A New House For Her , A Rugby Shirt For Me

andy1886

September over and October here . Just had last week off work and enjoyed the heat wave . All jobs completed , car passed its mot , £40 , insurance found for just shy of £250 , happy with that . Tax paid £130 . Chimney swept ready for the winter but we need the pointing doing on the pot and flashing on the roof , currently seeking builders to give me quotes . Trying to sort out a tv aeriel , been quoted £100 off a work colleagues husband , trying to fix up a date for him to do the job .
Today I am at the last chance saloon with regards to getting the twins into college . If they mess up today that is it , we have nowhere to go until the penny drops and they realise that college is where they need to be . Eldest apparently has gone back to where he came from . Not said this to us but his stuff has gone and not seen him since Thursday , no thanks off him for the last two months though !!
To focus on the remaining term of my debt , and until my credit file is repaired I am looking at ways of changing career . This would involve taking some courses to boost my chances so looking at courses today and costs and will decide whether I have a chance of doing this or not . With how we are getting treated just lately really keen on moving when the time is right and having a fresh start , going where the work is , but will see what the likelihood of this happening is .
Off in 4 weeks to see Will Young on our one night out for the year with an overnight stay in Nottingham thanks to the cheap Premier Inn offers . Seriously thinking about taking a long weekend away next year because I feel we both deserve a break , just trying to work out how to finance this , but the desire for it is there . Recommendations for a city break welcome .

andy1886

WOW - Twin A , no way was he ever going to college , been battling with him since easter about it , well he went to his interview ( took 2 hours to get him out of the house though ) and was on his best behaviour , even cracking a smile once , and has been accepted on a 3 day trial but he is keen to go and looking forward to it , think it was all the girls walking up the corridor during the interview .
Twin B was always going to college until September when he started rebelling and yesterday he was given a place starting today but he is adamant he won't be going , hence the reason I am up at 6 am on my day off ! Going to be hard with him but hopefully he will go and have his mind changed . He has no other options though , so off to college it is for him today .

andy1886

Twin B didnot go to college . Don't know what we will do with him now . Suppose we have to wait for the penny to drop and try for a place next year . Fingers crossed for other twin next week .

andy1886

Neither twin at college . Headteacher from their old school came to the house to take them but they refused , they had been for an afternoon last week with the deputy head but refused to go this . Just got to accept they will stay at home until they realise the mistake they are making if they ever do .
Wifes part time job finished yesterday as well so the only income we now have is mine which covers all the bills plus dmp , christmas won't be happening in our house this year .
My job is rumoured to be going onto short time as well for the next 6 months so it is going to be a long miserable winter .
On the dmp front Barclaycard have written to me to tell me they will be reinstating interest from November , don't know what effect this will have on the plan other than delaying the end date .
Car breakdown needs renewing in December around £100 hopefully , should have enough in the reserve fund to cover that .

andy1886

Went to work yesterday and yes for the next 6 months I will be 8 hours a week short . Works out at about £250 a month . Then received a phone call from a mate in another shop who told me they had just hosted the monthly draw and my number came out so I am £100 better off . Will find out next week for definate that this is true and if so I am going to see Will Young on November 2nd in Nottingham and stopping over down there , £29 Premier Inn , so will have a good night out thanks to work without worrying about the cost ( a good night to us is 2 bottles of beer at most ) :beer:

gallygirl

Good luck to you Andy, I hope you enjoy your weekend away. Is there anyway you could get a part-time job to make up the shortfall?

Kittenkirst

Good news on the monthly draw and enjoy your weekend away :0)

chevalier

Ok it is hard talk saloon time with the twins. Either they go to college and stick at it (thus enabling the reinstatement of tax credit), OR they get a job - any job no matter how !!!!!!, and you will be keeping dig money for them. OR they move out. You can't afford to keep them on nothing. Why aren't they signed on? That way you could at least get £20 a week out of each of them.

Is one twin the leader and the other the follower? If so is there any way of getting the vaguely more sensible one to make a decision for himself?

good luck. I think you really have to lay it on the line to them, ie show them the income and outgoings and make them realise that they HAVE to contribute something.

chev

andy1886

chevalier wrote: »

Ok it is hard talk saloon time with the twins. Either they go to college and stick at it (thus enabling the reinstatement of tax credit), OR they get a job - any job no matter how !!!!!!, and you will be keeping dig money for them. OR they move out. You can't afford to keep them on nothing. Why aren't they signed on? That way you could at least get £20 a week out of each of them.

Is one twin the leader and the other the follower? If so is there any way of getting the vaguely more sensible one to make a decision for himself?

good luck. I think you really have to lay it on the line to them, ie show them the income and outgoings and make them realise that they HAVE to contribute something.

chev

I hear where you are coming from . I have always said I wouldnot allow them to do nothing , their options were always college to increase educational skills and qualifications , an apprenticeship or a job . Unfortunately it has not been that simple . I have been to a work training establishment with one twin 4 times getting him a place but each time he left the house supposedly to catch the bus to get there but wasnot getting a bus but was walking the streets for a few hours . He gave them a false phone number on the only day he attended so they were getting no answer when ringing us . The other twin has had 5 places at the same college but the same story for him except they had the correct phone number . I can't physically take them to college because I leave for work before they need to leave the house . They both had 100% attendance at school so I thought involving them would work but as I posted that didnot work so I am afraid that whilst they are refusing to go then nobody can force them into it . I have mentioned throwing them out , getting a social worker to house them , going to the council etc but in reality that won't make anything better , taking away all there priveliges ie computer , tv and giving them the silent treatment until the realisation hits them about the grave mistake they are making . Yes one twin is the leader , he gave us trouble through the summer about his course whilst the other was on a place at college and went for a weeks summer club but unfortunately his brother has got to him and he has joined the rebellion . They arenot signed on because they are only 16 and you can't until you are 18 but they are signed on with connexions but again it is up to them to go and discover what is out there and applying but won't . As regards a job , they havenot got any gcse qualifications , only entry level 1 and 2 therefore college was to pull up their maths , english and i.t . Their attitude being as it is currently even if I could get them a job , they wouldnot go and it wouldnot be fair on any employer to have them wasting their time , I feel I have already wasted enough of peoples time these last 3 months .
I am currently resigned to them sitting at home doing nothing for the forseeable future but I have stated that once debt free and able to get a mortgage then we will be moving and if things don't change they will definately not be coming with us .

andy1886

gallygirl wrote: »

Good luck to you Andy, I hope you enjoy your weekend away. Is there anyway you could get a part-time job to make up the shortfall?

I work 5 days a week , at the monment I leave at 8am and get home at 10pm , I will be getting home at 830pm from next week and on a sunday at 530 . I don't get my rota until the weekend prior to the week therefore any other job would have to be very flexible to fit me in on the 2 days I don't work , and that is before I get a phonecall at 8am to go in due to sickness . Plus I am very tired working the hours I do and need a couple of days off to spend time with the missus . I think we just have to tighten the belts even more than usual but the scenario is that if we can get through these 6 months , hopefully my hours get extended in April and then this time next year if the situation reoccurs my mortgage is on a fixed rate of 6.29% which comes to an end in november 2012 so hopefully my new deal will release funds to cover next winter .
Our night away in Nottingham is a wednesday night , I havenot done a weekend out for 10 years , the thought fills me with dread , no we are out on a wednesday , concert , couple of drinks , bag of chips , bed , Wetherspoons breakfast roll and tea or orange , walk around Nottingham and home when ready at lunchtime probably . Not exciting for most people but I am so looking forward to it . Probably wont spend £25 either :T