Getting to know you........

[furrypig]

Wow what a fantastic thread!!

I have been amused/touched/intigued and enlightened by all the amazing posts.

I am a part time nurse in a local GUM clinic (no not for teeth and gums but for genito urinary medicine ie sexually transmitted infections!!) an ex midwife, mum to 3 and 6 year old, great husband and cat Tinker too. Loving this site and hoping I can continue money saving and organising my life!!

Thanks everyone !

[jazzyjustlaw]

I am a Law Graduate aged 33, with a Teenager daughter mouthy and 15. I am studing the Ilex Practice element (Legal Executives) as I cannot afford the LPC (£10,000) without giving up my job as a Legal Secretary. Bah Humbug.

But hoping all this moneysaving etc and eventually qualifying as a Legal Executive will help me qualify as a Solicitor - yippee!!!!!

[badgermonkey]

I'm a teacher and my BF is too (btw, VickyA, do you post on the TES site??)

Here because we were falling into the "we earn good money, and work hard, and we DESERVE..." trap. Nowhere near as good a MS as people here but certainly getting ideas.

[jazzyjustlaw]

Originally Posted by Miroslav

I'm off work sick and about to start psychotherapy. Been in and out of work for years and need to sort some issues out (mainly death of partner and child) if I'm to make it in this world.

I hope to return to work later this year If i gain confidence

I have lost two children and I couldnt get out of bed and I had panic attacks and could only go to Sainsburys. You will get there I promise.

Life can be terrible sometimes but you can rebuild your life I promise and the people are here will help.

[DaisyNelson]

Wow what a great idea for a thread, I ve found it really interesting and touching to hear what you all do. I have a full time job with a charity, several cats, a new gym habit and much more debt than I would like.

[Caterina]

Hi all

Until age 26 I was a lazyabout, studying half-heartedly and doing nothing much (in Italy and travelling through Europe), a hippy really.

In 1983 I came to the UK to find work and have worked ever since, hardly been out of work.

Started as a chambermaid, moved to McDonalds, graduated to Broomfields the Bakers (sandwich counter), then the big break: got a filing clerk job with the GLC/ILEA and thus started my love-hate relationship with local government.

Got made redundant in 1990 when the ILEA was abolished but did not mind at all as I had baby twins and got a fab redundancy package.

When the twins were 1 year old I set up my own payroll business with the help of the Enterprise Allowance, when that finished 1 year later I closed the business and did some nannying and odd office jobs, also home-educated the twins until they were 6 years old.

Then I put them in school as we found a school that we liked and I went back to local govt. work (Greenwich) as accounts officer. Then moved to Lewisham Council as payroll officer and got promoted to IT officer as I loved computers and was taking a part time HND in IT systems (never finished it, mind you hehehe). Left Lewisham and did some temping, then back to Greenwich as a health development officer, left Greenwich as I got fed up with conditions of service and after a very brief brush with a horrible employer in the voluntary sector I set myself up as a doula.

2 and 1/2 years of caring for pregnant mums, birthing mums and new mums on a self employed basis has taken its toll and I have just gone back (4 weeks ago) to office work - I am now a project support worker in a charity not far from home, working p/t 3 hours per day.

I also do 4-6 hours admin for another charity from home and still do the occasional bit of doulaing for any mums that need me, but aiming to drop the doulaing altogether - maybe I shall do the odd birth but not sure...

Still toying with the idea of setting my own cookery business (Mamma's kitchen, simple cooking for complicated lives) but not got around to doing so yet!

All the above while raising a family... am a bit tired.... hehehehehehe

Caterina

[SnowyOwl]

I'm an admin type bod in a local organisation...local being a town in N.Ireland. I am originally from here, but spent all my adult life in London, then moved back last year. It was a good move in that I managed to pay off my mortgage (whoopee!) however the reverse culture shock of getting used to the ways of a small village in ireland after so long in London is v.v.difficult. It was all my own idea to move but there you go, I got that one magnificently wrong!!

Otherwise I am an a true animal lover, I have two cats and in recent times very sadly lost a third cat - Baba - to the road (or rather v.quiet country lane) by my house. I was so upset and still am - my animals are so important to me.

I'm hoping to move back to England, next year - to do a full-time degree, possibly in animal welfare, conservation or psychology. They say life begins at 40, that's how old I will be when I start...I can't wait, my 40's WILL be better than my 30's!

I've managed to retain my status as a single person all my life, and I have no kids.

[Squidgy]

I'm a 24 year old mum, who works full time as a receptionist. I am also 4 months pregnant with my second child. I am very very tired and looking forward to my maternity leave already, which doesn 't start until September.

[LilacLillie]

I don't know what catagory I fall into
I live in London and haven't worked for almost 5yrs, now its by choice, but wasn't in the beginning.
I worked for 10 yrs before that in Social Services, had to leave due to a new manager making my job impossible. Took council to Industrial Tribunal, 2 yrs later won my case and got awarded an amount of money. No amount could make up for the stress involved in being forced out of a job I really loved. I wouldn't advise anyone to go to an IT...............EVER!!!!!
Married with 2 sons, one still at home, not paying his way. Husband works for local council. I chair a local health support group.
With the award money, and cashing in an Endowment policy that wasn't going anywhere, we decided to buy a newly built villa in Bulgaria, where I'd like to live one day. OH not so keen on full time living there. Go over quite a lot, about 8 times since last July. Back there in 2wks time. Making a nice little life there
No debts, other than mortgage.....................but love this site sooooooooooo much!!!!
It hasn't as yet, saved me any money, because I keep finding brilliant bargains and discounts that I keep spending money on.................but I believe long term I will end up saving.
LL

[Miroslav]

Originally Posted by jazzyjustlaw

I have lost two children and I couldnt get out of bed and I had panic attacks and could only go to Sainsburys. You will get there I promise.

Life can be terrible sometimes but you can rebuild your life I promise and the people are here will help.

aww thanks, I hope you are right.

Thanks to the nice lady who has Private Messaged me, I won't name her in case she is

Right now, the aim is to get out of debt, avoid jail, lose weight and get my health back on track.......then maybe someone will want me and I go on to lead a good life Long way off, but in a few hours a few people have given me a little hope

[Xbigman]

42. Work in a large warehouse for one of the big supermarket chains on nights. Turned my life around in recent years paying off debts and living the thrifty life and now losing over 6 stone doing little more than eating healthily (can you call 2270 calories a day dieting?).
Only daughter left her mother and moved in with me last year, so learning to be a one parent family.
Other interests - Postal gaming mainly. Currently playing Spain in a napoleonic wargame and just conquered Portugal (well I was impressed).

Currently trying to save 8k in 25 months to give to daughter from my dead father (long story). Then I'll be saving for me...
Regards


X

PS Xbigman, lost a lot of weight - get it...

[crana999]

I'm a full time uni student studying biology.

While I'm here I work as a fire safety officer, library re-shelver, & telephonist (but that hasnt been on recently), and in the holidays I work as a receptionist in a dental surgery and as a waitress in a hospital.

[loopy_lass]

im a 40 (well in 4 weeks time) yr old part time student, just got me diploma in social and human behaviour, starting on degree in sept! got one daughter age 14, on me own, only go out once a week to uni and then twice a day with dog, so dont see many adults. I was hoping i would be married off to some nice fella by 40, but it dont look like its gonna happen ...

2 more years an i can go back to work... with young offenders .... little darlings !

loops x

[vanoonoo]

I'm vanoonoo. I like toast. *grin*

hello everyone

[jordylass]

I was self employed until March 04 earning a lot, and spending a lot more (I've found out since I packed it in). It was very long hours and pretty stressful and I'm pleased I'm not doing it anymore. I can't remember what the catalyst was, but I know I thought what am I doing here, the most important thing to me is my family, and I spend all of my time at work.
MSE has been a huge influence on my life since I found it, especially being able to cut back without losing out on things like utilities.
During my high times I bought a villa in Florida, which I love and it rents out pretty well, but I can't afford to visit often enough, and just have very short maintenance trips.
I trained as a nurse and now half heartedly on a return to practice course, (doing this for OH instead of me).
I'm almost doing what I want to, which is home schooling 2 of the kids, (I have 5, 2 are grown, and 1 likes school) and kicking back and enjoying my home and family.
We did end up with a lot of debts and with that and some other life changing events, it seems OH and I are looking for different things out of life.

[Yoga Girl]

Quite a varied bunch arn't we!

I work full-time at the moment, am working towards being in a position where I can reduce this and spend more time with my two children (aged 2 & 3). Also have 2 dogs, 2 cats and if I had the space I would definately have chickens as well.

Also have an MSE addiction but I'm not seeking a cure for that at the moment. I'm not sure there is a cure actually!

[Lyndsay_21]

I 22 and a SAHM to 2 lovely tikes a daughter aged (terrible) 2 and a boy 10months.
Did an NNEB so fully trained nanny/nursery worker, i worked in an after school club and with a severely disable (cerebal palsy) little boy which i loved doing, so might return to it when kids are at school, (if dry rot hasn't taken over my mind).
Am doing an english course, Hairdressing course and various other normal mum things.
Trying to budget on OH low wages but finally getting there.
phew i've written a lot for someone who does nothing!!

[Pal]

I'm Pal. I like Vanoonoo!

[tiddles]

It's great to read about you all!

I'm 45 with hubby plus 2 teenage kids, and work from home as a piano teacher, usually after school, so I have quite a lot of spare time during the day to cook meals from scratch and search for other money-saving ideas on MSE! Like many others, I'm addicted to this site, and find it really supportive in my quest to save money - we're aiming for early retirement!

[Nile]

I work part-time and visit the MSE site full time.........or should that be the other way around?


I'm a Jack Of All Trades/Master Of None....have worked in a flour mill/R&D labs and now in engineering.

I play sport for local teams and kid myself that I can keep up with the youngsters.:rolleyes:

I glance at the Daily Brain Teaser questions........but often can't even get the Easy Peaser Teaser questions right.:confused:

There are so many great members of this site. Some I've had the pleasure to meet........and made some good friends.

Mr & Mrs Nile share their home with hundreds of cracks in the walls, a ton of holiday brochures and a pallet stacked to the ceiling with special priced cans of Pepsi.

I used to have a life in the real world..........then I heard Martin Lewis on BBC Radio 2 and found this site.