TheOtherOneDave

I want a new car and I know that I'm crap at saving money, but if i have something that I HAVE to pay I'm fine. So should i continue struggling to save, ( not that I dont earn much, just that im naturally a crap saver!) Or should I just get the car on finance, which will be a monthly bill, which I know that is there and coming out of my bank, therefore no more "hmm i could skip saving this month and get something for myself" etc.

Ok I'll try and give as much detail as possible so bear with me!

Just before christmas (when I still worked for my ex-employer) there was a quiet spell in work and I was offered some other work as a kind of work experience by another bodyshop. The manager at the second bodyshop had previously taught me in college, I looked up to him and thought it would be beneficial to both me and my then current employer, he wouldn't have to pay me to sweep the floor etc and I would gain valuable experience.

My boss, although not too pleased, agreed and asked me to try out their welders and equipment etc so that I could tell him whats good or not (he wanted a new welder). So the agreement was that I would return in the new year, this left me with 10 working days that I would miss, we agreed that these would be unpaid as I had no holidays left.

At the second place of work now everything was going fine, but on christmas eve a collegue from my main employers said that he had a letter from me from the administrator at work, he opened it over the phone at my request, and informed me that it was my p45 and a christmas card saying "goodbye and good luck". I was very shocked to hear this and it really put a downer on my christmas!!! When I got back to work in the new year I went to ask what the score was, according to the administrator the accountant had told her to give me my p45... I know that this is not true.

Anyway I had owed them holidays for the previous year ( I had asked for these days off too be unpaid but my boss never sorted it, so they got taken out of my holidays). I decided not to give them my p45 back, they did not ask for it, and told them that I would work off what I owe, then they could reinstate me.

Whilst working off what I owed the atmosphere there had gone somewhat sour, the other place called me half way through January and offered me a job, I accepted. I told my boss and he wasnt surprised, he was fine with me, asked what my plans were for the future etc, just had a good chat basically, no hard fellings.

However, the administrator on the other hand, has tried to pull a fast one on me i think, she gave me my p45 before xmas which avoided them paying me 2 bank holidays (these are taken out of our allowance at the begining of the year), and is with holding pay on 2 and a half days that i worked this year after repaying what I owed, and I also believe that I should have another days holiday accrued for this year while repaying what I owed. She has been very nasty towards me and says that they dont have to pay me anything because I left, but... I didn't know I had another job until 3 weeks after she issued my p45. She doesnt like me, never did, and would be glad to see me gone.

I have calculated that they only owe my 7 days wages. But she disputes even them.

My question is how should i get my money from them and was my dismissal fair?