the very best, and you were one of those.

Keep applying for jobs obviously and remember that your fortunes can change in an instant and turn everything around. Could you approach your landlord and ask for an extension on your notice? Explain the situation and agree to any terms re your housemate, even if it's stuff like keeping well out of the way and being no 'trouble' (not suggesting you are, but say anything you need to to keep a roof over your head at this stage!).

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that everything sorts itself out Flowers

sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea · 16/01/2020 00:30

Oh bugger, that all sounds so shit, coming all at once. I may be massively behind the times, but The Lady magazine used to be quite good for live in positions, either as 'help', a companion, or for hospitality.

I don't know what your local council is like, but mine have been amazing in helping me sort out housing & benefits. I was terrified, but the thing they kept telling me was 'we just want to help - don't be put off by the scare stories you see in the press.' They have genuinely turned my life around. I've sobbed my way through every single appointment I've had with them, but they couldn't have done more to help me. It's in their interest to help you, so you don't end up as an emergency homeless person Flowers

ConfessionsOfTeenageDramaQueen · 16/01/2020 00:38

So sorry to hear this. I'm sure it doesn't seem like it now but hopefully some day you'll look back on these two incidents and see they set you onto a better path (particularly re flatmate who sounds toxic). Wishing you the best of luck.

Butterer · 16/01/2020 00:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Apirateslifeforme · 16/01/2020 01:17

As mentioned further up, if you like animals try tailster, you can start looking after peoples pets in their homes, do some dog walking whilst you get yourself on your feet.

I know it seems like a shit start to the year, it can and will get better. We all have times that are horrific and sometimes it feels never ending but it will all work out ok.
Try to keep positive xx

keo8260 · 16/01/2020 05:33

Sorry you are going through this, have a look at share and care homeshare.

CustardT · 16/01/2020 05:41

If you get a job in the city, couldn’t you move there?

Is there anywhere you’d like to move to?

reefedsail · 16/01/2020 06:06

Agree with PP, it seems like the obvious time to move into town to be nearer work and easier transport.

Thefaceofboe · 16/01/2020 06:25

Where abouts do you live op?

IamTheMESSIAH · 16/01/2020 07:23

Maybe take this opportunity to move to the city where there are many more jobs, even if just a temp one to buy you time till you decided what you really want to do in the long term. Act now, this is how the ordinary person can become street homeless. Best of luck and take anything to begin with Flowers

CakeandCustard28 · 16/01/2020 07:27

If you paid a deposit and the landlord is refusing to give it back to you and didn’t place it in a deposit scheme. You can legally get 5 x the amount of them back, as it’s illegal to do that. Do you have proof of the deposit you gave them?

billybagpuss · 16/01/2020 07:34

If your out of a house as well as a job, can you move closer to where you’re more likely to get a job?

eaglejulesk · 16/01/2020 08:20

Hugs Flowers. So sorry your year has started off so badly, but good luck.

Sparklfairy · 16/01/2020 08:25

It's up to 3x CakeandCustard28

Greenkit · 16/01/2020 08:36

Do you have a tenancy agreement?

willowmelangell · 16/01/2020 08:40

Think really hard about your deposit. Did you take money out of the bank? Bank transfer? Cash in an agents office? Place money in the LL's hand?

What have you signed? What date? What location did you sign anything?
Did the LL text you or phone you to say the place was yours?
Get every scrap of evidence you can. You simply cannot afford to write that money off.

WhatsTheLatest · 16/01/2020 08:46

childcare.co.uk even if you dont have much experience you can sign up with your availability for your area. They have live in positions too

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