No longer as truthful as should be deserved, some names, places and events deliberately vague to protect identities that aren't mine

Friday 3 December 2010

Must be funny...

Either work read my blog and someone spoke to the right people, or I'm just naturally that awesome, but the most AMAZING news has happened.

I was feeling REALLY shitty the last couple of days.  Being so broke for so long was finally taking its toll on me, I was about to crack.  I was sick of work, I was sick of not being able to afford to eat.  I was sick of never knowing if I'd even be able to pay my rent each month, I was sick of not going out or seeing anyone, I was sick of not being able to comfort buy to help that, I was sick of being stuck at home, I was sick of being stuck around Chris, I was sick of Chris and I not being able to go out for dinner, I was sick of everything in the way that only being flat broke for a year and a half can do to you  (he says having gone to the US this summer, I have my priorities, leave it at that).

Today, the big boss pulled me aside (always worrying), and told me they were really happy with the work I do, and were going to give me a raise.  That was an understatement.  I was on £7ph, which is nothing to live on in London.  I am now on £15ph.  That's £120 per day, pratically contracting rates!  That's a healthy, and respectable £31k per year.

My pay has more than doubled, £7ph just covered my rent and bills (but no food).  This means virtually all that extra is dispoable income.  This means I can save.  This means I can go on holiday.  This means I can take Chris on holiday.  This means I can pay £100 per month into my pension.  This means I can buy shoes that actually keep the cold out.  This means I can happily afford a gym membership.  This means I can pay off my credit card debt next year.  This means when Chris is pissing me off I can go out, and stay out, or I can grab Joel and go to Amsterdam or Manchester for the weekend because we feel like it.  This means I can come back, and take Chris to dinner, or see a show, or something date like to spend some time together that isn't me tired from work and him studying.  This means if I want new game, or cd I can afford it.  This means I can shop somewhere other than primark and get clothes that actually fit me.  This means I can buy the food  This means after all that, I might even have £100 left so that when I randomly need to go to waitrose to buy dinner because I'm working 90 hour weeks, or I need coffee, or I'm feeling down and want to get the new Armani Exchange sweater to make myself feel better, I can.  And I don't need to worry all the freakin' time about how I'm going to afford anything.

And it's more than that.  My CV says technical manager for the venue I work at.  On my old salary there's no way I could have stayed past March.  Now I can stay, in a job I love, at a venue that challenges me every single day.  Now I have the salary to back up my job title.  Now, when however many years in the future I'm looking for another job, I can argue my worth effectively.  A technical manager on £14k is either a shit manager, in a shit venue, or hyperinflating their job title.  A technical manager on £31k does a good job.  For a respectable venue.  They're willing to do 90 hour weeks when needed.  As my mum put it, it's now "a proper job, on a proper salary."

I'm not careful with money, I know this, but like I said, this gives me the money to go pay into my pension, and save for a holiday, and then go see my friends afterwards.  Not either/or each month.  This makes me a 23 year old earning £31k for a job he never did a degree or formal educational training in, for a job I picked up from a student society and happened to be good at.  I don't have to worry so much anymore.  Sure I'll be broke some months, but it'll be my own damned fault, because I just *had* to buy the collectors edition, or that new pair of jeans, or I took Chris out.  I can pay for dinner when I go out with my parents for once.  I can be a normal happy human being, and that's fantastic.

And my mind, now doing backflips and being so much relaxed from where it was this time last night, notices.  Earlier I was dreaming of an insanely hot boy, and him kissing me.  Happy at work, happy at home, happy in dreams.  Roll on my next paycheck!

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