Aberdeen it's not a cheap city. it brings in money through the oil and gas industry, with public transport being less subsidised that the central belt everything just feels expensive. In 2008 I took a job in Aberdeen after living in a much more rural part of North-East Scotland. In Elgin we had a lovely mid-terrace house and my wages generally stretched to cover our monthly expenses.
Moving to Aberdeen I was shocked at the prices - I couldn't even get a one bed flat for what I had paid in Elgin. I had lived in Glasgow and managed to find flats at the same price....! Our first flat fell through (literally) on the day of our move when the vacant flat above had a serious leak. We moved all our stuff to storage and lived with my other half's sister for about a month whilst we searched for something suitable.
Prior to our move my fiancée (the other half) had managed to get some work or had JSA. He had however also been referred to the ARi by his doctor. His long term prognosis is unfortunately not great as he has Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Whilst the test where still happening he applied for JSA in Aberdeen and started looking for work with Temp agencies - handing out CV after CV....
Once we found a small (and I mean small) top floor flat just outside the city centre it meant I could get the train rather than the bus to school. Both of which where not cheap and only came in weekly or four weekly option - which meant I had to budget carefully to make sure I could get to school on months I had more than four weeks in...
The flat affect my health too - I have asthma that truly never bothered me for years. It was constantly cold and chewed through over a hundred pound a month in electricity (I'm sure when storage heaters where invented they where a brilliant idea). There where big old sash window in the living room (they where replaced by the landlord). Plus all the windows where big tall things with the handles well out of both of our reaches (neither of us is more than 5ft 7) - making it hard to shut and close them. We moved to Aberdeen in a cold snap. The roof leaked too - It snowed at Easter and water just poured in during the thaw.
We lived there because we had no choice, no real savings as they where gobbled up in the two major moves we had made - one to Elgin and one to Aberdeen. We lived on very little probably less than £30 a week for food for two of us. We walked where ever we could - which was difficult for my other half. Then disaster hit - my contract was terminated.
The council decided they where over staffed and I did not get my renewal. I was let go in October. I was gutted and felt let down. I looked for work and took any temping job I could get - I ended up working in Kitchens and as a 'Girl Friday' just to put food on the table. We struggled on as best we could. I register for Supply Work. I applied for JSA, for housing and council tax benefits. I'd informed my landlord about the situation. I started tutoring as the money was good but it meant working evenings and weekend. I still do this today - as I have a passion for education (hence the fact I teach).
I got rejection, after rejection, after rejection. Temp jobs covered the basics (tutoring ended up covering the rent most months). Our food budget dropped even lower. I relished the Girl Friday work and the kitchen jobs as they meant I got fed. My other half did what he could - taking temp jobs which where totally unsuitable due to his condition. He took a Christmas job to help out in a warehouse and barely managed a four hour shift due to the agony - he lost his balance and fell off a ladder.
When I finally got offered work in December (January Start) I had been turned down for JSA and council tax and housing benefits. My other half did get JSA and we finally got on top of the rent as I started doing my career job again. I had to plan my route and money carefully with an £80+ four-weekly bus ticked to travel the 16 miles to work everyday. I had to get up early to manage this as my bus was so early.
I was desperate to move closer and still had a storage locker full of stuff. My landlord refused to renew our lease and I had already tried and failed to secure a property closer to work. We even went to Citizen's Advice Bureau but they where little to no help in the end. We'd just left it all to late for them to do anything. For over a year we had slept on a mattress on the floor of a room barely big enough to be a bedroom. We'd sold stuff we'd owned and worked hard to pay for just so we could eat or I could get a bus fare to work.
My other half's sister stepped in and we did have a roof over our heads but over time it became fraught. We saved, we helped them with their bills whilst we lived with them, we put food on the table but their flat was simply to small for all of us.
We finally got where we are today, with no storage locker! About a year and a half ago. Since then we've been careful with our money and think first. We now have a reasonable food budget and I managed to get my driving license and a car (with a little help from my family). Due to bad transport links and high public transport costs it does actually work out better to have a car!
I swapped to a job back in town when the opportunity came up, then applied elsewhere when it was clear I was just temporary - they where due to get in probationer teachers (one bailed and another school took the other one). I left one department which was going to be understaffed to join one which was understaffed, and required a fair bit more drving.
A teacher's salary is not enough for two people to live off. Especially when 2/5ths of that salary don't even make it into your bank. I pay my NI and PAYE, plus my pension fund and whatever else they can justify taking off my salary....About 40% of what's left on my actual pay check is rent money. And on a normal week a tank of fuel is about the £50 mark, admittedly I now do at least 70 miles a day. Plus I still tutor - our second income I suppose.
The council, my employer, let me down, short term teaching contracts leave jobs vacant up north, allowing people like me to work not knowing of how long it will last. There is no security until I land a 'permanent' post. It now turns out the school I was made surplus at has now a one person department (when I was there it was 2.5 person department) - the surplus from another school(s) never made the transfer.......School all around the north are struggling for staff.
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