The Ultimate Incentive part 10. The only thing holding you back is you.

Tete_en_l'Air

:hello: Hi girls!

Whew, first post in a little while eh? Just been getting my finances in order for the first time in a good 12 months (I was £500 into my current account o/d and being charged loads for it, whilst having at least £1,000 spread across various other accounts :wall:) and I was reminded of the joys of MSE!

I've been in a teacher training bubble for the last year of my life, and then my summer was pretty naff too, but I'm trying desperately to have some kind of work-life balance this year, so thought I'd try to reconnect with you lot!

I've more or less decided already that I'll leave the profession once I've completed my NQT year and become fully qualified - isn't that awful? It's already become clear that nothing ever becomes easier in teaching, the workload never reduces, it just changes. I can't face the thought of working 15+ hours every weekday plus at least one day of the weekend for the rest of my working life, it's just not worth it. Especially when the classroom side of things isn't fulfilling, which for me it isn't - I imagine some people thrive on the constant adrenaline of keeping on top of the students but for me it is extremely wearing. I know I complained about my office job being unstimulating but at least it wasn't, frankly, toxic in the way teaching is

Hope everyone else is well - I think I've more or less kept up on the major bits of news via facebook Great news that Ben is doing so well, such a contrast to Grace's first few months, you must be so relieved! What was NIM's change of job, I definitely missed that?

Hope to keep in better touch from now on! xxx

Dinah93

YEY it's Tete! I was just reading your blog last night missus, checking in on how you're doing, we've missed you over here.

Do you have any idea what you'll look to do after your NQT year? I have quite a few teacher friends who only did one or two years before going travelling mostly.

NIM left market research and has gone full time into care. He's senior carer at a home in Northallerton, being considered for a new position they're creating which is sort of like how they used to have unqualified but experienced 'nurses', if he gets it that would be another salary bump which would be lovely as we've dropped from a combined income of £39k in the last financial year to around £20k expected in this one.

Booked a few shows for the next few months for Grace and I, need to make sure she still gets quality time with me and Ben is so easy to look after I can leave him with mum even on Sundays when she does her school planning as he just sleeps in between feeds. Luckily he's perfectly happy to have bottle or breast as he started them at the same time in nicu so I can leave him with anyone - perks of a preemie.

Money news of the day, I got my responce from a tax credit application I submitted in July yesterday. We've been assessed as entitled to £17 a month Better than a kick in the teeth but not much better! However that's based off last year's income, as I say this year is a lot lower, so I need to contact them Monday to give them our new figures and hopefully that will go up somewhat.

Grace is just thinking about naptime, when she goes down I'm going to list some of dad's products on etsy, see if we can make some Christmas sales. Although my tag team will no doubt swap in and I'll have little man awake until she gets up again. I should be 7stone by now I never get to eat they keep me so busy, sadly I fill the void where real meals should be with coke and dark chocolate.

Have finally caught up on all housework except ironing thanks to Grace starting nursery, so this afternoon we're going to do some baking and go for a walk - both of them adore the double buggy even if I feel like I'm forcibly shoving a line of shopping trolleys down the street.

Is the meet in Leeds happening next weekend anyone?

Tete_en_l'Air

I can't make next weekend, it's my Granny's 80th on Saturday and I'm running a half marathon on Sunday

Not a clue what I'll do after So few interesting jobs around here and even fewer things paying over about £16k. Bit depressing. Certainly can't go travelling as I need to be close to home for Dad and Gran, neither of whom are very well at all.

Best of luck with all the internet listing, hope you make some sales! Just looking at your sig - is 3 your lucky number or what?!

Dinah93

I'd never noticed that but aye it appears to be!

Cinny91

Dinah - might it be worth while getting one of those agency places to list your ebay things for you? I can't remember if it's a thing that exists or something I made up But even though they take a percentage, it might be worth it to get some debt shifted and space cleared?

ALMOST FAINTED WITH EXCITEMENT SEEING POSTS FROM TETE ALL OVER!! :j:j:j Sorry to hear things haven't lived up to your expectations with teaching But at least you tried it, I wouldn't of been able to take a leap of faith into the unknown like that. And you won't be wondering "what if" over it all, that's got to be a positive

Won't be able to make the meet I'm afraid, I did post on FB. Just that the people I had to look after Ryder can't do it anymore, OH is out too

Dinah93

They exist but I haven't found one nearby, otherwise yep, I'd have gone it. Better 50% of something than a house full of !!!!! and no money.

Aye I saw you couldn't, I didn't know if anyone else still could.

Congratulations on your badge Cinny

Dinah93

I always have such big plans for while Grace is at nursery. But the nurse and the health visitor have taken most my morning, feeding and changing Ben the rest. Now I have a little over an hour until I need to go back for her. Plan was to wrap some amazon parcels to send but I can only assume I've used the last of the tape as I can't find it anywhere. So now I need to walk to the shops, buy tape, come back, wrap parcels, walk back to the shops to send them, which somehow I can't see my kids agreeing to, Grace may go entirely rigid if I try to put her in the buggy for a 3rd time today.

Ben is 5lb 15oz though as of weigh in this morning

Going to try to blog a little again, mostly it will be about family life and kid activities rather than money stuff so will keep both sides of it up. I need to look into that bubblews thing see if I'd be better using that to make some pennies at the same time.

Gargh just realised I need to call tax credits before I go back to get Grace, that's the last of the morning accounted for. I managed to finish adjusting all the photos of dads first 2 dozen products for etsy last night but haven't managed to list them yet, have to hope Grace and Ben go to bed early. Or Grace does anyway, no hope for my mini Mr night owl.

Dinah93

Oooh actually.... (3rd post in 5 minutes, feel lucky), what would everyone do. We have a beautiful guest room, light, nice decoration, but used at most twice a year and rammed to the gills with 'stuff' to go on ebay at some point in the future. One of NIMs colleagues has just moved into her first house and needs a bed, if we sold her ours from in there maybe £30 for it and helping someone out? By taking out the bed we could also stick a large table in there to list on ebay whenever I have 20 mins rather than having to cart everything downstairs, and that table could also be used for sewing if I ever have time. If anyone wants to stay we do have airbeds we could stick in there.... but it wouldn't be a beautiful guest room anymore and it wouldn't be as inviting for people to stay as it would then be a hodge podge but useful room. I do think I know the answer but you guys always have good ideas.

wendz86

Yay so nice to see you Tete. Sorry the teaching isn't for you . It does seem like a very stressful career and a lot more hours than people seem to think. Hugs about your Dad and Gran x

Yay Ben for being 5lb 15oz.

Sounds like it might be an idea with the guest room. Especially if you have only used twice in 12 months. We only have a sofa bed if people stay in our lounge so not ideal but usually only my mum that stays.

Dinah93

NIM's dad would stay on the sofa or an airbed, heck he'd stay on the floor he's not picky, and his mum won't stay in the guest room anymore as the bed is uncomfortable apparently.

Doing some big moneysaving today. Just agreed a new fixed rate on our mortgage, reducing payments from the £785 they are currently on the variable rate to £714 fixed for 5 years. Our old fix was £845 a month so big saving. The one downside is we currently pay £900 ie an overpayment of £115 a month, however with the new mortgage they only allow overpayments of £500 or over, so we're going to have to put the £186 a month into a savings account and make a lump overpayment every 3 months or so. We'll need to discuss it as in the short term we might be better paying it off the debt, we'll see.

Also called tax credits, surprisingly easy to change our wage details and they're going to send a revised award out in the post.

Sent off Ben's birth cert to medicash so should get the £750 for his birth and I think £1155 for his hospital stay too. We'll see.

Found some tape, parcels sent. Annoyingly with Amazon anyone can return something and you don't have the option to say no, and someone has opened and assembled a baby swing, decided they don't like it and sent it back, so I'm going to have to sell it as used now even though it isn't and take a loss on it.

Benji is sound asleep in the buggy after I put a long loop in on the way back from nursery (breastfeeding makes me HUNGRY so my mummy tummy is going in the wrong direction) and Grace is happily playing with her dolls house, driving toy cars over the roof and crashing them into the bath. While peace and contentment reigns (another 30 seconds or so then) I'm going to try to get a bit up on etsy.