greent's mfw journey

cha97michelle

Addiction isn't a bad thing. I wish my rubbish was selling as well as your ebay stuff. Saying that i just put my old digital camera on, and they seem to go quite well for spare parts. Good luck with it.

greent

Ah, but your stuff IS selling, Michelle, that's the main thing - I know it's a pain in the a*se doing all the little 99p sales, but they do add up eventually! The only reason I've got bigger stuff selling at the moment is because I used to have a small business doing massage and handmade toiletries and stuff. After a 4th child and a big op this year (hysterectomy) I've decided not to carry on. I still can't lift heavy stuff (related to the hyster, but not because of) and haven't got the time to dedicate to the toiletries side (and the regulations are ever tightening and hard to keep up with as a small manufacturer) and the massage side started slipping with the recession - fewer people could afford it I'm not getting rid of everything, though - I'd like to get back into massage in 1 year-18 months time and I shall continue to make soaps/ body butters/ bath melts etc for presents.

I've been selling stuff off as job lots - and although I've been getting chunks of money in, it's not what I paid for it and it's certainly not what I'd get retail for it - but it's money in and clutter out and some of it has a use by date , so it would go to waste otherwise.

I shall list some children's things on there after the next local NCT sale. I use the NCT sale as a big hit to get rid of stuff because ebay listing/ photographing is time consuming - so if I take 100 things to sell at NCT and 60 sell, I find I put half away of the unsold for the next sale and ebay half.

I used to freegle/ freecycle a lot more stuff - but am taking a bit more of a 'look after number 1' attitude and try and sell it first and use any funds for mtge OPs. A sad reflection of the times, I guess. I do still freegle things - but generally will try and sell them a couple of times at least first off. OH's contract is likely to end in July and he has nothing else lined up - so the summer could be lean! If he does end up with upaid time off, though, I'd rather it be in the summer hols - we can do freebie/ cheapy stuff all together as a family And I may even be able to get him to do some decorating!!:p

Ooh - OH has just phoned - he has an interview next week for a 6 month temporary role.

Today I shall be nipping to the PO and getting rid of the ebay parcels. I shall also be popping into A!di and Stresco for a wee bit of food shopping - and shall endeavour to stick rigidly to my list!!! I shall do all of that whilst DS2 is at Tumble Tots - shall walk round to teh shops with DS3 in the pram

I discovered a load more stuff to stick on ebay yesterday. I'm torn as to whether to split it into small bits and list at 99p start or wait for another freebie listing day (for which I have a batch of unsold stuff from the last one anyway) I might do a bit of both - but, whatever, it won't be until next week - I think I'm ebay-ed out this week:rotfl: I guess I've used approx 40ish of my free listings so far this month? I'm going to try and get close-ish to 100 - especially as next month I'll have the unsold NCT items to list. Pah!! I really don't like listing stuff......yawn!!:D I like to get stuff on as much as poss in one go, so that it all ends on the ame one or 2 days - which - theoretically - limits the number of times that I'll need to go to the PO afterwards!!:D

greent

Woo hoo!! Paypal £100 arrived in account today. Refund from credit balance from Barclaycard arrived on Friday, so that and the £10 in my cash tin means I've just made another £135 OP to the mtge this month Yeay - balance approx 99510 now.... Next target is £95k - currently will achieve this in Dec of this year. I'd like to knock that forward by at least a month, if not 2.....

Have also discovered an unexpected £165 credit into DH's account from a delayed work bonus from 2008 - guess where that's heading?! Will do so in about a week, though, as the expenses for about £1200 need to go in first and the I can find out where we are after I've paid credit cards - I will try and sneak it £175 at the least, hopefully £200 - although things are VERY tight this month

Have finally completed the tax credits form (we haven't qualified for years, but now DH is self employed his income has fallen) - will post later - just in tome for them to be potentially scrapped in tomorrow's budget Can't say I'm looking forward to that, but I really think that whoever got elected would have to have done an unpopular budget now.

Ah well - guess I'm back to ebaying... have set myself a target to list another 10 items this week (sold 3 over the weeknd) and relist any 99p or less unsold ones....

greent

Hmm.. haven't posted for a week. Haven't managed to claw that £165 out of Dh's account yet - still awaiting expenses. They and salary should hopefully go in tomorrow, so will try and send it then. ONce the monthly pymt has gone through (1st Jul) I will phone C&G for updated balance to check against s/sht and will try and make my 'extra' OP target for July to round the figure down to the next £500 on the balance - that might be quite a nicce monthly target, actually.... hmm...

Ebaying slowly at 99p items - the odd one here and there is selling. Main declutter of things/ income of extra funds in July will be from local NCT sale, I think - will hopefully sell about 100 things if I'm lucky (although summer one is never as well attaended as the others) Would be good to clear even £50 after expenses and commission - I've started labelling stuff up at 50p just to get rid of it - it takes up room in the garage loft and I'd rather have the money (and it's not like I'm going to have any more babies!!:D)

DD has outgrown her bike. ONly ridden a few times and is immaculate - I think I shoudl be able to get £50 for it (fingers crossed) Will try netmums/ local paper I think for before summer hols. If no joy will try again in run up to Xmas - it really is in fab condition. She's nabbed mine and loves it (I've only ridden mine a few times - hurts my hips) so we don;t have to buy her a new one. DS1 needs a new one though - if I sell DD's in summer may get him one then. At least his get passed on to DS2 (and then DS3!)

greent

Right, expenses (2 months) and 1 salary payment have gone into the account (I need to find` out about the other salary pymt!!) so I've transferred £165 to the mtge. That brings June's OPs (inc regular OP in the DD) to £820 - so I'm pleased with that!

July's OPs....hmmm.... DH is finishing his contract in July it seems - and has no work lined up. However, I'll worry about that for Aug OPs! July's will be our regular OP and ebay money, NCT money, repayment of a loan from someone (about £150 that we'd written off - they are paying at £5/ week, so that's £20/25/ mth ) and any quidco payout (will be small in July - bigger expected in Aug/ Sept) I'm hoping for about £200. Will have to see how that falls in with bringing the balance down to the next £500

wantabetterlife

Welldone Greent:j, that overpayment is brilliant
WABL

greent

wantabetterlife wrote: »

Welldone Greent:j, that overpayment is brilliant
WABL

Thanks, wabl!! I'd prefer your OP figure for the year though!!;)

hebe

Fab work greent! :beer:

tootallulah

Brilliant work Greent, I need to absorb some tips! This week-end I am definitely ebaying at least three items.

Aquamarina

Hi greent,

I've always been inspired by your decluttering, but I've just read your diary and feel really motivated to do some eBaying and get the extra OPs rolling in!

Thanks,

Aquamarina x