So here's to you, Mrs R....

mrs_robinson_3

8 sales on eBay - all done and posted. Made just short of £20. Not much but actually really pleased as was just clutter really and was otherwise bound for charity shop.......

6 books listed on GM and more to come......

Buildings and contents insurance due for renewal on 08/02 - searching for cheaper on Quidco. Found cheaper with M&S and £30 cashback, but then site went down for maint! Dash it all, just as was in the flow....still, sure there are better deals out there so will persevere. Is dull, though.....

Possible offer of freelance work - v exciting. Will require effort at outset but contact says "is yours to lose, know you can deliver". Feeling v encouraged. Possible to put in effort at beginning, then just roll it out to other areas. Could be great earner, and fulfilling too. Didn't expect it all to start happening quite so soon - am I ready?

In meantime, friend of friend has lost cleaner and asks would Mrs R like to take on, as am known for my housewifery skills! Will give me some pocket money, at £8 per. hr, so giving it some thought. Love cleaning and tidying.....

Volunteering going really well too.....

Am happy.

So, go me.

Mrs R

hypno06

Go you, indeed :T:T

Long may the happiness continue x

mrs_robinson_3

B&C insurance rearranged. Gosh, it pays to shop around, as all good MSE-ers know. Renewal quote = £467. New policy = £276.05. Previously £31.28 per month, now £23.00. Plus 1200 Clubcard points. Do feel Tesco is insidiously taking over my life, but, whatever, it's a saving. And it took about 5 minutes......

Other than that, a quiet NSD (clocked up 17 this month, though the snow helped!), lots of cleaning, tidying and decluttering and walking Reg the puppy. Better than working for a living! Lucky Mrs R.

Have a good weekend one and all

Mrs R

mrs_robinson_3

Today in my fave charity shop, an Agnes B putty coloured cotton cardigan. Simple and perfect. Mine for £2.99. Should really eBay it, but think not as is so me. Plus 12 mixed dinner & side plates and cereal bowls, in the style of (though sadly not actually) Emma Bridgewater's Toast range. Mine for £2.45. Splendid frugal spending! Although also spent £3 on daffodils which, unaccountably, think I may have lost. Unless they are in my car somewhere.......

Still, was fun and was on a mini spending high on my return - plus was beautiful sunny day today - though still so cold......

Hope all good out there

Mrs R

BEAT_THE_DEBT

Let us know if you find your daff's that made me chucklexxxxxxxxx

rtandon27

mrs_robinson wrote: »

JSA all fine - Mrs R is woman of world and can take all things in stride!!

....anyway, feel free to offer discouraging noises.

Glad to hear that JSA went fine! - Your comment has made me giggle for a good five mins & the boss thinks I've lost it!

...consider many noises to have been made!

mrs_robinson wrote: »

8 sales on eBay - all done and posted. Made just short of £20.

...at £8 per. hr, so giving it some thought.

every little counts! - you'll be suprised how it all adds up! - surveys alone netted £80 last year & £36 in HMV vouchers - mystery shopping has been good as well - any excuse to go out and have a meal and on someone else is fab!

Glad to hear you in a cheery mood and keeping busy - the time 'between' jobs is always the best for setting things right with the world & tidying up all those loose ends!

mrs_robinson_3

Sold a book on Green Metropolis! A tiny achievement but made me smile.

If only could get round to doing more eBay listings....so, think the secret here, as with so much of life, is to break down into manageable steps....so tomorrow after my volunteering, shall do photos, and then on Friday, listings. This is for my personal stuff, though also have some stock from my dormant business that really should be listed, as would give us a bit more working capital....and only need to list this, as photos are done and on the laptop...so, Friday's the day, yes siree....

Check out my sig....my debt is def on the way down - in fact since this time last year, have repaid 41% of it. So giving myself a little pat on the back right now.

Really have changed my shopping habits...found a perfect clock for my newly decorated study, in TK Max, great price....but put it back, thinking just don't really need it, and find myself doing that so often these days - got to be a good thing! Also house is looking so much less cluttered, without constant influx of new stufff - am actually quite proud of myself.

Next week, we hear about Mr R's redundancy. Again a voluntary thing, and if he gets it, he'll get a decent pension (he's not that old, 52 in fact) and a lump sum, and a redundancy payment - and has good prospects for future work. From my viewpoint, the pension is a fab thing, as it would take care of our school fees, which may mean won't need a regular job myself, could happily get by with freelancing here and there, and odds and ends.....so all digits firmly crossed.

And on subject of odds and ends, decided to take on the cleaning mentioned above - assume will reduce my JSA, but will discuss with them this week when "signing on".

Is only two hours a week, but is for someone would like to do a good turn for, and is only for a few months until she gets builders in - think it will be fun and mildly diverting for me, and is good excercise into bargain, so decided to accept - got to try these things, after all.

After many years spent in desk jobs, is fun to do something so completely different. Might feel differently if that's all that was on offer, suppose, but realise am lucky to be in position where can do something like this, almost as fun, so decided to go with it.

All bills for month now paid, and personal bank a/c looking OK - so long as stick to my petrol and personal spending limits, might even begin to build up a surplus here (don't speak too soon, Mrs R....), due to the JSA payments on top of what am paying myself from my redundancy. Am hopeful if can manage this OK, could have extra to pay off a card which might bring DFD forward a bit. In fact to clear it all within a year, just need to find £470 a month......which is only £60 a month on top of what am paying now...though unfortunately will run out of redundancy payment in July, so will be good to get Mr R's position settled, then will know whether can carry on this leisurely life, or start another job....

Mrs R

mrs_robinson_3

Oops - thanks for your post RT. Meant to hit the thanks button, but then it disappeared when made my own post. So thanks for your encouragement. I really want to find time to do more surveys, but somehow rarely do, so again on my theme of small steps, am going to try to do one or two each weekday.....

Now really must get on - still in bathrobe, which will never do......

Mrs R

mrs_robinson_3

Been checking my online banking - and have just £20 in there!

But CHB is £185 and will be paid in on Monday, I have my "allowance" of £30 for the week in my purse and I have £18.50 a week in my budget for petrol on top. Also have JSA to come, though this must hive off into my Egg a/c at the end of the month, as it's a pure bonus and am hoping to let it accumulate to buy me another month without working or to pay it off a card....so things am tight.

But on other hand, have paid another £412 off my debts and am confident can squeak through. Is amazing though, now have no overdraft am so desperate to stay in that state that keep going over the figures in my head - is just a question of cashflow really, looks worse than it is in reality, as everything that's left in my a/c is just for me, not for any household stuff as such, as we pay for all that from our joint a/c

Anyway, just feeling a little panicky but know am on right track, and motivation is high

Have good, fun and frugal weekends all - I will

Mrs R

hypno06

You'll be fine - stay focused, and enjoy a fantastically frugal weekend x