Ahh.. one more day till the end of the week. Just been filling in my timesheet and estimating my pay (I'm not sure exactly what they pay per hour at the moment, hehe)... I reckon including next week I should get about £340

I did have to spend money on petrol to get there (done ~200 miles goin to work and playscheme this week) but for this week i will be reimbursed for my petrol (not sure how much though..) from the playscheme [and mum bought it for me anyway ]

rosie

Well I am pretty tired... been on playscheme all morning then working all evening.

Today for the first time I ran a whole ward's meal service (although it wasnt very full!) by myself though so I was quite proud of that

I have also booked in to work 5 shifts next week too.

Today I also did a couple of surveys for a few quid and redeemed some points I had from finding freebies for a website for a CD for my boyfriend.

Speaking of which, we had an argument the other day because I suggested that he put away a few pounds a week (he is not getting an awful lot of money, about £30 a week, but he doesn't have to pay rent, most food, bills etc fromthat so it;'s mainly "play money") towards paying off his student loan which is about £1500 as far as I know.

You don't *have* to start paying them back until you earn over a certain amount per year, but you can make voluntary repayments - the thing is that if you want to go back to uni and do another course, having an outstanding loan can cause you problems with getting financial support...

It's also psychologically I think it "hangs over him" if that makes sense... but it seems a big and scary amount of money.. so his strategy is the "ostrich in the sand" method whereas I am trying to encourage the "baby steps to dissolve the problem" method.

anyway it turned into a huge argument because he doesnt think he should have to pay it back because he didn't spend it on anything he enjoyed and didn't really get anything out of it, so it shouldn't be his responsibility to pay back...which makes ZERO sense to me.

anyway

his dad pays him, and i was thinking about having a quiet word with his dad (i get on quite well with his parents) and suggesting that his dad siphon off a few £ a week from what he gives my bf and puts it on one side on his behalf to eventually go towards a repayment when there is enough collected...

I dont think he would notice really because the amount he get varies from week to week.

Suggestions/comments? I don't think it's very good because he really needs to take responsibility for it himself... but he is still a teenager like me and we are not the most mature of creatures so i think responsibility financially might take a little while to come yet... so in the mean time at least it would make a practical, if small, difference...

rosie

Had my 2nd day on the playscheme for autistic kids I am helping on today - 1st day for the kids.

It was good, I did feel somewhat like a spare part though as in a way we have too many volunteers/staff : kids...especially if all some of the children are interested in is blowing bubbles on their own in a corner and they get violent if you try to interact with them...kind of thing.. or they go to the quiet "soft room" by themselves for a bit of peace..

anyway, it was still very interesting - going on a trip tomorrow!

rosie

Went to give blood again with my friend yesterday, but since then I haven't done a great deal - quite enjoying just relaxing and not having to go to work

Anyway, some REALLY GOOD NEWS!

My grandma has given me money to cover 1/2 my tuition fees for my first year at university - £500. That's an entire month of working 5 days a week for me, so it's a really big deal!

When I get back tonight I'm going to make her a special card to say thank you

Rosie

Finished my week at work and feeling much chippier than i thought I would, bearing in mind I was up at 5.20 this morning to go to work..! That's..*calculates*..about £140 towards my stash. Woo!

I have this weekend off then on Monday I start on this playscheme for autistic children I'm helping at. It's not paid but I do get travel expenses. I'm looking forward to it but I'm a bit nervous too!

I'm also working straight after the playscheme on Wed, Thurs, Fri.......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......... will be so tired. The good thing is that my work is on my way home from the playscheme - it's like an extra 100m away from where i would normally drive - so it's like getting free travel to work

Speaking of which I need to get some more petrol - I've been puitting it off because I can't find my loyalty card - yes, I am that tight

I also need to wash my uniforms and have a shower and stuff..so I'll report again soon!!

Rosie

Finished my 3rd day back at work today and I'm already shattered! I had the misfortune to come back at the start of an unusually busy period so we have been finishing late every night.. at least when you are busy the time goes quicker.

It is a bit depressing though how much work pays for so little. It certainly makes you think twice about spending. I'm not sure exactly what I am making an hour - it used to be £5.20 and goes up usually in January - but that was at the weekends, it's a little less during the week. I think it was £4.75 but it should have had 2 pay raises since then.. so I don't know.

Anyway, it's roughly £5 / hour.. so to pay one week's rent at uni (I don't know what rent band I am in yet, I asked for a cheaper one but they are hard to come by.. the rent is £42 - £70 a week).

So if I had the most expensive rooms (which are also the most plentiful) I'd have to work 14 hours - so about 3 days of work by the time I've paid for my petrol to get there etc - just to pay one week's rent at uni. And then to live for the rest of the week I still have to buy food, pay for transport, phone, fees, etc, etc...

Went to the post office today to get some parcels weighed so I know how much to charge for them on eBay. The daft postman person gave me a price that sounded HUGE for one of the packets, so I ended up going to another post office to get it checked (it was wrong) - doh!

Well, they are done now and I have invoiced the buyers. Also posted the T-shirt I'd already been paid for.

I also went to the swimming baths to apply for a new card the council have introduced that gives you discounts on leisure facilities if you fall into certain groups e.g. on benefit (welfare) or for me, full time student over 18.

I had already filled in the form and everything only to be told they were "too busy" to do it at weekends and I would have to come back before 10am sometime in the week. It didn't say that anywhere on the form or the notes, or I'd have just made one trip and saved my petrol! what a pain.

Anyway then she goes on the phone for ages seeing if my proof of status is acceptable (you need a letter from your school or university saying you are in full-time education, but since I've left school and it's closed for summer, but I haven't started university yet and don't know definitely which one I'm going to... that is difficult!).

Then she comes back and says to me very patronisingly "no you can only have one if your parents are on benefit" errm no so I asked to see the leaflet again and she points to the section for 16-18 year olds.

no, I *am* 18, I fall into the catagory of "full time students over 18" for which your parents' status is irrelevant..

"But I thought you said you'd just left school?" I HAVE, it *is* possible to leave school at 18 not 16 even if not many people around here do...!

So, I have to spend my time and petrol going down AGAIN and having to deal with idiots who do not have a clue what they are doing! Very frustrating!

Thanks for the congrats on getting my job back guys Also my boyfriend is doing really well (he was unemployed for several months but now runs a small business with his dad), they are getting almost more work than they can handle!

Rosie

oo just had to come on and tell you that the supervisor rang me back and I've got 6 shifts booked in (so about £150).. and she says there will be plenty more hours for me if I want them

Only thing is I'm volunteering on a playscheme for autistic children the week after next, and for 3 days out of 4, I'll be finishing at the playscheme at 3 (having started at 10 after an hour or so travelling..) and hurrying over to work (they said I can start my shift late) to work until 8.30.. I will be so tired!

Finally made the scary-phone-call I've been putting to my old work, & the supervisor is going to ring me back tomorrow - the head chef thinks they might have a space for me again - but on the early shift (boo! i'm not a morning person!)

Other good money news :
I got a £5 voucher in the post (which mum will buy off me, because she is always buying stuff from this shop) from surveys

also I now have enough "points" to get a free CD - so that's something for my boyfriend for Xmas - I will save it

Rosie

Nothing's really gone up more on eBay but I'm hoping to get a couple of last-minute bids tomorrow.

Haven't done much today - staying in and being lazy!

rosie

Woo, all my shirts have bids on eBay - let's just hope they go up a little more before they close.

I've been getting back into going to the library, so not spending anything on books, although I do have to pay a charge to borrow audio books.

Did a bit of shopping yesterday - I got myself a dress for my cousin's wedding (£6.99), a top for me (£2.50) and a T-shirt for my sister for xmas (£2.50).. also I have worked out what else to get her for Xmas, a book about knitting which I think she will like. I'm going to put it on my Amazon wishlist together with any other stuff I come across and order it all together later on so that I might get enough stuff together to get the Super Saver delivery

I only managed to get 4 shirts listed before something went wrong with the eBay site and no pages would load.. but still.. I have bids on 2 already

Working away on my grandparents' Xmas present. It's slow going but I am about half-way done now. I just need to figure out what to make for everyone else (money saving on presents. I hope)

I'm going to attempt to make my friend a purse with a snail on it, but for the others... no idea!

rosie

Been busy..

Opened a pre-student account with HSBC (should get me a 5-year railcard too! woo!).

Been working at my mum's work for some extra £

Tonight I'm busy listing away on Ebay - free listing day! I need to get round to relisting my books on Amazon too...

Rosie

Been off for a while, my internet broke.

Am really enjoying freedom - but resisting getting a job for the moment! (I know I should!)

Went into town to meet a friend on Saturday.. didn't spend anything! but got £4 from taking back a horrible necklace I bought while mystery-shopping
rosie