Onwards and downwards...

jwil

Today's pads:

£1.75 to Mortgage
£2.00 to debt savings
£1.00 to em savings


Debt savings - [STRIKE]£19,320[/STRIKE]/£18,170 - £1150 paid :T

jwil

Bulky parcel posted this morning :T Another item has sold today as well which is good.

Finished with Russian history for now, so am today revisiting Narnia. It's been a long time since I've read this series!

We are going through yet another restructure at work. There have been some voluntary redundancies, so my job is safe, but I'm not sure I like the way my job is going, so am thinking what to do. My problem is I feel trapped as I'm in a good job and with a good pension. I feel like I shouldn't give it up as I wouldn't get anything similar. I'd like to get sorted financially, but because of childcare, it's not happening fast.

I could change jobs to avoid the childcare, but then I wouldn't have the wage, so would be no better off.

I need to keep reminding myself that little miss will be getting her free hours next year, which should help, and then in 2 years she will be at school so I could revisit then. I'm just not sure I want to stay in this job that long!

I know that DH would be against me leaving this job too, so I'd have to have a decent plan.

remote_control

My two pennies worth!

I'm in a stable, fairly well-paid job and I often feel a bit like I'm ready to move on. But we're still recovering from buying a house and my maternity leave and in two years time LO will be at school and we'll have nearly no childcare costs and I'll be able to work more or change jobs as we'll be in a stronger financial position and the children won't need me as much.

Can you stick it until LO starts school?

jwil

remote_control wrote: »

My two pennies worth!

I'm in a stable, fairly well-paid job and I often feel a bit like I'm ready to move on. But we're still recovering from buying a house and my maternity leave and in two years time LO will be at school and we'll have nearly no childcare costs and I'll be able to work more or change jobs as we'll be in a stronger financial position and the children won't need me as much.

Can you stick it until LO starts school?

Thank you remote-control. I appreciate the input! You are completely right, and I should stick it at least until little miss starts school.

I've been thinking about it all afternoon since I posted. I worked out what I'd need to earn without childcare, and it would still be a reasonable amount. I've got a good pension scheme, I can build up flexi time, and my employer are generally very good and reasonable when the kids are ill etc. I'd be so foolish to give it up right now. If I stay where I am, I'll be able to tackle the debts much easier when the childcare bill reduces.

I'm not keen on what I'm doing right now, but I know there's a big project coming up in a couple of years which I am quite experienced in, and I am sure I'll be heavily involved in. That should be more interesting and I should stick around to see that out.

It's just little things make me sad. Two nights I don't get home until bedtime. Little jwil keeps asking me why he can't walk to school. I feel so guilty about this, as it's how it should be, but I've got to go in one direction to drop little miss at nursery, the other direction to drop him at school, and then I've got to go 4 miles to the office (and I have to have the car for work). If I walk him to school, it's 30 mins each way from home, so I'd be that much later to get to the office, and therefore later getting home.

I try and save my flexi for if they are ill, but maybe I'll have to take a day so that he can walk to school. He might find that he never wants to do it again :rotfl:

mfmaybe

There's always something to feel guilty about. Sounds to me like you are doing a pretty brilliant job with your two, and there's no such thing as perfect parenting. Whatever choices you make exclude others. Don't beat yourself up (but I like the idea of teaching DS the important lesson of "be careful what you wish for" :rotfl:)

Re the job, my impression from your diary is that it doesn't cause you undue levels of stress and logistical complexity, is a decent enough place to work, you are well rewarded, and have a good bit of flexibility. The risk is that something more challenging/stimulating might come at the price of losing some of those benefits. With very young kids that's a pretty tricky balance.

Kitten868

I think jobs just aren't as good as they used to be. No pay rises or promotions. It's taken away any way of rewarding loyalty. I hate my job. I moan all the time. BUT as I've been there so long they have to give me the hours I want. So I stay. It's just about money coming in and no gaps on the cv. I have too much to risk and too many needs going forward. Urgh. If my work gave me a decent bonus id be a much happier camper.
I only work 3 days a week and before that 2 and before that 3. My eldest says to me, "mummy why can't you be like mummy pig and be at home?" And also "do you work because you don't love us enough?" I don't even work much and I get that so you have nothing to worry about. I'm jealous of you!
It makes me so happy to hear when big things leave your house. Isn't that crazy? Feel like I'm constantly putting things in carrier bags for the charity or in the bin. I'm always putting things in the bin. Apparently no one else in my house knows how. But once it's actually gone I feel so good.
Keep up the good work xxx

jwil

mfmaybe wrote: »

There's always something to feel guilty about. Sounds to me like you are doing a pretty brilliant job with your two, and there's no such thing as perfect parenting. Whatever choices you make exclude others. Don't beat yourself up (but I like the idea of teaching DS the important lesson of "be careful what you wish for" :rotfl:)

Re the job, my impression from your diary is that it doesn't cause you undue levels of stress and logistical complexity, is a decent enough place to work, you are well rewarded, and have a good bit of flexibility. The risk is that something more challenging/stimulating might come at the price of losing some of those benefits. With very young kids that's a pretty tricky balance.

Thank you MF. You are completely right. I'd be silly to give it up. Whilst I am teaching little jwil to be careful what he wishes for, I should also teach myself that the grass isn't always greener! :rotfl:

Kitten868 wrote: »

I think jobs just aren't as good as they used to be. No pay rises or promotions. It's taken away any way of rewarding loyalty. I hate my job. I moan all the time. BUT as I've been there so long they have to give me the hours I want. So I stay. It's just about money coming in and no gaps on the cv. I have too much to risk and too many needs going forward. Urgh. If my work gave me a decent bonus id be a much happier camper.
I only work 3 days a week and before that 2 and before that 3. My eldest says to me, "mummy why can't you be like mummy pig and be at home?" And also "do you work because you don't love us enough?" I don't even work much and I get that so you have nothing to worry about. I'm jealous of you!
It makes me so happy to hear when big things leave your house. Isn't that crazy? Feel like I'm constantly putting things in carrier bags for the charity or in the bin. I'm always putting things in the bin. Apparently no one else in my house knows how. But once it's actually gone I feel so good.
Keep up the good work xxx

Thanks kitten. I feel bad that I don't get to spend enough time with them, but luckily they don't say that to me!

I think I'm just fed up as nothing is moving fast - debts aren't going down much, savings aren't going up much. I'm still skint! I will stay where I am. I do have a good deal where I am and I should remember that, and next year, hopefully I'll be able to make some progress!

That made me chuckle, you being pleased when bulky stuff leaves. I always am too But it never seems to make space in the house! It's still satisfying though, and everything that leaves makes me feel better

jwil

I'm still moping away today, but I will snap out of it soon! It's glorious out there today, loving the sun! Hopefully it will last for a bit.

I discovered yesterday that Ipsos have £2 amazon vouchers for 200 points so cashed out 3 which meant I could get season 2 of Shetland on prime for a small amount. We started watching that last night.

Finished 'The Magician's Nephew and have started on 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe'. I always enjoy them much more than I remember.

One parcel posted today

redofromstart

The Magicians Nephew is such a clever book - my favourite of the series.

retiredandskint

I can only agree with what the others have said jwil. We're coming out of what, seems like a long miserable winter, which doesn't help. There is light at the end of the tunnel, debts will be cleared, clutter will be gone and miss jwil will be going to school.

You do sterling work and children will always push those buttons to make you feel guilty. If you walked jwil jnr to school everyday he'd want to know why you could drive him there :rotfl: