Second jobs to keep your neds

HaffiesRock

HaffiesRock

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 August 2011
Messages
4,704
Visit site
How many of you out there, work more than an average week to afford your equine friends? (overtime, second jobs etc)

I have one pony but will soon be taking on a second. I can more than happily afford them both, go out a couple of times a month etc but that's about all. I have my wedding in 18 months and OH loves his yearly holiday and would prefer it to be twice a year! Its easy for him as he earns twice what I do and contributes for me a lot but I like to get a second job to get some money in the pot and prove a point about the second pony.

I have an interview for a temporary Christmas job. Its 5 minutes from my main work and is 2 evenings a week. Timing is perfect between the 2 jobs and sharer will sort the ponies.

I'm really asking as if it all works out I may consider a permanent second job (until my potential promotion in the spring) I was always brought up to work hard and earn money for the things I want. This is what I want to do now as I want to contribute to the wedding and not let OH pay for everything, even if he is happy too.

So pro's and cons of a second job. I am talking 10-12 hours on top of my 36 hour week (not a lot I know) no weekend work, just a couple of evenings. Thanks
 
Just be careful with your tax and ni as they may take a lot more off you and change your tax code :-( it may then not work out at much money for more work.
 
Hi HR, I've had two jobs temporarily. I was doing an internship in London and had a pub job at home, although I didn't have to go to the horse everyday I had a 3.5 hour daily commute to and from my internship. Plus I was working 20hrs on top of that in a pub and finding time to see my boyfriend (who lived 4 hours drive away) and horse!

It was fine! I found that I was super productive and loved earning the extra money. Even when my internship finished and I found another paid 6 months placement I carried on working once a week at the pub on a ad hoc basis. I was friends with everyone there and it didn't really feel like work!
 
Erm, well I do, but its different for me as my first job is only part time anyway.
My Job is a Monday to Friday yard work that I finish at 1pm. This gives me time to do my horses, pick up daughter from school and all that. My pay go's into the joint account and pays bills, food, mortgage, cars etc all that boring stuff.
I couldn't afford horses on top so I do Saturday afternoons and Sunday am and pm on another better paying yard which pays for my horses keep along with a bit of cleaning on the odd afternoons.
Its a pain to be honest as although hours wise im not up there much but its tough never ever having a day off, even if I go somewhere on a Saturday morning I know I have to be back and have my horses sorted before starting work.
Id LOVE a day off ;)
 
I'd want to still have enough free time that it was worth having the horses.

I have previously worked 6-10pm 2-3 evenings a week in addition to my 8-5 job during the winter when I couldn't ride in the evenings anyway but would have possibly got annoyed with it on nice summer evenings!
 
I worked 3 jobs (1 full time, one 2 days at weekend and other 3 nights a week) and had a horse. Fitted it in, but had to give up loan horse as facilities meant I couldn't ride at night.
 
Fortunately I have a decent salary these days but back before I earned a decent wage I had two jobs and found I was taxed so much that it was hardly worth working the extra job, so I'd double check how much tax etc. you'll be charged first as you may find the majority of your second income goes on tax.
 
Spoiled cob said:
Just be careful with your tax and ni as they may take a lot more off you and change your tax code :-( it may then not work out at much money for more work.
Click to expand...

This is a good point.

I tried a second job of an evening but after deductions I was just covering travelling costs really.
 
I have.
I work Mon-Thurs 60 miles away so my fuel costs are very high, without them I would be financially fine but I work Fridays locally to cover my animal feed costs to ease up the effect of the fuel on my regular wage (if that makes sense!)

That doesn't take me many hours beyond a normal working week though. In the past when very skint I have worked full time and gone on to a four hour evening job each day, it was tiring but manageable, I didn't have the ponies back then mind!
 
I work full time shifts but that pays for the house and the payments for the renovation we've just had, so I have a little business were I make personalised jute bags (a bit like Claireabella but MILES cheaper), plus mine are horse themed too with horse and rider characters on for show bags :-) They take a lot of time to do but they pay for the extras for my horse in terms of rugs, shoes, bits and bobs etc. Catch 22 though as they take me a lot of time to do so that's time away from the horse but need to do them so he can have all he needs... Vicious circle!!
 
I guess it's one of those 'suck it and see' sort of things! If you take on a second job and it's too much then you could give it up?

Two jobs, two horses, a relationship and a wedding to plan seems a lot... but everyone is different.

I used to have two horses and for me it seemed like more than double the work and money for some reason! I have friends who have said the same. I did it for 7 years but wouldn't ever go back to owning two again.

I do have two jobs at the moment but am finding that I'm not spending as much time with my horse and OH as I should & would like.

Maybe introduce the second job first and see how you get on with it before buying (or loaning?) another horse... which is what I think your plan is anyway?
 
i work 8.30am-4.30 PM desk job.

i teach(dressage) 2 or 3 evenings a week and one afternoon at weekends at local yards too.

Luckily horses are 4mins from work, home is 10mins from horses and yards are all within 15mins of either so it fits in well enough but it does make for a log day if i work, teach 2 and also ride mine.

i love it though and wouldnt change it.
 
Spoiled cob said:
Just be careful with your tax and ni as they may take a lot more off you and change your tax code :-( it may then not work out at much money for more work.
Click to expand...

2nd job will be at 20% tax for everything unless you don't use your full allowance in the first job, then you can apply to HMRC to split the tax code so you get 2 allowances.

NI wise, you have to earn the LEL of £149 / week in EACH job to pay NI on both. Most people don't pay NI on their second job, because normally it is a pub / minimum wage job and in that instance you would have to be working about 23 hours + per week to pay NI, which equates to around 3 x 8 hour shifts a week on top of your other full time job.
 
My pony lives out and is lonely so that's the reasoning behind the second pony. Both will live out with sharer doing them both 3 days during the week (2 will be the evenings I work) Sharer will then hack with me on my boy and her on the share pony at the weekends. So not worried about the extra work as there really wont be all that much, plus ill have a hacking buddy and someone to take out to pleasure rides and shows etc.

Pony I am considering would only be on loan so could go back if it didn't work out. Job is a temp Christmas job as a trial to see if I can manage it/is it worth my while.
 
I work 8-4.30 office job Mon- Fri then every Saturday 8-5 at the livery yard where my horse is kept. Very handy as I can ride her during work time :) I also use quite a bit of my annual leave to cover the yard manager when she has time off.

That extra couple of hundred pounds a month pays for lessons/ competing etc (well, a chunk of it anyway) and although I would prefer NOT to have have to work a 6 day week, I wouldn't dream of giving up what it pays for.

I'm lucky that I am able to swap days with the Sunday staff if I want to compete on a Saturday but always work one day, sometimes both if they need extra help.
 
I have an evening based job (not every week) but pays just under £200 per month in all and helps a hell of a lot towards my horse costs.
 
I do it.
Work full time, Mon-Fri 9-5, an hour and 40 minute commute each way. I then work Friday 8pm-1am or Saturday 7pm-1am and Sunday 6pm-12midnight at a pub (tho that's set to cahnge 12-6pm on Sundays soon).
I have a split tax code as it works out more beneficial to me to be taxed slightly more on the day job and less on the 2nd job, easily done through HMRC.
I have signed an opt out contract at the pub to say I'm willing to do more than the 48 hour/working hour regulations and having just started a new job full time, I have to provide a letter from the pub confirming I won't do more than 12 hours per week for them, but none of my other f/t employers have ever had any problems with it.
I love the pub work- it's essential financially but I also enjoy the social aspect as that's not something I get from being sat in front of my PC all day.
I do make sure that I book the odd weekend off here and there tho as sometimes down time is needed, and i'm lucky the pub understand that.
 
I have for the last 9yeats had between 2-3 jobs at anyone time just to get by.
I work 45hr week at my day job 2 nights a week in a bar 6hr closing shifts and I pick up cash in hand jobs in between doing anything from cleaning to horse care and teaching.
I have an average job but a mortgage car etc to fund on a single income and house needs work. its really tiring and I have to keep my horse on diy to afford him I see to him before and after work and he goes without anything.
Its all about how hard a grafter your willing to be and how badly you want things and I really wanted my horsie but I have to work myself into the ground for him which leaves me very little time and energy to enjoy him but he's my baby and I wouldn't be without him even if the rest of the world thinks am mad :-)
 
Ok none of my business BUT thats a lot of time away from your OH so just be careful he isnt being left out and gets fed up.

My OH isnt horsey and there is a fine line between spending time with the horse and spending time at home doing 'normal' stuff.

Getting a sharer was a life saver for me and now she is doing two days a week home life is even better. to get a 2nd horse I cannot even imagine where that extra time would come from let alone with a 2nd job!

You say your OH already supplements your income? I would make sure he is 100% happy about this 2nd horse before you go out and get a 2nd job and another pony :)
 
As a few have said, I think if the 2nd job is completely different to your main one it doesn't feel so much like more work ;)
 
I have a full tome job running my own business, and a part time pub job two nights a week for pocket money - this covers things like lessons, or new rugs etc when needed, whilst main job pays keep. Wouldn't NEED to do two but life is more comfortable with the extra income!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top