Pay Off Before Lay Off!

Habibiboo

apple_muncher wrote: »

You're up at silly o'clock again! Hope you are getting early nights to compensate...

:wave:

Hmmm, early nights, I think I remember those ... from back in the pre-student days! Their curfew is 11 so one of us has to be up to make sure they're both in and safe but it seems to be me on duty as Mr. Hbbb's out quite a bit himself! August 19th is in my diary for the next one!

He did do the morning duties this morning though, so I got a bit of reprieve! Hope you're good A*M x

Habibiboo

:wave:

Hope everyone's OK and has enjoyed a fine day! Quick round up of last few day's progress:

MFW actions:

* NSD for last two days.
* Frugal food budget for August is going OK. Sticking to menu plan and not having to buy any extras in so far.

SMASH day 65 / 100 = £ 2,838 / £ 3,000

Grey Clouds:

Awoke to grotty grot correspondence from grotty grot client who still owes me money and was trying to increase the scope of the job before releasing the funds owed. So I have graciously and without burning bridges, let myself go from their team.

Seriously agitated as a result though (I may have driven Mr. Hbbb slightly mad by angsting over this) until (a) he went to the beach to kayak with his mate to escape and (b) ...

Silver Lining:

Email this evening from a company I did a phone interview for a while back. They were looking for qualified freelance ex-teachers to deliver access arrangements in a local training school for company qualifications (eg: mortgage brokers, health and safety training etc). I was shortlisted but not successful at that interview and the jobs went to someone else who had more direct experience in that sector, rather than school experience only.

However their email today asked me to do a job next Monday for them, as they've now been let down by this person who turned out not to be very local and they'd really like someone local they can call upon regularly. Certainly I'm interested in giving it a go, it's supporting a blind person by reading the questions and multi-choice answers then clicking on their answer for them.

Weirdy kismety feel to the whole thing, no?

Daily declutter:

Not a hope.

Simple pleasures:

* Younger of the students is really blossoming now. Last night we opted him out of the school's evening activities (the only way they're allowed a night off) and got him playing cards with us and fixed his mobile phone charger for him (very long story I shan't bore you with). It's really made a difference and he really seems to have settled well and is much less, er, what's the word .... terrified, now! The animals are a big help in facilitating bonding and conversations ... he's even getting involved with putting Gladys back if he's around when she comes jumping over the fence and pressing her face to the back door for meal worms! He's also spending a lot of time petting the dogs and playing ball with them. The other lad is 15 going on 40, this one is 15 going on 9, so their shared bedroom is like something straight out of The Odd Couple!

* My sister popped in today and went up the garden to see Lairy Pair and my little muppets. She declared the muppets to be looking 100% better than last time she saw them, which is good news because we can't really see the improvements because we see them every day (it's a bit like spotting your kids growing)!

* Greenhouse-fresh tomatoes!

Diary catchups tomorrow, hugs to everyone who needs one. x

apple_muncher

Well done on the NSDs :T.

Well done on feeding teenagers without incurring extra costs :T

Well done on that SMASH total :T

Well done on leaving the grotty grot client behind :T

Well done on impressing so much over the phone that they come back to you to work for them next week :T

Well done on managing to do both early and late shifts :T. Maybe a siesta would be useful?

Well done on mothering and sorting out the terrified one who, nevertheless, has still come over here - well done him too :T

10 out of 10 all round :j

Watty1

Habibiboo wrote: »

:wave:



If you're there Watty, do you have any regrets since liberating yourself from a similar client?

Slowly catching up Habibiboo. None...not really thought about it since, other than, nice that one is not taking up space in my head anymore.


Its tough being self employed and so easy to take on work that seems fine on the face of if, but then we get into it and discover its not really profitable. And by profitable I don't just mean am I working for more than I would earn shelf stacking or whatever but is the client taking up thinking time, making me worry, work when I'd rather be out doing something else. I mean most of the time I would rather be doing something else :rotfl: but by totally up the hours I spent doing the work and then adding in the ones I spent thinking about it, worrying about it, researching it ...it was time to declutter it.


Does that ramble help?


I'm currently working on reading a whole bundle or reports on which I have to write a summary and either approve/not approve. The client used to email and ask if I had time to take on one or two. Now she just sends them. I have a backlog of 10. So have sent Mr Watty out with the dog whilst I do one.
I have decided to speak with client about asking first once again. I know I want the money but I also want a life quality.
Which, before I started my diary and this journey I never thought about.


Eeeek rambling away

gallygirl

Great news on the job front :T

My sister popped in today and went up the garden to see Lairy Pair and my little muppets. She declared the muppets to be looking 100% better than last time she saw them, which is good news because we can't really see the improvements because we see them every day (it's a bit like spotting your kids growing)!

:j How's my Edna Giraffe?

Goldiegirl

Hello there!

I expect most of your students are away from home ( not to mention being aboard) for the first time without their families. I think you are doing a great job helping them along the path to independence and giving them great memories.

There'll be a whole chunk of European youth who'll fondly remember 'that summer we were at Habibiboo's'!

The opening at the training school seems like a good opportunity - hopefully you'll get more work from them in future:)

greent

Definitely the right decision to declutter grotty slow-paying client - and what fantastic timing re new opportunity! x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Morning Habibiboo, delighted to hear you've extricated yourself from the poor paying client and brilliant to read about the new opportunity

As one door closes............

Brilliant to hear that the newbies are doing well - all the lullabies must have helped

Finally what a great couple you must be. To help these youngsters and be able to give them what they need is such a gift. Life changing opportunity potentially.

Best wishes Tilly x x x

Habibiboo

apple_muncher wrote: »

Well done on the NSDs :T.

Well done on feeding teenagers without incurring extra costs :T

Well done on that SMASH total :T

Well done on leaving the grotty grot client behind :T

Well done on impressing so much over the phone that they come back to you to work for them next week :T

Well done on managing to do both early and late shifts :T. Maybe a siesta would be useful?

Well done on mothering and sorting out the terrified one who, nevertheless, has still come over here - well done him too :T

10 out of 10 all round :j

:wave:

Thanks A*M, feeling quite chuffed to have my own personal cheerleader :rotfl: I do appreciate the support, it feels like I'm working very hard at the moment, which is always more difficult to do around someone who is actually holidaying - although he has started painting the front door and getting the front garden sorted, so he's working very hard too! x

Habibiboo

Watty1 wrote: »

Slowly catching up Habibiboo. None...not really thought about it since, other than, nice that one is not taking up space in my head anymore.


Its tough being self employed and so easy to take on work that seems fine on the face of if, but then we get into it and discover its not really profitable. And by profitable I don't just mean am I working for more than I would earn shelf stacking or whatever but is the client taking up thinking time, making me worry, work when I'd rather be out doing something else. I mean most of the time I would rather be doing something else :rotfl: but by totally up the hours I spent doing the work and then adding in the ones I spent thinking about it, worrying about it, researching it ...it was time to declutter it.


Does that ramble help?

:wave:

It's a great help thanks Watty ... you've summed up exactly what it's like and why it's so exhausting to get clients who just don't play nicely! I feel confident now that I've done the right thing so I shall just draw a line under it. I wouldn't call it rambling, I'd call it sharing and I do appreciate it, thank you x