Hypno's kick up the backside debt diary....

liloandstitch

Hi hypno06, this is my first post, but I have been reading your diary from the start, and admire you for how you have reduced your debt. I am in the same boat, my finances don't work on paper, but always seem to stretch to cover the month somehow!With your kids skiing, have you looked at getting a lottery grant? My DH's son played squash as a teenager and reached england level, and cost him and his ex-wife a fortune. They applied for a grant and received something like £90.00 a month for 2 years which helped with the costs. It stopped when he stopped playing competitively. I dont know the rules relating to this but it is worth a try!!Good luck anyway.

hypno06

Hello Liloandstitch and thank you for your post. I will make some enquiries.

Snaggles, of course I remember you teaching DS - but you have not so far used the 2 tickets to Paris that he gave you for Christmas, so how will I know that you would appreciate the gifts I have in mind for Summer

Yesterday I sent off my CV to adult education (finally) to see if there is any chance of me doing some tutoring. Was hoping for a NSD but at race training last night, new team kit was being ordered so a cheque for £25 had to be [STRIKE]wrenched from me[/STRIKE] handed over.

Today I am taking my friend to the hospital to have her plastercast removed. My good deed for the day. Then it is DS sportsday, weather permitting - but I will not be doing the Mum's race, that's for sure!!

Moneywise, I will be doing another small mystery shop and more searching for car insurance. Nothing more than that, sadly.

LJD1_2

Can you imagine what some teachers must receive as gifts where money really is no object or should I say more money than sense! I'd love to know what some of the teachers at 'posh' schools get!

OliveOyl_2

That's how I got to do teaching! Did you know that in private schools you don't have to be qualified to teach? The idea is that you choose the best person for the job and their qualifications may be immaterial. (This may have changed since I left 15 years ago). Anyway my science degree wasn't needed to teach 7 yr olds!

Some presents were lovely (chocolates, tins of biscuits etc) we always had flower arrangements from florists, (as well as pot plants) and toiletry sets. But it makes absolutely no difference to anything. Each child got their thank-you letter, and the next term we were teaching different children.

I don't like ornaments partiucularly, but as a single mum I was pleased to return those to M&S for a refund, whereas they wouldn't allow you to return food (including unopened tins of biscuits). I never got anything homemade (the au-pairs couldn't cook!) which I'd have liked, and I only remember one present. A dish of sweets and the dish was beautiful.

Oh- I did get some homemade cards which I loved.

The head teacher got MASSES of flowers & booze.

chocaholic110

LJD1 wrote: »

Can you imagine what some teachers must receive as gifts where money really is no object or should I say more money than sense! I'd love to know what some of the teachers at 'posh' schools get!

Guess I'll never know. My school (and also the village where I live) is counted among the top 10% deprived areas in Britain. Not that I'm complaining - I get paid fairly well for what I do (compared to other salaries in the region) and you don't get many jobs where you get presents on top of your pay.

Seaxwyn

Wouldn't it be nice to get 30 presents twice a year just for doing your job....

At least I don't have to make a choice this year as two of the mums are collecting money to buy M&S vouchers for the teachers and TAs from the whole class. Not surprisingly the mum who dreamed this up is herself a teacher.

Good luck with the adult education hypno and enjoy the sports day - ours has been rained off.

hypno06

Well, sports day didn't get rained off, and I managed to resist the mums race:D

Came home to find a couple of bills:mad: , some old barclaycard statements that I can go through and reclaim charges and send it off tomorrow, and a letter from HSBC rejecting a claim for charges made last week, so another letter will get sent to them tomorrow.

I took my friend to the hospital this morning to have her plastercast off and stitches out. Because we were there a long time we managed to get our parking paid for, and my friend paid me petrol money and for coffee while we were waiting, so essentially a NSD so far.

Verbatim

Swings and roundabouts then for you Hypno. Sorry about the banks and bills but well done on the overdraft and money management.

hypno06

Thanks Verbatim, at least they are not bills that are either unexpected or unbudgetted! So the spreadsheet is still looking fairly friendly!!

Tomorrow I will be doing letters for bank charge reclaims, will get the bills paid and will come up with some more stuff to go on ebay over the weekend.

I am also going to do a list of money I have saved since starting here in December. So for example, the £30 of direct debits I found and cancelled this week is actually £360 a year. My shopping bill for groceries etc has been reduced by about £200 a month, so even allowing for Christmas etc, this is a saving of £1000 a year I have cancelled the cleaner at £25 a week, so again another £1200 a year saved, and the £50 a month for the gym that I cancelled in January is another £600 a year. And those are just the things that I can think of off the top of my head! I am sure there are other bits and pieces that I can do an "annual saving" calculation. That little list is over £3000 a year that we are managing not to spend - not bad going!!

hypno06

Right, today I will be doing bank charge reclaims - OH's barclaycard statements arrived yesterday so that is one to calculate and send in, and HSBC have rejected the claim sent to them so second stage now required.

Bills will get paid and a bit of matched betting to be done today I think. Also have to take DS's bike in to have a "thingy" fitted as his is broken. Hopefully it will work out reasonable otherwise I will have to put it on the CC. He has done without it for ages though, and with the summer hols upon us it really needs to be fixed now.