013 Budget Blunders, Book Banter & British Rants

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Welcome 👋

Jo here (with Tasha, eventually)! Buckle up for episode 13 of Life's a SHITSHOW. This week, we’re chatting about my new book launch, the absolute farce that was today’s UK budget, and a bit of what’s hot in the news, plus the usual dose of rants and laughs.

Episode Summary

We kick off with Tasha running late (as always), a Pepsi crisis, and a bit of football banter before jumping into the government’s latest tax grab disguised as a budget. We get straight into what the new minimum wage and tax threshold freezes really mean for small business owners and working families like ours—spoiler: it’s not good news. We don’t hold back on council tax, landlord taxes, or the sugar tax either.

Then we dive into the reality of claiming benefits, the stigma, and the real-life impact of PIP (Personal Independence Payment). I open up about living with ADHD, menopause, and why self-employment is a lifeline for people like me and Tasha. There’s plenty of honest chat about mental health, the welfare system, and why the system never seems to work for the people who genuinely need it.

We also cover:

• The cost of living madness and why energy bill “reductions” are just smoke and mirrors
• Social media banter (big up Aldi’s social team)
• My new book, What The Actual F*ck, and why writing about menopause, divorce, and cancel culture is so cathartic
• The joys of open-plan hotel bathrooms (spoiler: there are none)
• Christmas tree plans and why traditional red, green, and gold will always win
• A random world record involving pickle balls (don’t ask)
• A quick update on Candice Sewings and her global podcast drama

Key Takeaways 💡

• The budget’s a shambles and working people are footing the bill (again)
• Claiming benefits is a minefield, especially with hidden disabilities and mental health
• Self-employment is often the only way for neurodiverse people to thrive
• There’s power in speaking up and sharing the messy, honest truth about life
• Christmas trees are serious business (and so is good banter)

Thanks for listening! Subscribe, leave us a comment, and let us know if you’ve read the book or if you’re also putting your tree up early. We’ll be back next Wednesday to help you get through the rest of the week, because let’s face it, life’s a shitshow, but at least we can laugh about it together.

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Website: https://lifesashitshow.com

Amazon Books: What the Actual F*ck!