It all began several months ago, actually. I work in retail. I'm not management. I don't work in the office. No, I'm just a lowly shop assistant, and that's why my shoestrings are almost worn through.
I work for a supermarket chain. Several months ago, my best friend L (whose mother works for the same company) told me that the company was planning to open a new store in the town where L worked. She suggested that I transfer and that we move in together in that town. I had graduated from university two and a half years ago and was living with my mother agan since I hadn't been able to find a job in the city where I went to university. I love my mother, but I'm in my mid twenties and moving back in after living alone for a few years was an unsatisfying experience.
Well, nothing came of that until around March this year. I went to work and in the break room was a notice, asking people if they were interested in transferring to the new store that was opening. I applied for a transfer. I was offered a job.
Around the same time, L's job in that town ended and she transferred to a location closer to where we were both living at the time. It was looking unlikely that we were going to get that house together, but I had a job offer and with the transfer came enough hours to finally move, even if it was on my own. I was offered the job on April 28th. I was to start on June 26th.
I only looked at two flats. I couldn't afford any of the others that were on the market. I viewed the flat I now live in twice - it was tiny and cute, in a fantastic location with a wonderful view. I knew straight away that I wanted it. At the time of the first viewing, it was too early to put in an application so I was relieved that it was still available by the time I was ready to move. The letting agent told me that three people had looked at it, got to the signing stage and backed out. I'm not sure why. Maybe it was fate. The flat was going to be mine.
So I put in an application, and with it came the credit check and the employment check. I told the truth on my forms and nervously waited to be told that my credit wasn't good enough or that I wasn't making enough money. I waited for over a week. And then, a week and a day before I was due to start my job, the letting agent called and told me that although there had been some concerns about whether my income was high enough, they had decided to offer me the flat.
The next day, I had to borrow the money from a family member to pay the deposit and the first month's rent. I was transferring from a 12 hour contract to a 30 hour. On a 12 hour contract, I didn't have the cash I'd need to pay for that initial month. If I hadn't been able to borrow it, I would have had some serious issues. I am eternally grateful to that family member.
And then it was time to move, and time to panic. I had NOTHING in the way of furniture, having always lived in furnished places before. I had nothing in the way of cash to buy furniture. It was time to improvise, and that brings me to where I am today, a month later and still improvising!
