My Overpayment Diary: It's a slow and Steady Race!

WishIwasstill25

Hi Ali,

The trips sound fantastic, we let parents know all our planned trips for the year, costs etc, so parents can pay in instalments if they wish, no nasty surprises, helps school and parents to budget.

With regard to swimming lessons, I'm really pleased that you no longer pay for them, but question why you were paying in the first place. If it's a state school, then swimming is a compulsory part of the national curriculum, new version & old version. (Key stage 2) you are not allowed to be charged for curriculum items, in the same way as you should never be charged for excercise books, pencils etc. some schools got round this by charging for the transport to and from the swimming baths, but this is pushing it really. In the same way you shouldn't be charged for cooking or art materials that are for curriculum learning. If it's a club, or end of term treat, then that is different. But if they are learning a skill as part of the school's curriculum, then no money should part your hand, that's what our taxes are for.

(Sorry to rant, but it gets me cross when schools push their luck, even curriculum visits should be a voluntary contribution, and they can't stop a child going who doesn't pay.)

At my school each class gets £150 from school budget, £150 from the PTA and we ask parents for £30 (or £10 each term) this forms your educational visits budget and classes can have as many visits or visitors as their budget allows for.

aliwali

Hi Wish

Yes it's supposedly for the transport. The letter always said voluntary donation, don't even get me started on that one. There were a few weeks I forgot to pay and surprise surprise they haven't asked for the money.

What really makes me mad is when letters for trips say please pay £xxx voluntary contribution. If not enough parents pay then the trip may not go ahead! I said to the teacher 'will my child not go then if I don't pay?' The teachers response 'No they will go but the school will have to fund them'. great way to guilt parents into paying.

I am fortunately a planner and I put aside £5 per week to cover school trips, so I have always paid, but I know some parents literally don't eat so they can pay and are saved the embarrassment of having to ask the school to pay. It just feels wrong!!

The trips I mentioned are both voluntary, but I want my children to experience these sort of opportunities, which is why I put money aside to cover them.

Today we had a newsletter home asking each child to bring in a polystyrene pizza base. This made me chuckle as I make all of our pizzas so my DS will have to go without:p. Way to go on promoting healthy eating:T.

Can you tell I'm hormonal and in a really bad mood today?

aliwali

It definitely pays to complain politely. After a big faff at the train station over the summer, when we couldn't be issued with the correct tickets, I wrote asking for a refund. 3 weeks later they have sent me an email advising a cheque for £23 is on the way:T. Only £6.50 is for me as I paid for friends tickets too, but even so it's £6.50 that will be OP'd straight away.

Had a bit of a spendy week. Nothing too major but I'm a little disappointed with myself. Part of it was a course fee for childminding so that's ok. It's for helping children with speech and communication difficulties so will hopefully be interesting.

I've labelled 68 of my 200 NCT sale items, got a week to do the rest.

Up to £5.26 so far this month for account tidies.

Have a good weekend everyone.

aliwali

I've worked out that my £20 a week OP will come to £360 by end of 2014. So I'm going to aim for £500 total for 2014 including a/c tidies. £7.77 per week.

aliwali

Just downloaded the mortgage spreadsheet. Managed to work out that our current end date is Feb 2029. With a standard overpayment of £80 per month it brings the end date down to Oct 2026. That's 2 years 4 months early.

WishIwasstill25

Mortgage spreadsheet?? Are you able to share?

Thanks.

Wish.

aliwali

£20 OP this week and a/c tidies up to £12 for September so far.

Still labelling NCT items, I've done about 140. Not sure I'm going to get to 200, I don't think I can find enough things to sell. I'm hoping I can still get over £100 with what I have after they have taken their share.

I'm off to my first day of volunteering at my DD old playgroup today. I'm really looking forward to it. I shall be cycling there, which after my first trial cycle since being a student, I managed ok yesterday. Then as DD is still finishing at 1pm this week I have invited one of the new mums to school around for a cuppa so Isla can have a play with one of the new girls in her class. She's very excited, I'm just nervous about whether my house is tidy enough.

My only other MSE news is that I have borrowed my next book for book group from the library, saving myself £4.99:money:.

Crumpets

I always panic about having a tidy house when other parents come round. I spend hours tidying up and cleaning and then the kids ransack the house within 5 minutes :rotfl:

Your doing really well on labelling your NCT stuff :T I'm going to start mine on Monday :eek:

What book are you reading?

aliwali

Well had the NCT sale today. I think after fees, commission and packaging have come off I will have made about £150. I'm really pleased with that as my aim was £100. I'll wait I until I get the cheque and then decide what I'm going to spend it on.

Crumpets, we're reading Alys Always by Harriet Lane. I think it's going to be good.

Might try selling some of my NCT leftovers online this weekend to see if I can get rid of a few more.

Lotti1982

Have just read start to finish and looks like you've made a great start, having seen how well you have done with the nct sale I might be tempted to have a go myself!