He vowed to stay in touch should any copywriting work arise and remained true to his word. I shall be working in-house with the team for a couple of weeks from Monday the 14th. I am looking forward to meeting Account Manager Meg this Friday to go over the details.

Shoestring Inspiration has existed to curb the elaborate spenders and guide cash strapped readers in their purchases. It aims to show an alternative route to saving that’ll not only allow you the freedom to live but will hopefully leave you with enough pennies left over to treat yourself.
I must stress there is a fine line between cutting down and being tight, so it is also important to distinguish between a bargain and the cheap and nasty option. Now don’t panic, these items are really quite easy to remember and in doing so will save you from potentially looking like a miser- so please avoid the following false economies.

Ever been heaving the rubbish out in a hurried manner because the bin lorry has just pulled into the street? Every bin day you say? Yeah, that’s about right. Now have you ever had the bottom give way and the entire contents fall out all over the doorstep and onto your PJ’s- which you’ve presumably not managed to change out of? It’s a lovely scene especially when your bin bag contained lumpy gravy and contents from a particularly colourful curry. Industrial strength bin bags are an investment in your personal hygiene so please don’t reach for 1000 rolls for only a quid, the same rule applies to toilet paper.

If entertaining the family of an evening and know them to be wine drinkers choose your grape wisely. By no means do I encourage you to buy the fancy bottle located behind a glass case but the oddly labelled, screw-top; change-from-three-quid wine is never a winner. Not only will your guests know you don’t give two hoots about them but you’ll also be forcing them to fight their facial reflexes whilst sipping on a glass of what can only be described as vinegar-tastic. Try a mid-range brand name bottle to let them know you care, of course if you don’t want their next visit to be for some time why not brass neck it and serve White Lightning in a champagne flute.

When it comes to birthday cards my friends have a tendency to choose either the filthy or hilarious option…or both. Stylish and pretty cards complete with sequins and glitter come widely available, shame that in some cases they cost the better half of a fiver. Yet birthday cards are a very personal item and scrimping too much can result in something quite boring or just plain weird. I mean, have you ever been elated to find a steam train or yacht on the front of your card? How about a fuzzy creature wearing a hat and playing golf? Sometimes trying to work out if said animal is an otter or a kitten can be fun but you hardly feel cherished. Pick a birthday card you think will appeal to the recipient it’ll at least cover your back when you lack anything of substance to write inside.
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This article was published in Scotcampus (May 2010)
www.scotcampus.com

On Thursday the 23rd of April I was working from home. My letting agent had made arrangements with Jim a painter-decorator to come and repair a water mark on my ceiling. He had been round to assess the damage a few weeks prior and was going to look around the attic to establish what may have caused the leak.

He arrived with his colleague at 10.50am and as I had a meeting at 12pm in the city centre left shortly after their arrival; they said they’d post the key through my letterbox once they were finished.

At 2.30pm I arrived back to the flat and sat down to work. It wasn’t too long after that I heard some unfamiliar noises from above. Then came the first of a series of loud thumps which prompted me to comment with concern on my twitter page.

Just after 7pm I called Jim to ask him for advice to which he acted dismissive and told me to ’sleep on it’. I did until 5am…

I woke to the sound of what I could only describe as torrential rain on the ceiling. I immediately text Jim and then called my letting agent, who did the best he could to calm me down at such an early hour and urged me back to sleep. At that moment I was convinced that water was going to pour through into the flat. Confused, I used my camera to record the sound and kept watching the water mark waiting to see signs of a leakage.

I then phoned my father and while explaining the situation watched as the ceiling began to bevel and a small black spot start to spread, I hung up, pulled the sockets out the wall and pushed all my furniture to one side of the room. At that point my neighbour woken by the sound of me moving things around came to the door. She said she could smell burning. In my panic I hadn’t even noticed that the flat was full of smoke- and that’s when I realised it was a fire I could hear.

She ran off down the stairs to call the firebrigade and I rushed into the living room in time to see flames lick through a hole in the ceiling. I grabbed Albie (my rabbit) and my laptop pulled the door shut and thumped on my neighbours door as I made my out. I threw both in the car and ran back upstairs. My neighbour was shouting about finding the key for the attic and I began to frantically rake through a box in my bedroom until I realised this was pointless, shoved my purse in my dressing gown pocket and ran back down the stairs just as the fire crew were making their way in.

Out in the street I could see the flames and smoke billowing from the roof. I was terrified. As I stood there I could hear a familiar sound as my house phone rang in my pocket. My Mum had left an answer machine message and my Dad was on his way.

The following days were a blur and as yet the Fire Report has not been issued, but the Incident Crew were, in my mind, quick to rule out an electrical fault and suggested that a careless cigarette dropped on the rolls of carpet stored in the attic could have smouldered over a prolonged period of time before taking hold. I have still had no response from Jim.

I’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their support including my parents, friends and family. Also, a special thanks has to go to Strathclyde Fire & Rescue who not only responded quickly but went above and beyond saving my personal belongings. Even in the midst of the incident they managed to move all my furniture, pulled my documents drawer and clothes out and dragged my dollshouse into the bathroom. I am yet to come up with a suitable way to express my appreciation, but hope for a gesture to match my gratitude.

Admittedly I felt nervous in the beginning and even prepped my CV just incase, but after clinging to the torn out horoscope, which conveniently outlines my master plan for the coming year, I powered on through.

The work seemed to flood in over the first few weeks and I now boast several different clients with numerous ongoing projects.  I can’t quite believe where a little faith has taken me. I’d like to pay a special thanks to Andrea Gardner of Purplefeather who continues to be a great source of inspiration. I really enjoy the time we spend writing together and couldn’t have kept the momentum up without her.

When holidaying, the cost of travel and accommodation can seem to get in the way of sampling the local delicacies, bringing back trinkets and taking part in the sort of mental activities you’re usually too feart to do (skydiving and bull running being popular choices).

Nail down this cost in two ways. Rather than be dictated by the price of flights instead opt for the cheap ticket philosophy; meaning that your trip is determined by the next available and most affordable method of transport.

It keeps the costs down and has introduced me to cities and countries I never would have considered before. Of course this has hasn’t always worked in my favour and I have occasionally been trapped in some of the most boring towns on a Sunday with no working toilets….but that’s all part of the fun. It can also be a great way of plotting a 3 or 4 destination trip; pick your start and end point and look into what buses, trains or donkeys can transport you in-between. You’ll probably not be surprised to discover that your ticket for this will cost a fraction of your SPT rail pass.

My first choice for affordable accommodation starts at hostelbookers.com a trusted source for hostels, B&B’s and Guest Houses. Laid out like a directory you can simply choose your destination, add your dates and results are then listed by price. You can filter through the feedback to see how other tourists have rated it. The folk at hostelbookers generate income from the places they list meaning there are no hidden charges or fees when booking with them- and no sneaky add-ons like certain airlines seem in favour of.

Another more courageous pursuit would be to join the couchsurfing community, their slogan: participate in creating a better world, one couch at a time. By joining this network of travellers you can secure a place on someone’s sofa anywhere around the globe. It’s quite a unique form of travel and broadens an understanding of culture by sharing hospitality with one another- and it’s free. Alternatively, you can host your own couch for visitors, bringing with them friendship and a place to bunk down come the summer. Go on, have an adventure!

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This article was published in Scotcampus (April 2010)
www.scotcampus.com

Andrea Gardner of Purplefeather and former Content Services Manager from Hilton Hotels Group has contracted me to write for her latest client. At the same time I’m embarking upon a collaborative web project, Folio14: an online compendium of creative talent in Scotland.

This meant I had to seriously reconsider my responsibilities and after a weekend of making pro/con lists and chewing the ear off anyone who’d listen, I came to the decision and handed my notice in as Account Executive for Mine Digital. This position taught me a wealth of information on client handling and project pitching, which I now hope to take to Folio14.

By ending two freelance contracts and resigning from the agency I’m leaping into the world of self employment. If you’d like to cross your fingers for me it’d be much appreciated. You can find me over @Folio14 come and say hello.