This time I mean business!

System

Yes I'm negotiating to do four days in five as in Jan 2020 I also need time to start a placement for my course and I will spend one full day at uni. This avoids having to drop another day as I just can't do that. Main thing for me now is stopping spending on anything other than essentials and try to work as much as possible. Thanks for your response:D

System

Hhhmmm I hadn't appreciated how long it will take to clear at this rate :eek:
£60 per month for presents is high and I can reduce that to £40, big family and it does cover Christmas and all birthdays so that's as tight as I can be.
I'm really not worried about clothing as it's not needed (I have too much hence debt). Entertainment will just be what I can afford I'm afraid. Lots of free stuff in Manchester. Car is essential really, high insurance premium due to speeding fine last year. And the£60 a month covers MOT too fingers crossed (I piggy bank this to use as needed). But I hear what you're saying

System

Just a thought which has whizzed round my head is that I could do my current job as an agency worker and earn more money. However, and it's a big however, no sick pay, pension, annual leave. Can earn £18 ph. So would take home the same working 3 days as I do full time. But I just don't feel it's a valid option, I'm healthy but there are no guarantees in life. Or should I take the chance for a couple of years to live and pay off debt. I'm so frustrated by my lack of control with spending money there's no need for me to be in this position and I feel so stupid :mad:

MovingForwards

Agency work you get SSP, pension after 12 weeks and holiday pay (it builds up as you work; I get just under 3h holiday pay reserved for when I want to claim it, for 20h week)

JayRitchie

trickster76 wrote: »

Just a thought which has whizzed round my head is that I could do my current job as an agency worker and earn more money. However, and it's a big however, no sick pay, pension, annual leave. Can earn £18 ph. So would take home the same working 3 days as I do full time. But I just don't feel it's a valid option, I'm healthy but there are no guarantees in life.

What job do you do, what is the sick pay and what are the pension arrangements? If you are in a government/ NHS type job then you should not do this - although its worth posting what the job is so others can advise as to how reliable bank/ temping work is.

By the way - I do know people who have done that to pay for retraining/ ,masters degrees and it worked out well for them. The difference is that they didn't strictly need the income if there had been a real issue and were retraining in areas which were likely to improve their incomes in the future - which I don't think counselling is as likely to do.

JayRitchie

trickster76 wrote: »

Yes I'm negotiating to do four days in five as in Jan 2020 I also need time to start a placement for my course and I will spend one full day at uni. This avoids having to drop another day as I just can't do that. Main thing for me now is stopping spending on anything other than essentials and try to work as much as possible. Thanks for your response:D

You need to drop another day in Jan 2020? This makes the whole thing even more impractical. Really, you need to postpone the course by at least a year. One year of paying off £450 a month would leave £1830 of debt - you might be able to get some overtime, additional shifts, look at the up you income board to help cover some or all of this. At the moment you can't afford to do the course and keep your head above water. The worst thing to do is to start a course and drop out due to money problems/ inadequate time to study/ health issue arising from taking on too much. There probably won't be a second chance of funding.

System

Eek! I'm going to look into agency work!

onwards&upwards

What are you planning to do with the counselling degree once you have it? From people I know who’ve looked into it it isn’t a path to secure or highly paid work.

BACP recommend no more than 20 hours of client facing time a week.

Student_Mrs

Hi! Super interested in this - I'm a children's counsellor paying off debt as I run my own private practice and be a single mum. I started the Masters 6 weeks after my ex-husband left and think a year out to save money makes sense. But *if* you do think you can do your current role as agency in 3 days, that's more viable. My friends who did the course and worked 4 days really struggled - it's intense and you need to be in your best mental and financial state to do so.

Look up Jane Travis and ZynnyMe for realistic ideas of how to make money as a counsellor. They're fab. Good luck! My income has been a lot less but debt also less so not sure how else to help yet but I'll have a look.