magicgirls debt free new life

magicgirl

Wow. Nearly a year since my last post and sadly, the year wasn't brill but it was better than prev years to some degree. We managed to do christmas without credit cards. Spent about £1k on gifts for all four children, other family members and friends and all outer food for the holiday season and also threw in a couple of nov/dec/jan birthday pressies too.

So, in April 2014, it will be six years since my discharge. That is a milestone worth celebrating I think.

AND.... I have a job!! Officially, my start date was Xmas eve although I don't take a full shift until the new year. I am a little hit excited about starting and as a bonus, I will have a few extra pennies coming in. I am still deliberating about childcare however. I have the choice to just work nights which would suit me best. I won't 'need' childcare but I know my dd would benefit from it. I am not convinced I want to pay for it though. In eight months time, she will be eligible for free nursery place at school. On the one hand, I will only pay for nursery for eight months but at £700pm for a two day week, I'm sure the money could be better spent?!

I am also looking into seeking children's clothes. Not as my livelihood but I can certainly make a few extra pennies to stash away. I'm registered self employed as a seller anyway so just diversifying my current business plan.

I am Starting to get a little more organised in the home thanks to numerous 'old style saving' threads here. I have identified the majority of my weaknesses and am determined to spend the next twelve months working on those.

All in all, while things are by no means 'perfect', they are heading in the right direction for the most part and I am thankful for that.

fermi

Thank you for the update MG. It is hard, even post BR, I know. Great to hear how you are getting on after all this time. I wish you and your family a happy new year and beyond.

magicgirl

Thanks fermi. I hope 2014 is kind to you. I would have been lost without your help (and a few others) all those years ago and am forever grateful to have had such a wealth of knowledge available to help in my hour of need. Xx

magicgirl

Not quite the start I had hoped for in 2014. Had to replace a boiler. Obv it's a few weeks before the wages start coming in again. So feeling the pinch but we were lucky it lasted this long tbf (over fifteen years old).
First shift of new role will be 18th January. Pay is fortnightly but as bank, I will only be getting the odd shift here and there. Was hoping to get around two per week but it's better than what I 'had'. I am also due to be paid today for some extras work I did. Be nice to see that come in as I did that back in sept!

Feeling quite positive still. Hope it's long lived.

magicgirl

Just venting. I started my role as a member of staff on a care bank team. All going well in terms of the work. Not so well with the pay. took six weeks before they sorted out my pay, then forgot four of those weeks but rectified it immediately only it meant i paid extra tax and NI. Still, I didnt mond the first time it happened. by the third time (in as many months) I was getting a little bit narked and made a complain to HR. Obv this means i am not the HR's fave person. The pay aside, work was going so well, that what was originally supposed to be a few shifts here and there ended up becoming a regular stint at a particular venue. I was asked after a few months of the regular shifts if i would consider becoming permanent. Cue more probs with pay. Given i had similar probs in civil service which started my whole debt spiral, I did freak slightly and when the payroll person said that thepay was correct and after working 160 hours, all i was due was around £300, I lost it slightly. told him that it was pathetic that given where he worked, he didn't understand how the pay works. (obv this was less than minimum wage. surely anyone can see that SOMETHING went wrong somewhere?! Apparently not.)
I eventually gota call from someone apologising for the error which was later followed up by a 'meeting' about the fact I called this guy pathetic.

WHATEVER!!

I don't NEED this job. Its useful but if they can't get my pay right when all i earn is minimum wage, I could do without the hassle. I took it because it was an area I felt i could make a diffference and the fact is, I DO. The clients are alwasy singing my praises and the direct management I work to are a bit more sympathetic but anyhow they try and make this more than it is when really, the guy should be apologising to ME given that all i needed to hear from him was 'Im terribly sorry. obviously there has been some mistake. Ill look into this for you...'

And breathe!

I do realise that my fears probably escalated my annoyance and I dont really want to have to be explaining why they should get the pay right. I feel so frustrated. yet again, I will be paying a fortune in NI that I wouldnt normally pay cos of the lump sums I will receive down to THEIR error. I feel like I spend my life paying for other peoples mistakes. And they are left without consequence.

On a brighter note, its nearly Christmas and I do have a voucher scheme at work where I can save up to 7% on gift cards so might be able to save a bit if use high street stores for purchases. They also offer 5% discount on Sainsburys etc so if I learn to budget right (difficult given the afore mentioned problem) then I could do myself a favour.

belleandthebudget

Problems with pay is one of the worst things ever, it's so panic inducing! That's one of the big reasons that I want to save up at least one month's pay as a buffer once I'm debt free!

Glad they EVENTUALLY sorted it out for you.

magicgirl

I think you have the right idea there. I usually do have some buffer but after two months of wrong pay and then suddenly having to pay a terms fee instead of monthly for kids classes and then unexpectedly having to buy new uniform as the stuff we'd saved for dd2 didn't fit etc, it all added up to my mind blowing up a little. Lol. Don't get tc til mid month and having to play catch up means I've had so many letters about rent arrears, I might actually be at risk of losing my home. I thought 'get a regular job that pays you regularly and at least that's one less worry' famous last words... Haha

magicgirl

Blimey! It's been a while. Lots of changes but still hanging in there. Current situation is back to work after six month sabbatical. (Eldest had exams and I wanted to try and be there for her. Was made redundant at start of year so lived off that til her exams were over and back to work immediately after). Now having major issues with tax credits but apparently, 8' not the only one. Go figure!
Kids are getting big and expensive but now they are all at school so I have lots of time in the day to sleep off my night shifts. Lol

magicgirl

I always seem to get called back to this diary around the two year mark.


Here I am again and tbh, life is pretty crap right now. This is a real woe is me post so please don't feel any obligation to read.


I have had a horrendous year and have just filed for divorce after discovering my DH's betrayal. Finances are pretty poor due to various things relating to some of our problems and Eldest is about to start Uni so have loads of additional expenses about to arise.


Right now, I want to curl up into a ball and sob until I have no tears left but... wait.. I think I have already been doing that the last four weeks. Ugh!!


So onwards and upwards. Busy year ahead and trying to keep myself whole. Trying to keep my kids mentally stable but this is an emotional time for everyone for all sorts of reasons.


I KNOW life will get better. I KNOW that I will get through this. But right now, it hurts. A lot.

magicgirl

Wanted to post a happy update and this is about as happy as I will get for a while so here goes.


DD1 is loving uni! As this is a happy post, I won't share the issue related to this but I am so glad she is happy. Enjoying her course and totally in the right place FOR HER.


DD2 is slowly coming out of the depths of her angst and finding herself again. Just in time for her exams to start.. I have made a lovely calm space for her to work and sleep in which has improved the energy she uses and she is not quite there but definitely getting there. Also had her conditional offer for Sixth Form so is glad she has the opportunity to stay with her friends.


DD3 is supposed to be joining the second child at the same school and is very excited to have a fresh start come September. She has been doing astoundingly well in her academia which is a lovely surprise as she didn't really show an aptitude for conventional learning until this school year. She is lucky enough to have an amazing teacher which has made a world of difference. I have also found somewhere to create a space for her to grow. She will have 'her own bedroom' when we convert the cupboard we built for her nursery ten years ago that later became her daddy's office. She has already designed it and we are chipping away at the huge list of works that need to be done before we can move her in there. Definitely something to look forward to.


DD4 is going to have to share her room with me and she is so excited. She realises that I won't be there most nights (as I work nights) but she is still young enough to think its great having mummy around and why would I do anything but embrace that?!


For me, the bright side is seeing my kids starting to find their happy again. I have completed a 16w course of IPT and am rediscovering my strength. So much so that I have even landed myself a job. Its nothing special. In fact, it is the exact same as what I do now only I will be directly employed (rather than contracted through an agency) and on more money (on paper at least) than I currently am which is a psychological boost if nothing else.


This doesn't mean things are perfect or even anywhere close to it but they are so much better than the last time I was here and so I wanted to take a moment and reflect on how far I have come rather than just moaning about the stuff going wrong. I'm glad I did.
Thanks for reading and have a great day.