From £6000 ----> £9000 in 2023.

NinjaSavingKat

savingwannabe said:

............. Throughout my career I have realised that businesses will do their best to pay you as little as possible for as long as they can. The fact you have challenged them is great as now they have to deal with it. 

Good Morning - and thank you for the well wishes. Vinted seems to be chugging along nicely. Another item sold overnight for a whopping £2. Its almost as satisfying seeing items that I don't wear leaving me with wardrobe space - albeit there are a good few more items to go. 

This above statement is so very true - women also don't step forward and expect to be paid their worth.

A story about my current company.....

I have had this company remove a day off me (5 days down to 4) citing budget concerns 3 years ago. They made the then manager work that shift instead. It took me a whole 10 weeks until I realised something wasn't right and why should the entire business budget concerns fall on my shoulders. 

I emailed HR a very well constructed email and had my day reinstated. I then reasoned to myself that if they didn't think they were in the wrong they wouldn't have reinstated they day. So I emailed them again and forwarded texts from the manager  showing clearly she was specifically offering a 5 day a week contract for me to leave my then 5 day a week contract with another business. So why would I leave full time employment for anything less??

So I was back to 5 shifts a week. 

I then challenged them on their error that cost me 10 days pay and they immediately repaid half of what I was owed. I was told by a work colleague I was lucky to get what I'd managed to get thus far and not to expect any more. However I pushed on - thinking if they refunded half and reinstated my shift they obviously knew they were in the wrong. So I challenged them on why the rest was not paid. MY OWN manager and the HR team said no more would be paid and they would have the Accounts Manager come explain it to me "if I want". 

So I said yes - get her here to explain why this is on me please.

She didn't arrive. She paid the rest by the end of that week.

However. Prior to this I had discovered I had not been paid correctly for 3 months. When finally given a contract to sign I noted the pay per hour was wrong and challenged it. They said they had no proof of what wages I was originally offered and I needed to accept that. So I forwarded texts from the then manager to HR and was given a massive rebate.

They are aware of how I approach things now. 

Then I discovered the incentives I earned though my sales (amounting to almost £400) were used to share out gifts to all my work colleagues who had earned the company nothing "because it seemed fair". I challenged this as it was not in keeping with what I was told would happen when I first started the job and this was repaid also. 

So - the manager, HR and General Manager have all since left. I am in a job with almost entirely new staff from when I joined 4 years ago due to turnover. I am back to square one with HR regarding this job and fighting for my worth and I will not let this go.

The Accounts Manager is the same and the Assistant General manager is not the General manager and they know I am more than capable.

Anyhoo - this is longer than it needs to be. But if I don't fight for my worth, and make a little noise, and let things get uncomfortable for a little bit - then I would be a complete mug because you are right @savingwannabe they will do their best to pay as little as possible if they can get away with it. 

NinjaSavingKat

Well....

The business is dealing with some serious issues that have developed overnight so HR could not give me a definitive answer today. She is optimistic for a full £1.20 increase per hour however. 

THEN said something interesting as I walked out......"...and we will get it backdated". 

I just stared at her. Couldn't speak. I know this isn't a definite just yet but still.... never even thought this would have been possible in a million years. I was simply counting on a raise moving forward!!!

Taking into account the small 30p rise that has recently been given the actual difference since I took the role on the 18th February would be totalled at £2005.50 before tax between what I am getting paid and what it should be!!!!

Would be a welcome refund - but right now I shan't hold my breath. 

I was told I would have an answer by the end of the week. 

WOW!

Skint_yet_Again

Good luck, hope it is backdated 🤞

savingwannabe

That is fantastic. It is so liberating when we learn to value ourselves fully in negotiations rather than accepting HR's first response. Superb. Well done a valuable lesson for all of us. Go you!!!!

NinjaSavingKat

Good Morning One and All... 

My apologies its been SO long since I updated you all. Work has been crazy with another staff member leaving / another starting the long old search for yet another. With 6 day working weeks and early 0530am starts for the gym I am positively exhausted.

However, we can't baulk at overtime shifts can we. Which is today! Yippee!

Today is also double payday day...;-).. today is the last of the paydays of 2023 so I have been able to update my enormous spreadsheet after being paid for this week and last. 

Drumroll please...

1. £3000 cold hard cash. 
2. £434 = Dentist - Cash
3. £922.50 = Car - Cash
4. £216.86 = Cat Food / Yearly - Cash
5. £435.84 - Supplements / Yearly - Cash
6. £483.71 - Christmas / Cash
7. £244.61 - Beauty / Some @ Yearly / Cash
8. £780 - Micro needling / Cash

Total = £6517.52

So.. this is better than expected.

The first time I have been able to actually spend decent money on my family - I went a little overboard on my 73 year old mother who wanted "pyjamas" for Christmas in case she had to go into hospital - this made me so desperately sad I spent £80 on Anthropologie pyjamas because they are so beautiful and I didn't want to dress her in the same M&S pj's that she bought for my Granny while being her carer which she suggested. She needed something special. 

All gifts / beauty / supplement's were purchased on black Friday and researched well beforehand. I saved around £160 on supplements.  I am having serious issues with my knees / blood tests / x-rays etc and an eventual appointment with a rheumatologist in 2037... ... so these keep me right along with new supplements of extra strength turmeric/pepper. We shall see. 

Beauty bits are long sought after items / one item was sent twice by the company (whoops). These are items researched / purchased before and repurchased on Black Friday - a bare Minerals foundation for special occasions, a few Charlotte Tilbury bits also. I get skin care through work so there is no need for moisturisers / cleansers etc and intend to use up every last bit of everything before purchasing ANYTHING in 2023. Foundation, mascara and concealer seem to be the only bits recurring. I buy cheap so these expensive item's won't be repeated. I just needed to inject a little glam.. otherwise what am I saving for. 

The car won't lock - a new front barrel might fix that issue. I have £300 recovery items in the car if I break down. I need to secure these. The rear axel was rusted so needed replaced (£180) before MOT at the end of January - they are being fitted on January 9th and will costs a further £200-£250. I will pay in cash - currently clawing that together..lol.

Other aspects were the rear window wiper. Dad purchased what I needed as a gift- it didn't fit - the authentic part cost twice. So I would not have bothered starting that if I knew that and would have not got a rear wiper. However - its exciting having it working after 6 months. Dad paid for half. Lucky me. 

Mechanic said keep the car. Its a 2003 VW polo. I will keep it till it blows up. He said MOT guys couldn't put a stick through the axel due to how badly rusted it was - he also worked in the MOT centre. Might need rear brake plates (£190) but not until next year. Did you know they poke your car with a stick to see if anything breaks easily...

Insurance due March 2023 - will be scraping everything together for that after the 9th. This will also be paid in cash for the year. 

I earned a whopping £19503.22 in 2022. This is shameful for a woman of my age who has no dependants. I will do better in 2023 if it kills me. No shade to anyone earning this - I am lucky for what I have.. and very very grateful. But I have not and will not reach my full potential in this company.

I will resign come 1st April (2 week annual leave already booked) and intend to be in a better job, with side hustles bringing in money as I may need to take a pay cut to leave, but with at least £5500 in savings as an emergency plan and a set plan for the next 5 years including more travel. 

No word on pay increase although they haven't said no. Once that is approved I can push for backpay. And I will push. Getting a little annoyed now. 

Any questions please let me know..;-)

NinjaSavingKat

Okay - I have £3780 in cold hard cash but micro-needling has been booked for the next 6 months and will be £780.. and I am paying in cash.

First time I have EVER been able to do that and I can't wait to get it done and get rid of my scars.

Might need 2 more sessions but this is already heavily discounted as I have been going to the same beautician for 5 years. 

MovingForwards

Wow, that's really impressive on your income. There's nothing to be ashamed of with the salary as it's what you do with it that counts and you definitely budget well.

I knew garages prod and agree with your mechanic about keeping the car, they are good and can go on for miles.

Have a lovely Christmas, you've earned it 🎉

NinjaSavingKat

Thank you @MovingForwards.. sometimes you have to step back and look at where you have managed to get yourself too. If its even slightly better than the same time last year you should be happy right! 

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too. Here's to an epic 2023! 

savingwannabe

Ive been away and just catching up. Hope you had a great Christmas. It is so good that you can treat your mother and have money saved for nice things. Did i hear correctly? Have you found another job??? Woop woop. 

NinjaSavingKat

Good Day one and all. 

First post of 2023 and I left it a little late in order to get my bearings. 

Well here we are - alive and kicking in 2023. One job interview done - would have been ideal, good repour with the interviewer, sales focused so potential to make a lot more money than the salary offered. It was looking good.....

HOWEVER - I mentioned my religion and the fact I follow the Jewish Sabbath ( I am a Seventh Day Adventist) and she couldn't get me out of there fast enough. I did tell her the shifts required (working with New York times = 1pm-9pm 5 days a week) should have been in the advertisement initially.

I sent her a nice message when I left. You never know how things can turn out. Albeit 35 miles of petrol I could have saved. 

Applied for another job, haven't heard anything from them so will be chasing that up tonight. I need out of this current one - they have almost said yes to my requested pay increase and have mentioned potentially backpay from when I requested the pay rise and not from when I started this position...

I have readjusted my savings goal so I can accumulate at least a 6 month (somewhat overestimated) emergency fund and go hard on this until I have it. With my current payments I would need £3996 for a 6 month emergency fund. 

However I want a little more stashed away - like £5000 to accommodate slightly more for petrol and food. So £6000 for potential car issues and cat emergencies. I really want to leave this current job - I want to just walk out - this is not sensible as there are no other jobs available in the area. So I will stay put for now. 

Flight to see a friend in London at the end of January - she is my accountability buddy. I will fly in (flight paid in cash), stay overnight with her and we will sit and hash out each others financial plans - hopefully to a 5 year plan.

I planned to stay just one day and come back on the same day - but I wasn't paying attention while making the booking and getting ready for work. So massive screw up for me - however the flight was cheaper overnight and the car parking is the same for one day or one night.. but tempted to get the bus to the airport but the journey home late at night will be impossible due to flight vs bus timings so it would mean travelling late night to my grandmothers house then paying for the bus again.......

I live rural so the airport is 2 hours away.. might be easier to drive. I can make cuts to food budget at least.. lol. 

THE BIG QUESTION.... what to do for my 40th birthday in April. I need to plan now in order to save money.  I need to be out of the country and doing something fun and have booked 2 weeks annual leave. Answer on a postcard please ladies...lol! 

Vinted Sales = £5.. Whoop!

Right - lets not let this get to long. 

Should have £6000 by April 14th. Fingers crossed. I am literally living on fresh air and my gym membership for entertainment.