Working - Week 1 - Done! :)

[Deleted]

I started my new FT job this last week.  

I am managing a check cashing/pay day loan store in my area.  Training is in a town about 85 miles south of where I live, so I have been in a hotel all week. Finally got home last night.

The job is actually great, and as long as I don't have to personally take out a loan at 456%, I don't really care about that aspect of the job.  It's a job, and my pay at $15 per hour is better than if I worked about 98% of the other places in my area.  

I have 401K matching, full benefits, and paid sick, vacation and holidays.  

And, no, they did not drug test.  And, since working last week I have overheard enough conversations to know I am clearly not the only person who believes in legalization.  LOL But, I don't mix personal and business, so no one will ever know about my views on this topic.  

I will be in the store alone a lot, it sounds like, because my employee gave notice right before I was hired.  Takes about a month to train new people, so I am going to get a floating person to help a couple days a week.  This means I very well may be doing 6 days a week, and a fair amount of OT as well.  I have OT just from my training hours last week.  I need the cash, so I am not concerned about that aspect.

While I am not thrilled with the "office politics" and "corporate BS" of working for other people, being out and about again is nice and seems to really help how I feel.

I discovered that while all of their benefits are great, the medical insurance sucks major donkey balls.  Their "best" option only covers 30% of anything, and has an Out-of-Pocket of $20,000 per family, per year.  OMG!  And, the cost to me would be about $400 per month for this lovely coverage that pays for nearly nothing of anything.

So, I went onto the exchange and found out I can get a Gold plan, with zero OOP, and low co-pays for medical appts and RX's, for $850 a month, with a $750 a month subsidy.  So, for $300 less I can get vastly better coverage.  So, on payday I will get covered through the exchange and cancel my Medicaid coverage.

Guess that means I am now 100% self-supporting and a tax paying citizen again.  

[cronewitch]

Congratulations

[Lizard Queen]

Congratulations! Sounds like, so far, so good!

[alabamagal]

Congratulations on the job.  And stay safe!

[swamp]

Yay!!

[NastyWoman]

[imanangel]

Congratulations!

[dannylion]

Congratulations!

[TheHaitian]

Congrats!!!

[Deleted]

That's wonderful news! I'm glad you were able to get over the cash flow issue for your training. Will you be making that trip a lot? If so, and if the hotel is a chain with a loyalty program, join it. It doesn't cost anything extra and you may rack up points you can use on your newfound vacation days.

[achelois]

Great, shasta

I hope this leads to longterm financial stability and prosperity for you.  

[resolution]

Congratulations! I am so happy for you that the job worked out.

[Gardening Grandma]

So happy for you! How far from home is your new work location?

[gacpa]

Awesome news for you.  Do be careful.  I hope your training covered security procedures. 

[Jake 48]

[Deleted]

Aug 30, 2014 13:58:26 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

That's wonderful news! I'm glad you were able to get over the cash flow issue for your training. Will you be making that trip a lot? If so, and if the hotel is a chain with a loyalty program, join it. It doesn't cost anything extra and you may rack up points you can use on your newfound vacation days.

This first 3 weeks is supposed to be the only travel I have to do.  There isn't really anyone else to cover for me when I am not there, so they told me I won't have to go all over, like some of the more centrally located people do.

I also asked about that when I accepted the job.  I am not interested in being sent to work in other stores, because they are all 85-300+ miles from my house.  I have animals and can't just leave home at the drop of a hat.  I was assured it is optional to travel after training.

Next week they decided I had to share a room with some girl who starts training on Tuesday.  I mentioned I would just drive home and they told me I couldn't.

So, I explained, as nicely as possible, that while I want to be accommodating and agreeable, I am not sleeping with some person I don't know and who has ZERO experience with their company. I offered that as a compromise I would drive home and not bill miles.

I have my own room now. And, while I am trying to be accommodating that was just too weird for my comfort zone.

[Deleted]

Aug 30, 2014 15:44:00 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

So happy for you! How far from home is your new work location?

30 miles.  But, that's how far "town" is for me, so working closer isn't really that possible.  LOL

Thank you to everyone, also, for your congrats! 

I deleted my account because I was completely stressed out about taking this job, going back to working, working for a company who I don't believe in their products, security issues, etc... and all the noise about my supposedly being a drug addict because I smoke weed was just a bit too much.

It takes a lot to accept a FT job after freelancing for many years.  Then, I had to figure out how to fund travel, etc... and, I have to leave my sons/dogs/house/property and drag my OCD butt down to stay at a hotel, which I always am grossed out by, and it was just a bit much.

The good news is I am learning to meditate, and honestly feel pretty stable and well.  Working was a good thing last week, but it is an adjustment. A big one.  

[Deleted]

I agree with you on sharing a room. It's rumored that Wal-Mart requires that.

When I changed jobs 2 years ago I realized how much we're creatures of habit and how much mental energy it takes to adjust to a different commute, new people, different schedule, etc. even when it's a good move. Meditation should help.

BTW, I did share a hotel room once. I was in New Orleans for an actuarial meeting and they overbooked the hotel. One room in a 2-floor, 2-bedroom suite remained. I asked another actuary whom I recognized (she didn't know me) if she wanted to share it. She said OK. The room had separate beds, was supplied with champagne and strawberries, and had a sunken marble bathtub. Moving into a regular room the next day was disappointing!

[resolution]

I only ever agreed to share a hotel room with a coworker once, and that was enough. She had sleep apnea and had one of those machines, but she wasn't using it. So she would make the most awful noises all night as she struggled for breath, and I didn't get any sleep at all. After a couple nights of no sleep, I went berserk in the middle of the night until she agreed to use her machine for the remainder of the stay.

I still feel kind of bad about my hissy fit, and still avoid shared rooms.

[TheOtherMe]

Totally agree with you on sharing a room with a stranger.  

As many of you may know, I am a retired IRS agent.  One summer, they sent a group of us to the mountains during high tourist season.  They put somebody else in charge of making reservations.  She set it up so we all had to share.  The 2 guys got to share a room and six women got to share a one bathroom cabin.  Well, after one morning of trying to get ready, a friend and I moved to a room and covered the difference.  Yes, it was over the reimbursement amount, but we were much more comfortable with two people trying to get ready with one bathroom.

Another time, a friend and I decided to share because we wanted to stay at a fancy hotel.  That was our choice.  Nobody made us drouo it.

Congrats on the job.  That job pays more than I can find around here.

[Deleted]

Aug 30, 2014 20:30:08 GMT -5 resolution said:

I only ever agreed to share a hotel room with a coworker once, and that was enough. She had sleep apnea and had one of those machines, but she wasn't using it. So she would make the most awful noises all night as she struggled for breath, and I didn't get any sleep at all. After a couple nights of no sleep, I went berserk in the middle of the night until she agreed to use her machine for the remainder of the stay.

I still feel kind of bad about my hissy fit, and still avoid shared rooms.

I explained to them that I have horrible insomnia already and I sleep with the hotel AC on like 50 so that it blows all night so I can drown out the noise of doors closing, etc.  

I am also the one who takes the extra sheet and uses it to cover the chair before sitting.  Ewww....  I know what people do in hotel rooms and I don't want to be sitting in it.   

In this situation home is only 85 miles, and is an all-highway drive.  It would suck to drive every day, but we did it for dialysis and I prefer that to sleeping with some person I don't know.

[swamp]

I am so happy for you.  Proud of you, even!!!!!  Keep up the good work. 

[Deleted]

Aug 30, 2014 20:22:34 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

I agree with you on sharing a room. It's rumored that Wal-Mart requires that.

When I changed jobs 2 years ago I realized how much we're creatures of habit and how much mental energy it takes to adjust to a different commute, new people, different schedule, etc. even when it's a good move. Meditation should help.

BTW, I did share a hotel room once. I was in New Orleans for an actuarial meeting and they overbooked the hotel. One room in a 2-floor, 2-bedroom suite remained. I asked another actuary whom I recognized (she didn't know me) if she wanted to share it. She said OK. The room had separate beds, was supplied with champagne and strawberries, and had a sunken marble bathtub. Moving into a regular room the next day was disappointing!

Having depression and a personality disorder requires that I expend what I see to be as more than the usual amount of mental energy just to manage to control my head and keeping dealing with other people's crap all day. 

I come home completely, mentally exhausted after having to "act happy and perky" all dang day.

But, at the same time I do enjoy being around people (in limited quantity of time) and being home all the time isn't healthy either.

This job isn't my dream vocation, but the offer was too good to refuse and honestly I do like the actual work fine.  And, soon I will be away from office politics, cause it's kinda hard to have that if you are alone in your office miles away from everyone else!  

I got home yesterday to the news that my youngest is moving out in two weeks. And, the older son has spent much of the last two weeks going to town and applying for jobs.  

It's progress for all of us, just a lot of change and that causes stress. But, today was the FIRST day in about 5 years that I took the day off and didn't feel like I should be working.  

[Deleted]

Aug 30, 2014 20:22:34 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

I agree with you on sharing a room. It's rumored that Wal-Mart requires that.

When I changed jobs 2 years ago I realized how much we're creatures of habit and how much mental energy it takes to adjust to a different commute, new people, different schedule, etc. even when it's a good move. Meditation should help.

BTW, I did share a hotel room once. I was in New Orleans for an actuarial meeting and they overbooked the hotel. One room in a 2-floor, 2-bedroom suite remained. I asked another actuary whom I recognized (she didn't know me) if she wanted to share it. She said OK. The room had separate beds, was supplied with champagne and strawberries, and had a sunken marble bathtub. Moving into a regular room the next day was disappointing!

Almost every school system I have ever worked for has required we share rooms when possible. If we don't have someone to share with, they find someone else in the district who is going to the conference.

[Deleted]

Aug 30, 2014 20:35:20 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Totally agree with you on sharing a room with a stranger.  

As many of you may know, I am a retired IRS agent.  One summer, they sent a group of us to the mountains during high tourist season.  They put somebody else in charge of making reservations.  She set it up so we all had to share.  The 2 guys got to share a room and six women got to share a one bathroom cabin.  Well, after one morning of trying to get ready, a friend and I moved to a room and covered the difference.  Yes, it was over the reimbursement amount, but we were much more comfortable with two people trying to get ready with one bathroom.

Another time, a friend and I decided to share because we wanted to stay at a fancy hotel.  That was our choice.  Nobody made us drouo it.

Congrats on the job.  That job pays more than I can find around here.

From the prolific office gossip....  I think I am well paid because they haven't been able to keep an employee in this area. They get them trained and the local banks poach them for more money. LOL  

I thought the original posting said $13 and I looked online and their pay isn't known to be that high. I also found out, through a CSR complaining, that their CSRs only make min wage or very close and get very, very little raises, but their job is fairly similar to mine in most aspects. 

So, that tells me my offer was decent in hopes of keeping me after training.  

I honestly wasn't looking for FT or any type of management job, it just kinda happened that they like my technology and math skills. 

I will always keep freelancing to some degree and try to keep from having any debt.  I want to keep my options as open as possible, but for now the job and cash are much needed.  

[bean29]

Congrats on the new Job Shasta!  I love your new screen name.  

I drive about 50 miles round trip every day so 30 miles dosn't sound so bad to me.

Glad to hear your kids are moving forward with their lives too.

[NastyWoman]

Aug 30, 2014 20:42:09 GMT -5 swamp said:

I am so happy for you.  Proud of you, even!!!!!  Keep up the good work. 

 I second the being proud of you!!!  You have come so far and done so well. Just take good care of yourself and you will be unstoppable

[gacpa]

I thought I was the only one who hated hotel rooms....

I worked for a CPA firm for ten years, and if there were two females on a job, we always had to share a room.  I hated it.  I got sent out of town one time when I was very pregnant which was bad enough, but my coworker/roommate like to strut around the room without any clothes on.  It was too much for me too handle.  That job pretty much ruined me for travel.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Congratulations Shasta!  I'm so glad things are working out for you. 

[Deleted]

Aug 31, 2014 1:36:14 GMT -5 gacpa said:

I thought I was the only one who hated hotel rooms....

I worked for a CPA firm for ten years, and if there were two females on a job, we always had to share a room.  I hated it.  I got sent out of town one time when I was very pregnant which was bad enough, but my coworker/roommate like to strut around the room without any clothes on.  It was too much for me too handle.  That job pretty much ruined me for travel.

New job and all, I am trying to no be a PITA, but this sharing a room with someone basically off the street, was just a bit much.

I am glad, and fortunate, that they booked me another room. And, I made sure to say "thanks" a couple times just for good measure.

I think sleeping in a hotel bed is gross enough.