So are you open to the bitch offer, or do I need to advertise more widely? You’ll get a corset allowance.

Its very tempting actually mate. I’ve had an offer for a fluffer’s job in a gay porn studio as well

I’m a student so not hit properly by the real world quite yet…graduate in a few months though so that could be fun, had planned on a PhD but I’ve majorly screwed up two exams this week and my dissertation is in need of a desperate rescue.

BUT I have the student loan to keep me in home with food and beer, and shed loads of riding to be done when I get chance so about 5 currently!

binners when the ladies said its about girth as well, they didnt mean eat more pies you know 😉

Actually Hora, the one redeeming feature (if you can class it as that) about having a monumental amount of stress is that the weight just drops off you. I’m looking very svelte at present

Never had it better -3

Darnit! I need to drop some poundage. I was hoping it would be at the hands of 3 tag-teaming blondes though

2 weeks ago it was a big fat 10. Family business folded, then declared bankrupt, no future – then…

…a long standing customer of mine didn’t want to see me on the scrapheap so offered to fund a new venture. Paying me a basic salary to cover the bills, but all the financial risk is with him and he’s well aware that in todays market we won’t be making money for a while.

So on a scale of how doomed I am, I’d say a 5 at present – I’m halfway to being OK but there’s a lot of work to be done. Still hoping to keep the house but if it has to be sold as part of my bankruptcy then so be it. The wife has been supportive throughout though and is fully prepared to live in a caravan if needs must.

Marcus – were you Sparrow-Legs on’t old forum!?

I really feel for some of you guys looking at impending troubles, as an oldie I’ve been there a couple of times myself

I reckon I’m a 1 but for whatever reason I feel like a 5

Might be in a similar situation to binners if my worst fears are realised: one of my major clients last year is on the ropes and owes me a tidy sum that I had earmarked for the taxman… so I’m getting the tent and camping stove ready to make a run for it.
Whatever happens, I’m envisaging a very different world in the next few years. I read an article by an economist who had compared world events to stock market movement and argued that the world and its economies run on a 10-20 year cycle. During an upswing nice things happen: globalisation, end of apartheid etc. On a downswing, nasty things happen: protectionism, nazism. He thinks we started the downswing around 2000, so we’ve got another decade of this to go and then a huge war. Then again, wtf do economists know?

the-muffin-man, wow sounds like a great guy/old customer to me 🙂

1, maybe 2. No debt, no mortgage, enough tucked away in the (unlikely) event of losing job to survive being out of work for probably a year or so.

Work not ideal, but it’s the least bad job I’ve had so can’t complain really.

About to lose my job, got a big mortgage to pay and very little chance of suitable employment in the near future – but the kids are happy and all the family are fit and healthy so can’t really complain. **** it!!!! It’s only money -it’s a 3 from me.

A mild 2-3. Own business with only a few big clients (although the biggest one is an accountancy firm, and everyone always needs accountants, right?)I can’t afford to loose any of them, TBH. Having said that, January has started well, got a big price rise out of one last year. Personally, I’m fit, as are all my kids and family, I can afford to eat. Got roof over head. Life’s OK.

Mr Muffin Man. I am indeed the artist formerly known as Sparrow legs.

Sorry to hear about the company and bankruptcy. Sounds like you have opportunities ahead though which is good. Is your new venture in the same game ?

Good luck – onwards and upward

3 I’d say. Had quite a bit of personal debt on CC’s but have almost got it paid off. That accounted for a lot of sleepless nights.

Work is reasonably good at the moment (consider myself damn lucky as I’m in the construction trade)

Sorry to hear about your troubles Binners, really hope things work out for you mate.

Muffin, thats some positive news at least. Hope things work out.

I just put in an offer for a house. So I guess I am possibly doomed. Although I dunno how likely they are to accept.

Other than that, if I manage to finish the PhD, I’ll with any luck be somewhat better paid than now.

Joe

I’ve said it before I’ll say it again, bring back Cressers from wherever he now resides, everyone used to love a bit of friday Doom!

I’ve been feeling like a 7 all week, but for no apparent reason, I’ve just been plain miserable.
Essentially I rent, have a reasonably stable job (definately have work lined up for the next 6 months anyway) some money in the bank, which is no longer earning anything interest wise. Reasonably healthy (apart from being a chubby fecker) and have a loving wife, but sometimes you just can’t make people happy.

Also just paid out £270 notes to BA as I cocked up a flight booking and had to re-arrange it, but I’m sure I picked the correct start date originally!

Binners, best of luck mate – could be worse, you could be Cressers!

Definite 1 for me. Just over 2nd bout of man flu this season, but good job little chance of losing it, healthy and no debt.
I hope those that are suffering get out of it quickly, been there muffin man, wouldn’t wish it on anybody, looking positive tho.

the-muffin-man, wow sounds like a great guy/old customer to me

It floored me when he made the offer – I could have kissed his feet!! As a family we’ve done printing for him for 30+ years but nothing had ever been mentioned re getting together. He sold his main business for a few million early last year and is looking to spread his wings into loads of little ventures for his family. I’ll be employed to start with but there will be ways to buy into the company if I wish.

Life is ruddy weird – two weeks ago I was looking how much a static caravan could be got for, today I’ve been ordering new Macs and looking at new printing kit!

Mr Muffin Man. I am indeed the artist formerly known as Sparrow legs.

Hi Marcus – yep still in the print trade!

Sorry to hear of your troubles too, hope you manage to pull through it, its bloody dire out there.

About a 5 at the moment. My department is being merged with another, which means redundancies so i’ll soon be a 1 or 11 on the doom scale.

binners, man, I take it back. I’m not nearly where you are.

Need any legal advice (FOC, natch), drop me a line at ourmaninthenorth AT googlemail.com.

I still owe you a pint from 2007(!) (I always pay my debts…).

Tom

about a 4 doing ok for now.

An odd one for me. I temp so work is irregular – but reasonably well paid. Mrs TJs contract ends this spring with no job to go to. We are about to get a bill of approaching £100 000 fr building works. We might have to sell up. Still – thats an opportunity I am quite excited about – sabbatical year in South America? We have plenty equity in the flat.

So both trepidation and excitement

TJ – ace idea, but it’s the selling that’s the hard bit.

I’d do the same if I could – me, Mrs North, a motorbike (we’d have to learn first), the sunset.

I would say about a 0-1 for me. I quit my previous job in the summer and was enrolled to go back to college and learn to become a tree surgeon. At the last minute a VERY secure job came through and I wisely took it! Mrs Curtis is also in quite a secure job, so we are ok. We are moving into a larger house from a flat(renting) and would like to start a family.
However, we are still paying off our debts from a few years ago(2.5 years to go) when we had a run of bad luck and bad money choices. But like everything in life, I have learnt a lot from my mistakes. We deal only in cash(no credit available) and live within our means. I have also learned to be more creative with my accounting and have become very good at making money disappear!
I am really sorry to hear that some of you are struggling so much. As someone that has just come through it, try to keep your head up. They can only take your money and money doesn’t buy happiness.

Out of interest binners
What line are you in? – we have an office in your neck of the woods & are in a reasonably recession resistant business, so opportunities still crop up occasionally

…and learn to become a tree surgeon.

Lucky escape there! The tree surgeons in the unit next to us were about to lay 4 lads out of 6 off as all their domestic work has dried up completely. And all their previously solid railway/national grid work is only getting done on an emergency basis not on the preventative basis that was done before.

I’m about a 3, on the verge of 2 with 1 not being too far off I hope 😉

I’m doomed! I’m going to die one day, maybe in 30 years.

So in the meantime, it’s all good.

7.5

It all went wrong when we bought a house. I thought it would appreciate in value so I picked a mortage that paid a lot of capital off thinking we’d get the money back (before 2015). Also hit the credit cards to furnish it etc.

Well, I work temporary contracts, the house is probably only just avoiding negative equity, my current contract is up in 2 months and in 4 years I’ve brilliantly managed to save up precisely nothing 🙁 And there’s a baby on the way.

Still, I’ve got well marketable skills and some promising leads (including a possible job for 12 months in Leeds but for half my current money), and I’ve got 2 months to save like stink so fingers crossed…

5
Redundancies happening all around me (I’m OK so far…)
Job skills too specialised
In negative equity after buying a house last April
Purchased said house with my ex who left in November

1

Moved in with my GF so living expenses dropped by a few hundred per month. Got a new Job so pay went up by a few hundred per month.

About to buy a house, so can take advantage of the plumetting prices.

Job seems reasonably secure in the medium term but I suppose if we continue on this trend not many jobs will be.

Before Christmas a 9. Have been redundant for 3 months, the work is still there but employers are expecting people to be over qualified (the jobs will not stretch the really qualified, not a recipe for success).
Happily Mrs Sandwich is in steady employment and can keep me in beer as long as I produce hot food soon after she arrives home. Counting my blessings and enjoying a low-ish stress break for the first time in 28 years.
Now a reasonable 3.

hhhmmm … nothing to begin with so I guess you can either say it is 1 (food bill increment only) or 9 because I have nothing and still trying to get something stable.

🙁

joemarshall – how’d you get a mortgage if you are doing a PhD?

the way i feel at the moment i don’t know whether i’ll make it through the weekend.

them daemons are on my back whispering ‘take em, go on take em’.

Big fat 0 here.

Roof over head: -1
Enough to Eat: -1
Clothes on back: -1
Warm and comfortable: -1
Healthy (apart form mild ear infection): -1
Happy in career/job/work: -3
Have positive, happy relationships with others: -2
Not living in constant threat of war, disease, famine, etc: -1
Happy with current environment: -2
Enough money to not have to worry about bills and stuff: +3

Live in a gorgeous wee chalet in the Alps, work in a gorgeous big chalet in the Alps. Eat in with guests, so food great, clothed, warm, fittest I’ve ever been, work as a snowboard & bike guide, great marriage & friends, no war, live in a great environment. May have picked the wrong time to start my own business in a luxury field… still bookings going OK so far!

joemarshall – how’d you get a mortgage if you are doing a PhD?

Actually I’m finishing off a PhD and have a job 50% of the time right now. Also, my lovely wife is 7 months more efficient than me on the PhD finishing front and is now a university lecturer, which appears to be quite well paid too.

Joe

stevomcd has a mild ear infection too? Is it contagious??? 😯