The personal cost of the lock down

[Ridgeway]

Will be around 30% down this month and for the foreseeable future, overall this year my guess is it will be a 50% reduction. Currently trying to arrange an interest free business loan to help keep my one man company a float. Now to find some new customers to replace this revenue loss.....

 

[Andy in Germany]

Will be around 30% down this month and for the foreseeable future, overall this year my guess is it will be a 50% reduction. Currently trying to arrange an interest free business loan to help keep my one man company a float. Now to find some new customers to replace this revenue loss.....

What do you make/do?

 

[Ian H]

I have just sent out an invoice for last year (yes, I know!), but I'm pretty much retired apart from one or two legacy customers. All my audax events are on hold. A trip to Corsica with a friend is on ice. Dunno whether we'll get to the Semaine Federale in August.
We're spending the time cycling, walking, gardening, reading, drawing, and catching up with friends & relatives.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I'm paid a salary so luckily I'm ok. I have this week off too. I've spent a bit on the internet but not very much. Having my son more means I'm spending more on the weekly food shop but that's fine. Mostly meat, fruit and veg. I've redone my garage and used stuff I had lying around. 10 hour days out there means I haven't eaten much or used much heating.

To top it all off, I've had my energy switched and will be saving £10/month. And i was over paying with the last lot so am due a couple hundred back in 14 days time.

My partner is self employed so luckily can work from home to keep the bills at bay.

I do feel sorry for people who have lost their jobs, not a good time to be job hunting

 

[Ridgeway]

What do you make/do?

I work in sales of which not much of that will be happening this year.....

 

[Salty seadog]

In fact, mulling this over aloud with Mrs D, she reckons were actually better off. She's not using any fuel, and we're saving cash on shopping - the tendency is that when one shops in person she see's something nice but otherwise non-essential, pops it in the trolley without thinking, and so on. With shopping restricted to the cash and carry of online shopping she reckons we're saving 50 odd quid every time.

I'm struggling to get Laphroaig so have been reduced to drinking Teachers, which saves 10 quid a bottle.

Those of you still working, take care and stay safe. The nation needs to keep ticking over no matter what it is you do, and I for one am grateful.

In trying times there is so much unseen suffering. stay safe people.

 

[Salty seadog]

A friend of mine from at work who was considering retiring soon due to bad health looked at one of his pensions ( his current work pension same as mine) a few days ago and dolefully told me it had already lost 25% so hopefully it will pick up after the outbreak is a memory.
Day to day I am better off as WFH not paying for lunches at work and diesel to get my car to my half way point ( cycle the 2nd half) .
I still have on my credit cards, a May holiday that will probably not happen, carpets they wont deliver, a dining room table and chairs, and sofa's also they wont deliver. Who concert put back a year and McFly tickets put back months but ticketmaster have it sown up legally that they will now have kept my money for around 1.5 years by the time the concerts happen.
My Sister and brother in Law are now making money out of it , he is stuck on a core drill rig in the sea off Scotland, they cant get people to replace them or fly people out etc so he is on permanent time and a half , though he would rather come home .

Not seen you about these parts for donkeys. Maybe we inhabit different threads.

 

[Jenkins]

Thankfully I've not been affected yet. As a civil servant the vast majority (30 years) of my pension is in a final salary scheme with the remainder (5 years so far) being a career average or whatever they call it so nothing's been lost, while all my savings are in Premium Bonds or a 1 year saving bond so I've not lost out to the stock market crash.

Spending on days out has dropped to nothing as everywhere has been closed down and all the events I was going to have been cancelled or postponed so I've not brought any fuel for the car since mid February, while I've received refunds for one cancelled hotel booking with two more hotel refunds and a rail ticket refund to come.

I've also been saving to get someone in to decorate the house for me as I don't do DIY and to have all the carpets in the house replaced so, when this is all over, I will be putting quite a lot back into the local economy.

To those that have been affected, i sincerely hope you get through this and things pick up on the other side.

 

[Randomnerd]

Sole trader. Completely broke. Anyone want to buy a spoon / tandem / dog / kidney?

 

[screenman]

Sole trader. Completely broke. Anyone want to buy a spoon / tandem / dog / kidney?

I feel your pain, have you been at it long enough to qualify for the 80%

 

[fossyant]

I feel your pain, have you been at it long enough to qualify for the 80%

My BIL and SIL are in the process of claiming. BIL's had the 'you don't exist' response !

 

[screenman]

My BIL and SIL are in the process of claiming. BIL's had the 'you don't exist' response !

I was under the impression we just had to wait and they would contact us, have to have been in business with tax returns for over 3 years, not be a LTD company ( I think) and a few other bits and pieces.

 

[screenman]

My BIL and SIL are in the process of claiming. BIL's had the 'you don't exist' response !

Just found this,

How to apply

You cannot apply for this scheme yet.

HMRC will contact you if you are eligible for the scheme and invite you to apply online.

Individuals do not need to contact HMRC now and doing so will only delay the urgent work being undertaken to introduce the scheme.

 

[Jody]

I am currently *touch wood* working from home but the company I work for are looking to furlough some staff. It will hit me harder than other non sales staff in our building as furlough is only paid against your basic salary. My partner is an optician but only works three days a week due to childcare costs, school etc. The company she worked for furloughed her last week. Whilst not ideal it suits her as she wasn't too happy about dealing with peoples faces and in such close proximity without so much as even basics like gloves.

Outgoings have dropped right off, car hasn't moved for a week, we have no credit card bills, no car on chucky, phone contract has just been swapped for a deal at half the previous price, so currently we aren't in too much of a bad position.

Plenty of time for that to change so i'm still wary of the next few months.

 

[vickster]

I was under the impression we just had to wait and they would contact us, have to have been in business with tax returns for over 3 years, not be a LTD company ( I think) and a few other bits and pieces.

Ltd company directors might be covered if they’ve also been on payroll paying income tax and VAT. If purely paid through dividends then it would appear not.
And yes, you are invited to apply if you qualify. Which will happen between sometime between now and June