Determined this is my last debt diary

clearmydebts

Yay - am below 17k now Happy days!

Have a good bit to update on & will do later when the babies are in bed. Hope everyone is well.

Kepp

Well done CMD :T

clearmydebts

beccie wrote: »

Well done CMD :T

Thanks Beccie. Wow - your sig looks amazing. You must be over the moon to have cleared so much debt in such a short space of time.

Any tips?

clearmydebts

Hi all,

I am delighted to be below 17k - feels good to be going down, rather than going up.

So, as many of you will know, I moved back home to Ireland from the UK last year when DD was 3 weeks old. OH has been commuting back and forth ever since. It has been very hard (on both of us) but we are muddling through.

OH has been looking for work in Ireland and has exhausted every avenue (I have to say though, it has been me forcing him to do this and it has been very draining mentally). I sort of came to the conclusion a few weeks ago that we might be financially & emotionally better off if I looked for full-time work, given that there are actually jobs in my area. It wasn't and wouldn't have been in my plans to return to the workplace on a full-time basis, but I think it is more important for the family to be together. So here are my pros and cons for both.

Me getting a full time job

Pros:
*OH will be at home
* More money - can pay off the debt quicker and save for a deposit on a house, or pay down the mortgage we have already

Cons:
* I am not at home with the little ones
* It is a temporary job (for 9 months)
* OH will have to mind the little ones and I am not sure how he will cope (I did say we would put DS into playschool for 3 mornings a week though)
* OH would prefer to be the main breadwinner and would probably feel a bit emasculated

The current situation we are in is no longer sustainable though, as OH does not earn enough money for me not to work and I am working from home (In the evenings) and with trying to fit all that in, run around after 2 babies during the day (4 days and evenings) and keep on top of the house I am exhausted.

Any advice welcome
*

Dinah93

Can I ask why it would be a 9 month temporary job? Is this a specific one you've seen or is there a reason all the ones you'd be looking to do are temporary?

Like you I think I'd want utmost for my family to be all together, is your DH happy to stay home or would he rather wait it out a bit longer in the hope something comes up for him? If he's happy with it then my only worry would be what happens at the end of the 9 month contract, if you think there will be another contract, or this one would be made permanent, then personally I think it would do your family good to be all together again.

wendz86

Thats a tricky one. I would agree with Dinah I think ,more important your family are together. It might spur your OH to look for something harder himself if he has to look after the children all week.

Kepp

clearmydebts wrote: »

Thanks Beccie. Wow - your sig looks amazing. You must be over the moon to have cleared so much debt in such a short space of time.

Any tips?

Unfortunately just lots of extra work I'm afraid Nothing new or original!

It's a tricky situation that you're in but I agree with Dinah. If it means your family is together it does sounds like the best plan.

If the current situation isn't sustainable then something has to give.

Could you review at the end of the 9 month contract and maybe change plans then? Can OH continue to look for work while you are working?

tirlittan

CMD - Brilliant news on being under £17k! Well done!

As others have said, tricky situation you have there but you've said the current situation is not sustainable so you might as well try something new. I'm sure your OH rather be with you and the babies too. I'm positive it all gets sorted out for better. Good luck!

clearmydebts

Thanks for all the replies.

Am feeling slightly lost tonight as Evie is at my aunts and Max is at my mother & fathers. Having said that, I got all of upstairs tidied and hoovered and got most of my job application completed.

My mother rang to say that she brought Max for a walk this evening and on the way back he said 'I wan't to go to bed at Mammy's house, I miss Mammy'. She said she was going to bring him back but he fell asleep so she just put him to bed. It is so cute, especially as he is obsessed with his Nanna.

In answer to the questions. The job is a specific one I have seen. Oh could then probably get contract work which would bring him away again, but only for a couple of months at a time (and he could stay at home for a few months at a time). I am hoping that I will be re-employed in this job again next year, which would mean work from May-Sep next year and is well paid.

I think we have decided to leave it to fate and if I get this job, OH will come home. If not, I will keep looking.

chevalier

Hi there CMD.


Well done on not giving up on clearing the debt.

What a pain about your OH's work. I take it he can't appeal the decision?

As to the work life balance issue. That is a tough one. One thing though, if you did go out to work and OH stayed home, it would be a good time to do the distance learning degree he wants to do? Would he get a student loan for it or anything?

good luck with making the decision.
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