I’ve been given the opportunity to earn a few quid this weekend filling envelopes. There are 6,500 of the buggers and so I’ve shared them out with a couple of friends who could do with some cash. Each envelope requires a card and a small brochure inserting, and for that we get 3.5p. Two hundred done in an hour is £7 – should be easy, right?

OH GOD, THE PAIN! My fingers are sore, my shoulders ache and even my back it pitching in with a damage report. In order to do 200 an hour you’ve got to be constantly moving, doing the same repetitive movements over and over and over again. After about fifty you’re really getting into the swing of things. After a hundred you notice your joints starting to warm up. After an hour your shoulders are on fire and your fingers are almost bleeding where the edges of the envelopes have repeatedly dug into your skin.

I’ve just finished inserting 800 cards and I’m waiting for a delivery of brochures. I don’t want to do them now. I did 500 last night and it wasn’t too bad, but I don’t think it was worth the £20 I actually earned.