A fresh start

Seaxwyn

Thanks for the kind words dfw and gbot. they mean a lot to me!

Don't worry I won't give up the day job until I find something viable to replace it. Today I had a conversation with the Finance Manager about working my hours over four days instead of five (which she does), I am going to give that serious thought as a day at home a week would really help with keeping on top of everything else.

I have recruited a fellow freelance to share the jobs with this week. We've broken down the big job between us, which makes it feel loads easier, and she will work in the daytimes so I will have to work in the evenings. I'm happy with the decision. I've also got loads to do for local campaigns, not to mention the fact that I'm standing in the local elections in May, and I'm helping my dad with some projects so I do feel over-stretched. Sadly the thing that seems to be giving way at present is running, but once the mornings are lighter I may be able to go out more before work.

chevalier

Seaxwyn wrote: »

Thanks for the kind words dfw and gbot. they mean a lot to me!

Don't worry I won't give up the day job until I find something viable to replace it. Today I had a conversation with the Finance Manager about working my hours over four days instead of five (which she does), I am going to give that serious thought as a day at home a week would really help with keeping on top of everything else. I hope this works out for you. At least with your boss doing this, there is a precedent within the company.

I have recruited a fellow freelance to share the jobs with this week. We've broken down the big job between us, which makes it feel loads easier, and she will work in the daytimes so I will have to work in the evenings. Better to get the work done and on time, and share the rewards than to get it done late, and lose the good will ( and therefore potentialy more work in the future).

I'm happy with the decision. I've also got loads to do for local campaigns, not to mention the fact that I'm standing in the local elections in May, and I'm helping my dad with some projects so I do feel over-stretched. Sadly the thing that seems to be giving way at present is running, but once the mornings are lighter I may be able to go out more before work.

Seax why do you have this need to complicate your already complicated life. Standing in the elections - really? When you had so much on your plate already? Why do you think you can devote time and energy to this?

Sorry Seax I don't mean to be rude, but I do question your reasoning! If you win the election will your work give you time off for meetings?

good luck
chev

Seaxwyn

Chev you are right to ask and I ask myself the same question regularly. But the answer is because I believe passionately in the Green Party, and that it's time has come, and I happen to be the most likely person to win a seat locally. If there were a better candidate I would stand aside gratefully.

If I get elected, I will get an allowance which, though it is nowhere near as much as 1/5 of my pay, I would use as an excuse to go down to 4 days a week at work. I'm interested in the 5-days-hours-in-4 option that we were discussing today, though.

However i won't get elected if I don't do any canvassing, so with the current freelance load, there is a good chance that i won't!

Seaxwyn

Whoa, a bolt from the blue today. I got a phone call offering me a 2-day-week freelance contract for a year, doing something I'd really like to do. It's a place I've worked before which is much more interesting and better run than my current place.

So I am sorely tempted to cut my job down to 3 days/week and combine the two. I was meant to be working three days a week after June anyway and only recently agreed to stay full time for longer.

I know it's not prudent in some ways - giving up a full-time, salaried, pensioned, etc job, however it would be a better day rate, and get me into a sector which is more my scene.

Anyway it's not a dead cert. They are going to come back in the next few days with a firm offer. So I won't make any decisions til I see that. But it's cheered me up, anyway.

hypno06

Sounds a promising sort of compromise - and the simple fact that it has cheered you up is good news in itself!

Fingers crossed it can all be workable for you x

lucielle

Ditto what Hypno says.
L

beanielou

Seconded or maybe thirded what Hypno says from me too.

chevalier

Yeah Seax nice one.

Just don't jeaopardise (sp) the work you already have. If you can do a 3 day 2 day split then that would be great. But not at the expense of your health. You would have to be working pretty long days to fit 5 days into 3....and then do 2 more after that.

And if you got elected then you would need another day and you are back to 6 day weeks...

But I guess we wait for the firm offer first. What about sharing it with the buddy you are sharing the current free lance work with?
chev

Seaxwyn

April 1st debt total: £25,215.19. That's £702.30 down on last month. Result!

Monthly average reduction for 2011 so far: £369. Need to speed up.

I haven't agreed my new part-time terms with work yet. I am not pushing them to firm things up as I don't really know what I want. I don't enjoy the job at all any more. I have a horrible management load and two of the people I manage are difficult, in different ways. I never wanted to be a manager and I am not good at it.

I need to look for another three day a week job, but at the moment I don't have time. We're in full on electioneering mode here, it's very tiring, particularly since canvassing seems to involve a lot of beer drinking.

Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with the £702 reduction, would be chuffed if I could do that every month.

taxi73

well done that's a great reduction..re the job just take you're time and do what's right for you.