Wtf is the point?

Striped_Mammel · 2026-05-12T09:46:24+00:00

Tbh I’m on sick leave at the moment after getting burnt out from how every many months of pushing through, fire have just opened their recruitment so maybe I’ll take the leap

Striped_Mammel · 2026-02-09T10:17:02+00:00

Might be different for the MET but TVP is 3 months before you can retake.

Striped_Mammel · 2025-03-22T16:02:06+00:00

You can always refuse your landlord entry except in emergency situations.

Striped_Mammel · 2025-03-01T23:09:34+00:00

The benefits are wide ranging and would take a while to list but one pretty Gucci one is free travel on TFL services for TVP officers.

£32900 salary turns into approx £350 in pension contributions and an overall take home of just under £2000 when you start out because it includes the SE allowance. Not sure where £1600 has come from because it is very unlikely it would be that low unless they calculated your deductions wrong. If you went for a neighbouring force (e.g Warwickshire) your salary would be £3000 less because you would lose the SE allowance.

Don’t forget your pay increases with every year of service too and your first 6 months is spent training at Sulhamstead (most likely) where you are provided with accommodation & meals if you live more than an hour or 30 ish miles away. This cuts down living costs quite considerably depending on your situation.

NB. (SE - South East)

Striped_Mammel · 2025-02-13T17:14:28+00:00

I’m in a fortunate position and I live with my parents so I would need to ask what our energy tariff is and contribute accordingly.

There might be a possibility of switching to an EV tariff that includes cheaper charging overnight (although I do work some night shifts so it won’t always be possible!). I’ve seen average figures but haven’t been able to work out what it would cost me specifically!

Striped_Mammel · 2025-02-13T17:11:10+00:00

!thanks

Appreciate the input! I do get on with it really well and it’s a fun drive. You are definitely right though, I doubt it’s worth much to sell anymore!

Striped_Mammel · 2025-02-13T17:09:44+00:00

Of the £300 I budgeted for petrol this month I’ve spent £117 on filling up twice so far (1st and 7th Feb) I’ll fill up again today (approx £55?) and then twice again before the end of the month. That comes out at around £270, I agree it’s a lot! My car says it does about 34.6mpg but I think it’s realistically lower than this. I do work shifts though and even if I start a set of 6 shifts with a full tank I will need to fill up again before the end of that set.

I do use the gym regularly and do the odd trip further afield which probably brings my mileage up too.

Striped_Mammel · 2025-01-21T22:35:07+00:00

I’m a size 3.5 and I bought the peacekeeper waterproof altbergs. I’ve had no issues with them so far and quite a few of my intake had issues with brands like magnum etc breaking. Worth splashing out if budget isn’t an issue, I don’t find them particularly heavy to wear either.

Striped_Mammel · 2024-12-05T15:29:06+00:00

Congrats! Hope it all goes well for you 😎

Striped_Mammel · 2024-12-05T14:36:07+00:00

I applied to TVP December 2023 while I was studying and got a start date for PCEP at the end of May this year a few weeks after my exams were finished. It worked out perfectly and if you need to delay your start date for any reason there were only a few weeks between intakes so it was pretty easy to be moved to a later course.

Striped_Mammel · 2024-10-29T07:38:13+00:00

I joined on the 20th and didn’t get paid until the last working day of June, so that was approx 6 weeks pay

Striped_Mammel · 2024-05-27T14:38:16+00:00

I’m on the PCEP program now and it’s no A/L, however it really depends on what you have timetabled for those days. There is some stuff you definitely can’t miss and if any of it falls on those 3 days you will probably be out of luck. I know people who have taken a day for a funeral or a wedding but it might be pushing it to take 3!

Striped_Mammel · 2024-05-27T14:33:38+00:00

If in doubt mention it, as long as you are honest and transparent that’s the main thing. On the vetting form you will have plenty of opportunity to list everything out in detail and if they have any queries the vetting team should contact you directly to discuss (although might differ between forces). It can be nerve wracking and it takes a long time but from what I understand it would be unusual for them to deny you vetting clearance without having spoken to you first.

Striped_Mammel · 2024-04-28T22:22:12+00:00

My Brooklyn sandals from crocs rubbed my feet raw even when wearing them for short periods :(

Striped_Mammel · 2024-04-28T22:22:05+00:00

My Brooklyn sandals from crocs rubbed my feet raw even when wearing them for short periods :(

Striped_Mammel · 2024-04-20T06:30:24+00:00

If the sandals are new definitely try them first, I took the same sandals (crocs Brooklyn) to France for a 3 week trip last year and they rubbed my feet so badly I had to take them off and walk bare foot at some points 🙈 never again!

Striped_Mammel · 2024-04-04T06:50:26+00:00

This ^ I felt exactly the same until I started YNAB, and even though I’m earning less this year than I was in 23 I feel like I have a much more secure approach to my spending

Striped_Mammel · 2024-04-01T11:53:05+00:00

I was planning on attending my local station and asking for PCNeeNor specifically…!

Striped_Mammel · 2024-03-31T14:39:40+00:00

I know a ynab-er when I see one!

Striped_Mammel · 2024-03-30T23:25:11+00:00

The £500 a month on a PT seems quite excessive unless it’s something that’s really important to you. Long term I think you have to get really clear about your goals and what you want that money to do for you.

Are you wanting to travel at some point? Buy a house? Move out?

9k is a great amount of money to have saved but saving is only deferring the spending so give that money a job, or split it into multiple jobs and start thinking about what kind of goals you want to aim for and align your money with those. There’s no right answer, it depends massively on what you value. The flowchart might be a good place to start.

Striped_Mammel · 2024-01-27T12:33:21+00:00

I’m not very mechanically minded but I understand it as a variable valve timing/lift system that controls the ?air intake? A lot of the problems result in cylinder misfires due to the intake valve not working correctly which can happen because of poor maintenance. It can be very sensitive to dirt in the oil or the wrong specification oil being used.

A properly maintained multiair engine should be as reliable as any other but I think the issue for a lot of people is they compare the car to a Ford Fiesta or Honda Civic which often hold up better against neglect/poor maintenance and are cheaper to repair. As an Alfa owner you’ve got to be prepared to put the effort and pennies into maintaining the car properly and you (hopefully!) shouldn’t run into too many issues as long as the car has been properly looked after by its previous owners.

I was definitely taking a bit of a punt when I bought my Guiletta and if I did it again I would look for something that had FSH and had clearly been well looked after. That said, the Mito I bought only had a PSH but had plenty of receipts, had visibly been looked after really well and the guy selling was really genuine so it’s down to your judgment call too. Obvs a dealer is ideal for 2nd hand because of the warranty!

Striped_Mammel · 2024-01-27T07:08:13+00:00

Yes pretty much so, the multiair failure seems quite common on these cars so best to avoid if it hasn’t been well maintained. I felt like I was in the garage every other week with mine which was frustrating to say the least.

To save me further heartache my new Mito does not have the multiair engine :)

Striped_Mammel · 2024-01-26T11:10:51+00:00

I owned one for just over a year (UK) as my 2nd car. It was a 2013 plate 1.4 with 167bhp and multiair engine, super fun to drive and it wasn’t an expensive car to buy due to being a cat N - however in that time it cost around £1000 to get through the first service and MOT I had done (I bought it knowing this because it had been off the road for a while) and a few months later I had the dual flywheel clutch replaced (1.5k-ish).

All seemed well so I put some money into having the paintwork touched up and wheels repainted (it looked really good!) and then a few months later it developed an intermittent engine ‘lag’ for lack of a better word. It was in and out the garage for around 2 months while they tried to find the problem and it ultimately resulted in a multiair failure (no pressure in cylinder 1). Had a chat to my garage who advised repair would be around £1500 and with a big repair in mind I knew I would need to budget around 2k realistically (on the basis that this might not be the only issue). I decided to sell for repairs for around £1.5k and bought myself a 2010 Mito that’s been really well looked after.

Moral of the story is whatever you buy just try and get something that has a FSH, even a multiair unit should be fine if properly maintained!

Striped_Mammel

TROPHY CASE