Adventures in Living Frugally

DedicatedDFW

Hi Everyone :hello: I'm DedicateDFW. I've read and been inspired by a number of the diaries on here and have decided to start my own to help keep me focused and also keep track of everything.

The debt has mounted up from being made redundant and then having a job that was less than my outgoings - even after drastic cutbacks I'm now earning more (though still considerably less than I used to.) I aim to try and be debt free by 23/12/2010. A massive challenge inspiring the phenomenol task I have set myself to earn an additional £25 a day. It only occured to me this morning that there will be times I on holiday so not earning hardly anything extra on those days but hey ho!

In terms of debt clearing I am going to focus on overpaying one bill at a time whilst still paying the minimum to all the others. So starting now with my Overdraft £1500.

To earn my extra money I have taken on a part-time job, joined dooyoo, onepoll and do 1 free daily scratchcard. I also sell items when I can on e-bay, books on greenmetropolis and am a mystery shopper.

If anyone has any advice suggestions I'd be very grateful.

I have sold a book netting me £4 profit - I will update this on my £25 day when I withdraw the cash as I can only withdraw once a month and I'll get confused but have already updated this on the World cup challenge. But I have earned £32.50 from work. Off to update sig!

macgirl

Hi Dedicated :hello:
You've made a good start and sound very motivated, so Happy New Diary!
I'm going to sell some books, but was thinking of Amazon, how is Green Metropolis?
Thanks, Mac

Poorbuthappy55

Hi Dedicated

That's a really good start. I have found my books sell best on Amazon none sold on Green Metropolis - I have sold 2 books and 2 DVDs this week within hours of listing them. Not huge profits but every little helps.

Good Luck!

PBH

DedicatedDFW

Hi macgirl and poorbuthappy & Happy New Year to you both! I agree that Amazon could be the best place to sell books - as poorbuthappy said and I've heard this from so many people. I'm on greenmet as at the time I was listing I couldn't get onto amazon for some reason but could sign onto greenmet so everything got listed there.

My intentions for this year are to cut back on all things I can like amount I spend food shopping, clothing etc. so that I have money for things I really enjoy such as seeing friends and going on holiday. It was really hard having to say no to so many things when I was trying to make ends meet.

My clothing challenge means I can only buy new clothes with any vouchers I receive, or if its part of a mystery shopping assignment or with spending money whilst I'm actually on hols - not before I go! Ooh its going to be tough!

Tonights To Do List:

1. Check bank balance see if I've paid anything off overdraft
2. Wash pots
3. Declutter 1 wardrobe
4. Take down the decorations
5. Dry and move washing
6. Print off 2 mystery shopping jobs
7. Shopping List - store cupboard challenge this month!
8. Sort out albums for e-bay
9. Lift out photo's for friend
10. Bingoport
11. BingoBritain
12. Move all choccy gifts into larder
13. Dooyoo
14. Enjoy a much deserved glass of vino! Hic

DedicatedDFW

Hi all - had to update whilst I have the figures I have managed to pay off £160.60 of the overdraft - basically by a few mystery shops which I've been paid for and not spending as much in December. Happy start to clearing this bill!

DedicatedDFW

Morning Everyone! Have done my free scratchcard today and bingoport. So from last nights list:

1. [STRIKE]Check bank balance see if I've paid anything off overdraft [/STRIKE] Woohoo
2. [STRIKE]
3. Wash pots
4. Declutter 1 wardrobe
5. Take down the decorations
6. Dry and move washing
7. Print off 2 mystery shopping jobs
8. Shopping List - store cupboard challenge this month!
9. Sort out albums for e-bay
10. [/STRIKE]Lift out photo's for friend
11. [STRIKE]
12. Bingoport
13. BingoBritain
14. Move all choccy gifts into larder
15. Dooyoo
16. Enjoy a much deserved glass of vino! Hic
17. [/STRIKE]

So today begins with find photo's. Was hard to get through the list actually as usual more jobs crept in like another load of washing and drying and freezer organising but it's all good.

The reason I'm focusing on my overdraft first is its a smaller goal (not the smallest) and I have had problems with my wages before and end up in a huge worry trying to get money in to cover my mortgage.

I now have to look at e-bay with items i've lifted out for that. So todays to do list

1. Declutter second wardrobe
2. Declutter bedside cabinet
3. Dooyoo
4. Any surveys I receive
5. Check for MS
6. Tidy away at least 3 xmas gifts
7. Bingo Britain
8. Wash Pots
9. Go through course material
10. Get everything ready for work tomorrow
11. Clear kitchen table - all food on it into relevant storage

Have a great Sunday everyone - I'll be back later to update hopefully!

DedicatedDFW

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

1. [STRIKE]Declutter second wardrobe[/STRIKE] Nothing e-bayable discovered - it has been decluttered many times...
2. [STRIKE]Declutter bedside cabinet[/STRIKE] as above
3. [STRIKE]
4. [STRIKE]Dooyoo[/STRIKE] done & a plan in place to be more organised with this from next week
5. [STRIKE]
6. Check for MS
7. Any surveys I receive[/STRIKE]
8. Tidy away at least 3 xmas gifts Only 1 done
9. [STRIKE]Bingo Britain[/STRIKE] Done but sadly no wins
10. [STRIKE]Wash Pots[/STRIKE]
11. Go through course material
12. [STRIKE]
13. Get everything ready for work tomorrow
14. [/STRIKE]Clear kitchen table - all food on it into relevant storage

So alot achieved but still some to go... This morning I've done free scratchie & bingoport & bingobritain. I should have been doing an MS but car wouldn't start so out to mess about with that in a minute. As its back to my f/t job today too I've decided my e-bay quest can be put on hold until Saturday and the luxury of having 2 full days off both jobs. I have quite a big bag of goodies to list now and have only 2 drawers, a bag and a jewellery box to declutter in my bedroom. Think I'll do the drawers tonight - should be quite quick as they should pretty much be all essentials in there.

In money news I've spent a bit this last couple of days without hardly realising it (ah the ease of ordering via telephone) So to make a note: ordered books including 1 as a gift £21.49 and another book £6.50... I have lots of books but these ones I've been waiting for for months and as they're reduced I've duly purchased them. In my defence at full price the books would have topped the £100 mark but still feel bad spending with all this money I owe.

The rest of todays to do list:

1. Take MS notes to work with me for tomorrows job & read thoroughly
2. Do some more knitting so I can start a new scarf
3. Get car working
4. Dooyoo
5. Clear Kitchen table of unnecessary items
6. Declutter 2 drawers in bedroom
7. Try and spend 30mins on course material

Hope you all have a good day, I'm already looking forward to the end of my shift on Friday.. :rolleyes:

DedicatedDFW

Having had several inches of snow last night and it continuing apace today all plans for work have been cancelled. Means I'll have a busy weekend making up my p/t shift and also my MS. However in the style of Baldrick I now have a cunning plan for the day.

I did not complete all my tasks yesterday as I eventually took myself off to bed at 11.30pm exhausted. So todays plans are:

1. Deep Clean Kitchen - table already cleared :T
2. Clean and tidy living room
3. Dooyoo
4. Any Surveys
5. Bingoport already done. play Bingo Britain
6. Free scratchie
7. Clean and tidy bedrooms
8. Declutter 2 drawers and jewellery box in bedroom
9. Declutter basket
10. Move bag out of bedroom that needs decluttering
11. Declutter letters file
12. Go through course material
13. Eat something at some point I have a grumbling tummy
14. As car now looks like a snowball repairs will be on hold

So I have split my time between the (un)happy cleaning / decluttering tasks and the time on comp. Other half is in slumber land so vacuuming is on hold until much later. Once I can finish bedroom today it will also mean that room has been thoroughly decluttered of my things. :j Roll on e-bay at the weekend

Hope Everyone is having a good day. Should be a no spend day too unless there is something amazing on the grabbit board...

DedicatedDFW

So todays plans are:

1. Deep Clean Kitchen - table already cleared :T 2/3rds done and now on with the rest! Floor will have to wait until OH is up tho
2. Clean and tidy living room Dusted!
3. Dooyoo Done 2 - many, many more to go
4. Any Surveys none at the mo.
5. Bingoport already done. play Bingo Britain
6. [STRIKE]Free scratchie [/STRIKE]20p won today
7. Clean and tidy bedrooms
8. Declutter 2 drawers and jewellery box in bedroom
9. Declutter basket
10. Move bag out of bedroom that needs decluttering
11. Declutter letters file
12. Go through course material
13. Eat something at some point I have a grumbling tummy
14. As car now looks like a snowball repairs will be on hold

Just a quick update from me - big push now on the kitchen -hoping to only have floors left to clean when OH surfaces! Once done as much as I can there I'll be cracking on with another Dooyoo review. :rolleyes:

DedicatedDFW

Hi Everyone - well after enjoying a good decluttering and cleaning day yesterday I was a tired DFW when I awoke this morning. I got the majority of my jobs done yesterday and did my scratchie this morning. In good money making new I managed to pick up a new MS for later in week which I can walk to - even in these very snowy conditions. I also sold a book.

So I returned to work today and have spent a horrid 4hours getting there and back - taking up most of my free time.

So to spends It's not all bad - I decided as the car is snowed in and buses not running I'll purchase my groceries whilst on lunch. I spent £29.48 in total - only thing not on reduced price were the bags (98p and very sturdy they are too) and for that grand total I managed to purchase (drum roll please) a delicious selection of 26meals yep 26 tasty meals I am de-lighted :jFreezer was already packed fit to busting though so after some negotiations everything is in and meal for tomorrow happily defrosting. The bad thing is I didn't get any essentials like bread and milk but as I'm not often in the supermarket when the happy yellow stickers of reduced price goodness appear I thought what the heck its like a whole months worth of meals. My only other spend was transport to work.

So off to Dooyoo though my eyes are sleepy so doubt I'll write anything now and will just add todays quota onto a long list of catch up jobs to be done at the weekend jobs. :rolleyes:

Money_maker

Wow - wish I could find 26 meals for under £30!

Sounds like you're really cracking on with your targets.