Find the SecondStar and soar, and then straight on till the morning…

KajiKita

I’m glad your first day went so well 😊

I wonder if they wait and see if the new recruits return after a first shift of being on their feet / outside all day before putting effort into measuring for costumes etc? 

KK

SecondStar

That’s a good point actually @kajikita , and one that I hadn’t thought of.

The cut off date for pay at my second job is the 15th, so with my induction day and my first shift I’ll have worked 12 hours to be paid at the end of this month.

I plan on working Nov 16th, 30th and Dec 7th, to be paid just before Xmas.

I think my secondary income will be going into savings pots and sinking funds - day trips, holidays, DIY, home & garden.

I’ll also be receiving the pay uplift in my primary job this month, along with back pay till June, so November & December should be a good amount of income.

It is hard not to put myself in for every single Saturday, because the idea of having more money is enticing. I’m trying to remember that my primary job already covers my bills, my variables, my savings, and also leaves a bit of money for spending. I didn’t pursue a second job on the basis that I can’t keep the roof over my head and food on the table.

I chose to pursue a second job yes as a means to earn some extra money, but also to regularly get me out of the house and to be outdoors, to meet new people and hopefully make new friends, to spend time in one of my favourite places already, and to learn more about that place and share it with others. I took it on more as a hobby than a job - something to have fun with, and to get enjoyment from.

I think working 2-3 days each month in this secondary job will be more than enough, and still be able to balance life outside of both of my jobs.

SecondStar

Gosh that was a busy weekend!

We spent Saturday in a town I’d never been to before, and enjoyed ourselves by browsing around the charity and vintage shops. I got a skirt and a dress for £1 each, a lovely print of a National Trust property from my home town for £2, and a wall-mounted shelving unit for my bathroom for £30.

I’ve been looking for a nice wall shelf for ages, so it was a real stroke of luck to find a pretty one, in budget, which was the right size!

On Sunday I had won 2 free tickets to a textile roadshow I had wanted to go to - would’ve been £20 each(!) - and my ever obliging partner had a great time too, bless him. I got myself some hand-spun yarn from my favourite maker, and then my partner treated me to some fleece for spinning, a length of heavy wool to turn into reenactment hoods, and some Christmas-print polycottons as I’d wanted to make some decorations.

We had a lovely time, but it was very full on, and I definitely felt tired coming into work having not had a resting day. With that in mind, I don’t think I’ll put myself forward for my second job this Saturday - my partner is at work, but I do need to rest!



Is anyone else thinking / feeling Christmassy yet?

I’ve never been into Halloween, I’m mostly just glad that the fireworks have stopped, but I am starting to feel festive. As a child, the decorations just went up whenever my mum could be bothered - which got later and later each year. My ex-husband’s family has a Christmas like a military operation, which included the decorations going up on the 1st Saturday of December, with no exceptions.

I’ve always followed along with the ‘no Christmas until December’ bit, without ever really questioning why, or if I agreed with that. And this year I don’t think I do agree with that! I think I might like to get decorations up a bit earlier this year.



I have 3 birthdays to buy for in November / December - my cousin’s daughter is turning 13 and is obsessed with Taylor Swift (great taste!), so she wants a special edition album; 1 friend will be getting some sort of craft kit and some vegan goodies; and my other friend will be getting something literary I think.

I’ve also been keeping a note on my phone with Christmas pressie ideas, so hopefully it won’t be a panic trying to source gifts. I’m only buying for my partner, my cousin’s 2 kids, 3 friends, and contributing to my partner’s parents and siblings gifts. Not too much - I’ve got a £300 limit, which I’ve been putting money aside to all year. 

SecondStar

A good, useful day today!

Nipped into town with the idea to get my friend’s birthday presents for Thursday. Spent £25 and got her a little cross stitch kit of a pigeon, a cute witchy-patterned mug, a pretty purple velvet make up pouch, and a book on the basics of machine sewing. I’ve already got paper, ribbon, and a selection of cards. I hope she’ll be pleased!

I’ll be ordering my cousin’s daughter’s Taylor Swift album this evening, and sending a Moonpig card, to arrive at theirs for Friday.

The 3rd birthday is the middle of December, and I think I’ll get her a 3 month tea subscription, and again have it sent straight to her house, along with a card.



Whilst I was out browsing, I also ended up coming home with a little rocking chair!

I’ve had my eye out for appropriate tertiary seating for the living room for a while, but had a budget of about £50, and a *very* small space.

I had to shift furniture around yet again, but I’ve managed to squeeze it in. It’s very petite, and the wooden frame has at least 4 layers of paint on it, chipping through in places but the top coat is a pale blue which will do for now. The cushions are an unforgivable beige, but they manage to be incredibly comfortable and snuggly.

I plan to strip back the paint, and possibly upholster the cushions eventually, but for now I’m very pleased - it was only £25!



I got the decorations down from the attic yesterday, but haven’t gotten them out yet.

I think I’d like a real Christmas tree this year! I’ve always had artificial ones, bar 2 years with my ex husband, and I currently only have a tiny 1ft tabletop tree - kindly donated to me last year, by my bff’s grandmother. With the furniture having been wiggled around, I’ve now got space for a 3 or 4 ft tree - possibly a potted one, so it can be brought back in next year, and eventually planted out. Think that’ll be done sometime this week!

I also had plans and imaginings for lots of natural greenery this year - real stuff, not plastic - but I’m not quite sure where to source said greenery.

When I was doing visual merchandising over Christmas a few years ago, I simply went into the woods with secateurs and a bin liner and chopped my fill of conifers, but I’m not sure that that’s quite the right thing to do! I’m also not sure how long said greenery will last - which would put pay to my ideas of decorating early this year. Lots to think about!

SecondStar

I’m feeling so impatient, waiting on payslips!

This month, in my primary employment, we’ll be getting the uplift to our basic rate of pay, along with back-pay to June - our payslips are coming out tomorrow, which is a day later than usual.

I’m expecting my first pay from my secondary employment on Monday - I’ve worked 12 hours in this period. The payslip is online, but for some reason mine is totally blank? I emailed the 3(!) managers yesterday, to no reply, and also messaged the on-duty manager today, also to no reply. I’ll message more managers tomorrow, I suppose(?), and then just wait and see if I actually get paid on Monday.

Ideally I want the pay info for both jobs NOW, so that I can do December’s budget. I like being able to plan ahead and forecast my spending and saving.



A few thoughts to release from my head, in no particular order:

My lovely senior cat is now on twice daily thyroid medication - £45/ month, in addition to her kidney meds @ £50/ month. Her thyroid was tested last month and then retested last week (£££), and her levels have come down to within normal range, which is great! We also tested her kidneys too as it was coming to 10 months since the last test, and those were good too.

She may need a dental soon though - she has large tartar build up and gingivitis. This would be around £350, but we’ve already done recent (good!) bloods, so it would be best to do this in the next few months.

My partner and I are flying to Glasgow to visit my bff in a few weeks! I can’t wait, we’ve booked our flights and a hotel nearby - I would usually stay with my friend, but her spare room has already been earmarked by others for the weekend. I need to find a pet sitter who will come to the house twice daily to feed and water everyone.

My friend liked her birthday presents! She’s hosting a party next weekend, and we’re invited. I…don’t socialise with groups often, and I’ve rather fallen out of the habit (read: appropriate way of masking). I don’t really know her friends that well, so I’m hoping my partner can make it too, or else it’s going to be dreadfully uncomfortable.

Speaking of groups, I paid for 6 Pilates classes, have attended 2 out of 4 so far, and have resolved to probably not attend any more. I beat myself up something awful for skipping those classes, and then began to ask myself why I was speaking to myself like that? The instructor was friendly, but the classes weren’t right for my very beginner skill level, there was no social aspect which might’ve persuaded me to keep going, and I just plain wasn’t enjoying myself. The voice in my head which was telling me I was ‘being lazy’, ‘had ‘wasted’ so much money’, that I was ‘letting people down’, was loud. It took a lot of effort to speak to the voice with compassion and kindness, and to remind myself that I’m able to make my own decisions, and if something isn’t serving me then I don’t have to continue. That I’m an adult, and I don’t need to prove or justify myself to anyone - I’m not going to be ‘told off’ for my decisions.

We’ve moved roles in my primary employment, and have spent the last 3 weeks in training. We’re expected to begin the new role this coming week, and no one is feeling prepared. It’s very stressful. The training has also been held in different groups each day, all working on different break and lunch schedules. So whilst I’ve been in the office with my friends and old team mates, we’ve barely said 2 words to each other, and we’ve not been able to take breaks or lunches together. It’s felt very lonely and isolating, and we’re all missing being able to actually interact and socialise with each other during our downtime. Not being able to unload with your coworkers is certainly not helping the rising stress levels either.

Sarahwithlove

Hope your payslip sorts itself soon. We aren't getting ours until Decembers pay.  Would be nice to have it before Xmas! 

SecondStar

Since I last wrote, I’ve decorated for Christmas! It is my first real Christmas tree of my own, and it’s adorably stout and 4ft, a bit wonky, and absolutely lovely. It’s the perfect size for my little living room, and with my other garland up, and lights and tinsel over every other conceivable area, the house is looking the part.

I also got my pay from my secondary employment (£115, for 2 days work), along with my primary employment (new uplifted pay £1,816.47 +£409.51 back pay). I had to set amount aside for our Glasgow trip and also for the trip my friend will make here in January, so I wasn’t putting as much into savings as I will be doing, but the number is still going up!

I had another shift at my secondary job, and finally got into costume! It wasn’t my official, measured & fitted outfit, as I still need to be measured or to give my measurements, but our costumer was able to find items to suit temporarily for the day. It made such a world of difference to be appropriately attired, it made me feel much more confident and as though I belonged there. My co-worker for the day was lovely as well, and I had a really good time. It felt a lot like reenacting, but being paid for it!

On Saturday evening it was my friend’s belated birthday gathering, and I was *not* in the mood. I had worked for 6 days straight, had been stressed about my second job shift, and just wasn’t wanting to be around people I didn’t know well. But my partner offered to drive so that I could have a bit of a drink, and it wasn’t too bad in the end. We stayed for a few hours and then headed home, and I was glad I went in the end.

I’ve found a pet sitter who is coming to visit on Thursday ahead of my trip, to meet my cat and bunny and take some details. I was panicking because I desperately needed to clean out my bunny’s enclosure before then, but the weather was to be dark, wet, and windy, from Mon - Thurs - the only chance I had to clean out was Sunday, and my partner was going to be here. Cleaning out a rabbit is not romantic, or for the faint hearted! Any of my previous partner’s have either not really understood my commitment to my pets, or have been actively annoyed at their needs.

After we went to buy fresh bedding, and realising that the day was getting dark at 3pm, I sheepishly told my partner that he didn’t have to help me clean out if he didn’t want to, that it was a hard, sweaty, smelly job, and I wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t want to be involved - an assumption, because no one else has ever helped me before. He looked at me strangely, and then spoke very slowly to make sure that I was hearing him - that he was here to love and support me in all things, including cleaning out the rabbit. And so whilst I was ankle deep forking out the dirty straw, he was moving the wheelie bin about to make sure it was within my reach, rinsing out the plastic beds, refilling the water bottle, and opening the fresh bags of straw for me. When we had finished, I expressed my soul-deep gratitude again, and he was confused but very pleased at how happy and grateful I was.

For him, it was nothing - from his perspective, yes I could’ve done it alone, but he wanted to help me, and it was no trouble and didn’t phase him one bit. For me, it was everything - I wasn’t expecting any help, or I was expecting begrudging, judgemental ‘help’, and so I would’ve rather done it alone than either of those. Instead, I received kind, patient, willing, help; as though it was the easiest and simplest thing in the world to him. I could’ve married him on the spot!

Such a lovely set of events has led into a workweek which is feeling almost manageable. We had our training extended for another week, possibly 2, and we’re thankfully staying with the same coach for at least 1 week. I’m still not confident or comfortable about the new role, but I’m not quite so actively terrified. Progress!

I’ll post another new SOA shortly, with a breakdown of my new salary(ies), but for now I’m off to make dinner - cheese, onion, and potato pie, with 2-person brownies for dessert!

Purplelady65

What a lovely heart-warming post and it really seems like you have a keeper there with your partner. He sounds wonderful and so supportive.