Erm, where did January go?

I know it's not quite over yet but I feel like I've missed it!


It is probably because January 09 has been an important date in our household for several months as it marked the grand occasion of my son starting full-time school.

There has been a lot of thought and discussion (mainly by my OH) about my possible return to the 'work place' during the sudden influx of hours that I would now have to watch daytime tv, twitter, Facebook oh and blog. I applied for several, even went to interviews, but as I blogged about here people didn't quite know what to do with my almost 4 years self-employed status.

If you follow me on Twitter and Facebook and look at this blog regularly than you will know that I haven't been spending my time there - and there hasn't been any daytime TV either. In fact, I have a theory, once those school gates are closed time moves triple fast and before you know it the clock's at 2.45pm again! Mum friends call me up and ask me how I'm coping now the house is so quiet and to check if I'm lonely - I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I'm not.

Thankfully my son is, just about, settled at school and, I don't want to jinx it, I've been lucky enough to have some regular work over the last couple of months (I did take Christmas day and Boxing Day off). I now have something else to worry about - it's half term in 2 weeks time!

Today I had an email from a colleague who said 'take a break (write a blog entry!)' - so here it is ... now must get back to my in box ...

When is a gift card not a gift card?

A few years ago shops stopped selling gift tokens - the ones that you could keep in the 'Notes' part of your wallet or purse until the time came to spend it.

Now you get little plastic cards - the same size as bank cards. Even handier - right? Except that you have to keep the little 'gift receipt' in order to use them. At least that's what it says on the back.

My OH's birthday is very soon after Christmas and as a result no one knows what to buy him - including me. This year he had a stack of gift cards which he was eager to spend.

So we were in the queue at M&S and he handed over his gift card.

'sorry, this hasn't been authorised'

'I beg your pardon?'

'S'not authorised, you can't use it'

'But I have the gift receipt here - it says it has £X on it'

'We've 'ad a few of those. 'ed Office sent an email saying there wor 4 days b'for Christmas where the computer's didn't work'

'so what are you going to do about it?'

'you need the receipt'

'I've got the receipt, here'

'no the sales receipt'

'but it was a gift, I don't have that'

'Can't do anything without the receipt ...'

When I contacted my sister (who'd given my OH the gift card) she'd actually bought 4 different gift cards in that transaction, didn't have the receipt anymore and was more than a little stressed that M&S had over £100 of her money and weren't honoring it.

Needless to say it is in the hands of customer services but there are probably many more who bought gift cards over those 4 days and what are those gift receipts for?

Unfortunately the gift card problem doesn't start there. He also had an itunes card except they come in two pieces and the wrong one was put in his card. I think we should nominate a different day to celebrate his birthday ...

Happy Bloggerversary

I started this blog exactly a year ago today. Back then I didn't really know what this blog was about (and, truth be told, I still don't). My posts have been a bit haphazard and uncoordinated but I think I'm going to stick to posting my ramblings here in the hope that they become something more coherent.

A few things that I've learnt over the past year:

• Include a note at the bottom of your invoices asserting your right to claim interest for late payment - it has helped me several times to get paid (and I've even managed to claim interest, once) without having to resort to the small claims court.
• Not all 'colleagues' on forums are actually there to share information and help others and sometimes the best thing to do is remove yourself from the 'conversation' for a while.
• Breaks are important - whether it's going for a walk, meeting friends for lunch, a holiday or even just doing something else instead - a short break will leave you feeling refreshed and will help you to look at your work with fresh eyes.
• There are some great blogs out there but if you have too many to keep up with in your blog reader then it is time to unsubscribe from some (I've still not done this as i think all the blogs that I follow are great).
• Social networking is great - I've made so many friends in the blogosphere - some have become 'in the flesh friends' too. I've also received work, kept in contact with family in far flung places and rediscovered old friends who I'd lost contact with during my many moves over the last 20 years (England, Scotland, England, Wales, down south, up north - but not Ireland, yet).
• Be careful what you do say whilst blogging and networking - sometimes things can be taken totally out of context and used to ridicule yourself and others. (Actually, again, this is a do as I say not as I do as although this has happened to me I haven't really sanitised what I write at all).
• Don't rely on your main client - for the first 2 years of my freelance business the majority of my business came from my ex employer, then in June this year the work suddenly dried up. All my contacts have moved on within the business or elsewhere and their replacements have their own freelancers - plus they aren't using many freelancers in a bid to save money.
• Save up throughout the year to pay your tax bill - mine's due at the end of the month and it's double last year's bill (I suppose I must have had a good 2007/08, not that I noticed).
• Try to get some up to date training - another new year's resolution! If the courses I want to do ever take place outside of London I really want to try and get on them this year.
• Some employers view a period of self employment more suspiciously than they do a period of unemployment.

I'm sure there are plenty more that I'll think of later.

Here's wishing you a happy, productive and prosperous 2009