Clawing back - the second half

Lemon_Tree

hi, yes i'm still around. It's very horrible working in the public sector, we're under review and the report day has just been pushed back another month. In one breath you think well that's another month until i find out if the news is bad but in the other you think just get on with it. I'm sure they must know what the outcome will be, (don't they always when they do a review in the public sector) so why they need to wait i don't know. Strangely enough, the redundancy proceedure has gone missing from our intranet site where all the policies live. Probably means they're reducing it, and they did that a couple of years ago when we had the last review.
talking about hairdressers i desperatly need a colour and a cut, i keep saying i'll colour it myself but it's a job i hate doing.

Claw_back_money

As I recall LT it was the talk of that review that had you push harder on the debts a while ago... are you still hanging on for the report

I really don't recognise the picture of public sector that I hear and see (even on some pages on MSE) - with overpaid people sitting around and not doing a lot. When I stop 'working hard' (and feel guilty for doing so) I am still working more than my contracted hours, still putting in enormous effort.

If anyone has some spare time there is a competition here which you can enter again and again until you win; there are prizes every 5 minutes. Some of the prizes are lovely but mostly you get a voucher for D's crisps and dip, which I'm thinking will go down well with my youngsters when they're home for the holidays. After you put your details in the first time the page remembers them. Some of the ads that you watch are really good. I've watched them quite a few times, 'shared' and got 6 coupons using the 'twitter method' (see thread).

Cbm

Lemon_Tree

yes it's still that report that we're waiting for and that i've put countless hours into, whilst also at the busiest time of our calender. You're right the common perception in the press of LA employees doesn't really exist. I have to admit there may be the odd person who should have a kick up the arris but for the most part we work as hard as anyone in the private sector (i should know, that's where i came from originally). Seeing the news today i'd hate to be working for Essex CC, someone's leaked a report saying there will be 85 FTE's gone, tis scary times ahead for us all.

Claw_back_money

Glad not to be in Essex then.

With the exception of people I know running their own businesses, my private sector friends appear to just leave at the end of the working day, without doing extra time day after day. There's something about a culture in our place of silly long hours, higher management don't ask you to but similarly they don't stop you - and I often get emails from them at weekends and very late (8 /9 even 10pm) so I know they do it too.

Ho hum.

Money wise no change. The ISA which I'd chosen to open next month seems to be gone now so back to the drawing board with that.

Cbm

Claw_back_money

Payday from job #2, phew! Transferred money into joint account and that will pay for groceries next week, and DS2 money (he was finding monthly money hard to manage at uni so we have been giving it to him weekly). There is a cheque outstanding for annual service for alarm for house which it will also cover. I remind myself I've already had loads of clothes so its not actually such a big deal for the last bit of 'extra' money from job #2 to go to pay for things like that.

Not a lot else is going on. I was in the office yesterday and twisted in my seat and hurt my back - very painful at the bottom of my back and going into my bottom; my leg also feels tingly. Its not too bad when I sit still but hurts a bit when I move and a lot when I bend. No body balance for me today though. I don't get backache and it was a complete surprise! I think I'll go out in the garden in a bit with a book in the sunshine - but will try to wash the kitchen floor first as it is a complete disgrace.

Cheers all
Cbm

Lemon_Tree

did you write it up in the accident book? i hope you made someone aware of it happening. Hope the sun bakes it back into place.

Claw_back_money

It didn't go in the accident book LT, but I was actually in supervision at the time so my manager was very aware! It felt quite a bit better yesterday morning, but then I thought the washing machine had gone wrong and emptied all the wet clothes and baled it out - cue much twisting - and it was agony all afternoon, I didn't really do anything for the rest of the day. As it happened the washing machine subsequently started working again - I think the door lock is faulty.

I hope to be able to save the money for a new washing machine before this one gives up completely, which will of course stop my savings plans advancing - but it could be a lot worse it could have given up a month ago. 3 months ago it was still covered by the wretched plan which I stopped, to save money....

Today I would like to go and fuss over the veggie bed, give the house a bit of a dust, tidy the study, sort out the craft activities for next weekend, and maybe do the ironing later too. We'll see how the back holds.

Enjoy the sunshine!
Cbm

Claw_back_money

Hi all
All is fine and dandy here. Money is trickling rather than gushing out of the joint account, OH unexpectedly had a travel claim paid in and so we should be ok until payday Friday.
DS2 is home for the holiday, he has walked back into his job at the cafe with 5 days work this week :T , hope that keeps up through the summer. He is very pleased and more than a little surprised to see a cupboard full of Doritos as I don't buy crisps but won loads of packets in a competition , actually we did really well out of it as one lot I bought in Mr A's, the shop was:
6 packets of crisps + dip (special offer and coupon took off full price)
3 bottles of ale for OH - special offer 3 for £4, + 50p coupon off each bottle
1 bag of oven chip (special offer, and coupon took off full price)
1 packet cat biscuits
1 orange (for a carrot cake recipe)

whole lot came to £2ish :j:j:j as the coupons took full price off and things were on special offer! OH absolutely amazed to see crisps and chips coming in the house. He'll be even more amazed as this morning I won a coupon for 4 packets of microchips this morning from this post and if the voucher has a short date when it comes, I'll buy here rather than waste it. But am hoping that I can give it to DS2 to take back to uni in October, the others I don't think would want chips. I think microchips would be good for teenagers though.

My back is much better after a few really painful days. I'm not sure about camping at the weekend though, we'll be close enough that I can get home fairly easily so I might do that rather than stay over; I think I'll be glad of a break from the scouts by the evening and I don't think I'll be needed overnight, particularly if I'm not able to do much as I'm being cautious of my back. I'll have to check they don't need me for 'sandwich and sympathy' - apparantly thats a particular forte of mine - that's giving both to small scared or semi-sad youngsters not the leaders btw!

Cbm

milann

Hope the back is a bit better.

I think you are either very brave or very mad even contemplating camping with scouts LOL. I could cope with days but not nights and certainly not under canvas. Hope the weather picks up for weekend.

Probably won't get chance to catch up or a couple of weeks now as going to Cornwall at weekend - take care till then.

Milann

Claw_back_money

milann wrote: »

Hope the back is a bit better.

I think you are either very brave or very mad even contemplating camping with scouts LOL. I could cope with days but not nights and certainly not under canvas. Hope the weather picks up for weekend.

Probably won't get chance to catch up or a couple of weeks now as going to Cornwall at weekend - take care till then.

Milann

Mad I think! :rotfl:

Thanks for your good wishes Milann, the camp went ok, lots of happy faces and no major catastrophes. I did end up coming back every night which I think helped my back lots.

There still seems to be just as much to tidy / sort / clean here though. Weather is grim today so the washing is piled up and OH is off work but we can't really get out and do anything. We have got (free) tickets for the cinema though so I'm looking forward to that this evening, although I'm not sure it is a film I'd necessarily pay money to go and see.

All is just about ok on the money front - we've now had a whole month debt free! We managed to save.... £89 ..... in May - which is quite rubbish but a start I suppose. The washing machine is playing up a lot - has now stopped half way through a cycle again and the door can open which means it thinks it is turned off. Grrr for worn out appliances!

Cheers
Cbm