A new chapter, An empty nest, Drama school & Last year of Uni

Spendless

marzipan. said:

Hi Spendless, it may be worth looking for railcard now as there could possibly be a Black Friday offer on this weekend. Just a thought, I know it would need payment immediately but may be worth it to reap the saving in the long term, especially if you are able to get a 3 year one. Is your DD working over winter break? Maybe she could use one if she needed to travel to work, etc. 

Thanks good point, 'll look.

Winter break is a bit of a pain tbh. 
 Currently DD not only has classes Mon-Fri as usual (full days) but for this  half term they've also put in Sat morning classes - with the exception of this w/end (probably due to last night's theatre trip and why she's free to come home)  . I can't say I'm overly impressed by this tbh, because I feel it's taken away the students ability to work a p-time w/end Xmas temp job. *IF* the term dates she's sent over are correct (and the reason I'm questioning is because the recent half term she's had wasn't on there) then she finishes 10 days before Xmas and doesn't return till the end of Jan.

I can't see what  employment  she can get at home  in Jan, the Xmas retail temp jobs end and the pubs/restaurants don't tend to be busy because people are skint, have had enough socialising, it's cold and there's often some sort of 'don't drink in Jan' campaign, that I personally never take part in both because I feel it hits the hospitality trade further in what is already a tough trading month for them and for me if I had concerns over my drinking then  I'd be looking at overall annual consumption rather than doing 1-2 months a year not drinking at all and then continuing in the same fashion as previously as the rest of the year.  I should imagine the thought process is  that if you don't drink for a month or so, then that would help reducing anything excessive in other months, my  friends i know who partake, this doesn't happen. 

DD has previously mentioned finding pub work. She did take copes of her CV out but hasn't mentioned being any further forward with being successful.  This week she did send me a 0 hour job for one of the theatres as FOH. that would be ideal tbh and is a job that a lot of drama school students/graduates do. 

Sooo if anyone has any suggestions for areas of work that DD could look for employment with the course restrictions she has they'd be gratefully received so I can give her idea that I/ she hasn't thought of 

marzipan.

a friend’s son worked at our local theatre during his a levels and then during uni, is now working full time and still does the work with them, it’s completely flexible - choice of shifts and can do as many or as few as he likes. He even worked at another theatre as well (during a period in his last year at university) which was local to his accommodation. Pay was over minimum wages, too. Obviously it may not be appropriate for DD and they may have already recruited. Something to consider though going forward due to the flexibility of shifts. 

Amazon warehouse is another that friends have mentioned, long shifts but never a quiet period working there, as it’s always busy. If there’s one local to you. 

I hope she finds something, not only for her (your) finances but for her cv and her confidence, too. 

You sound like a very close, loving family and I’m sure she appreciates all that you and her dad do to support her, her getting a job that is flexible enough would be a godsend to her, I’m sure. 

dawnybabes

Could she do gig security? Again you can pick and choose the shifts.

do you have Clubcard vouchers ? Sometimes you can use them on railcards 

Spendless

dawnybabes said:

Could she do gig security? Again you can pick and choose the shifts.

do you have Clubcard vouchers ? Sometimes you can use them on railcards 

Hmmm I'm not sure. She doesn't drive, might that be an issue getting to places?  We do have some clubcard vouchers, not many DH mentioned them the other day though I think he had a plan for them but I can't remember what it was - I'll check, thanks 

Spendless

DD came home yesterday afternoon. She updated her CV and then started looking through all the theatres that are only 1 public transport ride aware from where she lives and started applying for jobs to them. Later she went out with a friend and then text me to ask if I'd be able to get her a shop bought pizza for when she came in as she'd budgeted and didn't have the money for ordering take-out. I went to Tesco - which hadn't much choice (!) - but was able to get 2 x Pizza Express ones cheaper with having a clubcard and on the back of each box were 2 vouchers for money off, one is 33% off  Mon-Thurs   from now till Dec 14th, the other is a more generous 50% off Mon-Sunday between 8th Jan-8th Feb. I said that  Jan was a tough trading month for hospitality once the festivities are over and that's why I won't take part in campaigns that further hurt it. You either have to download a pizzaexpressclub app and scan the QR code or hand the physical voucher to the waiter to get the offer - just in case anyone reading is interested.

I asked DD about the hours she was doing at her drama college, she said she's in every day, sometimes it can be until 9pm depending  what classes/rehearsals  they have, on top she has to do academic work in her own time, work on monologues or any parts she has and see live theatre. Remember what I've said when someone (the Govt included) tells you drama/performing arts is a ;soft' subject. She said she tried looking for a job when she returned after half term but due to her hours no-one was interested. I completely understood that and mentioned my frustration over the Sat class and the knock on effect. DD said one girl who had already got a Sat job said she wouldn't be able to do them and hasn't attended. I can see the girls point tbh, after finding something that fits you don't want to be losing it cos college has decided to do a handful of additional classes. It will have been easier to make that stance though if you already have something rather than quitting part way through. They end after next week but I'm still of the view they shouldn't have been scheduled at that time anyway. DD says until she hears back from the theatres she's applied to she can't say when she will be back for Christmas or when she will return as she wants to be available for any work offered. She wants to earn money so she can afford experiences during the summer. It's pleasing to see a new maturity in her, though I did quip that I totally expected it to disappear after a night out with her friend.(she saw the funny side) 

I picked her and friend up last night, I'd given a till midnight availability only, which they kept to. DD said how tired she was and I pointed out she'd also travelled the same day and was returning tomorrow and she saw the disadvantage of a fleeting o/n visit. I feel she still  has the need to do these small trips home from time to time  and also be able to see  the dog as her therapy, but huge signs of improvement on where she's been in the past. 
   . 

sarah_diamond

Not sure on the areas, but if you have a football stadium close by (or to DD digs), a lot of students work the bars at events. I did it as a second job for a while, could pick and choose Saturday shifts or Sundays if the fixtures allow. Sometimes there can be midweek games too, and they don't get at all funny if you say no to a shift as they usually have hundreds of casuals on the books.

Spendless

sarah_diamond said:

Not sure on the areas, but if you have a football stadium close by (or to DD digs), a lot of students work the bars at events. I did it as a second job for a while, could pick and choose Saturday shifts or Sundays if the fixtures allow. Sometimes there can be midweek games too, and they don't get at all funny if you say no to a shift as they usually have hundreds of casuals on the books.

Thank you. I will ask DH about proximity to football grounds for DD.

It's the day before DH's payday and we have money left over that I will move over as close to midnight as I can. Have moved earlier before and then have needed to pay something out before midnight. Still need to pay the CB CC this is the latest we've left it but even if that money had already gone out, we would still be in credit. 

I reimbursed my parents back for the dog kennels from when we went away, only for my Mum to give me £30 back towards it. I've decided to start another fund of any 'additional/extra' money received  eg any bonus received, tax back etc that sort of things start putting towards the jobs in the house that need doing. This £30 is the starting point. Sadly only hours later my parents lost their own dog, her physical health had been worsening over the past few weeks but mentally she was very alert then that changed within hours sadly. My parents are upset as she was their last dog, they made the decision not to have another in case the dog out-lives them (they're mid-late 70s) which is a sensible decision but most be hard to face.

  

KxMx

If your parents find they really miss having a dog in their life, they could look at being borrowers instead of owners:
https://www.borrowmydoggy.com/
I've used the site myself as a borrower, it's a lovely way of having contact with dogs and all the bits you enjoy, without the tie, commitment or responsibility of being an owner. 

sarah_diamond

Your parents could look into volunteering with Guide Dogs perhaps, depending on their own mobility?
I fostered a training dog so a dog lived with me for 4 months while training, the dog went to "school" every day so I wasn't responsible for actually training it. Alternatively, I also walk a guide dog for a local owner (just allowing the dog to be off lead and having a general run around) and he sometimes comes to stay with me overnight. With volunteering, you can do as much or as little as you want.

Spendless

Well the good news is I now have the £80 I was saving towards, Yesterday morning I found £1.20 on the stairs (£1 + 2 x 10p) picked it up, 5 mins later DH asked if I'd moved money from the stairs told him yes and he said it had fallen out of his jeans pocket that was handing over the bannister. Told him I had been 96p short of my target and he said I could keep it.

Thanks for the suggestions re parents and a dog. At some point I will make these suggestions but they aren't entirely dogless as they cared for mine as I worked - past tense because the bad news is at the end of the week I lost my job - yes again - it's groundhog day. I haven't really gone into what was going on at my workplace on here (perhaps trying to convince myself things would improve). I was let go because at my review (my 3rd in as many months) I was told I hadn't met the monthly targets -numerous tasks to be completed that  they were behind on some  when I started, month 1 I was new, month 2 I was overwhelmed with workload which I had flagged to them and month3 I went away for best part of a week coupled with I had made a couple of major mistakes. I can think of 3, all rectified as soon as they were spotted and brought to my attention, often going over and beyond to ensure that they were dealt with. For a long time I have had a suspicion that the reason I got the job was because I was the only applicant. Within the last 12 months the supervisor had been off with MH issues for 6 months, and 3 long term staff left , one had been there 16 years all down to the account manager, who blamed me for everything that went wrong, read every email I sent from the shared account and when I flagged I was struggling told me I wasn't new because someone else had started (5 weeks after me) and it was my fault the department was behind, even though the main cause of this was a task that was behind when I started. I ended up apologising to keep my job. I had come across some holes in areas I was asked to do, people not filling/sending in timesheets and del notes not done since one of the prev members of staff left 4 months before I started! Even going back to my birthday at the end of Sept -my 7th week there- I didn't really want the day off due to how far behind I already was. DH had told me when we went away last month that he wasn't going to be happy if I spent our time away stressing (I was ok as it happened) but may have been the explanation behind me forgetting till just before I went away about my hair needing colouring, that we were going to the theatre and that I needed to pack! I spent last weekend stressing about the job and one day this week was dreading going in. When my review got pushed back till an hour before finish time Fri no-one saw it as a good sign not even my 'Pollyanna' DH. I was told they were ending my contract straight away, as I had no intention of letting the Account manager go on a power trip  I got up said ok and left. As I went to walk away was told that she had written me a letter which I just took and didn't read (but DH has told me what it said) went and collected my stuff and left. 6 mins from beginning  of meeting to me ringing DH from the car park to tell him. Despite assurances from family and friends that it isn't I just keep thinking it must be me, which doesn't make me feel great about myself. .

As to the future - well next week I would have had 3/4 of DD's rent and was reliant on my Dec pay-packet for the remaining 1/4, whereas I'll only now receive 2 weeks pay (1 week notice plus accrued hol that would have been used during xmas shutdown). I'm worried that we return to all bills coming from DHs wage. It's just not possible to pay for DD, pay back debt and start doing the jobs in the house with 1 earner unless we dig in yet again to savings. I'll look for something else, I don't feel I have any wish to put this last job down though. Maybe  I should be more selective in what I look for rather than accepting the first place that offers. Thankfully for over 25 years I have bought Christmas presents throughout the year, it has helped me on more than 1 occasion, this year being no exception. I have got 2 things left to buy - that will cost around £70-ish  total. For the coming week I do have a couple of job applications to fill in but I also intend  to have a week of doing things that were being left and I'm aiming for no spend/low spend on these days - things include wrapping remaining presents and tidying DD's bedroom ready for her returning and doing some runs to the recycling centre as I have a bit of a de-clutter.