Countdown from £28k...

gymgirl11

alt80 said:

@ryanm8655 / @gymgirl11 sounds miserable tbh you spend a long time working to be counting down the weeks to weekends/ holidays and it just being a way to pay bills nothing else no way to live.

Yeah, very true, however, in the current situation with Covid I personally can’t afford to quit and look for something more fulfilling right now. The opportunities in the field I want to go into are few & far between. Hopefully one day though I won’t just have the weekend and holidays to look forward too. 

ryanm8655

alt80 said:

@ryanm8655 / @gymgirl11 sounds miserable tbh you spend a long time working to be counting down the weeks to weekends/ holidays and it just being a way to pay bills nothing else no way to live.

Do agree but also see the other side, if you have a fulfilling life outside of work. Also good if you have a young family etc. I do regret it but started out at a big 4 firm and left because of the hours and working away and the impact it had on my relationship at the time. Do regret it in a lot of ways but it's taken me until my early 30s to get my drive back from mid 20s, so may not have worked out all that well...

Having your own business is obviously a different kettle of fish altogether. I would love to be passionate about what I do but most people I know aren't, even if they are doing well. Personally think balance is important to some extent but then different strokes for different folks. I've worked long hours and been in the civil service so worst of both worlds ha. Did enjoy it when it was like that though...

gymgirl11 said:

Loving the comments about local authority/local government working. I also work in local authority. I just go to work, do it and then leave Although, I’ve just always viewed my job as a way to pay the mortgage and bills. It doesn’t excite me anymore but the thought of leaving and giving up the perks (flexi time, 29 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays, ability to buy additional leave) aren’t worth it!

I always feel like there is some review going on, the politics in the background, the lack of support (sometimes) and no chance of a pay rise or bonus but you always know that you’re not going to be sacked and kicked out the door with no notice!

On bedsheet wise, love a good M&S one. Next also do more affordable bedding & is comfy. 

Haha. I'm in central government rather than local but don't imagine it's too much different other than not having pressure from ministers/no.10 to get things done yesterday. I'm on 30 days holiday ha. Had 50 days to use one year as I'd only used 20 days in two consecutive years, thought they were joking when they told me...not sure that would happen in the private sector. But then holiday isn't much use at the moment!!

gymgirl11

Not much different really!  We just have members of the public and councillors who wanted a response and things done yesterday instead!  

The majority of people I know in the private sector have to use their annual leave during the calendar year or they’ll lose it. 

You mean.. you don’t want to take holiday right now to probably spend the day sitting on the sofa?!

alt80

Yeah I don’t really get the outside of work stuff tbh mate but I don’t really get much from the whole family stuff. Nice sometimes but no buzz from it, just boring but ok iyswim. Few staff are massively into kids/ family time, I’ve given it a go wanted to get a buzz from it but my brain not wired that way ha. Some of my staff have hobbies that take up a lot of time sports/ musicians or whatever can’t see the point myself 100 stops them from earning their full potential imo - they’re happy to stay working for me for years on end very grateful don’t get me wrong but can think of 2 who are very capable, 100 could set up themselves and do well. Don’t even want it live in ok places, ok cars etc but not next level stuff and never will be. Not even going to get a taste. End of that dopamine book suggests needing to do something like a hobby that takes a lot of time, read it twice now and just sat thinking that’s 100 not doing anything for me. Lot of effort and no money to be made from me learning how to play the piano or whatever ha.

50 days Holidays most certainly would not happen in the private sector use them or lose them mate. 

ryanm8655

gymgirl11 said:

Not much different really!  We just have members of the public and councillors who wanted a response and things done yesterday instead!  

The majority of people I know in the private sector have to use their annual leave during the calendar year or they’ll lose it. 

You mean.. you don’t want to take holiday right now to probably spend the day sitting on the sofa?!

Yeah exactly, at least have a maximum you can carry over...

If I do stick with civil service then I am tempted by a move to an office in the regions one day, the London weighting is only £3k a year so would get almost the same pay being based outside of London. I love London though, could maybe see myself somewhere like Manchester...

In general update, mattress topper arrived so just letting it reshape itself. Hoover arrives tomorrow so can finally have a scoot around. Work busy but went on another long trek with a mate this evening, he needed to destress after a slog of a day (lawyer). Was fun actually, though probably ambitious in terms of distance given it's a school night...not long got back and left just before 8. Pretty much went to Battersea and back. London is so dead, it's kind of cool but also kind of depressing at the same time. Was cool going that far west though, brought back lots of memories as we went past places I used to frequent when I lived in Clapham. Safe to say I am absolutely knackered.

ryanm8655

alt80 said:

Yeah I don’t really get the outside of work stuff tbh mate but I don’t really get much from the whole family stuff. Nice sometimes but no buzz from it, just boring but ok iyswim. Few staff are massively into kids/ family time, I’ve given it a go wanted to get a buzz from it but my brain not wired that way ha. Some of my staff have hobbies that take up a lot of time sports/ musicians or whatever can’t see the point myself 100 stops them from earning their full potential imo - they’re happy to stay working for me for years on end very grateful don’t get me wrong but can think of 2 who are very capable, 100 could set up themselves and do well. Don’t even want it live in ok places, ok cars etc but not next level stuff and never will be. Not even going to get a taste. End of that dopamine book suggests needing to do something like a hobby that takes a lot of time, read it twice now and just sat thinking that’s 100 not doing anything for me. Lot of effort and no money to be made from me learning how to play the piano or whatever ha.

50 days Holidays most certainly would not happen in the private sector use them or lose them mate. 

Haha, I know what you mean. I used to do a bit of sport outside of work but it was more just so that my only hobby wasn't going out and partying ha. But even stuff like meeting mates for dinner, dating etc. is difficult if you're working all the hours under the sun and I enjoy doing those things. Managing partner at big 4 firm I was at had it all, 911, maserati, range rover, big house etc. but he didn't have a holiday for two years...I can't imagine his marriage was great or he saw much of his kids either. There is a definite balance but people enjoy different things in life. While I'm single though, I do feel like I should be throwing everything at the career, just wish I was in an industry where it was lucrative to do that ha.

alt80

Financial point of view 100 makes no sense staying in London with your job but if its where you want to be, it’s where you want to be and location of your flat is amazing find a girl and buy it with her don’t think you’d regret it. I’ve considered moving to a village no other reason than to be away from temptation. Drive out to villages doing my job think FML I couldn’t do it unless for a 7 fig place - what you get out in the Notts villages for that is something like a 7/8 bed manor house. Like living in the city tbh would only live in one other part ha but where I live best of both worlds just a bit too close to temptations haha. Need to learn to control myself I think lol. 

Yeah know what you mean never had a lot of time for that sort of stuff, fair bit in 20s but get out maybe 3/4 times a year in 30s onwards. Not that I need to be going out, I need to become a !!!!!! hermit mate. Been there with the holidays back when I started my business had 4 years no holiday apart from 2/3 long weekends. Tbh long term relationship might as well be at work mate, avoids the conflict. Kids not all it’s cracked up to be either just !!!!!! boring and can be mind numbing tbh love my son very much but do think FML this is boring and just like I’m forcing it iyswim. Have enjoyed it just not right now lol.

Sarahwithlove

gymgirl11 said:

Loving the comments about local authority/local government working. I also work in local authority. I just go to work, do it and then leave Although, I’ve just always viewed my job as a way to pay the mortgage and bills. It doesn’t excite me anymore but the thought of leaving and giving up the perks (flexi time, 29 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays, ability to buy additional leave) aren’t worth it!

I always feel like there is some review going on, the politics in the background, the lack of support (sometimes) and no chance of a pay rise or bonus but you always know that you’re not going to be sacked and kicked out the door with no notice!

On bedsheet wise, love a good M&S one. Next also do more affordable bedding & is comfy. 

That's one of things that's kept me in my role is the flexible working. I do a 9 day fortnight and really like having that day off in the week. Also like no weekends and bank holidays off. We don't have option to buy extra leave though wish we did! 

Sarahwithlove

We've been told we have to use our leave up this year we aren't allowed to carry it over. So I'm on 4 day weeks for rest of financial year and have a week off in Feb and two weeks in March. Hoping by end of March we might be allowed to go outside more than once a day. 

ryanm8655

This am was almost a disaster...didn't wake up until 10:10, think I over did it on the trek ha. Going to move my sonos into my room and use that as an alarm as my phone just doesn't seem to work...Luckily didn't miss any meetings... It's just a bit bizarre as it's the sort of thing I'd do when I went out drinking in the week ha. But I don't drink in the week and haven't even been drinking coffee the past few days ha. I've messed up my body clock...

On the plus side the mattress topper is super comfy.

Hoover arrived today and managed to have a scoot around. Does the job perfectly. Bathroom and kitchen floor are white so really showed the bits...a quick scoot with the hoover and the difference is crazy ha...did the whole flat and even though it hasn't been hoovered since I moved in it has barely filled it at all ha. Definitely needed though and makes life so much easier. The attachments are a bit cheap and flimsy compared to a dyson, and the wheels on the hoover head rattle but suction wise it does just as good a job on a hardfloor. And it's half the price...battery life is longer as well according to specs...

Had a meeting about the new project, seems a bit of a directionless !!!!!! show but it's working with an arms length body, so I'm not too surprised ha. Lots of doing things because they seem like a good idea, rather than appraising the options or evaluating what's been done before to see if it did actually work. Going to be an interesting one...

No long walks tonight...an evening of chores instead ha. Might even get the iron out...haven't actually tried it yet, partly because I suspect it's going to be broken/crap and I'll have to buy another ha. Plus little need to iron when you can't go anywhere.

Thanks,

Ryan