Scuba's Spending and Life in the South Diary

chevalier

Any luck with getting his head round the moving thing yet

scubaangel

Yeah he's decided its a good idea, and likes that the area we're looking in means he can walk to work but is still failing at the old saving the money to be able to afford to move part of it. Apparently we'll be hiring removals co to do all our packing as well as moving the stuff, I gave him some quotes and asked when he was going to start saving to pay for it and it pretty much went over his head. Still I've my half of a deposit and most of my half of referencing fees saved now just need to actually find somewhere and a friend who has/can drive a decent sized van and is reasonably strong to help us move.

scubaangel

Four mystery shops completed today, two which were so utterly different for one client, that I fully expect to be inundated with queries - gotta love R.E for that one.

Got another shop to do in the morning and in return some decent ones for next month - amazing how bribery works so very well at times. Still have almost £50 to pay off the credit card, from various mystery shops over the last few weeks, but not expecting any payments until the end of the month - barring some which pay at fairly random intervals so are almost impossible to predict.

scubaangel

And again I can't sleep, too warm in bed, while the rest of the flat is quite cold so tucked up on the sofa with my dressing gown and a couple of fleecy blankets.

Had a browse of the mystery shopping websites and have picked up some jobs for november (how on earth is it that time of year already?) as well as rearranging a couple booked for this month so that they fit better with other unmovable jobs so I might actually keep making a profit on this years work. And checked my receipts file to make sure it's all in order and everything is there that ought to be.

My ebay items have watchers but no bidders yet, which is quite frustrating but there is still 4 or 5 days to go so I must be patient....not one of my strong points it has to be said.

Completed a few surveys, so crawling back towards payout levels, and have downloaded an app to my phone for one of the survey companies which will hopefully make it a bit easier to reach payout with them as they're one of the higher redemption levels of the sites I still bother with.

Apparently Mr S is likely to be spending some time away over the next couple of weeks too so fingers crossed I'll be able to sort out my sleeping patterns while he's away!

scubaangel

Well the mystery shopping profits may have taken a hit this afternoon with a short notice jewllery MS to complete before closing time today - unfortunately it was a no fee job so will be making a loss on the train fare, and I over spent the reimbursement - but being jewellery and a fairly popular brand once the shop is paid I should be able to ebay the purchase and fingers crossed will come out breaking even at worst. And once the report has been approved I'll be more likely to get work from the company again in the future.

In the mean time I've managed to add about 30p to my one poll account, and did a couple of thumbspeak surveys while I was sat on the train, although I'm still wary about that particular app since it seems that noone on MSE has ever used it.

scubaangel

Had a horrendous weekend at work, nothing specifically 'bad' just a general feeling of low morale I think, roll on payday as thats an instant boost!

Have one ebay listing ending today - no bids so far but has two watchers so have my fingers crossed that someone will actually buy it, and two more ending in a little over 24 hours, again they have watchers but no bidders. The fourth of my current listings has at the last check 12 watchers....and still no bidders, so that one I'm really hoping for a last minute flurry on.

pennywisepoundstupid

Hi scuba, hows ebay going? I find it sooo annoying when i have loads of watchers and no bids.

scubaangel

Slowly

One item sold this evening, its only 99p, but given its something I didn't pay for in the first place I can live with that - its also one of several of the same item so while in the pub I relisted via the ebay app.
Two more are due to end tomorrow at different times, both have watchers but neither have bids yet, and the fourth has around 48 hours to go 17 watchers and one bid so far.

On the other hand I've got a bid in for a pair of running gloves - my hands have been very cold the last couple of nights when I've been jogging home and I won't pay £15 in the shop for gloves!

I think I have some mystery shops booked tomorrow...but I am slightly tipsy and can't remember, apparently although the dentist uses a local anaesthetic it still doesnt combine well with large glasses of pink wine (albeit over 12 hours after it was administered).

scubaangel

Thankfully I had no mystery shops booked for today, although I now do as I was woken mid morning by a phone call from gyp asking me to do a food job, so that saves me from having to cook this evening (although it does mean I won't be eating at home at all this week now). Followed by a call from my main work site offering me o/t this week and shortly followed by a text from the site I help out at asking me to do 4 hours at the weekend - so naturally more overtime = don't mind if I do. Means rescheduling a couple of mystery shops as I had planned a pub lunch then a chicken dinner in the evening but paye paid work is definitely more profitable than the ms work so I have few qualms about that.

Popped a sign up at work advertising the jewellery purchase - given there are alot of people there going to have limited time for Christmas shopping it certainly can't hurt, and if it doesn't sell/get any interest by the time the shop is paid then I'll probably ebay it.

Speaking of which the ebay item sold last night has been paid for so is packed and waiting for the rain to let up a little before I walk in to town to post it on my way to get weighed and then in to work to collect my dirty uniforms.

scubaangel

Ebay item sold last night has been dispatched and the relisted version has had the postage adjusted as after ebays fees I'll actually have lost money due to the bloomin PO lady insisting it needed to go as a packet rather than large letter - it fit through the slot without being forced but touched the sides. But the loss will be around 10p so am not overly upset as it's one fewer item hanging around cluttering up the flat. The two items ending this afternoon went unsold so have just relisted them too, small things which again I have multiples of but are in a box out of the way so can stay there until they sell. obviously though I do need to use some caution with relisting those things after I sell one as the last thing I need is to be accused of being a business seller when they're things I aquired over a period of time and never used.

So far am still the winning bidder on the gloves too, although with 3 hours to go I still expect that someone will outbid me at the last minute.

Applied for the latest Santander savings account, the one with my current account has paid me a massive 65p in interest this year but I really can't face trawling to find the best rates at other banks so will stick with theirs - the money I'm saving is to pay for my car tax, insurance and servicing each year so I don't want to have it locked away and equally I refuse to use it to lower the debt as until it's enough to clear the debt I don't see the point - I'd have to add the costs to my overall debt when they're due each year which feels like a backward step. Although any spare money from the monthly saving does get shoved in to the debt payment after the car expenses are dealt with then I start over.

My weigh in was good, apparently I've lost almost 6lbs this week, although I'd put the real loss at nearer 4lb since I was wearing significantly lighter footware than when I was weighed last week, but regardless it makes me happy, now to work out why although my weight is reducing I don't seem to be getting any smaller....