Money

No trip to Florence for me this year!

In Norway (like in the Netherlands) they pay out holiday money. Giving every employee a paid holiday. Which is fantastic. And even more fantastic is the fact that they actually pay out 12% (in the Netherlands it's 8%). Unfortunately I don't get it. Because I wasn't paid until January I haven't earned anything over 2012. So, no holiday money for me. 

The second unfortunately is the fact that I do have a holiday coming up. Starting Monday in fact. Three weeks in total. And of those three weeks, I will be working for two! Basically because I can't afford to be free for so long. Don't get me wrong, I will be paid during a holiday, but no overtime or no late/early/split shift bonus. Which can make quite a difference. 

I have a budget to work with. And my budget takes a certain number as base. If I earn less than that amount, the budget goes out of the window. Three weeks holiday means below budget, means no food or petrol or even worse: rent. 

Mind you, I don't really mind working for the next two weeks. I will after all have one week off. A week in which my parents will descend upon my home. I might need a holiday afterwards!