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Day Four



4.30am: Wake up before my alarm. Curse losing those precious last 15 minutes in bed. Spend them instead working out if going freelance as a writer is viable. Realise that I have a) no connections or idea where to start, b) no time, and c) rent to pay. Get up and get ready for the day (all black everything).



8am: A customer orders a toastie, then after it’s already gone in the oven, decides he doesn’t want it. No matter, I make sure it goes to a good home (my stomach).



12pm: Earlier lunch because I’m on the early shift. So bored of all the food at work that although it’s basically like setting a tenner on fire, go to Sainsbury’s to get some lunch. A colleague pays me back the £6 he owes me and another slings me £3 to get her a meal deal. I get a chicken sandwich, Wotsits, melon, Pepsi Max, coconut Red Bull and Pringles for later. £5



2.30pm: The only bright side of getting up before dawn’s crack is that I get to go home when every office worker in the country is just sitting down to lunch. Spend half an hour on the toilet watching Derry Girls, for no other reason than a lack of motivation to go upstairs.



3pm: Eventually make it upstairs and change into gear to do a workout (Primark leggings, Primark bra). Perks of working out at home: not caring what you look like. I’ve worked out that if I actually do every workout in the Nobs Home Guide, cost per use is only £1.10. Good motivation to stick to it if ever I saw one. Feel exhilarated but exhausted when finished.



6pm: After I finish exercising, I shower and start getting ready to go out. It’s our staff Christmas meal tonight (the actual Christmas period is too busy for us to do anything) and I want to go across to the café early to get an hour of uni work done. One day I will be able to rest. Today is not that day. Once more curse past me who thought full-time work and full-time uni would be a breeze. It is fun but it’s not a breeze. Swing by the Co-op and pick up two tinnies for my colleague and me after the store is closed. Get a cold brew when I get to the café to keep my eyes open. £4.30



6.30pm: Realise I need to fit approximately four hours of work into about 45 minutes. I know I thrive on pressure but this is getting ridiculous. Luckily I have a couple of weeks of holiday coming up and I know that despite my best laid plans to get some downtime, 90% of it will be spent catching up on uni work. Ancient Greek grammar is not the easiest to get your head around, and early modern Europe has entirely too many dates.



7pm: End up spending 15 minutes of my precious 45 researching train prices to Bournemouth. I’ve plans to go and visit a friend I haven’t seen since the summer, but travel is just so expensive and I can’t drive. Most of the time, living on minimum wage and in a one-person household doesn’t bother me – I can afford the things I need (rent, laundry, food) and have an occasional splurge in Boots or The Range – but it does often limit my ability to see the people I love. End up dipping into my meagre savings for the ticket. £53.60 (bought through TrainPal and saved a fiver with my friend's referral code).



11pm: Finally stumble through the door after such a lovely night out. Work can be so hectic and while we’re not the busiest café in the world and always have plenty of time for chatter, it’s so nice to have conversation that doesn’t take half an hour because every time you try to make a point, a customer appears. We’ve been given £16 each towards the meal. I have garlic king prawns to start, a Diet Coke, a margarita pizza, and truffle oil and cheese chips. I’m so tired and can’t stop thinking about my early start in the morning, so I commit blasphemy and remove my makeup with a wipe. Caroline Hirons, I am so sorry and I promise to do 10 double cleanses and five acid tones to repent. £7.60



Total: £70.50

