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Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

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  • I've applied for my advanced learner loan :T. I'm borrowing £2225 but I forgot about the interest so I've no idea how much I'll owe in the end :(. But I won't have to pay any money back until I earn £25,000 which is very unlikely as I don't think teaching assistants ever earn that much. So hopefully it will be written off eventually :).

    I've also ironed clothes to last me for today and tomorrow, and put the dishwasher on :T. Finally I can relax, until I have to cook dinner that is!

    It's been a busy week with an all day course, a two hour enrolment with three tests, and volunteering and work this morning followed by applying for my student loan. Tomorrow will be busy too because our builder is coming to fit our kitchen skirting boards (at last) and fit our new back gate. I'm quite excited about the new back gate as this one has been falling apart for years :j. Once tomorrow's jobs are done we can pin our builder down and talk about when he can fit our fences along the top of the back wall.

    Hopefully next week will be a nice normal week :).
    Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
    Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
    EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £50/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
    CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £0/£500. SEF = £1,400/£12,000 PREMIUM BONDS ME = £350. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300.
    HOLIDAY MONEY = £0 TIME LEFT TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE = 5 YEARS 1 MONTHS
  • I've applied for my advanced learner loan :T. I'm borrowing £2225 but I forgot about the interest so I've no idea how much I'll owe in the end :(. But I won't have to pay any money back until I earn £25,000 which is very unlikely as I don't think teaching assistants ever earn that much. So hopefully it will be written off eventually :).

    You might decide to find a job other than as a teaching assistant. I seem to recall that you have a degree already and am a bit curious as to why you haven't opted to train to be a teacher rather than an assistant to one. A lot more responsibility of course but better pay too;). You sound like the sort if person who would be an ideal teacher:)


    Does a learner loan show as a debt on your credit file?
  • Well done on getting through the maths test and getting accepted on the course! Exciting times on the horizon!:T
    Finally Debt Free! - July 2016 🌟
    Finished Emergency Fund- £10,000 April 2017
    🌟
    RETIRED: MAY 2021!!!!😀🎆
    My diary: “Seasidegal's Scrimpy Retirement Diary!”
  • milann
    milann Posts: 11,495 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    It will be lovely once your builder has finished. All your decluttering and newly finished kitchen will make a big difference if you look back a few months :beer:
    January spends - £587.58
  • Scrimpess wrote: »
    You might decide to find a job other than as a teaching assistant. I seem to recall that you have a degree already and am a bit curious as to why you haven't opted to train to be a teacher rather than an assistant to one. A lot more responsibility of course but better pay too;). You sound like the sort if person who would be an ideal teacher:)


    Does a learner loan show as a debt on your credit file?

    I have considered teaching Scimpness but there are several reasons why I've decided against it. Firstly I would have to get my GSCE maths. I have Functional Skills maths Level 2 which is good enough for being a teaching assistant but for teaching I would need the GCSE. Secondly I would have to spend a year doing a full time PGCE course. Thirdly teaching is very stressful and involves long hours of marking, preparation and planning. I'm 55 and I just feel I'm too old for the long hours, stress and time that would be involved. As a teaching assistant I could go home and forget about my job, as a teacher I would take a lot of work home with me.

    I don't think student loans show on your credit file, but I'm not too bothered if it does as I never want consumer debt again.
    Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
    Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
    EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £50/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
    CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £0/£500. SEF = £1,400/£12,000 PREMIUM BONDS ME = £350. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300.
    HOLIDAY MONEY = £0 TIME LEFT TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE = 5 YEARS 1 MONTHS
  • Well done on getting through the maths test and getting accepted on the course! Exciting times on the horizon!:T

    Thank you SSG :).
    milann wrote: »
    It will be lovely once your builder has finished. All your decluttering and newly finished kitchen will make a big difference if you look back a few months :beer:

    Thanks Milann, yes I can't wait :).
    Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
    Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
    EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £50/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
    CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £0/£500. SEF = £1,400/£12,000 PREMIUM BONDS ME = £350. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300.
    HOLIDAY MONEY = £0 TIME LEFT TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE = 5 YEARS 1 MONTHS
  • HairyHandofDartmoor
    HairyHandofDartmoor Posts: 13,960 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 5 September 2019 at 3:38PM
    My morning was fine, but I don't feel I completely have my head in the game yet. It doesn't help that the children are new to the year two routine, plus I'm still trying to learn all their names. I feel absolutely exhausted now too. Still hopefully this is just first week teething troubles. I think my main problem is exhaustion, but it has been a busy week so hopefully I'll feel less tired next week.

    Our builders have been here since 8.30am this morning. Our new back gate looks lovely :T but they're still fiddling with it. It will be nice having a gate that isn't crumbling and I prefer the colour as it's a sort of natural wood colour :). They're also fitting skirting boards in the kitchen. The old ones were covered in glue and edging etc, so we've ended up having new ones, which I hope won't be too much more expensive. We know that the new back gate will cost £380, but I don't know what the cost of the skirting boards will be :eek:.

    Once the builders have left we can put the bookcase, etc, back in the kitchen and clean up (it's bound to be dusty). I want DH and DS1 to move the furniture back as I feel too tired to move at the moment and I've still got tomorrow to get though :eek:. I hope they finish soon!

    I remembered to post my signed declaration to the the student loans people today so hopefully my loan should come through for my course in time.
    Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
    Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
    EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £50/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
    CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £0/£500. SEF = £1,400/£12,000 PREMIUM BONDS ME = £350. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300.
    HOLIDAY MONEY = £0 TIME LEFT TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE = 5 YEARS 1 MONTHS
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    edited 5 September 2019 at 5:34PM
    My morning was fine, but I don't feel I completely have my head in the game yet. It doesn't help that the children are new to the year two routine, plus I'm still trying to learn all their names. I feel absolutely exhausted now too. Still hopefully this is just first week teething troubles. I think my main problem is exhaustion, but it has been a busy week so hopefully I'll feel less tired next week.

    Our builders have been here since 8.30am this morning. Our new back gate looks lovely :T but they're still fiddling with it. It will be nice having a gate that isn't crumbling and I prefer the colour as it's a sort of natural wood colour :). They're also fitting skirting boards in the kitchen. The old ones were covered in glue and edging etc, so we've ended up having new ones, which I hope won't be too much more expensive. We know that the new back gate will cost £380, but I don't know what the cost of the skirting boards will be :eek:.

    Once the builders have left we can put the bookcase, etc, back in the kitchen and clean up (it's bound to be dusty). I want DH and DS1 to move the furniture back as I feel too tired to move at the moment and I've still got tomorrow to get though :eek:. I hope they finish soon!

    I remembered to post my signed declaration to the the student loans people today so hopefully my loan should come through for my course in time.

    Sounds like a very successful day, HH:T. Once you get the house shipshape again you'll feel a lot better. I think the first few days back at work after a long break, especially when a lot of your time at home has been exhausting or stressful (or both!) is bound to make you feel tired. I expect the children at school are still partly in holiday mode and a bit hyper still. I'm sure next week will be a lot easier for you:).

    I hope you didn't think I was being nosey in my previous post when I asked you about teaching. It's just that you seem such a 'natural' with children and young people and are obviously a very intelligent, caring, conscientious and reliable person. I totally understand your reasons for not doing it. I know by the time I was 55 after a very stressful career that involved my being out of the house from 7.30 in the morning until about 6.30 each evening (including an hour's drive each way which I found a nightmare in bad winters), I was burned out. I didn't get school holidays either and to be honest I couldn't wait to retire. I had to stick it out to the bitter end as I'd worked so hard for my final-salary pension but had racked up a lot of debt and couldn't afford to retire early. I know from about your age I was almost just 'going through the motions' more often than I feel proud of. Many a time I've fallen asleep at the table after our evening meal whilst I was trying to finish preparing some work ready for the next day.
  • Scrimpess wrote: »
    Sounds like a very successful day, HH:T. Once you get the house shipshape again you'll feel a lot better. I think the first few days back at work after a long break, especially when a lot of your time at home has been exhausting or stressful (or both!) is bound to make you feel tired. I expect the children at school are still partly in holiday mode and a bit hyper still. I'm sure next week will be a lot easier for you:).

    I hope you didn't think I was being nosey in my previous post when I asked you about teaching. It's just that you seem such a 'natural' with children and young people and are obviously a very intelligent, caring, conscientious and reliable person. I totally understand your reasons for not doing it. I know by the time I was 55 after a very stressful career that involved my being out of the house from 7.30 in the morning until about 6.30 each evening (including an hour's drive each way which I found a nightmare in bad winters), I was burned out. I didn't get school holidays either and to be honest I couldn't wait to retire. I had to stick it out to the bitter end as I'd worked so hard for my final-salary pension but had racked up a lot of debt and couldn't afford to retire early. I know from about your age I was almost just 'going through the motions' more often than I feel proud of. Many a time I've fallen asleep at the table after our evening meal whilst I was trying to finish preparing some work ready for the next day.

    Thanks Scrimpness for saying such kind things about me, even if they may not all be true :rotfl:. Of course I don't think you're being nosey :). If I was ten years younger I would seriously consider teaching, but I feel my age is against me. I have to work until I'm 67 though so I hope I'm not too old to be offered a TA job. You do get more tired as you get older I think. I went to bed at 9.30pm last night!
    Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
    Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
    EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £50/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
    CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £0/£500. SEF = £1,400/£12,000 PREMIUM BONDS ME = £350. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300.
    HOLIDAY MONEY = £0 TIME LEFT TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE = 5 YEARS 1 MONTHS
  • The builders have finished .The new back gate looks fantastic :T (the old gate literally crumbled as they were taking it off) and it's great to have skirting boards on the kitchen walls again instead of piled up on the kitchen floor :T.

    I still feel tired though. Another early night is called for (I went to bed at 9.30pm last night!). The children are lovely, but it was like rounding up cats today as they're not used to our year two routine :eek:.
    Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
    Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
    EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £50/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
    CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £0/£500. SEF = £1,400/£12,000 PREMIUM BONDS ME = £350. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300.
    HOLIDAY MONEY = £0 TIME LEFT TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE = 5 YEARS 1 MONTHS
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