TallGirl's getting back on track diary

catshark88

Lovely to see your diary again Tallgirl. I'm sorry that life has been tough, but I'm sure that your future will be full of fun and joy.

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

I am glad that you have moved on. I always enjoyed reading your diary, it was one of the first I followed. It sounds like you will have some storms ahead with oh and the house but I hope you can sort things out amicably. Selling rather than renting it might be better for a clean break?

Very good luck,
Squirrel x

TallGirl

Thank you all for your kind comments really nice to be "missed" and also very nice to be back. Feet sore this morning after the Legal Walk 6 miles doesn't sound much but walk is start stop and this was followed by a street party and didn't get home until 11pm and I had been at work all day. Still really good fun.


House is a bit of a headache and kind of in two minds. Yes selling it would be a good final solution but I fought hard to pay it off and I will never be able to buy in London so I would at least stay on the property ladder. Ex DH is really not doing well he already had liver troubles and god knows what whiskey at 11.30am will do to it now. We own half each and are still married if you get my drift, sad and sounds horrible but to me the person I knew is no longer there and had he agreed to get help and at least tried it I might have thought differently.


Meeting all day at work for senior managers but mine doesn't start until after lunch. Restructure is launching today interesting to see what the reactions will be we have been working on this for almost 7 months. Hope you all have a lovely day.

TallGirl

Dear All who reads my diary this is where I was a year ago just about to start this job in June 15

TallGirl wrote: »

As you know this restructure at work could mean my manager and friend wouldn't get the new joint chief officers job (interviews early May). I'm on 24k a year min terms so not exactly great and with restructure I would become bureau mananger with an in effect two day CO as support above me. I might get tiny wage increase but the hours would be be really long and responsibility high.

If my manager don't get the job we could end up both having to apply for my job and I could loose out. Well I decided I didn't want this I needed a new start so applied for job in central London same field but not CAB. My a manager also applied but didn't tell me so I bumped into her at the interview. To cut a long story short I got offered the job she went all funny refused to complete all sections of my reference.

All sorted now and I start 1/6/15 it's a years maternity cover but fab career wise and Salary is wait for it"..................£42,500.

Decided I want to live walking distance from work which is about £1000 a month just for a room in shared house. I can visit my friend at weekends down here and I go to gym most nights.

So almost a year has gone and I so totally made the right decision re work. The place is fantastic I have the most amazing manager I will call her S and an amazing senior management team where they have basically let me manage 23 staff and be part of the strategic thinking which has now resulted in the restructure about to take place. We have two parts to our organisation and this will bring them much closer together and use our scares resources so much better.


I have loved working here my staff are amazing too (well most of them) but the problems I have encountered managing staff has taught me so much and I have always had S I could go to for help and guidance. She hasn't told me what to do but guided me which has given me a lot of confidence and built on my previous 2 years of management experience I gained in the CAB.


I am so so glad I took this opportunity wouldn't have missed it for the world however as some of you might have spotted it is coming to an end as it was a 1 year maternity cover. Luckily due to the restructure S and the other senior managers has created a middle management post (same pay as I am on) that will work across the two organisations bringing the receptions together as 1 team, also set up a volunteering structure, look after and develop our pro-bono services and also look after E&D and other support. It is not directly advise as I know it but its a big challenge and I really want it. I have to apply like everyone else but my skills set is match (well it could be written for me).


I am very excited and this will happen after the person who is on maternity cover returns mid July. I will hopefully have two weeks off between the jobs (unpaid as I want more leave) always gone straight from 1 job to the other.


It really couldn't have worked out better and I am very happy that I get the chance to stay her and learn more from everyone. Also really good I wont be managed by the post I am currently covering it will be S.


They have also agreed I can start on a 9 month management training for the advice sector I will know Monday if I have been accepted. That would be icing on the cake as I don't haven't done much since I did my money advice qualifications.


Right better get back to work not really in the mood as last night finished at 8pm (drinks after work with managers) and night before was the legal walk so feet still sore.

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

So glad that things are working out for you.

TallGirl

This week so long I really feel so so tired cant wait for the weekend. Not got too much on today got to tell a couple of people of the restructure and catch up on normal work. We also had an email from the chair she's helping with a new website I better own that one.


Quick update while I am here:
Home life:
I moved to London 1st June last year and ended up renting a double bedroom in a 1 bedroom flat 10 min walk from work. I work super central.


My landlord was lovely but didn't work and the flat was so tiny he slept in the living room and then he had a windowless room as his office plus stuff in my room which was a bit annoying but there was a court yard garden and he was a nice chap even if you had to walk past his curtained off room to get to the kitchen.


I paid £980 a month all bills in and obviously didn't have any travel cost to and from work. It worked quite well it was Summer I left most of my stuff at the house so just had the essentials.


My friend then got a job in Dorset back in Aug and she became a property guardian which was very cheap £220 for two rooms in a closed down nursing home all bills incl. I thought I could do that too here in London as it was getting a bit cramped to be honest.


I signed up with 1 company but you had to go and view every property you were interested in and then sign up to say you wanted it. Problem was at each one there were loads of interested people so you never got anywhere and I had to take loads of time off work. I then signed up with another company who let you "bid" online and they called me to say I could go and view and if I wanted it it was mine. It wasn't where I wanted to be but they said it was a two bedroom place but there was another couple living there. I wasn't too keen to end up somewhere smaller than where I was but she assured me. When I got there it was a basement flat and there was just two rooms a galley kitchen and a bathroom. The couple were very young and the kitchen rank. I was so annoyed so went back with the keys and asked if they didn't have anything else as I had seen they had a place south of the river. They did and only 1 person had moved in so I got the keys to go and look.


It was amazing a closed down day centre with room for 6 people to live there so we each have our own room and share a huge kitchen, bathroom, living room, dinning room, garden, car park, washroom. I have three toilets to myself and two store rooms. There is a sink in my room so I can have some meals in the room but hardly anyone else uses the rest of the building. The others are really nice and best of all it is £436 a month all bills incl. It does cost me £130 to get to work a month but still a substantial saving on where I was before. I now have 40 min commute each way but bus and train not underground and the savings and the extra space more than makes up for it.


The building is owned by the council and they want to build a second storey and then reopen it. They need planning permission etc so hopefully we can stay at least until Christmas if not longer.


So this is where I am at least some money saving news in there. Also nice to be able to take the car down South at weekend to visit friends.

TallGirl

Had a bit of a wobble last night it had been a long day at work and we have announced our restructure and obviously people are upset by the changes and the unfairness of it all.


Got home nice and early watched Supervet which I really like on Channel 4 but of course there had to be the most beautiful Maine Coon looking just like my darling Thomas that had to be put down due to cancer. I did cry thinking of my own boys I haven't really had much contact with for over a year and how much I miss them.


I know I will see them next weekend to take them to the vets but I am worried Jack will need his teeth out and Thomas has most likely not had his Atopica for his allergy and neither of them has been brushed nor had flea treatment.


Unless he moves in with his dad and his dad agrees they can move in too or he goes into rehab I fear he is unable to look after them for much longer. I cannot face rehoming them and although I could move to somewhere I can have cats (if I can even find such a place) I am reluctant to leave where I am as it is so perfect. Lots to think about but cant do much until I asses things on Friday after the vets.

TallGirl

Afternoon hope you are all enjoying the weekend I'm being really lazy should do some e learning for work but aren't yet.

Things did get better yesterday my super manager sorted the work problem out and reassured me it was outside the managers manual so I wouldn't have known how to deal. She's fantastic I'm sure she's magic really. This week was a drain but I've learnt a lot and making cuts is one thing the advice sector will alsways do so useful.

Also I got accepted on this:
http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/research-and-faculty/centres/cce/professional-development/advice-sector-ldp?dm_i=O4Q,45ZAI,E8WSFY,F5FGJ,1

It's nice months long some residential and right up my street no mention of home work but I'll cope I really want to do it and it's free for my organisation even travel and accommodation is paid for. Very happy to be accepted and be studying again.

Spoke to my mum last night I did miss her so much the other night but all fine now back to normal. She thinks I should sell the house and get divorced however when I told her it rents for £1200 a month which is a nice earner she did agree it made sense.

I know it's hard to be a landlord but I have access to a free solicitor (in fact several) and as long as my friend lives next door to the property and doesn't work I could pay her to do stuff as well.

Well this diary isn't very money saving and once I update you all on my personal life I'm sure you will think I've gone nuts. I do want to save more each much currently only saving £550 might do an add up later and post my savings pots so far might focus me a bit.

gallygirl

Great to see you back TG :T

TallGirl wrote: »

once I update you all on my personal life I'm sure you will think I've gone nuts.

Well come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moneyfordreams

You've done amazingly well.....
Don't know which way I'd turn on the house.. good luck on your decision
Property guardian sounds fantastic.. X