22 Foxhole East

f0xh0les

Plus then they are 'in training' and not 'unemployed' on the statistics for the month

I don't see how they can basically pay someone £4.37 an hour for a 16 hour week, and then not even have a position at the end of 4 weeks to offer someone. If he told them he was volunteering for 16 hours a week to get office experience they would sanction him for not actively looking for a job.

It is a scam.   Rant over. Sorry.  The Job Centre is not about helping someone find employment anymore. 

KajiKita

Have DSs 1 or 2 (or both) have any further idea of what they would like to do as gainful employment? 

How do they see their lives panning out?

KK

badmemory

It never was.  Over 30 years ago I got sanctioned (as in paid nothing) for saying I would prefer a job in an area I was qualified in.  I kept signing just to get the stamps.

f0xh0les

DS1 is coaching DS4 through his GCSE maths as he is in the higher set and not getting it.. DS1 is loving it.  He thinks he might want to do something teachy or mathy...... he is looking at AAT apprenticeships, but his idea of 'looking' and my idea of 'looking' seems to be worlds apart.

DS2 is just floating along in his little bubble, trying not to be noticed

KajiKita

At least DS1 has found something that he could be naturally talented at. That’s no bad thing 😊 Took me a LOT longer than him … 😉

KK

dawnybabes

Could he not make an income from teaching other kids ? We have a girl wound her who tutors gcse maths cheaper than a teacher but gets the results 

Nonnadiluca

One of DGS's uni friends has a tutoring business and charges £40 an hour for maths tutoring and has plenty of work, once word gets round he could be on to a nice little earner.

f0xh0les

He did not study for his A levels. He coasted and got Cs, because he coasted for his GCSEs and got 7s and 8s.  He really should retake, this is my way of pushing him in that direction. 

DS2s birthday went well. He wanted Chinese but didn't want to leave the house - so I ordered all the mains, we boiled our own rice, and I used a £12 off deliver00 code (minimum spend £15) and picked it up myself. There are leftovers in the fridge for them for lunch. 

Ground floor house cleaning  again today.  The top floors are all clean.

I have crept up to 12.1 again due to working away and stress, so back on the diet wagon properly today, until DHs birthday next week (Thursday) there will be NO CAKE!

In limbo until payday on Tuesday.  Day-to-day spending coffers are very very low - but that is because I have a budget, and 2 days left of the budget month. It just means I have the budget at the right level. 

Strike starts on Monday = no pay for DH for 3 weeks, and a stint on the picket line every day. 

MiL was released from hospital yesterday. She has to take it easy for 3 months. She will not take it easy for 3 months. There is not a hope in Hull she will be sensible. 

f0xh0les

Front Door curtain has been lengthened, I pinned the extra fabric to it 2 years ago to make it floor length, but never got round to actually sewing the damn thing back properly because it is hidden behind the door and I keep forgetting. It is undergoing improvement works.

All coats and waterproofs back on the hooks in the hall. All hi-viz jackets and backpack covers have been brought back out.  Waterproof trousers found and replaced. All hats and one single solitary pair of gloves are in a bag on the hook. Scarf ends have been stitched into a loop so it stops sliding off.  It can no longer escape and drag in puddles. 

Solar lights have been deployed in the usually quite dark long front hall, the solar panel just gets blu-tacked to the transom window and it works well and I have twinkly lights at dusk for free - I think they were charity shop £2 about 5 years ago, they have paid for themselves.  It pleases me every time they blink on. 

Spent half an hour researching degree ceremonies for all the locations I usually work (and have not yet been given dates for) and a few more local ones I could fit in this winter.  I am ready to pounce if they come up on the jobs page.  Some of the dates seem quite odd - in that it is usually in January but seems to be in March.... oh well, I will be able to fit in another ceremony elsewhere in that busy week.  Love a spot of preemptive diary management!

I am so ridiculously excited that 2026 will be the year I leave that p0xy secondary school behind. DS4 seems to favour going to the local college up the road he would be able to walk to. DS1 & DS2 were adamant they wanted to do A levels at the school. DS3 is at a college in the city centre, so I would finally be free of that side of town! Hooray!   

f0xh0les

I have been a productive little bunny this morning.

Got paid, plus a tax rebate, so I shunted money around the place, ready for the bills to go out tomorrow. 

Set up ready for October to begin.

Went to town, spent the TKMuks voucher I got in June on sugared almond scented soap bars, and vanilla scented soaps. All £25 of it. + the 94p that it actually cost me. 

Bought anther pair of baseball boots for less than £15. They are so comfortable to drive in. My last pair had a hole in the sole (cue the song) so before it rains,  I have a replacement. 

Remembered to get someinsoles from the shoe store while I was there. Bought DH some nice chocolates for his birthday this week. 

Met DH in town after his stint on the picket line, and bought him lunch in a nice pub (not a sp00ns)

Finished watching Line of Duty last night.  I found it in September and have gloriously watched the lot between work gigs. 

DS1 did his first 4 hour unpaid shift this morning. 

DS3 had an interview for a work placement with college.

After 4 years of trying, (the links never work and time out) I actually managed to get work to sort out my sage access to my payslips.  Probably because the other company had already set me up, and I could just add on another company to that one. 

Anyway, I am able to see how much I have paid in pension contributions, and tax (probably to be refunded eventually) and NI, which is reassuring, and all before the  Big F0xh0les Towers' Half Point of the Fiscal Year Big Budget Review on Saturday (there will be scones and tea to ensure DH attends).

Congratulations for making it to October (slightly previous, but we are so very nearly there already)