Busy month
Having got a decent bonus and no mortgage to shift, we have been buying furniture. We are living the good life!
It’s also been BBQ season, with trips to see friends and have little company ourselves. Of course, when it is going so well, a little rain must fall and after 16 years with his present employer, my husband is in a consultation period which will result in his job being ceased next month.
The joy is, having just about caught my husband up, we’re going to be OK. Many families survive on a lot less than I take home a month. We have no big outlays each month and, because my beloved was a professional, he is getting nearly a year’s pay as a package.
It still feels a little scary.
We’ve got our living expenses, including the council tax (our state or local tax in the UK), food, heating and lighting, down to less than half my take home. That’s without budgeting down. We live comfortably off that money. The heat pump has been our only big expense and I got that on an interest free deal. We have no loans otherwise. So the year’s pay is not having to go anywhere but ensure he can last until his pension is drawn.
My beloved is talking about taking on the house work, as he’ll have more time. I’m hoping he can find something, so we can keep it evenly shared. Everybody does things their own way and it’s good to keep that interest in the house.
We’re fortunate to be in this position. While he’s hunting for a job, he will be eligible for Job Seeker’s Allowence – open to anyone who has a good national insurance record. It’s not a fortune, but means you have cash coming in (and a full NI record) for six months – you can eat well off that money and have enough to travel to interviews etc. Unlike universal credit, it’s not means tested.
You cannot be frivilous, but there’s no need to turn the heating off or starve with Job Seeker’s Allowence.
Hopefully, my work place won’t need to cost save “my role down”, too. Then it would be significantly more interesting.
Posted: August 17th, 2024 under 42.