Wanno's workings and wonderings

Wanno

I have been a long term lurker for quite some time now and it seems have lived most of my adult life getting insights and advice from these pages. I bought my house using the mortgage quides; saved money in ISAs recommended, and even had my money in Iceland a few years ago with advice from these pages.

Now seems a pretty good time to start a diary. There’s a small bit of history that informs this but I am hoping this diary will help me finally clear my debt and start living the life I want to live. Feel free to skip this introduction.

In a nutshell, in 2010 I had a first bout of severe depression right in the middle of the economic recession and it had rather a traumatic effect on my life. I went from earning a very good wage in London to having to work as a waitress in my village. There some weeks where after all the main bills were paid I would have £6 left for food and through necessity had to use credit cards for basic living costs. Dark times! In 2012 I finally persuaded an employer to hire me again and I have been trying to pay off the debt accumulated from the years before. It has been incredibly difficult as I was recently, and finally diagnosed as having Bipolar type 2 which periodically has made me beyond depressed and very ill, incredible bad luck, sky high inflexible interest rates etc. And so I have been sporadically employed, saving money, living frugally, and then without work and having to live off these savings. All this means despite genuinely feeling like I have been living like a pauper for 6 years, I have built up more debt and nothing at all to show for it. It’s horrible to say, but I think I have become somewhat of ‘a sad case’.

I have recently finally drawn a line under going to work in London. I have new job(s) starting in a couple of weeks and I am now on a better medication and am really hopeful that this is a turning point in my life.

My sincere hope is that this diary will help me focus on clearing the debt, but also balancing this with a hope that I can enjoy parts of life that have escaped me for the last 6 years.

Wanno

+ Money

So to kick everything off, I am starting with salary and money making. I might just hold a record of how many jobs a person can fit in:

• I [will be] working full time in the NHS (a 6-month fixed term at 2 bands below my previous role in regulation. Just under half my previous salary. I chose this lower role to give myself an easier time and to bring some focus on my health)
• I then work 25 hours at a Veterinary practise in an out of hours clinic.
• Every Sunday I work in Farm shop. (I’ve been there 2 years and as much as I enjoy it as it feels like it is just hanging out with friends, it may be time to look for another fun role)

On top of those I have a few casual roles I fit in:
• I have a 0 hours contract/ min 4 shifts a month in a call centre. I tend to work evenings or later nights.
• I deliver a monthly newsletter one day a month
• I have a causal contract as an exam invigilator and front of house for catering events
• This month I am completing a voters’ registration canvassing position for a couple of days which should get in £200 ish .
• I complete surveys/ focus groups and try to have as many side hustles as possible.

Unfortunately, I was born with the mindset that if you want something then you have to go and earn the money for it. I think perhaps this has skewed slightly in that I have so many jobs and literally not enough hours in the day! I don’t do much else other than work. (horribly single, no kids)

I have taken a big hit in the salary so have made up some of it by having another role. I am hoping in 6 months to get back to a higher position – I was in upper middle management and I think I am ‘worth’ a whole lot more. Of course being a seasoned MSE I do surveys and periodically sell items, however I am not able to use ebay as I am not allowed to sell anymore.

Nevertheless, I really enjoy the act of working, but my money doesn’t seem to work very hard for me. In the future I don’t think I will always be able to managed 100 jobs in a week and so I really want to think about how I can put my earnings to work.

- Money

Now the bad part.
I have three credit cards:
No loans but also little to no savings

The total debt is around £21000. (I know exact figures but it doesn’t seem correct to note them yet whilst I wait to start my job and get a regular monthly income). I am comfortably able to pay monthly amounts but I pay well over half my salary on debt repayment alone.

My current mind-set is work like a banshee, earn money anyway I can think, try to spend very little and throw it at the debt. In six months re-evaluate and see where I have got to. I love a challenge so I am viewing it like that. The real and silent challenge if balancing a chronic unpredictable condition and having some semblance of a life at the same time.

Wanno

Today I'm hoping for a no spend day. I'm not working during week days this week and then I start at my new role. Hurrah, salary againHowever, I'm trying to fit in as many useful jobs into my time as possible to keep me busy and to clear some space on the to do list.

I have paid training on Tuesday evening and Wednesday and a paid forum on Monday (£45) and then late shifts at the call centre tues-Thursday which will bring in a few pennies next month.

As today is rainy and grey, I've been enjoying my time sourcing some lovely free things (Why does 2 and 3 seem to bring me a lot of joy? Are other people as excited by the prospect of free poop?)

1. Dropping off electronic and computer bits to the reuse charity on Wednesday whilst at training in the same town. I might be a good village person (!) and see if anyone in my village also needs anything taking.
2. Managed to get some good quality free top soil close to my home. I'll go and bag up a few bags for my garden.
3. Also managed to source about 2 tons of rotted manure that I can go and get. (Not a good village person if I arrive with 2 tons to dump in my teeny garden. I think my pa's piggy wagon might be better for that. My poor mini might cost me more in air fresheners, but about 10 sacks might see my veg grow to humongous proportions next year.
4. Really hoping I can get some free firewood or kindling for my log store. I don't have heating on at all during the winter because I usually can't afford it, (what?! Frost on the inside of the Windows!)so the log burner is put to great use. Hurrah. Just as I am writing this I've had an email saying I can have a big load of kindling.

I need a truck not a mini!

Fun things:
I'm going to enter an apple pie making competition at another farm shop. I've been enjoying Pinterest idea dreams that I might be able to make a photogenic tasty showstopper and maybe win a prize or a certificate! (Small things ) Free to enter and held at an apple festival. Not been before but it sounds right up my street.

Bobarella

Wow you have got a lot of jobs! Impressive attitude to sorting your life out! I really hope things get back on track for you very soon. The way you are trying you deserve it to.

Tete_en_l'Air

Hi Wanno - OMG have you got a time-turner? You must be exhausted with all those jobs! Have subscribed and will be cheering you on! x

Cailbhinn

Wow - that's a lot of hours working. Hope you're taking care of yourself! I'm an NHS slave too! And similar story - paying for things with CC out of necessity rather than on frivolous or luxuries.

All the best in your debt free journey. We can do it!

Katzen

Hi Wanno, was reading this yesterday but had to have a lie down after reading all your jobs so I couldn't post! I hope you've got your health under control now & best of luck with your journey. I shall subscribe and cheer along from the sides

Houseplant26

Hi Wanno,

I'm so incredibly amazed and impressed and all of your jobs! However as others have said do try to pace yourself. You know your limitations better than any of us do but even reading that list sounds exhausting.

I've struggled on and off with my mental health and I know it makes things a lot harder (although I've never really been an adult and not taken medication for depression and anxiety, so I guess I know no different!).

I personally find I burn out quite easily and to be on an even keel I have to pace myself. Which is a bit annoying as although I don't have debts I feel like I struggle to earn enough to save. I want to get a second job but I feel so exhausted by one at the moment!

Keep up the good work, you're doing amazingly. oh and good luck with the apple pie I look forward to hearing how it goes!

Wanno

Hello all. Thank you for all your nice words. I'm going to try so hard to make this work.

I am hoping the diary will help with keeping me on an even keel, and as you mentioned, pacing myself. I do exactly as you mentioned and do burn out (boom and bust). I'm not sure I know any different. I hope that because the extra jobs are actually things I enjoy doing that it will just feel like a slightly more in depth hobby. I think I might struggle if it were doing something just for the salary or if it became unpleasant with targets or massive workloads. I'm trying hard to put good things in place, so that it's the best workable solution possible. I know if I can start chipping away at the debt then I will feel a sense of accomplishment.

I do really need to fit some exercise in there - all the advice points that it's one of the best mood lifters and energisers. Just got to get motivated and into a routine.

Today was productive. I collected wood this morning. I paid £10 for quite a few sacks which I was quite pleased with. I had been offered some kindling (see post above) but when I went to collect, was a heaped trailer load of really big chunky wood and good quality off cuts- for free. It's a shame I paid out £10 because I now have enough wood to safely see me through the winter. My training evening was cancelled at short notice. In celebration of my abundance, I'm having a fire!

Wanno

Houseplant26 I know exactly what you mean. My record when in a deep depression was sleeping for 3 days straight with only toilet breaks and the odd snack. And I wonder how I managed to put on 3 stone in 1.5months - maybe the lack of any movement whatsoever might have played a part. It's amazing that mental health has such a physical reaction that everything becomes just so exhausting and sleep doesn't bring the refreshment it normally does.

My new medication has actually had quite a good effect on that side. I have trouble getting to sleep but I am finding I need a lot less. It's a very strange feeling to have fewer hours sleep and not have that horrid spaced out fug behind your eyes. Long may turn continue!

Wanno

I've had a very interesting day today having some training ready for mock exams. Lunch provided, payment (next month) and a brownie! They have already pencilled me in for 15 exams before Chrustmas. I don't think I can do all of them, but often they run from 8.00-10.30 11-13.00, so I might enquire with new employer if they run a flexi work scheme where I can make up the odd hour.

On top of that, as I'm being employed by the Academy, I hadn't realised that I could get a much cheaper membership on a gym with a big swimming pool. I don't have a gym membership (please! I don't even have a TV!) but it is something I would like to look into as the weight isn't really shifting.

And another thing, 2x NSDs in a row and it's looking like another tomorrow. Friday I shall be purchasing the apple pie ingredients for my show stopper/tasty disaster.