Vimto

Congratulations on the new set of wheels, my wife has an Altima and gets great fuel mileage on the highway (30+mpg) she loves it. Nice to see you have a half decent credit rating so soon making the lease possible

Pulaski

Congrats on the new wheels - that sounds like a pretty good deal you got, and you should be able to get by without buying tires at all (assuming you don't blow through the 40,000 mile allowance by a huge margin).

Mrs Danvers

Nice! I have a 2014 Altima. Took me a while to get used to keyless start and remembering where I'd put the bloody things.

Nutek

Mrs Danvers

Ha ha!

LotusEater33

So true.

hoffage123

Coming up to 16 months, and I am having to resist the temptation to book a flight home for a week's visit as I can't afford it ... aargh.

I need to put some money aside, even if it is $50 a month, so I can make a goal of having enough for a ticket in a year's time. Tax return refund will probably help too.

Need to be sensible.

Hoffage

Pulaski

So you haven't fully assimilated into the American way of doing things yet then.

hoffage123

Hah no! I am trying to avoid putting stuff on credit as much as possible (which is tricky enough at the moment with day-day stuff)

Hoffage

hoffage123

Just a quick update ...

So I have been finding it difficult to make ends meet - so I got myself a second job - I get to work as a delivery driver/cashier/dogsbody on Friday/Sat/Sun evenings. It isn't glamorous but it is helping me pay the bills and pay off some the debt that I have accrued so far.

Some of that debt has recently been due to getting my missus driving lessons - turns out we don't get on if I try and teach her how to drive haha ... so yeah. She will have had 25 hours worth of lessons before her test at the end of September (so, fingers crossed that is all she needs to pass it first time).

I let her drive us back from my son's school yesterday, and it was ok apart from her nearly swiping the car a few times near other cars and speeding on narrow roads (had to tell her to slow down, she claims she isn't used to my car and is a lot slower on the instructors car).

My son has started first grade in a different school - he is excited and nervous all at the same time.

Weather is starting to change again ... looking forward to Fall in Rochester, but not the upcoming Winter .... aargh.

Hoffage

hoffage123

Another update - so wifey has found work at my workplace in another department - it is temporary but will add an extra $22K onto our annual income - yay!

Having difficulties at work currently (office politics and the like) ... so am looking for an internal or external transfer elsewhere kind of like being managed by a Dilbert at the moment ...

Going to get some career coaching to brush up my resume and interviewing skills etc etc.


Hoffage

Pulaski

Sounds like things are moving in the right direction.

If your wife's work is likely to end, I suggest you try to use her income exclusively to build a rainy day fund, and/or pay down debt.

Good luck with your office politics and next career step. I am dealing with that sort of cräp too at the moment, and trying to negotiate a better role for myself after almost three years of being almost entirely ignored (18 months) and then completely out maneuvered (the next 18 months).

hoffage123

Update:

Well, the work politics came to a head in April this year, and long story cut short, I got terminated with no notice due to my former manager making up a pack of lies. The grievance I had against her for harassment and bullying also went nowhere (coincidence? probably not).

I managed to luck in to a volunteering style position, working as a Producer for a documentary ... however no pay (they are hoping to get grant-funded if the pilot episode is successful). So that has been good experience.

My unemployment is due to run out at the end of next month. I have gone to many different kinds of networking events, followed up etc. And of course applied for jobs the normal way as well as trying to create side-hustles. And I have about 7 active job leads at the moment with the potential of a face-face interview, some with some prime networking contacts in place. It is all a little bit close for comfort though. A flight I had booked to England for November, I was able to rearrange for this month, because my niece is severely ill, and also haven't seen my family for two and a half years. Also, the wife is pregnant (a blessing, but the timing couldn't be more perfect haha).

Things eventually get better, right?

Hoffage

Rete

Darn but sorry to read of your job situation. Could have told you about filing grievances. They go no where. Been there, done that, and lived to see the results ... Zilch.

Difficult finding a new position when you have been "terminated". Was it an out and out firing or a nicely worded, sorry but we are letting you.

Congratulations on the impending 'hood status.

Beaverstate

That's a shame, but your single biggest drawback may be your location, I imagine that Rochester is a tough place to find decent work.