A few months and several questions

RosaBernicia

Thanks Poles - interview is next week and I have to prepare a presentation, so will be working on that soon.

You may well be right about meant to be... it's just sometimes I get impatient :rotfl:


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

I've saved £174 on my car insurance :j:j

Saved £144 on the renewal by doing all the comparison checks, then went through Quidco and should have another £30 cashback :T And that's even with a protected No Claims Bonus. I declined the various extras as I only really use the car for getting to work, which could be done without if absolutely necessary. I don't drive up north any more as the petrol costs as much as the train fare, and it's so much more relaxing to get the train. I could even think about giving up the car now... but it does give a lot of flexibility especially in emergencies, so will probably just keep it running. Really pleased though as I think I can now pay for the service and MOT out of the car savings pot as well as the insurance... makes me feel soooo virtuous

My credit score on N0ddle has got better - went from 2/5 to 3/5 after making sure it showed I am on the electoral roll, getting rid of one credit card and paying off the smaller overdraft. I think it will be a few months before I can make much of a difference again as I need some dental work which will slow down paying off the next OD.

I also think I've saved £75 by not buying the reference management software after all. When I was looking at the offer last night, I remembered that there are some free online versions which can do imports from the paid-for software. So I now have one of the free ones and will be experimenting with it later. Still time to get the paid-for one if necessary, but as I only really want it to do citations and bibliography I hope the free one will be sufficient. Less money now and less for future upgrades, hopefully *crosses fingers*


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

Oh and other moneysaving news this month is am very happy with GiffGaff so far. Love having unlimited data as well as text, as it means I can pick up emails or use maps any time without worrying about the limit, and the Android app very helpfully tells me exactly what credit I've got left and when it expires.

So that's dropped to £15 and no contract (haven't used it all this month, so could even drop to £10) instead of £36/month. :cool:


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

Hmm, well I didn't get the job but am not disappointed about it as am not sure I'd have wanted it anyway. Didn't like the attitude of the guy I would have been working for and am unimpressed at the way they basically angled the whole thing for an internal candidate - as if I can properly comment on the intricacies of their relationship with the partner organisation from outside - and including making a fuss about my not including my first job after uni on the application... as if that makes any difference to my competence now. So they can get knotted. On the bright side, I got some much-needed interview practice, some compliments in the feedback, and the realisation that I could leave my current job without looking back.

Sadly I did spend money on the interview outfit though... after much dithering I decided I should just wear a suit rather than worry about whether I should have, and bought a shirt since none of the previous ones will do up without gaping . I actually picked up two in TM L3win as it meant a fiver off, but will probably take the second one back, so that's £35 spent plus whatever the cufflinks were (cheap fabric knot ones). That reminded me where all my money went while I lived in the city... I only spotted the shop because I was waiting at the mainline station.

Also realised I needed decent shoes - I have got away with wearing sandals and informal ones at current job, bit like I've been going in in jeans occasionally just to save buying more formal stuff - but I do need one decent pair so found some in M&S for £40 (comfy Footglove ones because I am rubbish with high heels and that's all that seemed to be in the other shops).

Besides which the photocopying/ printing charges for MSc articles will hit this month so that's going to be another £40 or so. Nearly over though and have been making distinct progress in the last couple of days. Should have a draft sorted very soon.

No other money news except the cat has been bought Butchers Classic instead of Bozita for the moment. He seems to like it just as much and it's still grain free while half the price - and can be picked up from the supermarket instead of messing about with deliveries.

Oh and I must book the car in for service and MOT... but hopefully that will be covered from the current savings pot. Must transfer the insurance money over.

So it's a bit of one-step-back, but still going forward

Rosa xx

ZTD

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Hmm, well I didn't get the job but am not disappointed about it as am not sure I'd have wanted it anyway.

Which means you didn't want it. If you're unsure about somewhere you spend 40+ hrs a week, you don't want to be there.

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Didn't like the attitude of the guy I would have been working for

Well that's a big one right there.

RosaBernicia wrote: »

and am unimpressed at the way they basically angled the whole thing for an internal candidate - as if I can properly comment on the intricacies of their relationship with the partner organisation from outside - and including making a fuss about my not including my first job after uni on the application... as if that makes any difference to my competence now. So they can get knotted.

Indeedy...

RosaBernicia wrote: »

On the bright side, I got some much-needed interview practice, some compliments in the feedback, and the realisation that I could leave my current job without looking back.

Well done there then.

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Sadly I did spend money on the interview outfit though...

Oh! Shock! Horror! And it's not like you could ever use it again...

(:p)

RosaBernicia wrote: »

No other money news except the cat has been bought Butchers Classic instead of Bozita

Eight out of 10 cats prefer not to be eating something that sounds like spot cream...

RosaBernicia

Z! :j

I was literally just thinking which thread you were on last as was going to message you, you'd gone very quiet and I wasn't sure if you were away or had something on or were just having fun without us.

Bozita cat food is Swedish. Am not sure I want to know what they call their spot creams. Though most of the Swedes I've met seem far too healthy to need things like that.


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

Aaaand in today's news... still thinking I have rather lost interest in my current job. Which is unfortunate really as I haven't found another one yet. Better find a way of motivating myself, even if it does have to be yet more 'do this so it looks good on my CV and I get out of here to somewhere better'.

Much calmer about the essay though. Suddenly it all seems doable. Will need a good bit of tidying next week, but somehow now I know what I want to be saying, which helps.


Rosa xx

ZTD

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Z! :j

I was literally just thinking which thread you were on last as was going to message you, you'd gone very quiet and I wasn't sure if you were away or had something on or were just having fun without us.

I'm just not putting the time in any more.

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Bozita cat food is Swedish. Am not sure I want to know what they call their spot creams. Though most of the Swedes I've met seem far too healthy to need things like that.

They all seem to be that way. Here's a small comparison.

I laughed, because I'm uncharitable like that...

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Aaaand in today's news... still thinking I have rather lost interest in my current job. Which is unfortunate really as I haven't found another one yet.

You could be in my situation, when I have lost the will to live with current job, and I'm not even looking... :eek:

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Much calmer about the essay though. Suddenly it all seems doable. Will need a good bit of tidying next week, but somehow now I know what I want to be saying, which helps.

That's good.

RosaBernicia

ZTD wrote: »

I laughed, because I'm uncharitable like that...

So did I, but only because now I'm glad I didn't spend my teens in Newcastle clubs after all.



Well, silver lining about job application seems to be that by 1130 on first day back at work I was given free rein to set up a new project sorting out stuff we've wanted to get done properly for ages. The slight issue is that this would mean I will be running three national projects, supporting a fourth, and being review-and-fix-things bod for about twenty others ranging from miniscule up to national. Funnily enough I have said I'll do it, but will need help. And I will also be insisting this time that they review my grading, because frankly otherwise they can get someone else to do the extra bits.

So that cheered me up. I'd rather have interesting and complicated than straightforward and dull. Am even managing to overlook the line management nonsense from people who appear to either have no integrity, or no ability to evaluate their own work.


Downside is haven't got any further with essay as have been wiped in the evenings, so must seriously sort it tomorrow and Bank Hol when I can go nocturnal again.


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

Forgot about the bank hol due to arranging to spend it swotting so being paid early was a pleasant surprise

The last couple of months haven't been very effective debts-wise but am hoping things will settle down next month once the essay is all over. Of course then I might go and get myself a social life and those are expensive :rotfl:

Anyway the transfers are done, the results are in, and the totals now stand aaattt...
£9,722 total debt
£8,789 net status

As I said, not much progress in the last couple of months BUT no major backsliding either, despite stresses. No predicted big spends in the next couple of months, just gifts which are already saved for. I will be having a major house tidy and wardrobe sort-out but am hoping this will mean stuff going out of the house not coming in!

The net status is due to savings pots for holiday, gifts and car - the car fund already took a big hit for insurance and will be wiped out shortly for service and MOT. But am now feeling veerrrry smug that I bought a 6 month tax disc last year and only then a year's one to ensure that the road tax now falls halfway through the year and not at the same time as everything else. Go me If it turns out I can get the service and MOT done within the rest of the pot I shall be even smugger. If that's a word.

My next goal is still to get rid of the overdraft, which should be within the interest free range at October paycheque and cleared in November.


Rosa xx