EH is Back - and going Onwards, and Upwards!

EssexHebridean

mineallmine wrote: »

Now I'm excited about LT's windows/door too - think we need a photo!

EH - over on the declutter thread, a challenge I've just done is get rid of 100 things in 10 days. I'm exhausted - why??! It's only 10 things a day. The main thing is to keep stuff moving. Amazing how quickly a cardboard box (with a new juicer in it, who, me??) is suddenly looking like part of the furniture....:)

I think it's the mental impact of having to face up to how much you've hoarded, followed by the running around actually getting it sorted. I've been slack today actually so I will go and do some in a moment. There is a cupboard I want to get sorted out.

Pippajo wrote: »

You are doing so well on your mini challenge. I've got £19 something in my purse and with my bank card being cancelled no way to spend anymore unless DH uses his bank card :money:.

I need a bit of petrol today £10 will do, then DH will do a big fill up tomorrow as we are heading to Autosport on Friday for business meetings. Must make sure when I fill up i don't forget to watch the screen as £10 will take about 2 seconds :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Yes, won't it just - although if you think our fuel prices are bad check what price per litre Pippi is paying at the moment - island fuel prices are horrendous.

NorthernLas wrote: »

EH is it you who is starting to provide office services / virtual assistant services by the hour?

I am investigating doing something similar in South Manchester and would appreciate talking it through with someone. If it is you I am also a 'Matrix Mama'

TIA

NL x

Hi NL - yes, it is me, in fact the business name I am using is inspired by the Matrix on here as I am calling myself Matrix Office Services! I'm struggling at the moment though, which (shameful admission ahead) is one of the reasons why I am avoiding the Matrix thread - I need to start pushing things forward but I just can't get my head around doing it. I need to do and, and soon, as at the moment we are only just keeping our heads above water so something has to happen! Anyway, having said all that, let me know if I can be of any help - I'm confident that there is a market for something like that, and more to the point everyone else is confident that there is a market for it as well. I have one client I am working for two days per week and they are delighted with the help - the stuff I'm doing for them is all stuff that takes up time they can use far more productively, and considering their hourly rates are charged at around £160 p/hr (they are solicitors) and mine is £14 p/hr, it makes far more sense for me to be doing Stamp Duty forms and registrations for them than for them to be doing them themselves!

Okey dokey - quick update then:

NSD's Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Today there was a small spend in Sainsburys this morning - I got 15 F/R eggs, a 1 litre bottle of UHT skimmed milk, and a pot of fabulous but extremely indulgent soup - however, thanks to a 50p voucher for the soup, a free voucher for the milk, and £2.50's worth of nectar points redeemed, it only cost me £1.49 so the grocery spend is on track still. The freezer is also starting to show some breathing space thanks to the planned meals for the week, I need to get my head around meals for next week to do the same again, then start transferring stuff from freezer 2 to freezer 1, as it is freezer 2 that more urgently needs defrosting.

Shopping wise next week neither myself nor MrEH should need milk as we have enough in the freezer. I've also got Clementines in but will need apples and oranges or bananas. Veg-wise I will wait and see what Mr T's have going cheap on Sunday afternoon, and will then cook around it! I might do a roast on Sunday using the last of the potatoes and a piece of pork from the freezer. Then if there are spuds going cheap at Mr T's we shall have spuds for next week, and if not, then the week shall be done using rice & pasta!

I have £15.00 in my purse
I have £4.74 credit on my mobile. I actualy had a text from a pal earlier but she's on What'sApp Messenger so I replied FOC using that.

Banking checked today and all tight, but OK. There is a distinct temptation to use the two months coming up without Council Tax & Water rates to bolster the joint account but I shall resist as that is probably our only chance this year to boost the overpayments to the mortgage.

Lemon_Tree

i've added photo's to my thread
they had to prop the middle of the patio door space up as the bricks had started moving. They filled the space with something which we had to wait whilst it set (during the worst of the rain), but they did say that the surveyor had measured it short because it had dropped about half and inch in the middle.

NorthernLas

EH - Maybe you need to get yourself out and about!! Where I live there are a few small business / sole trader networking groups and I have found them very helpful. For example, the one last night was a 5.30pm meet up at an award winning family friendly Italian restaurant. We got a little food and a drink for £5 and then we went round and introduced ourselves and said what we did, what we were looking for and what we needed help with. So in an hour, I found
- a builder who might be able to do a house extension for me (or point me towards an architect to draw the plans),
- a chap who has put solar panels on his house,
- a guy with a business centre who might have an office suitable for complemetary therapists / counsellors,
- an accountant who specialises in sole traders
- a bank manager looking for new business

and I caught up with a telephone marketer friend (who incidently charges by the hour) and had some tea

Thanks ever so much on hourly rates. Onward and upward lady ... get selling So Simple Moisturiser, when the weather warms up it is a great midge repellant

mineallmine

Wow EH that sounds a brill job with the solicitors. I must be slightly mad because I quite like filling in forms! Didn't even think you could make a living out of it.

EssexHebridean

Mineallmine the job there is varied to say the least - I do everything from Stamp Duty forms to walking the dog!

Been out and about with my Mum today - we did a trawl round the charity shops locally as I had a bit of a wardrobe related Lightbulb moment yesterday. I've been struggling for ages to think how to smarten up my casual look. Wearing smart boots or anything with a heel all the time is out for me as my feet just can't handle it. My usual desert boots are great, but I have no semi-smart jacket or coat that goes with them - in short I was at a loss. Yesterday though I saw a girl on the street wearing the same desert boots and jeans I had one, but teamed with a smart short black coat-style jacket and a smart bag (and the smart bag I can do already - no worries there!) - it just looked like a really good, casual yet smart looking outfit, and made me think "I can do that!". So, I need to find the jacket - hence the charity shops! I have £50 christmas money which I have decided should probably go towards some new clothes, and possibly a haircut as well. I have the details for the hairdresser my Mum uses - she's a sole-trader running her own salon as well so I feel I ought to support her.

Other than that, a few little grocery spends today - I had one of the vouchers that made the Finish dishwasher powder thing better than free, so while in Tesco getting that also got two packs of Naan bread on BOGOF, and a reduced bread thing that my Mum was getting as she did the driving while we were out - total spend £1.43. We also popped into M&S and I got a pack of their lovely dried pasta and a jar of nice sounding pasta sauce both for half price - £1.64 spent using a gift card that was a payout from a cashback site.

I have £15.00 in my purse (Starting to surprise myself on this one now!)
I have £4.74 credit on my mobile

While at Mums I also found some more of my stuff that will go on eBay so one job for tomorrow (Saturday) if the light is good enough will be doing the photos for that.

taxi73

you're sounding as organised as ever.You always amaze me with your shopping bargains.

Am sure you're business will kick off soon as word gets around

EssexHebridean

taxi73 wrote: »

you're sounding as organised as ever.You always amaze me with your shopping bargains.

Am sure you're business will kick off soon as word gets around

Thanks Taxi! The thing with the shopping is.....I like really nice food, as does OH, we both enjoy cooking, and the whole MSE thing with tracking down bargains etc is all part of that - it's like a very small war against the evil supermarkets who want us to spend fortunes! :rotfl:

Used another free 1 litre UHT milk voucher in Mr S this morning - one per household....yeah, right! I will also be switching to their basics tinned Tuna as it is line caught.

EssexHebridean

Got my remaining Avon deliveries done this morning, thankfully all three customers were in and paid straight up. Picked up another couple of orders too and have a promise of at least one more - am hopeful that I MIGHT make higher order value this time - which is the point at which the commission jumps from 20% to 25%. Once the deliveries were done I went straight into town to pay the money in as well - parked at Sainsbugs and walked across to the town centre from there as parking is free there so long as you buy something. Popped into Boots to get the points from my sale online purchases put on my card through the machine, and while I was in there checked about doing exchanges without a receipt, the SA I spoke to confirmed it was fine, so I popped back this afternoon with a FlakeAway and a Glad Hair Day (Don't look too hard at the contents of the Tote Bag if you don't want to know how I came by two S&G products I have no interest in using!) and swapped for a tube of The Daily Smooth and a Radox and a Palmolive bubble bath instead.

I STILL have £15.00 in my purse and
I STILL have £4.74 credit on my mobile. - I'm actually starting to surprise myself with this one - I've been tempted by a few things along the way but have resisted each time.

5 of my eBay items have bids now and there are multiple watchers on those too which I'm pleased about - hopefully the prices will increase yet. My pile of stuff to get photographed ready for the next free listing weekend is also growing nicely - I found a load more Queen stuff today including a couple of tour programmes which I'd forgotten I had - I think they must have been excess stock that the fan club sold off at some stage, either way though it looks like they might fetch a decent sum.

mineallmine

Queen - ah that takes me back to the Live Aid documentary when they said how good Queen were. When I watched it I thought my god yes, absolutely brilliant.
The dark jacket thing sounds nice. Sometimes a coat can make an outfit. Or a scarf - I love scarves!:)

EssexHebridean

Queen were amazing at Live Aid - I'm biased I know but I have heard so many people saying that in their opinion they truly stole the show. Sadly I never got to see them live, although I have seen both Roger Taylor & Brian May in concert, and met both of them and John Deacon. Also made it along to the Freddie Mercury Tribute which was an amazing gig.