Sooo…. yeah…. I still don’t have a job yet. Not that I haven’t been trying.
I’ve been to a job fair, had my resume reviewed and have been applying to a bunch of jobs I would like to do. No hits yet. I’m kinda bummed but otherwise doing OK.
I posted a couple of weeks ago on how I was going to manage my finances whilst unemployed. Let’s see how I’m doing now.
1. Employment Insurance
I have submitted everything properly, but have yet to receive a payment. It’s definitely past my 2-week waiting period. This process is so confusing! The website says everything has been received and that they are processing my claim, but there is no other information. I don’t know if there is something else I should do?
2. Watch the pennies
This is going… ok. Not stellar, not horrible.
I’ve been doing a bit more shopping than I thought I would; a couple of trips to Zellers/Walmart for house & hosting stuff, grocery stores, a little bit of take-out and an expensive trip to Costco.
The good news is that I won’t have to buy paper towels or toilet paper for the next year! Or olive oil! The bad news is that it was a $210 visit. *sigh*
I think spending will continue to be an area of difficulty for me. I’ve been eating at home as much as possible and bringing my flask with me when I go out drinking (shh! Don’t tell anyone!) but food is so expensive! Sheesh!
3. Put loan payments on hold
Still good in this area.
4. Find other ways to make money
The Airbnb business is booming for me. I’m having to turn people away now and will post my April monthly update soon. I currently have a dude from Singapore staying with me for a few weeks, possibly extending to 2 months. This is good for the wallet! I’ve been able to pay the majority (if not all) of my rent with Airbnb bookings.
This month I was also able to top off my emergency fund with excess Airbnb cash. It’s now happily sitting at $6,000. Hopefully I won’t have to touch it anytime soon, but at least I know it is there in case things get dire. If things continue to go as well as they have been, I’ll try to increase it to $10,000 (but I think that’s going to take a while!). I also haven’t had to touch my RRSPs, but I haven’t been contributing, either.
Challenges
A huge challenge for me is boredom. I’ve been sleeping a ridiculous amount these days because I really have no reason to get up. It only takes a few hours a day to job hunt, and after that I don’t have much else to do. My apartment is clean, my shelves are stocked, I have food in the fridge. I’ve been reading a lot and watching movies, but that gets tiresome.
I started taking a yoga class once a week, but that only takes up about 2 hours total.
I told myself that I would use this time for self improvement and to become more healthy, but I’m really having a hard time staying motivated. I don’t want to go for walks because it usually means I end up buying something, which isn’t going to help me in the long run.
I see my friends as often as possible, but (lucky for them) they are all working regularly. I should probably be writing in here more often as well, but I just haven’t felt like it, you know? I”m pretty much in the dumps these days, operating at a snail’s pace.
I need to find things to do that don’t involve spending money. I looked into volunteering, but none of my groups need me right now, and everywhere else wants a commitment of at least 6 months (which I can’t do).
Maybe I’m just throwing up barriers for myself, I don’t know. But this drive through the doldrums is really starting to wear on me!
Suggestions?
12 responses to “FUNemployment Update”
Okay so I've had to claim EI twice in the past few years, and let me tell you … it takes FOREVER! And a lot of the times, I had to call in to check up on what they were doing with my application. So if it's passed the time frame, call in!!! Otherwise they could just be sitting on your file, not doing anything.
The first time I filed for EI, it took 11 weeks for my first payout. It totally sucked, and it probably would have taken way longer, but I pestered them pretty much every week.
The second time I filed for EI, it took 6 weeks. So like half the time, but still way longer than I had anticipated! 🙁
When I was unemployed, the best thing I could do for myself was follow a schedule. Get up at the same time, have breakfast, work out, read the news, apply for jobs, network, etc. Staying on a schedule helps with your forward thinking, and it helps to know that there's always a "task" to do.
Yeah, I've applied EI before. It didn't take as long as Krystal but I think it took about 4-5 weeks after I was unemployed to get the first payment. I also suggest doing the stuff you've been meaning to do but putting off. Like if you were planning to organize your photos or scan your documents or do filing, do it now. It'll make you feel good and also make you less cabin-fever-ish.
PS-Congrats on the Airbnb working so well. 🙂
It’s definitely a lot easier to spend money when you have a lot of time on your hands!
Have you thought about volunteering with Evergreen Brickworks? I’m signed up as Community Garden Leader and the days are usually on the weekdays, during corporate events. They only need a commitment of 6 events in a season, you might want to check them out. There are lots of positions as well and they don’t require a 6-month minimum commitment for most spots.
Hmm, I'll look into that. Thanks for mentioning it!
Maybe increase the # of hours for the job search? I was always told to treat the job search as a full time job; in other words spend a full work day looking @ postings, networking and researching.
Well, there is only so much that can be done. I DO treat it as a full time job, but really I only need a couple of hours a day to go through listings, send emails, tweak the resume, etc.
I'm not applying to everything I see, I'm trying to target things a bit better so I don't have to waste so much energy on jobs that will never happen. Eventually this will yield results, but so far it's been slow.
Hrm…the boredom is going to be a big problem. Do you have any hobbies you've always wanted to try or skills you wanted to learn? This would be a perfect time to give those "maybe" ideas a whirl. Like, for example, Yale has some open, free classes you could take: http://oyc.yale.edu/courselist Something else you might consider is working on a more labour-intensive project like an e-book or course on throwing dinner/tea parties or modern manners. You've got loads of ideas and potential, girl, you just need to figure out where to start!
I've been looking around for some crafty things to do! Specifically pottery, glassworking, etc. The only issue again is cost. Most places want upwards of $300 for some of these classes which I think is ridiculous.
I am also starting some life coaching with Michelle at When I Grow Up, so hopefully that will take up some of my time as well.
I've definitely been there! Sadly I resorted to watching an insane amount of TV on Netflix, and I tried out some classes I otherwise wouldn't have been able to do. I do understand about the cost issue though….it's hard to balance that. I basically tried to ask myself "is this something I'd be able to do if I was working a fulltime job? If the answer was no, then I'd be more likely to try it out. if the answer was yet, I'd be more willing to wait until I had cash flow again. And I agree….$300+ is somewhat ridiculous. Do you guys have any "Groupon" type programs in Canada? I was able to score a few deals with that! Either way, good luck! I know it's tough, but you'll get through this!
I JUST got my EI two weeks ago (it took 5 weeks) – I had to call Service Canada to follow up, and then it showed up in my bank account in 2 days.
I have the same struggle, trying to do something after the job search, house cleaning, work out that doesn't cost much money – as it's getting nicer, I'm finding that taking a walk to nearby neighbourhoods are a great way to spend a few hours.
I'm still amidst the job hunt, and like you, being picky with my next job. Do you mind me asking what industry you're looking at? I just found a new recruiter that's more specific in my industry and I'm getting a few more leads.
have you tried getting something part-time to a) help you with the financial burden b) keep you from being bored?
I was laid off in November and went on EI. I worked part-time at a restaurant and was still able to collect EI while working because I wasn't working full-time. What you earn part-time does effect what you make with EI, but it was great to still be able to pay my bills but still have something to keep me busy while I was looking for full-time work.
I was in your exact situation last year so I know how you feel.
First off, EI takes forever. But like others have said, keep following up with them. Mine took so long that someone who was specially assigned to follow up on long outstanding/special cases called me and expedited the process. Once he helped me I received backpayments within a few days. Good thing is that you have your Airbnb income. That must help a lot.
Second, do anything to try and keep yourself busy. Also force yourself to go on those walks (but don't bring your wallet). You would be surprised what a little bit of sun and fresh air can do for you. I made the mistake of shlupping around my apartment when I wasn't looking for jobs, which meant I took A LOT of naps… Looking back on it I realize I wasted a lot of time. It's quite funny how many people talk about all the things they would do if they didn't have to work (me included), but when the time comes they do a whole lot of nothing (me included).
Good luck with the job hunt! I look forward to reading more about how things go.