Learning to Live on Less!

White_Iris

Good news!
Finally got a survey through, so I've redeemed my points for £3 from PayPal to add to the savings pot. Also, two more of my eBay buyers have paid up, so off to the post office tomorrow (hopefully the remaining three will pay before then). Ebay sales still looking good!

Bad news!
The washing machine started leaking yesterday and has caused a mini-flood. We have moved the washer and lifted the lino in our utility room to let the floor dry out but I'm having to wash the childrens clothes by hand in the sink - I feel like a 1920s scullery maid! Hopefully it'll be easy and cheap to fix - I have a suspicion it's to do with the filter not being in properly. Also had a £13 payment come out of my account which I wasn't expecting and it has thrown this months budget a bit (I can't wait for the day when we have loads of spare money in our accounts and an extra tenner coming out isn't an issue). We had a day out back in mid-November and the place we visited had to use the old fashioned card payment - with the paper slip and the machine that prints a copy of the card - as their digital machine was broken. Didn't realise it would take nearly two months to process!

White_Iris

Well the washing machine doesn't appear to be terminal but we can't quite figure out why it's leaking - definately something to do with the filter but it seems to be fitted correctly. Just waiting for the floor to dry out before we put it back in place and try again :mad:

It appears that surveys are a bit like buses - over the last few days I've had them come in from most of the companies I've signed up with, after a few weeks of nothing. Should be some more pennies on the way

One more ebayer has paid up, just one to go and the current sales are still doing well. I need to get going with more eBay listings as we aded up all the things we want to do this year (visits to friends, family and holidays) and we really need to get going on the saving :eek:. First priority is a trip to see my family at Easter - going to cost in the region of £250 (hotel and petrol). May need to dip in to the savings pots for this in order to avoid using credit cards (which we still have - really must bring myself to chop them up once and for all, I'm just not brave enough though :mad:).

White_Iris

Ebay sales doing better than expected (which is good as I may have accidentally spent a few pounds on some new-to-me clothes!), just transferred £6 from PayPal (survey rewards) in to my savings pot and also had my Quidco payout today - should be close to my target without even adding the remaining eBay money :-)

We've had a few bright days here lately and it's showing how grubby the house has become over winter. Cobwebs, finger marks on walls and doors, dusty blinds and grubby windows - and the more I look, the more I find! I've made a start cleaning walls and touching up paintwork but next week will have to be "Operation Kitchen-Deep-Clean"...
1 - finish cleaning oven
2 - de-grease and clean tiles
3 - clean blinds and window
4 - wash down cupboard doors
5 - clean dishwasher inside and out
6 - clean fridge inside and out
7 - touch up paintwork and wash down walls
8 - scrub floor (even under the fridge/freezer/dishwasher!!!)

Seems a lot but they're relatively small jobs. if I achieve two a day I should get it all done next week.

White_Iris

White_Iris wrote: »

"Operation Kitchen-Deep-Clean"...
1 - finish cleaning oven DONE MONDAY
2 - de-grease and clean tiles DONE MONDAY
3 - clean blinds and window
4 - wash down cupboard doors
5 - clean dishwasher inside and out
6 - clean fridge inside and out
7 - touch up paintwork and wash down walls
8 - scrub floor (even under the fridge/freezer/dishwasher!!!)

Phew, I'm kn@ckered! Still have to package up 10 eBay items ready to post tomorrow - thank goodness for CBEEBIES!

White_Iris

Grrrr, I could kick myself!!!! I was packing up some clothes to send off for eBay and noticed a small mark on one of the tops. I decided to dab a tiny bit of bleach on to get rid of it (done it before without problems) but it seeped on to a coloured section and lightened it. It currently in the wash but I've a feeling it's going to look far to obvious to send to the buyer without mentioning it. What to do - post it and hope for the best? Confess all and send a photo to the buyer and see if they still want it? I think I'll probably go for the latter option but it's so frustrating. I should have just left the mark as it wasn't really that obvious!

White_Iris

White_Iris wrote: »

Grrrr, I could kick myself!!!! I was packing up some clothes to send off for eBay and noticed a small mark on one of the tops. I decided to dab a tiny bit of bleach on to get rid of it (done it before without problems) but it seeped on to a coloured section and lightened it. It currently in the wash but I've a feeling it's going to look far to obvious to send to the buyer without mentioning it. What to do - post it and hope for the best? Confess all and send a photo to the buyer and see if they still want it? I think I'll probably go for the latter option but it's so frustrating. I should have just left the mark as it wasn't really that obvious!

Well I sent the buyer some pictures and offered a 50% refund and they're happy with that, so didn't turn out as badly as expected. I am quite annoyed with eBay though - my damaged item case was closed today but apparently they sent me a message (definately not recieved) telling me to send the item back and provide proof that it was posted and as I haven't done so I don't get a refund :mad: I've contested this and apparently they'll reply within 24 hours.

"Operation Kitchen-Deep-Clean"...
1 - finish cleaning oven DONE MONDAY
2 - de-grease and clean tiles DONE MONDAY
3 - clean blinds and window
4 - wash down cupboard doors DONE TUESDAY
5 - clean dishwasher inside and out DONE TUESDAY
6 - clean fridge inside and out
7 - touch up paintwork and wash down walls
8 - scrub floor (even under the fridge/freezer/dishwasher!!!)

White_Iris

Woo Hoo! Ebay have reviewed the case, agreed that the seller has to refund an item damaged in the post and have refunded my money! Just have to wait for the seller to send me an address and I can post the item back and forget about the whole thing! Good day so far!

White_Iris

Very quiet day today I think. DH has to work until late this evening so I have to do the twins tea, bath and bed on my own - I need to have as much energy as possible to get it all done and stay sane! Just the normal housework today, I'm not going to attempt anything from my big kitchen clean-up.

White_Iris

White_Iris wrote: »

"Operation Kitchen-Deep-Clean"...
1 - finish cleaning oven DONE MONDAY
2 - de-grease and clean tiles DONE MONDAY
3 - clean blinds and window
4 - wash down cupboard doors DONE TUESDAY
5 - clean dishwasher inside and out DONE TUESDAY
6 - clean fridge inside and out DONE WEDNESDAY
7 - touch up paintwork and wash down walls
8 - scrub floor (even under the fridge/freezer/dishwasher!!!)

White_Iris wrote: »

Very quiet day today I think. DH has to work until late this evening so I have to do the twins tea, bath and bed on my own - I need to have as much energy as possible to get it all done and stay sane! Just the normal housework today, I'm not going to attempt anything from my big kitchen clean-up.

Ok so I did manage something - I cleaned the fridge! Just the windows, floor and paintwork to go. Probably won't get much done tomorrow as the washining machine has broken down so I've got the repair man coming first thing, then the boiler is getting serviced - definately NOT going to be a no-spend-day tomorrow.

debtfreesomeday

Hope the bathtime and bed routine went well tonight iris, my hubby is working late too tonight so I've done it alone tonight too. I'm exhausted!

Hope thewashing machine doesn't cost too much either.