Sweetdaisy's aim to be mortgage-free

Goldiegirl

At the time I was made redundant 5 years ago, I did the AAT levels 1 & 2 for bookkeeping.

As I was looking for part time roles, I thought bookkeeping would be a useful skill.

I enjoyed the courses. After more than 30 years in banking, it came quite easily. As it turned out, I found a new job at a small bank, but if i'd been younger and looking for a new direction, I'd have seriously considering moving on to the accountancy courses.

I like numbers, they always do the same things, not like people!:rotfl:

sweetdaisy

Hi Goldiegirl. I am doing the AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting and a change in direction for me would mean taking a huge paycut, however this is something that I am prepared to do as I would like to be able to work part-time in the future, so that I can be at home more to help children with their school work etc as they get older.

TimmySaver

sweetdaisy wrote: »

I am only doing AAT Level 2. I am enjoying the course, however it has been over 13 years since I last did any studying, so finding it all a little overwhelming trying to study and manage children/work/home etc. I am sure that once I get into a routine, I'll be Ok.

I am studying 2 evenings a week, as well as working one evening a week - so am away from the children for 3 nights, plus also working full-time and my job involves taking part in the 'on-call' rota - so this along with DH working shifts makes it quite difficult to juggle everything .

I don't think that you're 'only' doing level 2. It's a really good qualification and even the people that worked in accounts found it difficult.
You must be an incredibly organised and motivated person. I really hope you enjoy the course. Which set of books do you use? We use the Osbourne ones.


Hope you're having a good day

sweetdaisy

TimmySaver wrote: »

I don't think that you're 'only' doing level 2. It's a really good qualification and even the people that worked in accounts found it difficult.
You must be an incredibly organised and motivated person. I really hope you enjoy the course. Which set of books do you use? We use the Osbourne ones.


Hope you're having a good day

Thanks for this, it is really motivating. I think I am expecting too much of myself too soon and need to try and relax more . A few have already dropped out of the course and some of the students (who already work in accounting) are able to input all the figures into the computerised accounts as part of their daily jobs, but are struggling with the theory and having to manually do the calculations.

We are using the Osbourne books and I find them easy to follow. Currently on Introduction to basic costing (this is the exam in a few weeks) and Bookkeeping 1.

TimmySaver

sweetdaisy wrote: »

Thanks for this, it is really motivating. I think I am expecting too much of myself too soon and need to try and relax more . A few have already dropped out of the course and some of the students (who already work in accounting) are able to input all the figures into the computerised accounts as part of their daily jobs, but are struggling with the theory and having to manually do the calculations.

We are using the Osbourne books and I find them easy to follow. Currently on Introduction to basic costing (this is the exam in a few weeks) and Bookkeeping 1.

No problem! I reckon that if you're sticking with it when others are quitting, it shows that you want it - therefore you'll get it.


I know what you mean - we had the same in our class. Many years ago I worked in accounts for a year or so. When I started with AAT last year, we began with Bookkeeping 1 and I knew how easy I'd had it! Sage makes everything so easy because you don't need to know the double entry.
I'm so glad that both me and DW persevered with Level 2 because I really enjoy all the double entry. We were planning on doing our first level 3 exam in October, but the severity of the pregnancy sickness has side-tracked us both. We're both quite eager to get back to it!


We found the Osbourne books brilliant. We found that if we were comfortable with the tutorial and workbook questions, then we'd have no problems with the exam.


I got really frustrated in the first couple of months with Level 2 because of how tiring I found the classes due to the ME. But I ended up sitting myself down and convincing myself to be positive and chill out about it!


Best of luck with the exam. Have you done any practice exams with the AAT system yet?

sweetdaisy

TimmySaver wrote: »

I'm so glad that both me and DW persevered with Level 2 because I really enjoy all the double entry. We were planning on doing our first level 3 exam in October, but the severity of the pregnancy sickness has side-tracked us both. We're both quite eager to get back to it!

Hope that your DW's sickness subsides soon and you both get back on track with your Level 3 exams, while you have the chance before baby arrives.

TimmySaver wrote: »

Have you done any practice exams with the AAT system yet?

No not yet, but plan to take a look at them over the weekend. Went to College tonight and got 100% in a double entry test that the tutor gave us (we had no idea that we were having a test tonight, so it threw me a bit), but after having a feeling of hopelessness at first, I snapped out of it and got on with it.

So I left college tonight thinking that I can relax a little, only to end up going home and then straight to A&E with DS1 as it turns out that he has a greenstick fracture on his wrist, having fallen off the monkey bars in the park earlier today after school :eek:. DH said that he was Ok up until I came home and as soon as I walked in through the door DS1 started crying, so I knew that something wasn't right. So after a trip to hospital, DS1 can't wait to show off his plaster cast in school and I know that DS2 (3 years old) is probably going to wonder in the morning, why he hasn't got a plaster cast as well :rotfl:.

What a day! Just need to wind down now and get some sleep .

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi SD, sorry to hear about your son. I can imagine DS2 will want a cast too :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Congratulations on your studies.

Tilly x

TimmySaver

Congratulations on getting 100% - excellent news. AAT uses the same system for practice exams as the real exams, so hopefully you'll get to test it out soon

Ouch! That sounds painful. Hope DS1 is ok - and that DS2 doesn't get cast-envy and try to get one himself!!

sweetdaisy

Had a quiet weekend, not spent any money (apart from the weekly food shop), masses of washing and ironing done and went for a nice walk in a Country Park this afternoon.

MFW/Finances:

• £25 mortgage OP made, bringing mortgage balance down to - £57,165.
• £151 mortgage interest was added at the end of September, a £20 reduction compared to August.
• Cashback balance from Credit Card (to be paid in Jan 2015) is at £164. This will be used to make a Mortgage OP.
• Annual TV Licence paid this week costing £145.50.

Other:

• I found the house quite nippy last night, however don’t feel that it’s cold enough to put the heating on just yet. I did put it on earlier this evening though just to check that it’s working Ok – glad I did as three of our radiators are not working and they don’t need bleeding . Luckily DH’s friend is a Plumber, so we’ll ask him to check them out, before the heating needs to go on properly.
• I have booked Annual Leave for the October half term, so need to put my car in for a service to get it ready for winter. This will be my car’s first service since I got it in February, so no idea how much it will cost.
• Not having much time to do any exercise, so resorting to using my mini trampoline in the evenings for 30 mins when I can, so at least I feel that I am doing something.

TimmySaver

Well done on your OP and planned OP! I can't wait until our interest is down to £150.

Seeing the cost of the TV licence, I'm glad we haven't had to pay for the past few years. I'm sure they'll end up bringing catch up services into the fee sooner rather than later though!

Fingers crossed that the radiator issue isn't too costly and that the car service goes well.