Testing times

I started my blog to sort off help myself keep an eye on my finances. I need to do this more than ever now as my eldest son is still of sick,torn muscles in back, ouch, so now housekeeping. Then there is youngest son still at college, hoping to join merchant navy in the autumn - oh no, don't want my baby to go away. And now the old fella has lost one of his jobs.

He was called into office this week and told that he doesn't get contract in September as he had too much time off this year. Wow, big shock for us. He had time off in January when he went to his brother in laws funeral. In April his arm was in plaster. He went in to work anyway but they sent him home, so another four weeks without work or pay. He was really sad to start with as he has worked there for 8 years, driven all over the South Coast to help them out with lesson cover. Volunteered at their triathlon days and even taken the kids and their mates along to help out for free. He feels a bit betrayed and disappointed. Speaking to my sons girlfriend, who works for them also, he gets paid more than the other teachers as he has been there since they were better paid. of course that can't be why he had to go.

So, of course, we made a plan and, of course, we used a spread sheet.The old job, which from now on will be known as 'bad swim school', only opened term time so you didn't get paid for holidays. The other job, now to be known as 'nice swim school' runs 50 weeks a year, stopping only at Christmas and Easter. Bad swim school works mostly at the weekend. Bad swim school paid £5 per hour more than nice swim school.

First thing on the list was to take a visit to Nice Swim School to ask about more lessons. He picked up a day time lesson for a school, he picked up Wednesday evenings straight away and Monday evenings starting in four weeks time. They also run parent and child lessons during the day which he is hoping to pick up. Because they work every week and pay you for your holidays we only need to pick up for more hours of lessons to break even. There are at least ten more lessons which he could potentially pick up so we might end up better off. Summer will be a bit tight but overall it's okay.

The good thing about it all is that bad swim schools lessons took up most of the weekend, finishing at four on a Saturday and 2 on a Sunday, so we had no weekend time together. So although Fahed would never have jacked the job in because he is a responsible person we are suddenly feeling like we have weekends again. It feels darn good actually and by October/November time we might hopefully be back to a similar financial position. In the meanwhile, we can cope.

Fahed isn't really good with change but I am pleased with how he coped. The teachers at Nice Swim School meet up in the cafe for a coffee and natter for a half hour before lessons, which doesn't happen at Bad Swim School. Those little social moments are really good for Fahed. We will be okay.