Diary of a single working Mumma.

StarMummy_2

StarMummy I read somewhere earlier in your diary that you are doing an accounts course, ACCA or something like that. Would you be willing to elaborate further on that? Even in a PM? It's just that I am considering doing an Accounting degree and I am trying to get as much info as possible before I contact the Uni. I am in Scotland so things will be a bit different up here, I just mean things like what are you studying? How long for? Is it really hard? [/QUOTE]

Yeah that's right I'm doing the ACCA which is a chartered accountancy qualification. I'm doing it home study through Kaplan, I have the option to do it alongside a BSc degree in Applied Accounting through Oxford Brookes University via Kaplan.
I left sixth form with 3 a-levels and an AS and 13 gcse's all grade A-C. I then started the AAT at 19, got made redundant then fell pregnant so never got passed the second level. Last year I was ready to get back into studying but didn't want to waste money and time doing the final year of AAT when I could go straight to ACCA. there are 14 units and 14 exams. You also have to have 36 months experience in a relavant role and to complete 30 practicals in order to qualify. I take exam number 5 in June. I'm taking 4 exams a year as I think that's the max I can manage with being a lone parent (plus that's what they recommend for a person to do who is in full time work) I should complete my qualifications Dec 15-Jun16.
it is pretty hard there is a lot of involved maths...currently looking at regression analysis (google it) there is also a lot to do with business law and management. It is interesting for me but definitely hard work. Will be all worth it soon enough though.

StarMummy_2

Well tiny finances update.
I decided to cancel my glossybox subs. I have so many toiletries, lotions and potions a little break from it won't harm me. I also cancelled my Credit expert thing. Those two things saving me£28.24. I was contemplating keeping my iPhone and going sim only when I renew contracts in July, but my phone is really playing up (it's been dropped a few too many times) so I think I'll have to bite the bullet and keep forking out £40 a month. I need an iphone for my uni apps, and emails etc.
I'm not going to go to the bank this weekend after all. I will still reduce the overdraft (i.e not spend the £170) but for now I don't see the point using £5 in fuel and no doubt spending more money on things I don't need just to go to town for banking. I shall wait and do it when I'm already there doing other things such as an opticians appointment which I need to book.
other than food this weekend I have no spends scheduled until I run out of fuel (probably Monday) I spent about £15 yesterday though on baking stuff for boyfriends and sisters cakes. I'll have that ebay money through soon which i'll send straight to the credit card. Need to phone HMRC about tax rebate which by my calculations should be just shy of £500. I'm going to put that in house savings. We really do need to move closer to school. poor DD is so tired after 10 hours of nursery 5 days a week it really isn't fair to make her do an hours round trip on top. poor thing isn't getting to bed until gone 8pm and we are up at 6.30.
onwards and upwards. Ok so I haven't been perfect but I'm making great strides in the right direction.

mum2one

girlatplay wrote: »

I took Little Miss Gap to Primark for her summer stuff too. She is 13 and in adult clothes now so not as cheap as it used to be to clothe her but at least she doesn't grow out of them so quickly. She is not quite ready for expensive clothes as she doesn't look after them. I shop in Next for myself but that is because; 1) I look after my clothes, and; 2) nothing in the cheaper shops fits me properly. I have really tried to get clothes to fit me there and it is seriously unfair when I see how great LMG looks in her bargains from there. Oh well.

StarMummy I read somewhere earlier in your diary that you are doing an accounts course, ACCA or something like that. Would you be willing to elaborate further on that? Even in a PM? It's just that I am considering doing an Accounting degree and I am trying to get as much info as possible before I contact the Uni. I am in Scotland so things will be a bit different up here, I just mean things like what are you studying? How long for? Is it really hard?

Ditto with adult clothing for DD, weird if she goes to Matlan she can still get into some of their 15/16clothes, but generally ladies size 12, works out at least know there last the summer, and ditto she doesn't look after her clothes properly, a laundry bin is invisible...

Love next clothes, theyre good quality, but unfortunatly need Evans, (built for comfort not speed!!), so they have to last!

Hope you dont mind me being cheeky, - just have you looked into OU, they do accounting courses, and u can do degree with them, I've gone upto Foundation Degree in Business, but did look into accounting, dont know how it would compare in price to a brick uni.

xx
Ps - apologies feel like a stalker - noticed you cancelled credit expertise - it may not be as detailed, but I check my credit reports on noodle its free, xx

girlatplay

StarMummy wrote: »

Yeah that's right I'm doing the ACCA which is a chartered accountancy qualification. I'm doing it home study through Kaplan, I have the option to do it alongside a BSc degree in Applied Accounting through Oxford Brookes University via Kaplan.
I left sixth form with 3 a-levels and an AS and 13 gcse's all grade A-C. I then started the AAT at 19, got made redundant then fell pregnant so never got passed the second level. Last year I was ready to get back into studying but didn't want to waste money and time doing the final year of AAT when I could go straight to ACCA. there are 14 units and 14 exams. You also have to have 36 months experience in a relavant role and to complete 30 practicals in order to qualify. I take exam number 5 in June. I'm taking 4 exams a year as I think that's the max I can manage with being a lone parent (plus that's what they recommend for a person to do who is in full time work) I should complete my qualifications Dec 15-Jun16.
it is pretty hard there is a lot of involved maths...currently looking at regression analysis (google it) there is also a lot to do with business law and management. It is interesting for me but definitely hard work. Will be all worth it soon enough though.

I have looked at the AAT as well. I just think if I do the degree I will get further, faster. I left school at 16 with 8 standard grades but no highers. I went into full time work and I have worked ever since (apart from one year where I went to college). The majority of work I have done over the years has involved accounting in one way or another. I am 36. I have been working as a legal cashier for the past 7 years. Also, I am a qualified Scottish Law Accountant, I qualified in 2010. It is a Scottish qualification with courses run by the Law Society.

I am totally up for hard work. I feel like I am in limbo at the moment and I am looking for something to do. I miss the studying. I know this could further my career so much.

Thank you for your answer.

mum2one wrote: »

Ditto with adult clothing for DD, weird if she goes to Matlan she can still get into some of their 15/16clothes, but generally ladies size 12, works out at least know there last the summer, and ditto she doesn't look after her clothes properly, a laundry bin is invisible...

Love next clothes, theyre good quality, but unfortunatly need Evans, (built for comfort not speed!!), so they have to last!

Hope you dont mind me being cheeky, - just have you looked into OU, they do accounting courses, and u can do degree with them, I've gone upto Foundation Degree in Business, but did look into accounting, dont know how it would compare in price to a brick uni.

xx
Ps - apologies feel like a stalker - noticed you cancelled credit expertise - it may not be as detailed, but I check my credit reports on noodle its free, xx

I don't find that cheeky at all! I have been looking at all of my options really. I do know that I need to do something where I go to classes as I don't think I would be able to do it on my own, so to speak. I need the company of other people for encouragement. I admire StarMummy for doing it via home study. I just don't think I could do that.

Little Miss Gap is the same with the Matalan clothes. Although I may have been built for speed, there is nothing fast about me, I can assure you!

Thank you, also, for your reply.

Sorry StarMummy, you can have your diary back now!

StarMummy_2

GAP if you have done the Scottish law accounting thing I think AAT may be too simple for you. you might want to look into doing the ACCA, CIMA or ACA instead as that would be a better step up. you can do them either in a classroom or at home/online and at your own pace too

StarMummy_2

you could try the degree but a lot of people that do a degree in accounting end up having to do ACCA/Cima after anyway to get the chartered status. I personally wouldn't be doing the degree if it didn't come part and parcel with the ACCA

Divingmad

Hi there,
If you want/need to keep an eye on your credit history, there's a free one called Noddle that is not bad. It gives you a rating (not that I believe the ratings these agencies give), and also allows you to see who has been looking at your credit file.
It does give you an option to 'improve your credit history', but they charge for that bit.
Keep up the good work, if it's OK, I'm subscribing to your thread so that I can keep up.
TTFN
DM

StarMummy_2

Thanks DM for the Noddle suggestion I'll take a look into that. Of course you can subscribe. welcome aboard

NSD yesterday and should be today. My office is no where near any shops and I've got to get straight home to get baking a birthday cake.
I'm still feeling a bit under the weather. I think it's stress. one month today until my exam I could really do with locking myself away for a week to do some major swatting.
Looking at my figures and between debt payments (inc interest paid) and savings I'm over £1k better off than I was 31 days ago! that's crazy. also a little worrying what on earth have I been doing with all that money???

girlatplay

StarMummy wrote: »

GAP if you have done the Scottish law accounting thing I think AAT may be too simple for you. you might want to look into doing the ACCA, CIMA or ACA instead as that would be a better step up. you can do them either in a classroom or at home/online and at your own pace too

StarMummy wrote: »

you could try the degree but a lot of people that do a degree in accounting end up having to do ACCA/Cima after anyway to get the chartered status. I personally wouldn't be doing the degree if it didn't come part and parcel with the ACCA

Thank you very much for these comments. They really made me stop and think about what I wanted. After further thought and consideration I now know that I wasn't specifically planning to go down the Chartered Accountancy route, more Management Accountancy and the like. I really want to gain further qualifications that open up other doors for me. There are a number of jobs in Edinburgh at the moment that require a better accounting qualification than I have but not specifically chartered. These are what I am basing my goals on. Those jobs may well not be around in 6 years time but I think that is where I am looking to head towards.

I really appreciate you taking the time to say what you did, thank you.

Back to your diary, isn't it amazing how much better off we are when we start watching the pennies?? The amount that I have in my bestie's hen fund came from putting the odd £2 coin and occasional £1 coin into a pot I have. I have not even noticed not having this money and yet before I started saving it I never had any spare money!

StarMummy_2

Hi all.
Hope you had a lovely long weekend.
Well mine didn't exactly go to plan. Had a lovely day n Saturday, took BF's birthday cake over to his parents then Bf and DD took their scooters to the park- I love that at 34 he is still willing to muck around with DD. Really enjoyed the GT on Sunday but I came down with a massive migraine. So we didn't stay at the hotel (£80 saved ) BF drove us to his and tucked me in bed with a cup of tea and some nurofen and there I stayed until 11am on Monday
yesterday I was a little bit spendy but as I didn't pay out for the hotel and I bought things I needed I'm not bothered. I got a couple of pairs of nice flats for work in Assessorize (one leather) both £10 off so at £37 for two lovely smart pairs of shoes I think I did well. All my other flats have holes. I got DD some new Nighties and some hair bobbles, she must eat them, they are forever disappearing. That was £9.50 and we stopped for a quick bite in a caf! so that was £10.70. I did a fair bit of window shopping but I didn't buy, instead they are on a list of things I want for my birthday.
I've popped another £30 to the Credit card (paid £83.75 so far this month) unfortunately the interest hasn't come on yet so it's not as great as it looks. I also Paid another £30 to house savings.
Should get nursery bill today so I can pay that. only one more DD (mobile) to pay this month, then only spends should be the odd bit of groceries and diesel