Putting My Life Into Order

catandy

DS1 comes home 10th September :j - not that im pleased to hear that and am missing him like crazy. he's also got a full time job lined up for when he gets back and has already told me all about it, how much he will be earning and asked how much board and keep I will want off him cos he wants to save for a car/ driving lessons and longer term a working trip to Japan

cant wait to have him home and hear about all his adventures!

going to be a slow 4 weeks me thinks!

catandy

got to refocus cos I got nothing concrete achieved yesterday which is not good...

todays plan of action:-

• get bags of stuff dropped off at charity shop and the sell by kg place so that clears that out
• sort out council tax going to set up a SO cos im already a week late paying it this month :S
• get my figures together for my self employed tax return - I don't have to do this till Dec but I want to be organised this year and just get it out of the way
• clear the mountain of paperwork once and for all - shredder is primed and ready for action

oh and may do some work of course if I can fit it in

catandy

• ok bags of stuff ready to be taken tomorrow -
• council tax SO set up and paid for this month -
• work finished early for the weekend cos company types im calling into have a half day close on Friday (lucky so and so's ) mind you I can still bill for reading up and researching on my next project for next week so that's all good
• figures ready for self employed return going to do it sunday pm - gosh I know how to live
• paperwork stil not tackled .... got to muster up the motivation to do this one

other news is ex's business (used to be mine as well) signed a huge contract this morning. its a client I started out 'pitching' months ago and its taken till now for it to be closed business - I think I was a mug walking away but hey you live and learn uh? ex is paying me back from the company and has said he wants me back as a company director, I veer between wanting nothing to do with him but wanting to pocket my share of the profits (doesn't that make me sound like a complete and utter b*tch?)

short_bird

No, it doesn't.
If it hadn't been for the work you put in during the pitch, it wouldn't be a closed and lucrative contract now. :j

triple_choc_chip

No it doesn't, always keep business sense and personal sentiment separate.

Take the time to consider/ discover why he wants/needs you back for a moment. If he is doing brilliantly and the cash is rolling in why on earth would he offer to split it?

He must have realised he needs a skill you have that he doesn't have; make sure you know exactly what this is before you make a decision because only by recognising your worth to that company can you negotiate the proper reward.

You have already discovered that life is manageable and happier since he left and you are no longer subbing him and his family; therefore you can afford a little brinkmanship in order to return to the business on your terms if you want to do that. Being able to take it or leave it is an excellent place to be in when negotiating a business arrangement.

catandy

I've been thinking about the re-joining the company conundrum and am veering towards doing it - dependant on agreeing some terms with ex.

Truth is we work well together as business partners and both bring our skill set to the table - he's the technical one and understands all the restrictions and rules that the software we developed has to have in place to work perfectly. I'm the people person who gets people onside and working with us and using the system in the first place (I sell the damn contracts).

The trouble was the company and software was a financial yoke to me, as was ex and his extended family. By ex moving out that has taken away his financial dependency and his daughter and grand daughter are now solely his responsibility. The company is paying its way and making a profit (only taken 2.5 years to get to this stage...), if I climb back into the saddle with it all I work my allotted hours then switch off, ex and I have 240 physical miles between us so the reliancy has disappeared there as well and me and my kids are starting to live so that's never going to go back to the way it was.

we need to agree money and hours/ responsibilities. and then rejig all the paperwork again with companies house who must be getting dizzy with the changes of directors for the company all the time.

it also means that I may actually be able to find a way out of this financial hole sometime soon - DFD with me working and paying off bills on settlement figures is about 30 months away, if I replace my income with the contract work that comes down to just over 12 months. Add an income from being a company director and that takes it down by another 4 to 6 months, so could be completely clear by April/ may of next year if I put my mind to it.

got to agree terms with ex and then run the idea past my kids, im not going to do anything that upsets their life again and I will not let it go back to the stressful way we were living before - I like my life too much as it is (which is really quite sad seeing as I don't really do anything or go anywhere) its just nice not having to answer to anyone and having my home to my own family without having to consider anyone else. looks like I may be back in business with him after all ...

dawnybabes

I think it's a good move, and now it's on your terms and more proactive vs reative shold be a good little earner.

catandy

2 big things sorted today -

appointment set up to meet contract work company and thrash out t&c's - they want me to start mid sept which works perfectly with all the projects im already committed to with the self employment. initial contract is 3 months working 4 days per week and taking home 1.5 times what I clear on my best month working self employed so all good there. extra income will not kick in till Octobers pay packet but that's ok.

arranged to meet up with ex this weekend - he's back in the area to visit family so I'm going to re-join the company on agreed terms / pay rates that will start sept 1st onward cos will take that long to become formal. again extra income

all going in the right direction and I'm now strong enough to be in control as I know what is right for me and mine.

catandy

A level results day tomorrow for DS1 and I've promised to go and get his result for him - I'm so nervous for him it feels like it was me that sat the exam he's so cool and collected about everything and I'm the exact polar opposite anyway he's happy and settled with his plans regardless of what happens tomorrow so that's all good.

Sat down last night and did money in vs. money out over the next 6 weeks with the implications of my income changing. And all ok, can afford to pay for everything with no worries and by Octobers pay packet I will be in the position to either start making some f&f offers or upping the amount I pay to each creditor by a considerable amount. the first option is my preferred approach at the moment - means I can see the number of creditors start to diminish and the total value outstanding as well.

outgoings are also starting to drop as well over the next few months - DS2 fone contract ends in January and he's taking that over, DS1 ends in Feb and same there - saving to me of £40 pm. both are starting to pay me some board and keep so that will free up some more funds - I've decided to take £100 off each of them per month, that covers their food and electric they use and I've always covered all the bills so why should they start being liable for them - not fair, other thing I've decided to do is push them into setting up a savings account each so they can pay the extra they would be paying on the cost of living into that and save for something they really want. both went with the idea but they have yet to start putting money into the accounts - we shall see ...

house guest is on the list for the council to get her own place for when the baby comes along but is not classed as priority as she has a roof over her head, so its going to be a tight squeeze again when DS1 gets back next month

catandy

well result for DS1 I got for him yesterday, he was pleased with a B/ C/ D saying that I was lucky he got any grades at all as wish he had dropped out months ago. I think he should do resits when he gets back but realise that he is an adult now and needs to make his own choices (I also realise that he's going to have a tough time of it anyway) with the way the economy is, I think he is going to end up like his mom freelancing and jumping from job to job.. oh well time will tell.

another sale from fleabay yesterday which has now slowed down to an absolute crawl - £58 after p&p and fees which is money I wouldn't have had otherwise. 2 sacks of stuff sold at the sell by kg place yesterday - another £12 there and some more space gained

DS2 away next weekend at a music festival so hopefully it will stop raining by then. he is also aghast that its taken him almost 6 months to pay for his ticket and get his spending money together and then the festival lasts just 48 hours - lol. Oh well I'm sure he will have a blast whilst he's there:)

nothing else going on in my little MSE world - all really quiet (even more so than normal which really is saying something!)