No job or money for Christmas

LegacyUser

hey, ive just being in town all day walking around the shops feeling more miserable by the minute, i got let go from my retail job in October, and have tried so hard to find work ive sent Cvs everywhere, and only got two interviews which i didnt get, now im bored out of my head with no money for Christmas, i get the dole but that just about pays my food, bus fairs, etc, im lucky if i have a fiver left on a monday, seeing all the people with there bags of shopping makes me feel so down, and all the busy staff in the shops i wish i was behind the counter, any ideas is it too late to get work now?

Little Italy

Don't worry about work just now. Enjoy christmas. Buy some second hand DVDS, they are dirt cheap and will give you a good time over the Christmas period. Don't be thinking money is the be all and end all. Stay with the family and enjoy yourself infront of a warm fire. We've only a gas fire but it is great. RELAX.

ivytwine

Hey OP, it's a horrible time of the year to be broke and out of work.

Little Italy's advice is spot on. Relax, you will be ok. A great thing about job hunting today is that you can do so much of it from home- take a look at #jobfairy at Twitter, it's great.

Something will turn up. Retail isn't great at the min, have you thought about retraining or doing a course?

Have you considered doing Kris Kindle at home or with your friends, that way you can save on presents?

Big Bag of Chips

Dunnes had a sign up looking for Christmas workers the other day. Said to drop your CV to Customer Services.

Lux23

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

Dunnes had a sign up looking for Christmas workers the other day. Said to drop your CV to Customer Services.

Which one? Might help the OP a bit more.

Big Bag of Chips

It was in the South east, but didn't look like a specific poster for that store, asking you to give your CV in for a specific manager. It was a generic poster. That's probably up in all/most Dunnes. They are one chain of stores that seem to always be hiring at Christmas.

sligoface

I'm in the same boat OP, and so are many others so there's no shame in it. Ive had a few lean Christmases and the financial pressures of this holiday combined with the cost of heating in winter makes me hate the whole holiday period. But to be sure, a lot of those shopping bags you see are full of gifts that were bought on credit cards and overdrafts that will take ages to pay off as many people struggle to keep up appearances at Christmas.

I was made unemployed near Christmas living in the states years ago, I couldnt get unemployment, had no family around, and it was bitterly cold with snow and ice. So while i am not happy that I cant get lovely pressies for everyone, I try to remember that time, so i can at least be thankful for what i have now, family and friends and a warm house. And when i was working I always got everyone great presents and spent a fortune, i could afford it then, but I can't now, simple as that. I'm not going to go without heat or food or be late on my rent just because retailers profits and materialism has overtaken what is meant to be a day celebrating the birth of someone who was pretty much against all that stuff anyway.

Your family and friends will understand, and if you are worried about them buying for you when you can't afford to buy for them, just let them know that it is not necessary to buy you a gift as you are unable to reciprocate. Getting through a lean Christmas with a smile on your face is a real test of character, sometimes it's all you can do to keep from crying, but the whole thing will be over soon enough.

m-a-i-

sligoface wrote: »

I'm in the same boat OP, and so are many others so there's no shame in it. Ive had a few lean Christmases and the financial pressures of this holiday combined with the cost of heating in winter makes me hate the whole holiday period. But to be sure, a lot of those shopping bags you see are full of gifts that were bought on credit cards and overdrafts that will take ages to pay off as many people struggle to keep up appearances at Christmas.

I was made unemployed near Christmas living in the states years ago, I couldnt get unemployment, had no family around, and it was bitterly cold with snow and ice. So while i am not happy that I cant get lovely pressies for everyone, I try to remember that time, so i can at least be thankful for what i have now, family and friends and a warm house. And when i was working I always got everyone great presents and spent a fortune, i could afford it then, but I can't now, simple as that. I'm not going to go without heat or food or be late on my rent just because retailers profits and materialism has overtaken what is meant to be a day celebrating the birth of someone who was pretty much against all that stuff anyway.

Your family and friends will understand, and if you are worried about them buying for you when you can't afford to buy for them, just let them know that it is not necessary to buy you a gift as you are unable to reciprocate. Getting through a lean Christmas with a smile on your face is a real test of character, sometimes it's all you can do to keep from crying, but the whole thing will be over soon enough.

+1 on that. Been there and at the end of the day Christmas is about spending time with the family ( as cheesy as that sounds ) You'd be surprised how many people buy their presents with the plan of paying them back be it with credit card, hire purchase type thing or various other debts that at the end of the day will hurt their pockets more.
At least, it seems you are cutting your cloth to your measure and that shows that you can get through the tough times


Chin up OP

ivytwine

Definitely a major plus one to everything Sligoface said. Even if you are not religious it's very easy to recognise that Christmas is not about buying, it's about love and people.

I too was feeling a bit under pressure as regards buying presents this year, but I said I'd take the bull by the horns and suggest a spending limit to my three closest friends. They were delighted- we're all feeling a major squeeze this year (as we did last year, and the year before that, and the year before that... When will this accursed recession ever end?!! :rolleyes:) So between them and my parents these are all the presents I have to worry about. Everyone else can go whistle frankly.

And my favourite things about Christmas are free/low cost. The food (thanks Mammy) making a playlist of the cheesiest songs I can think of, the happy atmosphere everywhere you go- things that can't be bought.

Approach it that in that spirit and hopefully you will feel better. And don't be afraid to tell people that you don't have the funds for big presents. Very few people do.

Of course, keep looking for a job, but don't get yourself in a tizz about it. You can always do some training or change tack after Christmas.

Merry Christmas OP, wishing you the very best.