Transition to Civvy Street.

[AlanF]

Removed by Owner

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
Anyone deciding to leave would do well to start planning for departure a year in advance; housing/job/transport are all items that have to be sorted if you haven't got them in hand.It might take a good while to get a job sorted.If you have a job lined up, ie; interviews done and contract signed, then it's no harm to try and get in for a look around before you actually start....housing: you might not have the fallback of a family home to go back to, so it's a serious priority, especially if you have to relocate to take up work. Bumming a temporary bunk in a friend's place is a sure way to turn them into non-friends....try and get a car, if you've been using buses.You might have to relocate for work and will need a decent car...sort out any pension details ASAP; don't leave it to the last minute or waste any money you get back off the DF.You HAVE to get a pension started, if you are leaving before any/some DF pension entitlement kicks in......put money away for a rainy day.You might not get a job right off and might need emergency money to tide you over......get any trade or skill certificates due to you.You might need to convert them to civvie certs, to stand a chance of getting into a trade outside.It's very hard to try and go back and get stuff after you have left.......you need to cultivate contacts, as the old pals network is often a good way to get a start outside.Your mentality to becoming a civvie is that you need to hit the ground running, well prepared for an independent existence, where you pay for everything yourself and only have family as truly reliable fallbacks.Talk to fellas who have left in the previous six months to see what they can pass on in the way of useful gen.
regards
GttC

[Rooster]

Other areas I found difficult to come to grips with was being paid monthly, took quite a while to adjust to this.
AlanF

How is the INS paid?, in the RN and in fact all the British forces we are paid monthly.

[AlanF]

Removed by Owner

[hedgehog]

ah being paid by cash- was so much fun

[AlanF]

I remember my first Naval Wage Packet, was Wednesday 24 July 1980 and I received the princely sum of IRL £21.26, and that was 8 days wages.

[Goldie fish]

I remember my first Naval Wage Packet, was Wednesday 24 July 1980 and I received the princely sum of IRL £21.26, and that was 8 days wages.

Since then the value of that wage would have increased by 232% ...

Which would bring it to.... about €90

er... was that before or after tax?

[hptmurphy]

After tax..as a recruit in 1985 I was earning £65 per week....as an O/Sea that went up to about £80 now add in duty money..£9.05...only one rate then...sea going was £5.05 perdayafter three yearrs service as an A/Sea I was taking home about £150 per week after rations and quarters.....paid on wednesday..skint by sunday..

seagoing 200 fags were £4.50 and a pint in the ships mess was .55p.....bottles of spirits were about £7.00 but they rarely made it to the lower decks.

didn't have to buy fags for about three months after I came out

[Nav Trooper]

The term "As Mean As tuesday" spings to mind.