Live on £4,000 for a year - 2009, Part 3

cw18

grandma247 wrote: »

Life's too short to do a job for long that makes you unhappy .

Couldn't agree more

Which is precisely why I spent at least 4 years fighting against being sent on courses to gain the skills needed to be able to apply for promotion.......

I worked in IT, and enjoyed the coding and problem solving aspect of the job. A promotion would have meant all meetings and paperwork, which were the worst aspects to the job (and which I avoided as much as I possibly could). I finally had to tell my 'People Manager' outright (at a performance review, when he wrote on it that I needed specific training that I didn't want to do - so I refused point blank to sign the document) that I'd rather change my career completely than spend 20+ years in a job I didn't like !!

He then had the nerve to point out it would mean a higher salary, at which I threw back it was only a couple of thousand a year, but I could also be looking at losing at least that in on-call payments if I went for it (not all people at the next grade up were encouraged to do out of hours support, as they didn't have required 'hands on' experience from their daytime work) - and that I'd rather lose a couple of thousand a year than do a job I hated.

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone!
I think I will be seeking refuge in the summer house today.
Our roofer has to remove the whole of our lower pitch roof today! He is due to turn up at 8am but it is incredibly windy here today.
Plan for today:
Eat healthily-I never buy chocolate but Mr SFT does for me and not just one bar either. I can quite easily eat 4 sn*cker bars on the trot! I have hidden the remainder upstairs and will be interested to see if I can give them to him to dispose of before I eat them.
Get a decent amount of school work done-start lesson plans, provisional timetable, labels for folders, to do list for department etc.
Go blackberrying at lunchtime. A nice break away from the madness.
Get housework jobs done.
Start reading my new book.

Focusing on long term goals rather than short term fixes today!

Have a great day all.
AEB-wishing you and your little ones lots of luck!
Cheryl-Worse thing I ever did was take a management position at my school.

SFT

lyndasharp

We'd picked some of the big rose hips at the weekend, and I was going to make jam with them last night. When I opened the box there were about 10 maggots crawling around, and I just couldn't face eating them so they've gone in the compost. Not very frugal, I know!

SFT, enjoy the blackberrying and I hope the roof goes well.
SF, glad to hear your bf is recovering, it took me about 5 days before I started to feel better. Glad your Grandpa is doing OK to, and jtb's Dad.

Frugaldom

Good morning frugalers,

Good luck with OH's potential promotion, JTB and try not to think of housekeeping and parenting as 'old-fashioned' because rearing children and running households are REAL jobs that will never become obsolete. They are essential to society, unlike many supposedly 'normal' jobs. Someone who is good at running a family household is worth far more than someone working fulltime, discontented and spending more than the household earns just to compensate for lack of time. I'm not suggesting you are one of those people, it's just an example of something I have noticed, resulting in household members becoming depressed. Do what you think makes you happiest and if it doesn't work out, change it again. LOL

Good luck with your career decision, SFT. I have always looked at teaching as a lifestyle choice (not one I could ever have considered) rather than just a career, so if your lifestyle isn't one that makes you happy and fulfilled then perhaps a change in direction is needed before any discontentment begins to show through at work. I'm sure you'll make the right decision.

2 days until DD's wedding and the ceiling in the front porch is threatening to fall in! I've had to poke holes in it to let all the water out that's bulging the ceiling, which decided to burst through with DS walking underneath at the time! Fortunately, it was just a small hole and a thin stream of water, but it's another main leaking in the roof, which makes 3. Must contact LL but the arrival of the 11 wedding guests tomorrow isn't good timing. Poor DD must be dreading Saturday's weather as it's forecast for more of the same or worse. August was a complete wash out and it looks as though September is set to be, too.

Bathroom decorating almost finished. I MUST get the curtains done, I MUST, I MUST, I MUST!

grandma247

Good morning all.
Lynda Thats the problem with wild stuff and garden stuff sometimes, The live protein:rotfl:. If I think that there is anything on them I sprinkle salt on the berries and leave them overnight then rinse a few times. Also if you make jelly it will not matter if you miss anything as you will not be eating it it will stay in the bag with the pulp. I don't like creepy crawleys but If the Aborigenese can eat witchety grubs maggots should not be a problem for us _pale_

cw18

Sounds like we may have another change of store coming up around us!! Wandered down to A!di this morning, and called in C00p on the way. Overhead a member of staff telling 2 others that another store (only a few mins drive away) had phoned to ask if they could spare anyone as they're short staffed - and, between the comments about 'tough, so are we' and 'I'm not going down there as they're always being raided', I heard one of them say 'they're not being closed like us are they?' :eek:

Didn't stop to ask if I understood properly, but given they sold off the S'flds to Mr M I had assumed they'd be staying. I know the C00p was incredibly busy while Mr M did a refit on the other store and has since died down (I reckon it's quieter than it used to be when competing with S'flds), but Mr M - who are always much busier than the S'flds ever was - has only been open a couple of months...... so I'd have thought the plans to close the C00p must have been on the table from before Mr M opened Must try and catch the young chap who's sometimes on the tills, as I'm sure I'll be able to 'wheedle' it out of him

jtb2412

Morning everyone

Thanks for all the good wishes for Dad. Spoke to him yesterday and he's doing fine but I think waiting for the results is worrying him more than he's letting on. :rolleyes: Have to take things one step at a time atm - can't do anything until we know if anything has been found.

Was up early today as DS back at school. Girls go back on Monday. Need to sort out some paperwork this morning (the pile is getting bigger so a must do job for today) and get dinner prepared (lasagne).

Need to go into town this afternoon as I really need to buy myself some more trainers/shoes :rolleyes:. My summer pumps have just died a death (ran through a lake last night in Mr T car park :rotfl: - I don't think I've ever seen it rain that hard before !) Must have given the other shoppers a good laugh though

NYK I totally agree about the SAHM ethos. I only do part-time currently but I could think of lots of better, more exciting things to be doing at home with my time . My earnings at the moment should be saved towards decorating the house (the reason for me working) but I'm not getting very far if truth be told. I really need to knuckle down next year and get this house done, otherwise I'll be working until I'm 70 which I definitely don't want to be doing ! We've had an expensive year socially (60th, 40th, 10th Wedding Anniversary, a wedding, a Golden Wedding Anniversary and a 70th :eek:) All of which have involved time away from home, eating out and present buying (some cheap, some not so cheap :rolleyes:)And DDs 16th is coming up - she's opted for a weekend away rather than a huge party (weekend away is going to be much cheaper !) I could say no but she's worked really hard at school this last year and she knows she can have either a 16th celebration or an 18th, not both ! They've all been very supportive of the 'frugal' lifestyle over the last year and given up things like crisps, unhealthy snacks and are having home-made bits instead. They've also learnt about turning off plugs etc and DS has been a great help down the allotment so it's nice to reward them occasionally.

SFT I hope you come to a happy decision soon about your job. I know how you feel !

Lynda one thing I've had to get used to with an allotment is all the creepy crawlies in the produce :eek: _pale_ - not that we eat them !!!!! I mean the picking out and disposing before cooking. I did have an 'episode' once where I soaked some brocolli in water and had a good look before I popped in the saucepan, but once boiling there was loads of little green caterpillars trying to escape being boiled to death ! :eek: I did chuck it all away, was a bit too close for comfort on that one. :rotfl:

Right, must go and get paperwork done.

Have a great day everyone - sending hugs to those that need one :grouphug:

andan

Hey guys, just popping in to let you know i am still with you. I have been totalling up costs and appear to be doing better than anticipated.

I've realised i'm not really a buyer and i prefer to make do, so this has helped keep spends low. If truth be told, most of my money goes on food and a nice bottle of wine. There is the odd occassion with friends but there is no way i would ever give those up, having good quality friends is more important than money saving!

Anways, figures now stand at £2838 for the year. I am pleased with this as it covers a lot of earlier car costs, such as tax, insurance, mot and service. My budget was £4500 so i should be in it, this will include the holiday i will be taking over Christams which should cost around £300.

Hope everyone is getting on alright and enjoying their money saving ways.

mama67

grandma247 wrote: »

sft I think it depends on the type of rose. I should think red or deep orange is ok. I used rosa rugosa since that is what we have on the allotment. You need to use the juice only to make rosehip jelly.
Glad you had a nice holiday. Thats the kind of holiday I like. We have the booking form now for a break in October in mablethorpe.(private rent this time and very cheap.)

I don't envy you the task of deciding but having seen an unhappy teacher plough on regardless and making her whole class miserable. I would think about doing something else. not saying thats how you are but this teacher was young and she felt she ought to carry on as she spent so long training but if it were me I would have looked for other ways of teaching or looked for another career.
Life's too short to do a job for long that makes you unhappy .

Make sure to pack your thermals grandma, it has been blowing a gale here the last few days. I live approx 20 miles from Mablethorpe (maybo).

Normally during the summer we go quite regularly, have only been a couple of times as weather has been nasty.

If you need any help with shops etc give me a shout.

jtb2412

Ohh ohhh ohhh ! I'm excited (again ! lol) :j :j :j :j :j

Just had a letter from our local council and we've been offered an allotment ! One of our very own :j

We're thrilled to bits (even though we haven't seen it yet) - going to have a look shortly.

It does mean we'll have to give up the one we've been working this year but it will be so nice to have one to do with as we please. I'm just waiting for DH to get home so we can go and have a nosey. I'll take the camera .