New job!

ndcn.co.uk

Well, a new part-time one, at least! I mentioned in my last post that I was considering applying at the local Spar, as they have a 'staff wanted' sign posted on the doors. So, before I talked myself out of it, I called and spoke with the manager briefly and dropped off a CV the next day.

I followed up a couple of days later and had my 'interview' this morning at 9:00 (yes, on Sunday). It was much less an interview than a 'welcome to the team', and I have a new, 6-hr per week job. I will be working 3-9 on Saturdays, with the potential to gather a few more hours if people are on holiday, over bank holidays, etc. I estimate that this will give me an extra £175 (after tax) per month, based on a steady 24 hours per month. This is quite reasonable as, along with what my sister is currently paying me back, I should be able to save/pay down my debt substantially through December. 

I've of course added these estimates to my budget and fiddled mightily with numbers, but the numbers will change depending on how I feel and what I actually receive. We get paid bi-weekly too, which was nice to hear. I think I need to think of it as 'extra' and make sure it goes to the right places (CCs, for example).

I'm quite pleased, actually, as this still gives me some time off on the weekend which is important, but also a bit of flexibility if I'm able to take on some extra hours. And I'm also very happy that I won't be putting any extra mileage/wear & tear on the car.

Hooray!

I took my car into the garage on Friday for a bit of an investigation - I'd spotted some oil and a puddle of water on the floor of the garage several days before and wanted to get it checked out in case it was the precursor to a larger issue. I took it back to the guys I got it from and they put it on the hoist for a look-see. No problems with water - levels were where they should be, so it was most likely condensation from the air con (although I rarely use it). I haven't seen any since so that's not a concern any longer, but the oil was because of a small leak with the seal around the part where you do oil changes (the mechanical term escapes me) and some seepage around the block in the engine. They're going to repair it next Friday, so that's good stuff. Hopefully, it will be a reasonable expense, but I wanted to get it done more as a preventive measure than anything - if I can spend £100 to save £1,000 down the road, it makes sense to me. Otherwise, I've had zero issues so far. It really is a pleasure to drive that car!

I've roped my neighbour into my book plotting/character motivation. I need a male (or maleS) perspective on a couple of things, so I picked his brain the other night. He had some good suggestions but said he'd ask around and see what he could get from other men. I'm really like one of the suggestions he made, however, and I'm very interested to see what will come back. He stopped by yesterday when he got home to give me something to chew on that his friend had suggested - I don't love it, but it's something to consider and I've written it down so I have it at hand. I think he's quite enjoying it, actually! Ha ha!

Otherwise, it's payday tomorrow (hooray!) and I hope my budget this month isn't as far off as it was last month! I have no idea what was going on with that, but I've made it through and here we are.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone!