Teetering on the brink

EatingBeans

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! 😁

It seems like my birthday is just being stretched out this year. dd2 is going to cook dinner for me tonight, we are going to the cinema on Tuesday, out for a meal Wednesday and might even get to see my brother next week! At some point I need to swing by Greggs and Starbucks for my free sweet treats too! 

My mum gave me £50 birthday money so I’ve decided to spend half and put the other half towards my debt. I also received some money from TopCashback so I am already at £33.29/£200 aka 6/40 £5’s! 🎉

Just time for a quick coffee now before going to help dd2 with converting the work she has already done on her report into an essay. I did wonder how they planned to get sign off from the ethics board for her research in time for her to actually do the research, and it became very clear last week that noone had really thought about that. Can’t blame dd2 for not knowing since they’ve not given her any support in how to even conduct research! Thankfully her mother has studied Social Research Methods at post grad level so knew enough to prompt her to go and ask the question before focusing on developing the primary research elements too far. I basically had her focusing on a literature review up to now so pretty easy to convert, she just doesn’t know how bless her. 

Catch you all later! 👋

ellenvan

Sounds like you are having a Birthday week.

Sending you Happy Birthday wishes.

So disiplined to split your birthday money.

Also great that you are 6/40ths to target already and we are only on the 2nd day.

Well done.

badmemory

Usually more of a lurker than a poster but I have noticed how supportive you have been to your DDs especially DD2 at the moment & think that is great & this is not a criticism (well other than DD2s educational institute).  You are able to help but how many others don't have the support you are able to provide, they are setting students up to fail & that does not sit right with me.

After that -  HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!  & sorry sometimes I can't help myself.

pennywisepoundstupid

Happy Birthday, sounds as though you have some lovely birthday treats lined up.

Loving your diary and well done on taking the bull by the horns and dealing with the debt, I will be reading and cheering you on xx

EatingBeans

badmemory said:

Usually more of a lurker than a poster but I have noticed how supportive you have been to your DDs especially DD2 at the moment & think that is great & this is not a criticism (well other than DD2s educational institute).  You are able to help but how many others don't have the support you are able to provide, they are setting students up to fail & that does not sit right with me.

After that -  HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!  & sorry sometimes I can't help myself.

Oh, @badmemory don’t get me started about the support levels from educational institutions around here - trust me, I could write a book!

Amazing as it may seem, the college is a million times better than the school they came from (no other options locally - trust me, I looked!). dd1 has actually moved to the college since dd2 started there, choosing to resit her first year of A levels rather than stay where she was in the school Sixth Form, it was THAT bad! She and I are still glad she moved even if we are STILL fighting for her to get back into Biology (it was full when she started in October). She is predicted A’s so it is not lack of ability, and it has been confirmed that there are now spaces in the class. She sat an entrance exam for it over a month ago and currently we are still waiting for the lecturer to ‘finish marking it’ so she can get confirmation she can start attending the classes. For every week that passes, she is obviously missing more and more classes and ridiculously she apparently only needs an E to be given the place. I mean how hard is it to mark ONE paper! 🤬 I am trying to remain calm and not lose it at them, but seriously, it is now March! 

It does makes you wonder that if it has taken until now and we still haven’t sorted it for an A grade student, how on earth are any of the others managing?! 🤷‍♀️ I suspect a lot are just getting to the end of the courses as best they can and doing the best they can with whatever they come out with. Bless them. 

Oh and primary school wasn’t any better. In fact I was so concerned about the kids at that school I ended up volunteering to be a classroom assistant in a bid to prove to myself that it wasn’t as bad as I imagined. It only made me feel worse! I did my best to help as many of the kids as much as I could while I was there, but sadly life took over and I was forced to stop. 

… Stepping down from soap box…

… happy thoughts…
… must think happy thoughts…🎂

badmemory

Then they wonder why teenagers are disillusioned & give up on getting qualifications & then land up not working.

EatingBeans

Thought I would end the night on a high and drawn down my balance from Prolific and pay a bit more off the debt. £10.46 drawn down and tried to pay it off my MBNA card only to have the payment frozen by NatWest as they thought it was some kind of fraud! Haha. Ok, so I know in the past I have just incrementally been adding more and more debt to the MBNA card, rather than paying it down, but did you really have to point out that this is such unusual behaviour for me that you are going to block the payment and ask me if I am REALLY sure I want to do it! 🤣 Yes, you sweet lovely bank, I really DO want to pay off some of my debt. haha! 

So, after a little persuasion, I am ending the night on £43.75/£200 aka 8/40 £5’s! 😁

Take_a_hike_Elon_and_Jeff

Happy birthday and it's one edging you closer to debt freedom compared to the last!! Sending you positive vibes !

Cherryfudge

Happy birthday! Stretched-out birthdays are the best. I'm a March baby too but we are celebrating later in the month in the hope the weather will be better for a day out.

I hope your DD gets her place in Biology soon.

And well done for paying off more £5s!

Cara_

Belated birthday wishes. 

I hope DD1 is able to start the biology class soon - it seems the exam paper is lost in the system.

The extra £5 challenge is going well.