Hurdler's Race to be Mortgage-Free

Hurdler

I have had some lows - this is by far the worse.

gallygirl

So, what would the finances be like if you left? Because if you're not enjoying what you're doing and find it really frustrating you may as well go back to your IT work and sell your soul for real money .

Hurdler

gallygirl wrote: »

So, what would the finances be like if you left? Because if you're not enjoying what you're doing and find it really frustrating you may as well go back to your IT work and sell your soul for real money .

I think the iT editor I worked for would work me over again or worse would refuse to have me back - I wouldn't trust him as he seemed to really have a problem that I was pursuing other avenues.

I rang the guy from The Sun who said if it would help he would vouch for me and I got the boss to take down the live stream tab but there is still an icon that the dopey-developers would have to take down.

I have to be pragmatic GG. I am off to WTA Stuttgart and applying for Madrid - it is just potentially RG and Wimbledon I may not get into on this job. It may affect a few UK ones as well if they are being awkward. But should not affect other countries.

If all things stayed equal, I could pay off my mortgage in five years with this role and I still get paid to watch and write tennis content so I have to weigh up whether 4 weeks in a 48 week year is that important to me or use the chance to build my CV and contacts and move when I am in a more financially viable position.

Doesn't stop me from wanting to sob hysterically over the fact it was so close and so far away.

gallygirl

Hurdler wrote: »

If all things stayed equal, I could pay off my mortgage in five years with this role and I still get paid to watch and write tennis content so I have to weigh up whether 4 weeks in a 48 week year is that important to me or use the chance to build my CV and contacts and move when I am in a more financially viable position.

Doesn't stop me from wanting to sob hysterically over the fact it was so close and so far away.

Well, at least you know you're not going to back to what you did do. And as for sobbing hysterically, well it won't cure anything long term but if it makes you feel better short term then go for it :kisses3:

Lois_E

Hugs Hurdler. So sorry to hear boss is being so short-sighted.

Hurdler

Options:
1) On the assumption I keep writing:
a) Look for local print jobs - competition high, pay very much lower than I have now, no guarantee of working a sports desk, or tennis specifically.
b) Approach IT editor's right hand woman (who I wasn't entirely sure wasn't complicit in what happened) for IT writing - pay is ad-hoc and will not as much as I was getting as IT Editor pulled in someone full time so may cover bills but money would be very variable and at times not enough to cover outgoings from business side or household.
c) Stay put, money is good, writing tennis content and try and mainatin some sort of editorial control to build up contacts where I can and move on if/when I can but accept it may mean never covering the French or Wimbledon if they both turn me down, and could affect UK tournies. At the moment I have been able to get into WTA Stuttgart and applying to cover Madrid.
d) Give it all up and try and get on a "proper job" I contract - 9-5 (read 7am-7pm with commuting) - way more money but no freedom and no writing.

Those are my choices.
I have to keep a roof over my head so for the moment I am having to stick with (c)... and trying to not feel resentful which would ruin it all. Not. Easy.

Hurdler

Well the only "good" news in an otherwise crushing week is that my mortgage payment has come down still further from £394 to £384 later this month... so that should make the overpayment a little easier.

But my heart's not really in it at the moment

#GoingThroughTheMotions

Hurdler

Well gradually the more pragmatic me is taking charge of the emotional wretch.

So this week I got fleeced by a cabbie who insisted we try and get in before a diversion road closure (which of course we didn't!) which meant that we took a long detour and cost me nearly £40. So my Friday chippy treat is a non starter as I don't want to take any extra burn money out so instead of a chippy treat, my Friday will be a fish figer sarnie. So calorie AND money saving.

Hurdler

HMRC have deigned to give my company back the additional PAYE that I *personally* paid when I had a month of normal work before starting work properly in my limted company.

I am still none the wiser as to why my limited company gets it and not me personally but £763.26 is not to be quibbled at and that will go into my business account now and clear asap - probably not in time for me to do my expenses and dividends on the 6th but certainly will help next month.

edinburgher

Sorry to hear you've been feeling a bit down in the dumps, we invest so much in paid work that it can be a right PITA when it does annoying things. On the positive side, you have choices and that's fantastic, even if only some of them are realistic...

£40 for a taxi in London doesn't sound that bad, allowing for inflation since we lived there. Was it a black cab? What should it have cost?

Never mind about the chippy - fish finger sandwiches are practically soul food