Back filling the big hole I dug with my credit card

AllThatStuffIsJustStuff

PBS is making popcorn before we watch a film and has successfully nagged me in to writing a diary post. I haven't posted in a long while. Partly for the reasons PBS has mentioned on here, but also partly because I have simply been too busy.

The next four weeks should be busy but I am seriously lacking motivation. I'm struggling to work out what my personal and professional priorities should be going forward - excepting that I know they are changing. All will become clear in time I'm sure.

Financially, PBS is doing a great job of getting our bills down. I've been getting better at stock shopping and am trying to reduce even further the amount of oven dinners and other processed food to get costs down.

Anyway, PBS is back now so ill leave it there. Maybe I will get back in to posting more but I've got so much on at the moment that I just don't see it as a top priority.

PiggyBankShaker

Well, I managed to burn the popcorn last night! Downstairs smells of burnt popcorn, but it could be worse it could smell like baby sick. Poor DS is ill and ATS has taken him to the doctors. He's so floppy and clingy it's heartbreaking.

Work have confirmed that they are reducing me from 5 days a week to 3 come May 1st It makes it all the more important that I try and find something else, and quick! I have two applications in that I haven't heard back from yet and ATS has one. I'm sure between them something should come good.

I cancelled my credit cards this week. Now the only credit I have access to is my £300 overdraft. Not sure what day we are getting paid this month due to the bank holidays...hopefully still the 10th but we'll have to wait and see.

Salz

PBS - be careful re the solar panels - there have been a few cases recently whereby houses aren't insured etc because effectively you agree to "rent" your roof to the solar panel providers. To do this you should have consent from your mortgage provider, and it could cause issues if you try to sell your home as it may be unmortgageable. Leave this at least a year until this is fully clarified

Aesop

Free listing for 4 days this weekend on ebay PBS.

I will reply to your and ATS later, I want to reply, just really fed up right now. wages for 3rd month in a row, did not go into my account, 3 dds have bounced, so have to go to back and ask them to pay them and not charge me!

PiggyBankShaker

Thanks Salz - it is something I will think about.

Aesop - sorry to hear that your wages have been late - it is so annoying when you set you direct debits up efficiently but you're penalised for someone elses error - grrr :mad: I'm sending you hugs (((((((Aesop)))))))
Also, don't feel under pressure to write if you don't want to... although we love to hear from you!

So what's news? Well, I have had a little foray into 'match betting'! eek! :eek: There was an offer on TopCashBack for a bingo site and I managed to make a total profit of £28.00 (including the cashback) I am well chuffed with it as I feel like I managed to 'beat the system' - ATS is a bit fed up of me going on and on about it. But it was all very thrilling ( I know, I know I need to get out more)

I have quite a bit of cashback to come through, but not all of it has tracked yet but it will be up in the region of £100 I think. It's especially good as it is all on 'free' things.

I got ATS to sign up for TopCashBack too, but his first purchase has a problem where the receiving merchant only temporarily credited his account with the £15 he'd spent, then it went 'missing' and an email to customer services said 'check with your bank as we have no record of your deposit' grrr.

All the spare money we have and the extra money we can generate through ebay sales, matched betting etc etc is going in the emergency fund, which we'll need to keep us going if we don't get our contracts renewed in a few weeks. I really hope it won't come to that but better be prepared for the worst as much as we can.

PiggyBankShaker

Thanks to kids waking up, I can't get back to sleep. I have a million things zinging around in my head. I'm going to download them with the hope of getting back to sleep.

In time honoured tradition, a to do list


Monday

• Find spare internet banking login dooberry
• Failing above, buy new batteries for internet login dooberry
• Check internet banking
• List meerkat on ebay
• List 5 random things on ebay
• Tidy up bedroom
• Tidy up kitchen
• Make a start on essay
• Finish damn report for work

Tuesday

• Open new Nationwide 4.25% ISA
• Do money hokey cokey (Remember Stagecoach fees!)
• Ring garage about the car

PiggyBankShaker

PiggyBankShaker wrote: »

Monday

[STRIKE]
• Failing above, buy new batteries for internet login dooberry
• Check internet banking
  [/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]List meerkat on ebay[/STRIKE]
• List 5 random things on ebay
• Tidy up bedroom
• Tidy up kitchen
• Make a start on essay
• [STRIKE]Finish damn report for work
• Post ebay item[/STRIKE]

Ok, so on the surface not a great day so far, but we have made a start on the bedroom and I did give downstairs a really thorough vacuum. And I WILL list the damn meerkat on ebay today if it kills me.

Today's productivity wasn't help by going for a (nice) hour and a half drive and a two hour sleep to catch up on this morning's early start.

I have a day off work tomorrow so I can carry today's unfinished items over.

Apart from batteries for the internet banking dooberry we didn't spend any money, which is very good.

PiggyBankShaker

Ok, so the only thing to report is that the 'matched betting' has been going quite well.

So far I have made £61 profit, but when you include the cash back this increases to £139.27. No bad for a few hours work. I appreciate that the cash back is at risk of not tracking properly, but even if some doesn't I'll still be quids in.

It's all going in the emergency fund at the moment. We have £1300 in there and I'm hoping well be able to get this up to £2000 by the end of the month. Of we don't get our two contracts renewed we'll need to to tide us over until we get new jobs, but if we do get our contracts renwed... well, we can put it towards the new kitchen or stash it for ATS credit card when the 0% deal expires in October.

I am updating my signature with the bingo profits after they land in my bank account. I'm waiting for three cashouts, so looking forward to updating soon.

PiggyBankShaker

Did the shopping, using my Adsa price guarantee vouchers. Got £47.63 shopping for £38.35. Also 'wombled' some receipts from the car park to check tomorrow, hopefully get some more vouchers to use next time. Still have £9.15 of vouchers left to use.

Got a punnet of strawberries for free.

Got another £5+ of cashback on another bingo site.

Did more online banking and worked out that we could afford to put another £200 in the savings pot, so that's up to £1500 now.

Need to go and use the photocopier tomorrow and send off my tax rebate claim. (Hopefully will receive £170 )

Have a little bit of gold to sell, but not sure if it will fetch enough to cover the recorded delivery to send it to Hatton Garden Market. Could take to it one of the buyers in town I suppose. I'll have to look what prices they are offering.

Off to cook dinner now...

PiggyBankShaker

Woot! Got a job interview next week! All very exciting. Will need to travel to London though which will be a pain and expensive of course...

Also, still waiting to hear about the other application I submitted.