In what is becoming something of a habit, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced yet another previously unprecedented scheme to save British jobs, the Emergency Jobs Scheme, which replaces the furlough scheme.
It’s another support package from the UK government with the aim of preventing mass redundancies, this time forecast to last six months.
And in order for workers to qualify for the scheme, they will have to work at least one third of their regular hours.
Does this apply to you? Are you expecting to be placed on the Emergency Jobs Scheme by your boss?
If so, it’s quite possible that you’ve got another six months ahead of you with a lot of extra time on your hands.
So what are you planning to do with even more spare time? Were you furloughed? Did you make the most of your extra time over the past six months?
If not, here are some ideas to make the most of your time on Furlough Part II, the Emergency Jobs Scheme.
1. Get Back To Nature
We’re lucky in some respects that the initial lockdown occurred over summer when we could get out into our gardens and local parks. I’ve been taking great advantage of the green spaces we have here in Glasgow by taking long walks in the park with our dog which is a miniature schnauzer.
The great outdoors also has the massive advantage that it’s practically impossible to contract Covid-19 there. So what are you waiting for? Get out to your local parks, green spaces, fields and meadows while you still can.
2. Start that creative project you’ve been meaning to get round to
With more time on my hands, I’ve really been getting back into my music. I’ve been playing the guitar loads, getting to grips with my new synthesizer, a Roland Jd-Xi, and recording some tracks. The wonders of the internet and modern technology mean that it’s possible to record a song and release it on a label to the wider world for just a few pounds.
How so? I use a DAW called Reaper and a distribution service called Distrokid. Reaper is free for a generous evaluation period and Distrokid only costs around£ £15 per year to distribute your tracks to all major streaming services including Spotify and Apple music.
3. Get fit
Lockdown has been disastrous for many people’s health. It can be so easy to fall into a lazy pattern of slobbing around, having long lies, and eating unhealthy food. And if you don’t have to get up and out in the morning it’s important to keep yourself active. But you don’t have to go to the gym. Get the running shoes out and start running or wheel the bike out of the garage and get cycling. Whatever you’re doing, downloading a fitness app such as Strava could be a great way of incentivizing yourself. I use Strava myself sand it’s a brilliant and free way of tracking your fitness and progress.
4. Read more
No not read more… read more books.
Lockdown was a godsend as far as getting stuck into some really great big books that I had been meaning to get round to for ages.
I read The Stand by Stephen King, 11.22.63 also by Stephen King, and some other great books but those were the ones I remember best.
Try and grab some books to get stuck into in your spare time. If you don’t have much cash to spare, you can get real bargains over at Abe Books, which I have used on numerous occasions.
5. Start a side hustle
There’s never been a better time to get started on that side hustle you’ve been meaning to get to.
Whether it’s working a blog, starting a vlog, seeing up an eBay store, or getting into freelancing, having some extra time on your hands could help you get things off the ground.
We have a whole section on The MoneyBuilders dedicated to side hustles with a focus in particular on getting started in blogging. Read our Introduction to Blogging article here to get started.