Watching seven years go down the drain

LegacyUser

I'm in serious trouble. At the current rate of things I will lose my house by Christmas.

I borrowed €20,000 two years ago to buy a taxi and plate, along with all the stuff needed to become a taxi driver. I worked hard for two years, but now I watch it all flitter away, as I spend hours sitting on ranks or driving around in circles getting no work at all.

I worked long hours, seven days a week, years ago, to get the money for a mortgage on a house. I have no qualifications. I worked in odd jobs, driving mostly, until one day, after a tremendously long thirteen hour working day, still facing another six hours behind the wheel, I had a bad crash, specifically due to tiredness. Nobody was hurt, material damage only, but I knew in the back of my mind the day would come, and I had been planning all along for the taxi plate to retire from those illegally long working days. I had no option, between employers who demanded those kind of hours, and a whopping mortgage to pay on my own.

I wondered was it all worth it, but I felt that by stretching myself just a bit further for a huge loan for the taxi, after a year or so I'd settle into a new routine, and work my own hours, and begin to have a life outside of work. I've had no life at all for seven years since I took out the mortgage, just work, work, work, seven days a week. If I took a day off, it was invariably spent in bed. I realise now that my entire thirties went down the drain. I am 40 now, and have done nothing with my life apart from drudgery.

Now I sit in town by night, and see people spending more money on drink than I earn in an entire night. I don't know where they get it. Some of them are in their teens. Every day it seems I read about rogue taxi drivers, duplicating taxi plates, overcharging people, losing their way, even rapes and assaults. I thought the future of taxis might lie in someone genuine like me, willing to work, knowing their way around, and being fair and courteous with customers.

I took out a second small loan this year, ostensibly to buy a newer car, but I ended up spending it on emergency repairs to my existing car, and the rest is shoring up my rapidly dwindling income. A lesson in how not to manage credit! The upshot of it all is, I am earning less than HALF of my required income to pay my mortgage and loans, I have nothing left to enjoy myself, and at the present rate of freefall, the banks will foreclose by Christmas.

I am trying desperately to get a job, and even spent €300 on a new suit for interviews. Nothing. The country seems to be in freefall too. I have no qualifications in anything. I would dearly love to pack it all in and return to college, but that will take years, and in the meantime, I have to survive. I am sure any grants towards mature students will be denied me owing to my house. Everywhere I read of degree students graduating, with no jobs available for them. It's totally demoralising.

I need a job. I need a career. I need a break. But most importantly, I need the one thing I haven't had in over seven years, a LIFE outside of all the relentless grinding. Maybe I should let the house go. Live in a cardboard box maybe. At least I would qualify for assistance then. I am very bitter that ontop of a punishing mortgage, I hung myself out the window for a loan I couldn't afford, to get into an industry that has collapsed into chaos. My taxi plate and investment is worthless. My car will give up too, in a year's time. I have no money for a replacement. So I lose my house, my investment, my car, and am left with a pile of debt I have no hope of paying off, as any jobs I might qualify for pay less than half what I would need to get on my feet.

Where do I go? Were my thirties for nothing?

LouOB

You sound like the position my father was in 30+years ago when he took out his taxi plate and is still working those kinda hours at the age of 50+.

Unfortuately, the taxi driver is at the fore front of the economic slow down. Dad said he seen it in the 80's and 90's. He barely gets enough money to cover his petrol for the day, during a full days work that is 9 - 7.

At 40 Id be looking to get back into local jobs (bar man jobs, delivery, tele sales, call centre etc) something to get you back into office enviroment/work force. Then keep up taxi at weekends or when needs must. But for now you need money

beth-lou

So sorry for your misfortune. It's sounds quite misreable but you can turn it around. You still have options. They may not be exactly what you want, and it may mean taking a step backwards to go forwards, but maybe you should think about letting go of the things that are dragging you down.

Would you consider selling your home, clearing your debts and starting over? You haven't mentioned whether or not you have a family, so forgive me if I'm jumping the gun here. But maybe you should cut your loses and start a fresh. If you sold the house, would that give some cash to cover loans? The price of property is coming down, so sell now if it is anoption before it devalues too much or before it is repossesed. Then you could rent for a few years, no shame in that, and at least it would be less stressful.

I don't know your full details, so if I'm way off the mark here I apologise. It's just one solution to your problem regarding the mortgage and the loan.

As for the teens out drinking, they are probably living at home, with few bills, just like msot of us at that age. Personally I work 5 days a week andat the end of it have no spare cash due to mortgage and paying for childcare. I have just accepted that that is how it is going to be for the next few years. Not much of a social life, no holidays, cheap clothes etc. I had my twenties for falling out of pubs and partying hard, and my thirties are for hard work, with little or no personal reward other than my family. But down the road, things will improve. Although my OH works in construction, so there are very scarey times ahead nd he's already been out of work for the odd week here and there, and I have had sleepless nights. We just have to keep our chins up and keep at it, untill things change.

Try to look for solutions now to your problem. What can you do to change it?

Macha

Would you try going to a FAS office? They can give you career advice and help you with retraining, in order to get a better paid job.

Madame Razz

Ok Op,

Firstly, arrange a moratorium on your mortgage and loan repayments, 3 months if they will give it to you.

That will buy you some time to consider your options withou the immnese financial pressure of paying your bills.

During this time you need to find yourself another job, assembly line work, bar work, security, despatch, warehousing, whatever. Line work would be ideal, esp if you're willing to work nites, as its usually 3/4 shifts a week and the money is good.

Next, your house. Can you let rooms/ a room?? This is a very good source of income, esp if you are not at home very often.

Don't despair yet. Seriously. You just need to get yourself back on track right now. Best of luck

r3nu4l

Hi demoralised, is there any way you can rent out a room in your house? Take in lodgers? If you have a double room, move into a single room and advertise for a couple.

You can earn a certain amount tax-free and you pay tax on the rest. Ask about it on the accommodation and property forum. The folk there should give you loads of advice on the rights of lodgers etc. If you can do this at all then do.

Talk to your bank. Tell them about your plans for taking in lodgers and how much you aim to take in every month. Renegotiate your loans with them. Banks are usually receptive towards people about these things when you can show that you are trying. Talk to Citizens advice about it too.

EDIT: manukahoney suggested the same thing as I was typing

Next, do you have any stuff lying around your house that you are not using? Sell it! You'll always find someone who will pay €50 for that old computer that's lying around unused. If you have a mobile, switch to a pay as you go, that way you can really cut your costs. No point paying €50-60 a month on a phone with 1000 free minutes and texts if you only talk for 200 minutes a month.

Darragh29

Hi OP, Jasus my heart really goes out to you after reading your post. I'm going to give you some advice, just because it has worked for me recently... There is an excellent book out there at the moment, (you can get it from Easons or any decent bookshop), called "Anyone Can Do It-My Story". It is written by a man called Duncan Bannatyne (he is one of the dragons on the ITV series Dragon's Den). I found this book to be very inspiring and also shows how, with a bit of self belief, you can pull your self out of any situation. This guy was thrown out of the Navy, into prison, he was wandering into his 30's without a clue what he was doing and then one day he decided enough was enough, if you read the book, it will show you how he went from bust to boom, according to the man himself, he had no contacts, no qualifiactions, no experience, just a bit of self belief and a yellow pages.

Pigletlover

OP can you switch your repayments to interest only or extend the term? Maybe request a moritorium? You can contact MABS http://www.mabs.ie/. They offer a free advice service and will negotiate with your lenders on your behalf.

Darragh29

I hear exactly what you are saying regarding how people still seem to have so much disposible income...

von Neumann

Loads of great advice here already so I don't have much to add.....just hope it all works out for you.

MagicMarker

Apply for a C or D license and get a job as a truck driver, you'll be guaranteed a weekly wage(depending on what you drive it could be a very good wage) and could still taxi part time for a bit of extra cash. .

r3nu4l

MagicMarker wrote: »

Apply for a C or D license and get a job as a truck driver, you'll be guaranteed a weekly wage(depending on what you drive it could be a very good wage) and could still taxi part time for a bit of extra cash. .

A friend of mine was waiting months for a job as a truck driver (articulated) having made loads of applications and he has plenty of experience both in Ireland and the UK! He eventually got a job with Bus Eireann because he couldn't find a decent trucking position. The truck driving jobs aren't so plentiful these days nor are they as stable. Might be worth looking into but don't spend money on a driving test for this license without knowing there are jobs readily available to someone with no experience.

Darragh29

r3nu4l wrote: »

A friend of mine was waiting months for a job as a truck driver (articulated) having made loads of applications and he has plenty of experience both in Ireland and the UK! He eventually got a job with Bus Eireann because he couldn't find a decent trucking position. The truck driving jobs aren't so plentiful these days nor are they as stable. Might be worth looking into but don't spend money on a driving test for this license without knowing there are jobs readily available to someone with no experience.

I've a good mate in the logistics business and he said even last year, the employment situation in the industry was that drivers could call the shots and it was effectively an employees market. He said last week that he now has at least 3-5 phone calls from lads with vans and trucks looking for work every day. Lads who a year ago wouldn't get out of bed him are now literally pestering him for work, undercutting each other, it's a completely different ball game now, it sounds to me like the logistics/transport industry is in the same place the taxi industry is in at the moment.

Sugar Drunk

Darragh29 wrote: »

Hi OP, Jasus my heart really goes out to you after reading your post. I'm going to give you some advice, just because it has worked for me recently... There is an excellent book out there at the moment, (you can get it from Easons or any decent bookshop), called "Anyone Can Do It-My Story". It is written by a man called Duncan Bannatyne (he is one of the dragons on the ITV series Dragon's Den). I found this book to be very inspiring and also shows how, with a bit of self belief, you can pull your self out of any situation. This guy was thrown out of the Navy, into prison, he was wandering into his 30's without a clue what he was doing and then one day he decided enough was enough, if you read the book, it will show you how he went from bust to boom, according to the man himself, he had no contacts, no qualifiactions, no experience, just a bit of self belief and a yellow pages.

def recommend this book. was lucky enough to meet the man in person at an event and he is inspriring.
Op my heart goes out to you. Manuka honey has given some great advice.

milod

Go to Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) - they're good - they know the score and will give you solid practical advice and help to restructure your debt and hold onto your house.

www.mabs.ie (the website seems to be offline today though you'll find them in the phonebook)

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/money-and-tax/personal-finance/debt/how_to_use_mabs

Best of luck.

Darragh29

This might sound stupid, but a few years ago, I was going through hell on earth over a business problem. I went down to the DSPCA shelter and rehomed a dog and I can say without a certainty that he got me through the most difficult part of my life to date.

_feedback_

Darragh29 wrote: »

This might sound stupid, but a few years ago, I was going through hell on earth over a business problem. I went down to the DSPCA shelter and rehomed a dog and I can say without a certainty that he got me through the most difficult part of my life to date.

It wont pay you any rent, but can be a good companion when you're feeling like crap ...


Best of luck OP....

Darragh29

Yeah he won't help you with the bills, but I know it helped me enormously when my world seemed to be caving down on my head around me. From reading the OP and also from my own experience, it is very easy to start getting bitter and angry about the situation, I know from reading his post that he is already losing the battle on this front, when he mentions kids he saw in town spending more in a night than he can earn. When you start thinking like this, it just makes the task of picking yourself up and getting back into the saddle, must more difficult. When you're down like this, you need to surround yourself with positive people and insofar as you can, immerse yourself in as much of a positive environment as you can possibly find. It's the little niggly thought in your head that starts off as a negative thought and the next thing, you're one of those bitter 68 year old men you see standing outside your local every night of the week smoking at the pub door, and who hates everyone. If anyone here has read some of my contributions to the Motors forum recently, it would be clear that I was getting negative a lot lately, the cause was down to me being very unhappy in my career. I've changed my career now, things are looking a lot more positive, I'm starting up a new business in a recession in an area that to be quite honest, have a limited knowledge and even less experience of, so don't tell me it can't be done!

jdivision

OP sorry for your predicament. You seem to indicate that you bought your house years ago so why not sell it, take any profit you can and then rent? It'll ease your monthly burden.

mossieh

OP, do you have equity in your house? If you bought seven years ago, I'd imagine so. If so, can you sell and clear your debts? I know we have it drilled into us in this country that you have to own a house but if it's bringing you nothing but misery, why keep it?

JuliusCaesar

+1 to MABs. You're demoralised cos you don't feel in control - once you get going on things, you'll start feeling better.

This might be useful? http://www.dublinbus.ie/opportunities/jobs.asp?action=view&job_id=15

Salaries:
Salaries begin at €525 per week (€613 including
shift premium), increasing to €608 per week
(€750 including shift premium).

FutureGuy

Lots of good ideas here. The idea about renting rooms is a very good one...do you have many to rent out (are you single/married/kids)? I know the idea of renting rooms may sound like a step backwards, but you will get tax relief and extra income. You can easily undercut the rent in your area as the important thing is to get money coming in.

With this in mind, if you can get a decent paying job in anything, take it. It's a short term thing, nothing more. With the tax breaks from renting the room, you should be taking home nearly all of your pay.

Talk to the banks, they are very happy to deal with people who are admitting they have a financial problem.

Think about what you would like to do, and sign up for night courses.

It will be alot of work, but it is obvious you are used to that OP so do not worry!

Tordelback

It will be alot of work, but it is obvious you are used to that OP so do not worry!

This is the key point I'd take away from all this (apart from talking to MABS, and then talking to your bank). It's clear you're willing and able to work like a b****rd, that counts for a lot, even in this country. You're also articulate, which never hurts in any walk of life.

That cursed mortgage can be an unholy pressure on the mind, inability to pay it a sort of judgement on the past years of your life, as I know all too well. You start seeing your home as the sole product of your working life, and when your working life seems to be the whole of your life, that's a hard judgement to live with. Find out from experts the best way to put that pressure to one side, and your obvious get-up-and-go will carry you the rest of the way.

mikemac

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

This might be useful? http://www.dublinbus.ie/opportunities/jobs.asp?action=view&job_id=15

Salaries:
Salaries begin at €525 per week (€613 including
shift premium), increasing to €608 per week
(€750 including shift premium).

Was going to post this.
Upskill to get a C/D licence. Dublin Bus always have signs advertising for drivers, it's a steady job and you'll be meeting other drivers and not working on your own. They are constantly hiring.
That's assuming your are in Dublin, I don't think your post showed a location. If you are not in Dublin then check out Bus Eireann but I've a feeling it's going to be difficult to get work on the coach routes.
http://www.buseireann.ie/bubble.php?id=148

Check out mabs
And definitly get a lodger. The lodger will think you're the best landlord ever since you're hardly ever around

Unknown Soldier

demoralised wrote: »

I'm in serious trouble. At the current rate of things I will lose my house by Christmas.

I borrowed €20,000 two years ago to buy a taxi and plate, along with all the stuff needed to become a taxi driver. I worked hard for two years, but now I watch it all flitter away, as I spend hours sitting on ranks or driving around in circles getting no work at all.

I worked long hours, seven days a week, years ago, to get the money for a mortgage on a house. I have no qualifications. I worked in odd jobs, driving mostly, until one day, after a tremendously long thirteen hour working day, still facing another six hours behind the wheel, I had a bad crash, specifically due to tiredness. Nobody was hurt, material damage only, but I knew in the back of my mind the day would come, and I had been planning all along for the taxi plate to retire from those illegally long working days. I had no option, between employers who demanded those kind of hours, and a whopping mortgage to pay on my own.

I wondered was it all worth it, but I felt that by stretching myself just a bit further for a huge loan for the taxi, after a year or so I'd settle into a new routine, and work my own hours, and begin to have a life outside of work. I've had no life at all for seven years since I took out the mortgage, just work, work, work, seven days a week. If I took a day off, it was invariably spent in bed. I realise now that my entire thirties went down the drain. I am 40 now, and have done nothing with my life apart from drudgery.

Now I sit in town by night, and see people spending more money on drink than I earn in an entire night. I don't know where they get it. Some of them are in their teens. Every day it seems I read about rogue taxi drivers, duplicating taxi plates, overcharging people, losing their way, even rapes and assaults. I thought the future of taxis might lie in someone genuine like me, willing to work, knowing their way around, and being fair and courteous with customers.

I took out a second small loan this year, ostensibly to buy a newer car, but I ended up spending it on emergency repairs to my existing car, and the rest is shoring up my rapidly dwindling income. A lesson in how not to manage credit! The upshot of it all is, I am earning less than HALF of my required income to pay my mortgage and loans, I have nothing left to enjoy myself, and at the present rate of freefall, the banks will foreclose by Christmas.

I am trying desperately to get a job, and even spent €300 on a new suit for interviews. Nothing. The country seems to be in freefall too. I have no qualifications in anything. I would dearly love to pack it all in and return to college, but that will take years, and in the meantime, I have to survive. I am sure any grants towards mature students will be denied me owing to my house. Everywhere I read of degree students graduating, with no jobs available for them. It's totally demoralising.

I need a job. I need a career. I need a break. But most importantly, I need the one thing I haven't had in over seven years, a LIFE outside of all the relentless grinding. Maybe I should let the house go. Live in a cardboard box maybe. At least I would qualify for assistance then. I am very bitter that ontop of a punishing mortgage, I hung myself out the window for a loan I couldn't afford, to get into an industry that has collapsed into chaos. My taxi plate and investment is worthless. My car will give up too, in a year's time. I have no money for a replacement. So I lose my house, my investment, my car, and am left with a pile of debt I have no hope of paying off, as any jobs I might qualify for pay less than half what I would need to get on my feet.

Where do I go? Were my thirties for nothing?

For someone who claims being lacking in education you wrote that well. Try writing a book?

mikemac

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

For someone who claims being lacking in education you wrote that well. Try writing a book?

Like Donal Ruane, a long time taxi driver though he did have a degree.
He wrote two books.
Can't remember the second one, it's just giving his opinion on politicians and the state of Ireland. Bit of a rant tbh, wasn't that good

Tales in a Rear View Mirror was a big seller!
http://www.gillmacmillan.ie/Ecom/Library3.nsf/0/D9C4DFD18A2A7C7980256D3B003DBD3F?OpenDocument

sunnyside

I feel for you too OP, I definitely wouldn't worry about lack of education. Common sense and hard work are worth so much more than letters after your name. Did you see Brian Cowen on the Late Late show on Friday? He said that "You'd learn more working behind the counter of a bar than you would in University". As someone who does have the education I totally agree with that.

There's much better advice posted here than I can give but I wanted to reply anyway.

Bus driving is a good idea and as far as I know Bus Eireann train the drivers so you don't even need a bus licence to apply for the job. You have to do an aptitude test but you wouldn't be spending more on lessons.

Don't know where you live but I wouldn't be willing to give the house up. It would be much more difficult to get a mortgage again in the future. I thought about renting a room in my house but haven't done it yet.

I you were to rent the house to a family or a group of students you could get approx €1500 a month for it which would cover the mortgage. To do this you'd need to move out yourself and rent a room in a houseshare for about €100 a week. Might not be ideal but I really think anything would be better than loosing the house because long term you need somewhere to live.

I agree with the person who said you should do the taxi work at weekends if you can find another job. Sounds like you resent the job and I can unsderstand why but if you keep doing it you'll end up so sad and bitter.

Darragh29 wrote: »

I hear exactly what you are saying regarding how people still seem to have so much disposible income...

It's depressing, I had to queue for 20 minutes in TK Maxx at the weekend when I was buying some household stuff. I can't see the recession at all when I walk round the city centre.

It's so wrong when people on social welfare have a much better standard of living than people who work.

TheBlock

sunnyside wrote: »

It's so wrong when people on social welfare have a much better standard of living than people who work.

I think that should be "Some people".

Anyhow lots of great advice from people so far especially the Dublin Bus Idea. Without upskilling how about trading in the car for a car-van and working for a courier company. Theres always ad's in the herald and you might get some good country runs if your lucky. Alternativley I know that SDS the courier arm of An Post were looking for owner drivers to take some routes last year. Maybe worth a try although there is an initial outlay on the van etc.

As Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush would say "Don't give up"

mikewest

Believe me I know the feelling of slaving for years and pouring good money after bad while all around are doing so much better. I was lucky to be able to close my failing business before it closed me permenently. Again I was lucky to have qualifications to fall back on but it is a horrible hole to climb out of when you have lost years of your life.

Have you looked into taxi contracts. I know someone who has a number of small contracts from the likes of specific HSE offices or clinics and a couple of nursing homes. The extras he gets from these runs is his profit and the normal drudgery pays the bills. He also got a deal with one of the local schools as their taxi on call which gets him a run or two most days. There may be things like courier work you could chase down and as long as you are getting paid most of the time you are working you are winning in your game. Are there any motor factors or the like that could do with someone to do deliveries in your area i.e. stuff that is too big or awkward for a motor bike but you could fit in the boot?

Madame Razz

mikewest wrote: »

Believe me I know the feelling of slaving for years and pouring good money after bad while all around are doing so much better. I was lucky to be able to close my failing business before it closed me permenently. Again I was lucky to have qualifications to fall back on but it is a horrible hole to climb out of when you have lost years of your life.

Have you looked into taxi contracts. I know someone who has a number of small contracts from the likes of specific HSE offices or clinics and a couple of nursing homes. The extras he gets from these runs is his profit and the normal drudgery pays the bills. He also got a deal with one of the local schools as their taxi on call which gets him a run or two most days. There may be things like courier work you could chase down and as long as you are getting paid most of the time you are working you are winning in your game. Are there any motor factors or the like that could do with someone to do deliveries in your area i.e. stuff that is too big or awkward for a motor bike but you could fit in the boot?

Weird, I was only thinking of the above last night(your story has stuck in my head OP, what can I say!). Apart from an actual contract, hospitals are always borrowing things from each other, and obviously they need somebody reliable to collect and return the equipment. Your best bet, as in the most profitable would be to get in with a private hospital, as they will need you more. I know of a guy in Galway and its his sole business, but he can get a call from them at any hour of the day or night, so thats the negative aspect to it. However that sadi, I know he charges them well above the odds for the service and gets a lot of work from them. It might be worth looking in to. even if you could offer cover for one of their regular guys, it would be worth it, and for work like that you don't need a perfect car.

I do hope you contact your bank soon though. Honestly, they will be very understanding. They much prefer people to come forward BEFORE things go sour. And if room letting is an option do it asap, colleges are starting back at the moment so it is a good time to start letting rooms.

And As I said before, the very best of luck with it.

MH

gixerfixer

MagicMarker wrote: »

Apply for a C or D license and get a job as a truck driver, you'll be guaranteed a weekly wage(depending on what you drive it could be a very good wage) and could still taxi part time for a bit of extra cash. .

Do not waste your time with a C licence. I have a C licence for the last 8 years and had a job as a truck driver up until last December. Got released due to recession and have not been able to get a job since then. Used to send away C.V.'s and get a couple of interviews every week but now i send 2-3 a day to recruitment agencys as well as employers and have'nt got one interview in the last 3 months.Cant even get a job delivering for a takeaway FFS. Am considering emigrating as need to put food on the table for the kids. The price of diesel and cheap labour has killed of the point of having a C licence anymore. One employer told me over the phone couple of weeks back that he had in excess of 300+ C.V.'s sent in for a shift truck driving job that only payed 460 a week. How any family could survive on that is beyond me. The country is going down the tubes :mad:

m'lady

Hi op, firstly just to say that Im very sorry for your troubles. I have worked previously as a taxi base controller, so I have seen the what the taxi game is like.
Like someone else advised I would definitly try and get a monitorium on your mortgage if possible and would go to MABS, they really do provide sound and confidential advice and contact those you owe money to if needed.

Another thing, do you work for a taxi firm? if not, I would look into that, they do alot of address work and have contracts with companies getting their staff to and from work, so you would (hopefully) spend less time on the ranks.
PM me if you would like to be put in contact with a taxi firm that I have a contact with.

Darragh29

I just thought I'd say this because I can see that the core of advice coming at the OP is for him to stay in the taxi game. The problem here is that this is the first thing that a lot of other folks are turning their hand to now, with unemployment becoming a reality for a lot of people out there now, especially construction workers who have no other skill, which I think might explain why he has become so frustrated with it. Is there nothing else we can suggest for him??? I read today that the next big industry for this country is renewable energy. I know and accept that he has to have access to cash in the meantime and a job with a decent wage and this will fulfill his short term requirements, but is there nothing more challenging that we could be presenting him with for the medium to long term, than the taxi game, which he is clearly already disillusioned with??? Maybe he could sell the taxi to someone else and that would give him some immediate cashflow.

r3nu4l

Darragh29 wrote: »

but is there nothing more challenging that we could be presenting him with for the medium to long term, than the taxi game, which he is clearly already disillusioned with???

Well some of us have suggested he rent out rooms in his house. That's a dead cert for bringing in some cash.

I would avoid getting in tenants who rely on rent vouchers. Go for professionals who have cash, get them to pay 2 months rent to you up front. One month as a deposit and the other as rent. That will bring in some immediate cash for you.

After that FÁS is a good option for retraining.

Darragh29

r3nu4l wrote: »

Well some of us have suggested he rent out rooms in his house. That's a dead cert for bringing in some cash.

I would avoid getting in tenants who rely on rent vouchers. Go for professionals who have cash, get them to pay 2 months rent to you up front. One month as a deposit and the other as rent. That will bring in some immediate cash for you.

After that FÁS is a good option for retraining.

Yeah, I agree, but his career needs to be sorted out. That's the root cause of the problem I think... It's not the immediate solution, I agree, but he has to get to the bottom of the whole problem eventually...

beth-lou

Renting out a room in your house is a very good idea. Or you could rent out your house completely, let someone else pay off that mortgage for a few years, while you decide what it is you want.

You could house share, go back to college, retrain at something you are interested in, and when you can afford it, move back in with your new career and a better social life.

OP it would be nice to hear if you are feeling a bit better today.

Pigletlover

beth-lou wrote: »

Renting out a room in your house is a very good idea. Or you could rent out your house completely, let someone else pay off that mortgage for a few years, while you decide what it is you want.

You could house share, go back to college, retrain at something you are interested in, and when you can afford it, move back in with your new career and a better social life.

OP it would be nice to hear if you are feeling a bit better today.

There may be stamp duty implications if the OP goes down that route...

MollynOlly

There are alot of private bus companies set up over the last few years, while things are good, this could be an option for you, or set your own up!! you could join a courier company??
This could be a short term option for you if you do plan on going back to re-train...there are hundreds of part time courses out there for you to choose from, so you could study a couple of evenings a week.
Mabs, and citizens advice bureau are all good for advice on finances and what you are entitled to.
not sure of your living arrangements, but taking a lodger to help you with the bills etc. and there are lots of clubs you can join for any hobbies etc at the weekend..
you've a wealth of advice from everyone else here, and sometimes when we are in a muddle we forget we have OPTIONS!!! you really do!!

LegacyUser

Thanks for all the support guys!

Somebody mentioned private buses. I drove private buses. I had to work very long hours, seven days a week driving buses. I'm tired of that. It's the reason I've had no life for all these years. I'd give up my house, my car, everything, not to go back to working those kind of hours. It means having no life at all. At this stage of my life, I feel I should have moved into a more secure position, but in actual fact I feel no more secure than the day I left school!

I do rent a room in my house. That extra money is all that has kept me above board, and even now it is not enough. There are no opportunities in taxi driving. The taxi bases charge €80 a week, and I find myself sitting idly for an hour or two hours, earning nothing, waiting for the phone to ring, and then only for a €7 or €8 fare. The hospitals all use National Radio Cabs. I worked for them too, and found myself equally sitting around, paying a weekly fee and not getting enough work back.

I do not need hobbies. I have lots of interests. I have so many interests in life, and I could cry, as I can fulfill none of them, due to constantly worrying where next month's mortgage will come from. That's what I mean by having no life, work, work, work, and no time for my friends or hobbies or interests. Thank God I've no kids, I despair of ever being able to afford such a luxury!

I would dearly like an ordinary nine to five job. I know that's rich, things being how they are today. Everyone would like that. But at least I think I deserve reasonable hours. I'm tired of all the 60, 70 and 80 hour weeks. What's the point of that? I might as well not be born as spend my entire life slaving like that. I've done it for years, to no effect. I despair of spending all my forties and fifties working those hours too.

Sorry to moan so, it just seems such an imbalance, this rut everyone is in to enslave themselves to banks and insurance companies and pension plans, or else be threatened with dire poverty and being chucked out on the road. Life must mean more than that...

LolaDub

Would you think of firing your cv off to as many employment agencies as possible? Maybe target specific areas and times for the taxi business like event centres and closing hours of places, airport etc? Perhaps give your mobile number to people you'd be happy to take on again in the taxi? I know whenever a taxi driver gives me there mobile number i'm delighted, the days of bringing my flip flops to walk home in when my feet are killing me are disappearing but i can never manage to get them when i need them! Fas is a great idea and mabs too. Good Luck!

MJOR

i know its tough and understand that having no life is not a good situation to be in. There are a few jobs out there doing driving but it seems to me that you want to leave the driving. Go to FAS they'll help you find something with guranteed income and you could do the driving once or twice a week

estar

hi there

i really feel for you. however there is only one option for you and that is to
stay tough and double your efforts and start trying different options. it might
seem impossible, but when trying for new jobs etc you must stay positive or at least seem positive. i know its tough. and its harder when you have that financial burden alone. get in touch with FAS to get some support. talk to your bank about your situation. banks dont want to re-possess. they would
rather not have that type of publicity. they might work out a solution with you. all is not lost. you have run your own business and been employed
all your life. you have references from previous work. you do have skills.
customer service. honest work. independant. commercially aware. reliable.
trust worthy.


i think ideas for you - in the short term

http://www.jobrapido.ie/?q=kitchen+porter

- night porter in a hotel - bad hours, but no quals needed
- security work. a start and a means to start getting regular hours so you
can start up skilling. secruity work in a shop, shopping mall.
- dublin bus
- kitchen porter

and these are just off the top of my head.

work on your interview and presentation skills. ask friends to interview you.
be honest. say - im a good hard worker, I want to supplement taxi-ing part time with a change in career. but don't be negative. see what you have to offer. someone out there will give you a chance.

boringteetotal

For what its worth I am praying for you.

Darragh29

OP go out and get that book I mentioned above, it will give you some light at the end of the tunnel, seriously...

LegacyUser

I will Darragh29, definitely! I like that guy, like his no-nonsense attitude on the Dragon's Den. Many thanks for that, and all the comments!

MojoMaker

Did you consider driving instructing at any stage?