Start of my downshift from full time to part time work

Ilona

It is certainly good to read all this enthusiasm for downshifting, I'm sorry to hear of your back injury Amishwannabe, take it easy for a while.

What helped me to go onto part time working about ten years ago was a sudden lightbulb moment. Instead of working all hours in a boring job to try and keep up with the bills, why not spend less. I know it's not rocket science, but if you don't spend it you don't need to earn it. So I cut right back and discovered the difference about what I need and what I want.

Now I have the state pension and live a brilliant life because I have learnt how to manage, and it's easy peasy.

The bottom line is down to how you spend your money, balancing the books, money in and money out, it really is that simple. Good luck everybody.

Ilona

Slowdown

Hi I am really interested to see what everyone says. I am a full time teacher (currently on lunch!) and asked to work part time next year and was refused. I was very upset about it as my OH is out from 6.30am and gets back about 8pm. We have 3 teenage children who whilst they are capable of many things still need a mum, food, running around, clean clothes etc. I leave at 7.30 each day and return about 5/5.30 so during term time things are difficult. I spend some evenings marking and preparing and will certainly be writing reports in every spare minute for the next couple of weeks. I appreciate you may all point the finger and exclaim at the holiday times but they are often for collapsing in, regrouping and preparing for the next term. Don't get me wrong I am not moaning at my lot at all but I am excited to see how it all goes for you all. I applaud anyone who wants to slow things down and get a life and I am working towards spending less, paying off mortgage early and getting a slower one for myself. Already growing veg and looking to keep chickens too! Good luck Amishwannabe. Hope your back is better soon!:)

Amishwannabee

Thank you all for your responses. Kaz you have been ultra busy since April and well done to you. It is so interesting to see how we are all managing our time and our responsibilities and money of course. Hope that we can all achieve what we want this year and beyond whether it is part time hours, more "me" time or more money/less debt.
Have been to the physio today which was a bit ouchy but have to say that this pm I do feel a lot more mobile and comfortable - the sun being out also helps! Sat in the garden for an hour with mum who popped to see me for a natter and that was very relaxing as she made the tea and I just got waited on!
Back to work tomorrow but that is fine as my hours being shorter each day makes it easier to cope. Unable to get there without lifts though which is a pain but have to be positive and just look forward to being able to get there under my own steam again.
Take care of yourselves and your backs!

CH27

Have you tried Accupuncture for you back? It can be very helpful.

Kaz2904

slowdown, here's one person you'll never find complaining about the amount of time teachers get off. Yes you only work school hours........ and like you've just said a 10 hour day PLUS marking and lesson prep time in the evenings. If you added up all the hours that you do actually have to be working, you may find you're on minimum wage or less. So no, I don't think you get too much time off. Too much work crammed into a short space of time more like .
Being really lazy and trying to avoid cooking tea. Had planned coq- au- vin because it was warm food weather yesterday but now it's blisteringly hot so might do burgers with salad (I have burgers and sausages left over from our BBQ on the wedding day and want to defrost the freezer).
Right, off to sort out a cupboard. TTFN, Kaz.

Slowdown

slowdown, here's one person you'll never find complaining about the amount of time teachers get off. Yes you only work school hours........ and like you've just said a 10 hour day PLUS marking and lesson prep time in the evenings. If you added up all the hours that you do actually have to be working, you may find you're on minimum wage or less. So no, I don't think you get too much time off. Too much work crammed into a short space of time more like .

Well thanks for that. How refreshing! Am now on the last of the reports. Am glad I could say positive things to parents about all of the children, as I know that if you look hard enough you can find the beautiful side in everyone.
Thought about applying for a part time post in another school I found but I am really nervous about interviews as I haven't had one for nearly ten years! Desperately want to slowdown as the username implies but am very scared. Give me a coice between 30 rowdy kids and a few folks in suits and I know which I'd choose!
Any advice welcome.
Slowdown x

Kaz2904

Go for it slowdown! What's the worst they can say? It's not like you can lose your job by going for another one is it so there's nothing to lose.
Well, I've decorated my utility, downstairs loo and kitchen now. There are still finishing off bits to do like the woodwork but I'm actually going to do them unlike DH who is called "Hubby half a job". He once painted half of my garden table and then left it. I saw what he was doing and said "are you taking the pi55 or what now?" His Mum laughed but it's not funny it drives me nuts.
It's no wonder he can't bear to be at home when he's not working because he looks around and sees all of the half finished jobs which need doing. If he just tackled one thing per evening or even per week, it's amazing how much would get done. Then he could still have his weekends for doing whatever it is that he does with the kids whilst I'm sleeping.
I have managed a fair amount of sewing but am not able to get out the sewing machine for a while because I've got other stuff that I must do before I start playing again .
I am getting there though. I tell you, it was so lovely to be able to cross off some of the items on my to do list which has been stuck to my fridge for the last few years. I will whoop for joy when it's all done and I can cross it all off

Amishwannabee

Hello again. Very lax in keeping up my thread but good news on the back (front!!) as I am now able to drive short distances again and have been going to the gym to do some very low key exercise which has helped so much. On the medication front, now take a couple of tablets in the day and just a bit more at night so I don't keep waking myself as I turn over. Feeling so much more positive at last and able to cope with more at home again. Work is going fine and much more with it when I am there.

Picked all our gooseberries yesterday - 9lbs worth off 2 bushes. Going to make 3lbs into wine, 1lb into a WW fruit fool recipe, freeze some for a crumble another time and take some into work to give to colleague.
Garden looking lovely still thanks to OH efforts.

Really want to do the following this week:
- blackcurrants - pick, make wine, make jam
- do some more knitting - over half way through current pattern so with a push could finish by next week
- make a start on cleaning windows outside - some of them are so grimy it is embarassing. Have got a brush extension for hose pipe via Freecycle which should help to reach awkward bits.
- make huge effort to keep to WW plan using my old recipe books etc - def need to make headway to lose weight as will be good for back as well as for my general wellbeing. Step 1 already sorted - chose recipes for the main meals this week and OH has bought the items I need from shops today so no running out of things.
Hope all well and that it is sunny where you are.X
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Amishwannabee

Amishwannabee wrote: »

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Really want to do the following this week:
- blackcurrants - pick, make wine, make jam
- do some more knitting - over half way through current pattern so with a push could finish by next week
- make a start on cleaning windows outside - some of them are so grimy it is embarassing. Have got a brush extension for hose pipe via Freecycle which should help to reach awkward bits.
- make huge effort to keep to WW plan using my old recipe books etc - def need to make headway to lose weight as will be good for back as well as for my general wellbeing.
-

-well didn't have enough blackcurrants for jam but have made the wine and it smells good.
-Knitting has not moved out of the bag since I last posted!
-windows are as bad as ever!
-WW is going tremendously well though- have lost 9lbs in 2 weeks. (am using my old WW system and very pleased so far).
Back is improving every day :j- no tablets now and driving again and walking and doing the bike etc at gym for longer periods of time. Have managed aquacise class again and going again while on my time off work period. Feel so much more like my old self but still wary about over stretching at the moment. Am going for an MRI soon on my back as they think troubles might be disc related and want better evidence going forward.
Other than all this - glut of tomatoes on way, loads of raspberries, broad and French beans - had a good work appraisal and they are happy with work output despite me and colleague job sharing.
Have rewatched nearly all Harry Potters with daughter and just going to watch Part 6 now with her. Hope to see the last instalment this weekend.
Life is sweet - wish the weather would cheer up though!

Amishwannabee

Where does the time go? Have not posted on here for ages and feel bad and yet I don't as have been doing lots of other things.

Had MRI and get results in a couple of weeks time - think I have had a prolapsed disc so they want to see the state of it now. Meanwhile am using the gym more each week and going further on bike, stepper and doing some leg weight exercise now to strengthen them. Have not done aqua for a few weeks but that was because of family commitments - visiting relatives etc but plan to do again when we get back from our hols. Oh yes, we are going to France for a few days next week so really looking forward to that and to lots of swimming in the pool there.

Tomatoes and raspberries everywhere just now! Made two pots of raspberry jam at the weekend - delicious and so easy to do. Still have not made any into wine yet though but will. Tomatoes - we are thinking of using some to make tomato sauce to freeze.

Did a cull of old paperwork again the other day which was very therapeutic - just have to shred it now though when I go back to work.

Reading loads at the moment - Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson - found at a charity shop for 50p - bargain! I had already read the other 2 in the trilogy courtesy of charity shop and car boot - £1 each copy. Also reading Mrs Miniver by Jan Struther as joining a book appreciation group and it is their book of the month. Could not be further apart in style and story but both good reads.

While I have been on my time off period from work again have watched Spendaholics repeats on Really (Freeview 20) and really enjoyed them all over again. Such good progs and I wonder how all those featured folk are getting on now after 5 years or so? Also enjoying the BBC3 programmes by someone called "Cherry " she did a really good investigation about women and money last week and this week about body image. She seems such a lovely, enthusiastic person - a female Louis Theroux crossed with Sarah Beeny. Happy to watch these sorts of progs rather than some of the so called entertainment that is on the box these days.