Mortgage Reduction Beginner to Novice - The Show Begins

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Evening everyone - have you all had nice weekends?

I've completed my mystery shopping-a-thon (4 Friday, 3 Saturday, 1 Sunday). £45.90 after expenses but before tax. Doesn't sound much for all that report writing but I managed to get a Christmas present for someone in every assignment that allowed a reimbursed present and my lunch on Saturday in the nearest city to me will also be reimbursed.

Hi Tiglath - great to 'see' you here, welcome, welcome. Yep, I set myself that challenge with 16 weeks till Christmas. I used to buy lunch maybe 3 times a fortnight but reasoned that if I could make it 3 or 4 times a week why not the whole week? Anyway I haven't failed yet and I'm over half way there now. I'm beginning to notice the benefits - I don't withdraw cash as much now and I feel like I've had a longer lunch break because I'm not wasting time choosing and queuing to pay.

Things are pretty manic round here. MrMRN is away so I'm holding the fort but there's a lot to do and we were already getting behind on the household stuff. I've been beavering away all weekend at the jobs list but still a long way off being back up to speed. I realised this evening that the only people I've spoken to since leaving work on Friday are people I've mystery shopped! So I called my parents for a chat and thought I'd come and have some online conversation with you lot!

To do on the fiscal front:
Switch gas/elec
Switch or barter with phone/broadband
Call HMRC - letter saying I owe £xxx by January but my HMRC self-assessment balaence = £xxx!!! Also they're asking for class II but I have an exemption form.
Make doctors appointment
List 3 items on ebay
Sort for car boot

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Evening MRN, well done on the mystery shops and good plan for the coming week.

DH does mystery dining stuff as he is often to be found loitering around an airport. They often seem short of people to do the air side MSs. He gets a free brekkie so is happy

I am back to work tomorrow and am undertaking to always take my lunch break, or leave early - I prefer the latter actually.

btw red beef was FAB

Have a good week, Tilly x

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

I listed the 3 items on ebay yesterday evening then decided to have some 'me' time - soaked in the bath (can cross off last bath bomb from the toiletries list!) and watched Snog Marry Avoid on bed!

I tested the Tesc0 scan as you shop system at the weekend. Keen readers of these MFW threads will know I get trolly rage especially at the checkouts. Scanning as I shopped completely quashed all that. I also enjoyed packing as I went (I like it neat, heavy stuff at the bottom, divided into fridge/freezer/cupboard bags for ease of unpacking). I didn't have to go slow while some machine wittered on at me like self-service checkouts and my shopping wasn't flung down the conveyer belt either! I didn't even mind much the random item scan check at the end. It wouldn't accept my Stand up to Cancer £1 donation voucher though and the staff didn't know what to do about it because they couldn't override like a money off voucher. I think I'll be using again!

littlefred169

Is the system in your local store or is it something you can transport around with you?

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

littlefred169 wrote: »

Is the system in your local store or is it something you can transport around with you?

It's only available in a few stores at the moment - including the huge one I pass on my commute - but I think the roll out is in place for more.

I heard that the scanners and tills often have different price updates so I carefully checked my receipt afterwards - nothing amiss.

Haven't Waitrose been offering this system for a while?

littlefred169

I don't know about waitrose it's a bit too far away from me. I also dislike queuing up at the till so I'm looking forward to it being rolled out here!

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

I have two confessions with happy MSE endings:

1. I bought a M@rs bar this afternoon... it was a lucky wrapper so I won a free bar!
2. I bought a £120 ball dress on Saturday (I'm attending a Christmas ball, my old ball dress is 8 years old and well used!). I found the new dress cheaper on a different department store website - the original store has agreed to price match and refund the difference! £24 back in.

gallygirl

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice wrote: »

Haven't Waitrose been offering this system for a while?

Yes they have.

I like doing 'Extreme Packing' in Aldi. Arrange shopping carefully (sounds like how you do it) and get large shopping bags placed strategically in the trolley, then pack as they scan. None of this poncey pack at the back for me

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Ald1 and L1dl are even worse than Tesc0 for throwing it down the conveyer belt at you.

But I agree GG, that it's all about placing strategy when unpacking from trolly to belt so that it's in the right order for belt to bag packing.

moneycurious

then theres the packing the car so that if things need putting further in the house they go nearer the boot entrance ...... or is that me just being strange and ocd again??!!