It's another month til payday diary... Shazzers quest continues!

shazzer22

Well, I'm kinda loosing the motivation at the mo, its so cold! Not happy about breaking my toe, not at work today but managed to do my mystery shop, hobbling around the supermarket and got my eBay items posted.

The bf is coming round tonight so at least he'll cook me dinner! (hopefully) and that will cheer me up I'm sure.

Spent £50 on diesel today, £1.50 on postage and my mystery shop cost £13.61, I've been keeping a spending diary since 27 December, which has helped me see that I spend most of my money on food!

Its really interesting because I have been spending nothing on food at work, apart from £1.70 on Sunday. So to see that even whilst I've been being careful its still where the biggest chunk of my cash is going means that I know where I really need to focus my efforts!

I'm going to update my list in a little bit, but I've lost my notebook, so off to hunt it down first...

shazzer22

Well here is my updated list... only 23 days til payday now and I feel like I'm making a slight amount of headway.


27 December -[STRIKE] Complete court expenses form and post for when I had to appear as a witness last month[/STRIKE] DONE! £21
28 December - [STRIKE]list at least 3 things on e-bayDone![/STRIKE] 3 handbags!
29 December - p[STRIKE]ay in coppers and coins and use it to make extra payment on barclaycard bil[/STRIKE]l Part done, I've paid in £14.00 in coppers but not sure Barclaycard is the best place to make my overpayment... It might do me better to leave it where it is but will have a proper look later on, when at work!
30 December - [STRIKE]List books for sale on amazon/green metropolis[/STRIKE] - did Playtrade in the end
31 December - [STRIKE]dig out old mobiles from dusty drawers and get envirofone prices Part done already! [/STRIKE]27/12 one phone via Quidco/cashinmyphone - £16.60
1 January - [STRIKE]day with boyfriends family, I'll settle for a no spend day![/STRIKE] FAILED
2 January - [STRIKE]make sure SOA is finished and accurate (gulp) - I know its the most important but it'll scare me off if I do that just yet! + NSD[/STRIKE]
3 January - [STRIKE]Cancel free trial of credit file thing - phoneline blinkin closed, and cant do via email[/STRIKE]. Had a NSD instead though!
4 January - [STRIKE]find all my mystery shopping log-in details and attempt to find some [/STRIKE]DONE! and post ebay sold items - hopefully! Realised its a Sunday so can't post but shall package and get them ready. *[STRIKE]Complete mystery shop too* [/STRIKE] Done
5 January - Do a complete store cupboard and freezer check, only food shop for essentials, online using free delivery codes (need to find some) and via Quidco... Haven't managed to do this yet... broke my toe so had a nice few hours in A&E instead.
6 January - List three more things on ebay Failed But did manage to do another MS instead.
7 January - [STRIKE]got through all of my shifts and work out where there is any possibility for me to do overtime [/STRIKE] Done, although tonight and tomorrow would have bee good but instead I am 'working from home' which is good I guess as I am not spending money on fuel! + Watch DVD's so I can list them to sell on eBay/Playtrade.
8 January - find somewhere free for me and bf to go on our four days of together (9/10/11/12th) Now realised that I'm taking my Gran to Gatwick on morning of 11th, at 4am! So days off will be spent at home, sleeping and watching DVDs!
9 January - day off, go to cinema with bf, look for free or money off vouchers
10 January - list at least 2 more items on eBay
11 January - start figuring out what research i need to do for my interview, take my Gran to Gatwick (hopefully get some petrol money from her)

Aim for a few NSDs - which I think will be achievable. I also want to try and find some cheap tickets to London on either bus or train. Going up at the beginning of February for the day to a wine tasting course I got given for my birthday.

Wasn't really feeling as though I had control yesterday, I think it was because I saw so much money going out, but now I realise it was well planned and thought about so not beating myself up about it.

Suppose I ought to get on with some work now!

shazzer22

Yay! Found my notebook finally! And had another no spend day! My friend invited me round for dinner so got entertained and then hobbled home... found myself looking at the ground on the way home for pennies! Sad eh?!

shazzer22

Morning everyone! Well, I'm working from home again today, not much happening on the money side of things, I may try and list a whole load of stuff on eBay later and have a go at a few more bits on playtrade. Got £21 expenses paid today into my current account which means I'm not as far over my credit limit as I was yesterday! But I still am I am really pleased though, because I think I would be in a much worse position if I had carried on the way I was in 2008!

Verbatim

Good luck with the interviews. hope your toe is on the mend.

shazzer22

Helllooooo

Well toe is feeling fine and less of a hobble on now. Really need to pick up the pace with things to make it to the end of the month...

Going to Winchester tonight so will be spending money on the train fare rather then taking the car and paying for parking. Having dinner at a friends and probably then into town, which will be ok because I'll be with my boyfriends mates who rarely allow me to buy a round.

Off to find something in the cupboards for lunch and then to do something slightly moneysaving or earning!

shazzer22

Woo hoo! :j :j :j

Just got 4 more MS's for beginning of February which I can do either on my way to work or on my way home! Very pleased about that. Also got £5 for changing my current account to 'Green' well, not got it yet but we will see!

Right, just need to manage that lunch thing now!
:money: :T :money:

shazzer22

Hello everyone, not been around much as this week has been completely manic.

Finlly had my two assessments today, they wont be letting me know about the outcome until the middle-end of next week so from now until then I shall certainly be on tenderhooks.

Now I am facing the reality that if nothing comes of the two roles I will actually have to find another job and accept my redundancy. I had spent so long focussing on the assessments I had not really considered the future beyond it! (apart from the pay rise of course )

In terms of money saving I have been continuing with the money spending diary and recording all the little odds and ends that have crept in.

I've got a lot more to do in actually making it to pay day unscathed, another direct debit went out today so I'm over my credit limit by nearly £175.00

I'm hoping to get out all my bits and pieces tonight and crack on with my list, so I shall update shortly...

shazzer22

Woke up feeling like poo today... :mad: Sore throat, headache and achy...

Couldn't sleep last night so watched some DVDs I shall today put on Playtrade... not managed to sell anything on there as yet.

Got 20p on the scratchies this morning and hoping that the windy and rain will make stuff late tonight so I can get an hour or so overtime in! Never happens when you want it to though!

I actually managed to batch cook a load of pasta and chilli when I got in from work last night! So got some meals in the fridge and freezer, hoping that will help me avoid a trip to the supermarket again before payday.

Just need a few of the basics... on a course this week for two days so will get fed thankfully!

I'm leaving my list and tidying until tomorrow, bf can't come round til tomorrow night so I have all day to make the place gleam and try and earn so extra ££'s!

shazzer22

Well its been a while since I last updated. I can't believe how busy I have been! Today I have been on an outplacement course so feeling a lot brighter about the future should I not be successful in the two jobs I have applied for.

Still not heard anything back on them yet, been promised a response by the end of the week. I'm really trying to put it to the back of my mind but keep day dreaming about what I could do with the extra cash (pay off lots of debt of course!)

Had a really good chat with my boyfriend yesterday about us moving in together, we did a proper budget and both agreed what we would be prepared to sacrifice in order for us to be able to live together but actually save ourselves some money. In terms of utilities and actual living we think it will probably cut my costs by about £100 per month, which includes factoring in additional commuting distance if we get a place in the village we both like.

So, feeling positive, but know I really need to get my butt into gear if I want to get through the next 9 days and be prepared to use my pay cheque to the best of its ability!