What's your cautionary tale?

[BrightInMyNorthernSky]

Having just got through the most stressful week ever due to a nightmare situation of my own making, I thought I would share a previous and current cautionary tale.

1. Always remember to change the address on your V5 and not just your license. I didn't. DH got caught speeding twice on the same day on the same stretch of road (33 in a 30) in my car. Both fines went to old address. Didn't answer them, obvs. The whole sorry mess played out without me being aware and by the time it all caught up with me it was had been banned from driving for six months and fined £2k - five months earlier! So had been driving while banned for five months!!!

Why? I could imagine the other way around would be rather a problem.

If you’re not mature enough to have a conversation with your partner about contraception, then you’re not ready to be having sex.
Just because he’s not hitting you doesn’t mean he’s a great guy.. raise the bar or stay single.
Don’t accept the google log in notification thingy if you’re not 100% sure it’s actually you (ds learned that one the hard way recently).

@BrightInMyNorthernSky just wanted to say it sounds like you’ve had a tough few months, hope it’s all getting sorted with both things and you have an easy time coming up!

Don’t be fobbed off by your GP. I saw four different GPs who fobbed me off. Eventually it turned out that I had a cancerous tumour on my left ovary, measuring 10cm x 6cm.

Always check how many items they’ve got when you brought a return. One time out of three they do a mistake.
And always check your shopping receipts straight after the transaction. The day when you forget to do this you will be overcharged.

Always check your refund is in your bank account no matter how many times customer services say it will be there in x amount of days.

Never start peeing unless you have checked there’s loo roll.

When you start dating you should be finding out, within the first few months:

1. If they want kids
2. If they like holidays
3. If they have debt
4. If they have kids/wife elsewhere (sounds obvious but you'd be amazed)
5. What they see as retirement

I honestly think if everyone asked more real questions rather than "Shall we work our way through Netflix every evening?" we'd have a lot less issues on the relationship board. So many people get MARRIED without knowing these things!
The sooner you know, the easier it is to walk away. Don't get attached over a year then start being real and asking, so much harder to get out.

Always start a new job with four living grandparents.

Do not go to bed sooking a strepsil.
I fell asleep and woke up in the morning it was still in my mouth (albeit much smaller) and it had burned a hole in the roof of my mouth. It was weeks before it healed properly.

Also, do not sniff olbas oil whilst laying down. I did this and some dribbled out the bottle and down my nose and my nose and throat felt dry for days and days even though I guzzled water to try and get rid of it. It was awful!

Owweee

So... If you don't have that then you can't start a new job?

So does that mean I’m never supposed to start a new job because one of my grandparents died when I was a child?

@BrieOnToast 😆

My cautionary tale would be not to ignore physical symptoms no matter how disgusting you feel, but seek medical help.

Otherwise you might end up very, very ill!

Jeez. It's because you can then take 4 days off for their "funeral"....

Get it?

Don't swing on your chair because you might fall and give yourself a black eye.

I tell my classes that I know a kid who did exactly this. They never believe me, because 'all the teachers say that'.

It was my DS.

Eh? My last grandparent died when I was in my early 30s. I don't think that's unusual .

@Hungrycaterpillarsmummy

Ah 🤦‍♀️

Don't let anyone stay without a clear indication of when they will be leaving.

Invited a friend in dire straits to stay with me but never agreed a timescale. She ended up staying 18 months and barely paid anything in that time. Our friendship disintegrated for various reasons.

Never again!

Listen to your gut instinct in job interviews.
If something feels off, but you're offered the job, don't accept it.

If you have a niggle or feel uncomfortable with a professionals advice press the point. Dont just accept it. Trusting my accountant rather than my own instinct cost me £20k in additional avoidable tax that I shouldn’t have had to pay 🤮🤮🤮

My sister got married without having any of these conversations!

It's like she's allergic to addressing things

Don't employ someone who ballsed up the practical part of the interview, even if you think there were good reasons. It's a work trial for a reason. In fact never employ anyone who hasn't done a job test or worked alongside you for a couple of hours.

In a difficult work situation, especially if you have a complaint about someone higher up the food chain, don't assume HR have your best interests at heart. I was strongly persuaded by colleagues with HR backgrounds to be open and frank but it screwed me over. I should have talked to a lawyer first. Also don't assume your union rep is up to date with the law.

Always check your bath towels for spiders before wrapping yourself up in one.

If you are a woman do not cry at the GP unless you want to be diagnosed with a mental health issue rather than diagnosed with whatever is causing you so much pain and distress that you cry.

If you see a tempting offer or competition, always ask yourself, 'What's the least they could give me without actually lying about it?' & don't take anything for granted or give them the benefit of the doubt. If you're happy with the least, go ahead.