misscousinitt's MF Diary

misscousinitt

edinburgher wrote: »

Happy new saucepans! :j

That reminds me, I have a carbon steel wok that I was given nearly 10 months ago and I haven't seasoned it yet

Are the markets you go to any good for minimal/no waste packaging etc.? I've been meaning to check out our local farmers market again, but from memory most sellers were pretty keen on polystyrene trays and shrinkwrap...

Thanks Ed.

For example, the market I did on Saturday - the meat came in trays and shrink wrap - but you can understand this from a hygiene point of view. I use paper bags and so does the pie man. When the ham man is there he uses a cornstarch type liner with paper bags. The pickle lady all recyclable glass. And there is another lady that does apple juices etc... glass bottles and paper carriers.

Just going back to the meat, there is a bit of a trade off with local sourced products and the type of packaging. So low food miles but some not so desirable packaging. I will say though they both use paper carriers. (Meat lady and Game lady respectively).

Obviously, it will vary from market to market.

Hope this helps.

MCI

misscousinitt

Karmacat wrote: »

That's not going on about the saucepans! It's important to remember what layering offers can do: sale, plus vouchers, plus a charity gaining from scrap sales. Win win win. Do you add things up, the moneysaving achievements, I mean? There's a lot going on in that there post

Hi KC

I suppose I should really though I wouldn't know what through value of the scrap would be. The thing that resonated with me is that I am making the vouchers stretch, so should be able to get a decent amount of goodies from the remaining balance. It all helps while I'm not earning as such.

MCI

misscousinitt

I have got to make some plans for making some more money both from a business perspective and from a personal perspective.

I just made the admission on another thread that I am worried about money. Maybe it's the time of year and the lack of business money making opportunities, but I am really scared...and I suppose that is a good start keto get me focused on the job in hand.

This is nothing to do with our household finances, but my own personal ones. I have always looked after my own expenses like the car etc.. but since leaving work I haven't been able to save for these expenses. My MOT is in the next couple of weeks and my insurance is in April. The MOT I think I have enough savings to sort this, but the insurance is what's really worrying me.

However, I have been thinking about how to make some money.

1. Search out all my old gold and get rid...none of the stuff DH gave me but there is a fair few items (I hope that I can trade in).
2. Ebay. Now I know I have been harping on about this for ages, but I have really got to do this - I haven't got too much in the way of things to sell personally, but I am going to have a go and see what I can raise.
3. Swallow my pride and ask DH if I can have the balance of what I am going to need from the joint savings.
4. Take every business opportunity I can.

I also keep looking at my credit card bill and worrying how high it is. I have a lot of business expenses on it and although it is 0% for another 20 months (? Need to check again) I am not used to being in this situation and I think I need to get a plan in place as I seem to be floundering. I suppose I've been concentrating so hard on just covering my part of the bills, I haven't thought about the other stuff - a glaring omission on my part.

This is a super late post for me, but it's mainly because I had too much caffeine this afternoon and I wanted to stay up a bit so I am not awake at silly o'clock.

Apart from having a light bulb moment, I have had quite a productive day.

I have tidied the bedroom, done some washing, been to a charity meeting, been to my see my friend on bed rest and started to clear the study in readiness for moving my old desk back from the charity office.

The study still looks like an explosion in a paper factory, but it's a little better...will get the rest done in the morning.

I am actually pleased to get that off my chest. Hopefully I will wake up tomorrow with a little more resolve rather than just worrying.

MCI

Karmacat

Getting it out is always good - hope this helps. Starting up a new business is incredibly hard - I was very lucky becoming a self employed therapist, because my colleague had already started out on his own, while we were both sub contracting from some people. So I just bought into his business, he was very good about the terms too.

Gold prices may not be at their highest historically, but selling it is still really profitable. I hope those new initiatives do well for you.

edinburgher

I am sure that OH will be perfectly understanding - it's admirable that you manage to keep such a degree of seperation with your finances - a little wobble until you establish your new business is to be expected.

Remember to use the MSE guide to gold selling and for eBay/Amazon sales, remember that any 'stuff' you have (i.e. books/CDs/barcoded things) will pretty much list themselves.

For anything larger, you're probably better using Gumtree or a Facebook selling page?

I think that some of us just weren't meant to have unsecured debt. Even when you're in a situation like ours (a year+ of interest free credit), we still worry nonstop. I guess I'm more conservative than I thought.

Maybe cut the caffeine a little if it interacts with your worry. I'm the same - on a night where I'm already stressed it keeps me awake. On a day when I'm relaxed, happy, or tired from the gym I can drink espresso at 9 o'clock and I'll still sleep like a log!

Chin up

misscousinitt

Karmacat wrote: »

Getting it out is always good - hope this helps. Starting up a new business is incredibly hard - I was very lucky becoming a self employed therapist, because my colleague had already started out on his own, while we were both sub contracting from some people. So I just bought into his business, he was very good about the terms too.

Gold prices may not be at their highest historically, but selling it is still really profitable. I hope those new initiatives do well for you.

Thanks KC. My plan is to have a good mooch week after next for the gold items (got a market next week, so I've got to concentrate on that).

edinburgher wrote: »

I am sure that OH will be perfectly understanding - it's admirable that you manage to keep such a degree of seperation with your finances - a little wobble until you establish your new business is to be expected.

Remember to use the MSE guide to gold selling and for eBay/Amazon sales, remember that any 'stuff' you have (i.e. books/CDs/barcoded things) will pretty much list themselves.

For anything larger, you're probably better using Gumtree or a Facebook selling page?

I think that some of us just weren't meant to have unsecured debt. Even when you're in a situation like ours (a year+ of interest free credit), we still worry nonstop. I guess I'm more conservative than I thought.

Maybe cut the caffeine a little if it interacts with your worry. I'm the same - on a night where I'm already stressed it keeps me awake. On a day when I'm relaxed, happy, or tired from the gym I can drink espresso at 9 o'clock and I'll still sleep like a log!

Chin up

Thanks for the tips Ed - I will have a look at those guides and get started!

I don't usually drink caffeine, but lately I've been having to odd cup here and there and it's been okay, but yesterday I had Pepsi and a real cup of tea in the afternoon - bad mistake really. Had two cups this morning at a meeting, but going to lay off it for the rest of the week and settle back down.

Feel a little more focused today. You see we have some fairly complicated issues going on with the charity, it's finance and the fact that our Church landlords are moving us out of our tiny office and want us to operate out of a workshop (not a suitable office environment at all and cold to boot). Anyhow, we have made some progress on that front today and I feel a little calmer - it all has a knock on effect doesn't it?

I agree that some people just art cut out for unsecured debt - I haven't had to rely on it for years and it takes time to get you head round it and hopefully realise that you are not spiralling out of control but using the tools available to you to finance something you may not have been able to otherwise.

I made a mistake that I insisted that we pay for our roof replacement in cash rather than take out a loan - the bulk of the money came from me and really depleted my savings - hence in a bit of a pickle now; but ill get there.

Thanks for your input - much appreciated

MCI

misscousinitt

Positive charity meeting and networking session - lots to do but feel more positive about our little charities situation.

My old desk has been returned to me (in the back of the car now) and I am clearing space in the study (given me a boot to get this done).

My plan for this afternoon is to get an online shop done, sort some more paperwork and then go and drop so things from our office at my friends house, so it's all in one place.

Must get on.

Thanks for your support.

MCI

misscousinitt

Our chicken I got out for dinner last night refused to defrost!

So rather than giving us food poisoning I have left it to continue to defrost and we are having it tonight.

We went up to Mr W just before 8pm and they were reducing loads of stuff - 2 trolleys full!! It wasn't our intention to stand there like vultures waiting for them to finish loading the shelves, we were just there to get something nice for tea!

We picked up a few nice bits for meals and only spent £12. So tea was catered for and the freezer stocked back up a bit. Oh and I didn't really pay for the shopping as I used my gift card!

Not feeling very well this morning so I have come back to bed for a bit as i havent had much sleep the last couple of days. Got quite a lot to do today - but it can wait a couple of hours.

MCI

misscousinitt

I didn't do much at all yesterday. Slept, rested, caught up with a couple of diaries on here.

I did book a few stalls, so starting to feel a bit more optimistic about the financial future - unfortunately they are pay first ones, but potentially high yielders, so have to bite the bullet on that.

Hoping to have a bit more of a productive day today, though didn't sleep that we'll again last night and may have to have a nap in a bit...Still feeling washed out.

At least it's Friday and ill get to spend some time with DH this weekend as I'm not working - need to make the most of this time.

MCI

misscousinitt

Whilst I haven't been feeling up to much I have been catching up with various diaries. Nearly up to date I think now.

Didn't do a tremendous amount yesterday, but I did trawl through stallfinder and picked up a couple of potential markets that I have applied for. Hopefully should hear about that next week. In the meantime I have another date confirmed at a country house just outside my hometown. Had to take an outdoor pitch instead of indoor, but it will be mid April and I am hopeful for reasonable weather.

Went to yoga last night and it was very rejuvenating. I may also be going to a poetry's evening this evening (one of my yogi friends may be going and one of the poets it a friend from school - it a cheap evening out too - only £5 a ticket! Will find out later if I'm going).

Bit better sleep last night - don't feel quite so washed out this morning.

Lol - sitting here and the cat had just decided to crawl up my arm and purr in my ear...

As I wasn't really up for cooking last night, I got cottage pie out the freezer and we had it with veg and gravy.

Tonight will be Turkey Egg Fried Rice using leftover turkey from Christmas.

Need to do a little shopping today as we are out of bread and milk and I haven't got quite enough cat food to last till the Mr T delivery. Also need to alter the Mr T order to add a couple of things I had forgotten to put on.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

MCI x