Five Year Fix, Five Year Plan

KajiKita

Oh what a relief!! 😊👏
I hope it actually comes off this time … 🤞

Shame about the food budget but tbh I would be regarding that as the cost of survival at a difficult time! Once you are working fewer hours you can back into batch cooking etc. For now, don’t worry about it too much 😊

KK

redofromstart

That sounds like good news. I hope you get it in writing quickly so that you are in a better contractual position in the future. 

Merlin's_Beard

End of month squared away, all set, next month all totted up.

Have had to query pay because I think I've been paid for a sick day I shouldn't have got (and colleague has recently been chased up for a day she took in november). sent the email last night - no reply as yet.

Technically "extra" money this month and next anyway, because no student loan and reduced hours aren't kicking in until september, so I'm throwing that into "new car fund" (sitting at £4k at the minute so the old one better keep going for a bit!)

Have been for a drink to meet up with a new book group, which is an offshoot of a board game group I went to for the first time the other week - so hopefully a new social outlet for me.

Theatre tickets booked for various points over the next twelve months - comedy, Six, and Operation Mincemeat.

savingholmes

Good to have plans to look forward to. Great news that the reduced hours are back on. What a relief.

Merlin's_Beard

TWO social engagements last week - book club and board games. Both great. Both exhausting, especially with a rough Friday. Spent the weekend as a puddle.

This is my last week at full full hours - next week is my first shortened Friday. It cannot come soon enough. Morale at work is utterly terrible and even the nicest people are snapping. We in theory have new people starting next week and the week after, but whether that'll tip the balance to the positive again is anyone guess. There's a lot of drama going on that I'm not involved in but is still impacting me!

STILL not heard back about the sick pay. Trying to get three WFH days to catch up on professional development, will see how that goes.

savingholmes

Hope the new staff improve the situation 

Merlin's_Beard

First shortened Friday, and I have to say, it's 7.30pm and I've eaten, I've got a glass of wine, and I'm not still actually at work. This is definitely an improvement.

I never got a proper reply to the sick day - but I did get the hours docked out of my wages this month, so I guess that settles that. I guess it's good practice for next month when I'll earn even less!

YNAB categories might need re-jiggling next month with regards to saving, but for this one I'm managing. Small cost of living payrise this month as well (3.6%).

(The biggest category I have a dilemma over is the 'new car' fund. Mine is 14, and has started costing slightly more each year, so I know I NEED a new(er) one at some point soon, but whether to throw as much as possible at that category, or be more balanced and rely on the fact that I do have an emergency fund if something catastrophic does happen? I don't know. It's having its MOT and service next week so that might shed more light onto it. Last time I bought a 2-3 year old car for £7600 - I think I probably want somewhere around £15-22,000 for something similar, especially if I'm thinking about whether I want a hybrid)

KajiKita

I suppose it depends a bit on how big your EF is atm? Would spending those kind of amounts clean it out completely? I’ve deliberately tucked away £10K of my EF in a long term saver for a year and that is mentally segregated as ‘new’ car for me, iyswim. 

Welcome to the weekend! 😊 🍾 So glad your new working hours are helping. Mine have made such a difference to me …😊

I’ve lost thread of why the sick pay needed checking / discussion? Do you not have sick pay in your contract? Or is it discretionary?

KK

LadyWithAPlan

Glad to see you have some breathing room in sight! Your garden looks lovely.

Merlin's_Beard

KajiKita said:

I suppose it depends a bit on how big your EF is atm? Would spending those kind of amounts clean it out completely? I’ve deliberately tucked away £10K of my EF in a long term saver for a year and that is mentally segregated as ‘new’ car for me, iyswim. 

Welcome to the weekend! 😊 🍾 So glad your new working hours are helping. Mine have made such a difference to me …😊

I’ve lost thread of why the sick pay needed checking / discussion? Do you not have sick pay in your contract? Or is it discretionary?

KK

EF sits at nearly £14k right now (which is just under 6 months of normal spending) and new car fund sits at £5k, so it would pretty much wipe it out. So I'm not super keen to dive into it if I can help it. It wouldn't leave me with absolutely nothing, but less than I'd like!

I've been seeing your new lease of life on your diary - looks like you're having a much better time of it and I'm glad for you! I'm hoping to follow in your footsteps.

I only get the first 4 days of sick paid, and I took a fifth sick day in June that never appeared on my payslip as a deduction.