Starting Again

Skint_but_Optimistic

Whoop the child support came in early, so thats whipped straight across to the savings account. DD1 has borrowed a key to the other house, theres more stuff to store apparently. Oh dear, I am hoping she gets good news on her house move soon, her solicitor is only just doing the searches after the seller was delaying, they had meant to move in a week ago! DD2 returned from deepest yorkshire, with a bag of damp and muddy and foisty smelling washing, just for me. I can hear my washer on spin, poor thing will probably sigh with releif after all that lot is done. I didnt manage to list anything on ebay today, but I have managed to clear up a baby jumperoo which sold for just shy of 50 pounds. I will be sorting some of the unsold listings into bumper bargain bundles!! May as well get something for them. I have transferred another 40 quid from paypal to my bank account and updated the spreadsheet. We are thirty pounds off another investment, then we stash another hundred to the holiday fund. Still havent booked it, and still need to fill in the passport forms, sheesh, I need to get a move on. DS has been intensive in his endeavors, he has taken alot of watching especially on a visit to my parents for sunday tea and conversation. My mam has given me a bag of stuff to sell on ebay, its all new with tags, but I will pop it in bundles. My car still isnt repaired, I swear to god I shall chew my arms off to the elbows before long.
Back to work tomorrow, and may fill the forms in when I have quiet times, and of course, keep up with my MSE stuff!

chevalier

well done on the ebay sales - note to self get listing! I sympathise with your washing machine, mine packed up last week and I had about 12 loads of washing to do by the time I got another one on Friday! so I had a fun weekend lol Keep going you are doing well chev

Skint_but_Optimistic

Cheers! Thats alot of washing chev. Yes get listing, theres people want our stuff!!! Last night was a bit of a pain in the bum, as DH was out with the cronies "for a bit" which transpired to be 7 hours, and DD2 was my helper for the bathtime and bedtime for DS.
I did a couple of loads of washing, but its now unceremoniously heaped in the basket and the weather is ropey today in any case, so there is a clothes airer on the landing - but I didnt have any time to sort it this morning before work. Apparently the weather is meant to be better tomorrow, so I shall do as many loads as possible tonight. Ive also got some ebay to package up (yey sales) and some to reassess, I will make bigger bundles out of it and pop them on just to clear some space.Ive made a nice list of work to do tonight. I shall also have to do those forms, and I am hoping my bloody car is fixed!!

I shall be organised. Time to make a list, this week I shall be sorted!!No bills to pay this week, bank accounts look healthy, but there is paperwork to do and the DH seems to be unable to do any of it! I shall also pay DD2 to help with the housework tonight, it gives her pocket money and it means I can sort other stuff while entertaining DS!

Skint_but_Optimistic

Today is sunny!!! Ive loads of washing hung out and I shall be phoning DD2 to ask her nicely to pop the next load out. She will also be asked to wipe around and hoover. She shall also be paid mind!
Ive a lady calling tonight to collect an ebay sale, more for the coffers! Ive also done the great sort and have decreed which massive bundles I can list today and then what has to wait til monday, so Ive decided to sort and photograph one per day. Still got a lull at work, its a nightmare but its enabled me to fill in the passport forms. Im not going to buy many clothes maybe a pair of cotton shorts for the daytime, Ive still got tons of them. DD2 will require at least three outfits, shes away with her dad the fortnight before and I am not totally optimistic of getting everything processed on time, we want to fly on the wednesday and shes not due back til monday night, but hey, can take them creased and use a travel iron(will check fleabay and wilkinsons) ! Still waiting for news on my PPI reclaims. I am excited to get anything back, to be honest. Im wanting to tighten my belt a little bit. Start being a little more sensible and get more out of my pounds, Ive not mended my ways and Im still buying crisps at the canteen and being generally shocking. I dont have much willpower when faced with worcester sauce crisps. Tonight I shall also do a half hour ironing and cuddle my little lad alot while doing ebay on the laptop. Im sure we can manage to get something shifted! Guttering man is booked for Saturday, and I am going to the other house on Saturday to do a bit decluttering there, and I will also dismantle the built in wardrobe and put the runners and mirror doors on ebay next week.

Plans plans and more plans!!

rdchick

I wish you didn't live so far away - I'd pay your daughter to peg out my washing lol!! I have so much of the damn stuff!!

Looking good though, you're really getting stuck in and that's super to see - your signature still shocks me - I love it!!! xxx

Skint_but_Optimistic

haha! She would do any one elses but ours given half a chance. Mind you she had three changes of clothes on yesterday (not counting pyjamas) so its probably all her gear. Why thankyou RDC, its still shocking me too! Anything I get back from this PPI malarky is going to be put back into the debt. I have calculated my Debt free day (up to now) and I can start trying to get that clawed back by the odd month too.

If I do a 5 day week im spending almost 2.50 on worcester sauce crisps!! shocking!!

atush

I have been reading some of the threads on this part of the forum to get ideas mainly. The only debt we have at the moment is the mortgage, which we are overpaying by 300 a month as we are on a tracker. But still looking for ways to save, as although one son in y2 at uni is all paid for, I have twins going in 2012 (still doing A levels next year).

Once, years ago now, we were in debt not as bad as some here but still. But now we aren't. But I still try to be frugal when I can, from selling my used books after I have read them on Amazon, to buying groceries reduced on their last day like you do. I still have a change jar in the kitchen lol. There is light at the end of the tunnel and ten years from now, like us you will be debt free with money in the bank and private pensions like we do now.

That is one thing I have to say to some of you diggging your way out. Once you have, and have built up a pot of cash, do join a pension scheme at work if they have one (free money). Or a personal one. You really will need it.

So, about your ebay. How do you make money selling a bunch of clothes for 99p? Do you get paid extra for postage and packing? How much do you charge for that? And there is no listing fees if your price is under one pound? I have bought from ebay before, but never sold there.

I have just been decluttering, and I have loads of toys (some expensive like brio train sets) and clothes. I was going to take them to the charity shops and local amenity center, but maybe I should keep back some to sell? Like the tagged unworn stuff, the Levis jeans, Oshkosh stuff from when the twins were small etc.

Skint_but_Optimistic

Hello atush and thanks for reading. I am lucky where I have a decent work package, and I have a decent pension plan. I began my first pension plan when i was 16 and working part time, and then had a NHS pension and now I have a decent one as part of my job. As for the ebay, Im just about to list a couple of items. I make a listing for 99p, as I figure if it goes for 99p its money I wouldnt have had but often they go for a lot more. I also make sure Im accurate with post and packaging charges and clearly state in my listings Ive marked it up to cover paypal and ebay fees. It helps me focus and declutter, and I do still give stuff to the charity shops, its just odd things. I cant wait to be debt free and once we move into the house we are doing up another £500 plus will be released to go to the debts, so we will make some smashing inroads again. Well, I shall get back to it and its fun to list - just be honest in them. If you read some of the threads in the ebay section on the forum people have some great hints and tips - like listing on a thursday evening as sunday evenings are best for selling. :beer:

Skint_but_Optimistic

Another dead morning at work, am waiting for some responses so have a cup of tea and am surfing the free internets! Instead of the £1.30 latte, I brought in some milk and tea bags from home. I had to buy a twix from the vendor for mid morning snacking though, there was a distinct lack of biscuits at home. I brought in a multipack bag of worcester sauce crisps too. Today I have cleared one of the credit cards to zero (use them month on month) and paid a bill. As its Thursday I will upload my ebay listings tonight so they will finish on sunday. Am tired but managed to peg washing out and pop the machine on this morning. Will need to employ DD2 later on in a tidying role, then we are off for the dreaded school uniform night. My car is still not fixed, and its beyond a joke now...
Ok time to sit with a pad and a pen and look busy and see what else I can plot and scheme to make and save money!

Skint_but_Optimistic

Righty -o its Friday! and I have booked a cheeky half day (I had 52 days leave after being on maternity leave and its fairly sunny and my boys are at home and DD2 is going to her dads for the weekend) - really I just fancied it. I have calculated the sums and done the maths again, and made some readjustments. In the short term, Im going to make less massive inroads into my debts, once we move I shall have an additional £500 to plough into the debt. Taking it from 1450 to 1950 per month. The reason that the additional payments of £100 are being cut is to pay for the holiday and pay for the rest of the work on the other house, so we can move faster. I will still be overpaying on my debts by £50 a month though. Additionally, I have had a rethink. If I pay off my old Vodafone account, the default is still going to be there for 6 years anyway. I dont want any additional credit right now, and Vodafone is being charged at 0%, so why settle it this month (apart from on an emotional level I would have loved it) I will roll with it, make my regular payments til I get our holiday and then settle. I had a discussion, last night with the DH. He is a treasure, and fully supports this process, but says things and "forgets". Example. School uniform night last night, the spend was horrendous as its all got to be from their suppliers, credit card still showing zero balance but wont til that little lot hits, bring on exasperated mum and frantic updating of figures and ringfencing of money in the savings on the spreadsheet to make the payment (yes have the money but using the card like a good girl to get the interest free for 30 days thing) and recalculating and checking still on course for the holiday... yes good, with adjustments, can have our family break no bother. OH pipes up about collecting his new computer today (he works in Tech Dev and needs a decent machine at home, he also makes a bit money on the side doing tech support) and also his hobby is gaming and the old one wasnt up to par. So we saved and budgeted and bought the beast, got deals, money off and bought local so we could collect and no delivery charge. Then, in passing, he mentions some game which is coming out, he normally downloads them he said, but would really like a copy of this one, blah blah. I said we each have a budget of £20 we agreed on, which is for fripperies. If I want something, I will save my £20 up. I have been using it on damned twixes though. He was saying about a one of spend of £35 for a game and mentioned he still wanted his magazines and books for the month too. I could feel my blood start to boil and we had the conversation *again*. Now hes generous with me, but I wont spend anything on myself. My role seems to be as spoiler. :-( I am getting my hair done at the weekend of the 25th, but I am using the birthday money I resisted investing. Its not the cut, those are budgeted for its my fancy schmancy colouring with foils and faff.
Well following this little uproar and outrage, we discovered it was pre order now, and is out in August, his birthday is September. I said ok then, pre order it, and its from me to you for your birthday, then I can get him something from "the kids". I need to realise my mindset has changed, and people are along for the ride but sometimes need reminding of the situation.

Anyway, DH has just texted me, theres another item been collected from my ebay sales, and another £50 towards the holiday fund (investments are suspended during holiday saving time too, but shall resume once this has passed!)

Eeh eck. But its a hard journey at times this money malarky. Anyway, back to the half day. Im going to the post office on the way home, then home, where I will do washing and I will try and start cutting the grass til the lads get back. I will then take DS to the doctors despatch DD2, do a half hour of ironing, list a couple of ebay items in turbolister, and count up loose change £2 coins update spreadsheet, etc. Box of chocolates eh, but of an unexpected chewy last night. Love my family - just want to build a strong future (not at the expense of strong memories), so onwards onwards xx