Learning to Live on Less!

debtfreesomeday

Happy birthday White iris! X

White_Iris

Very nice day yesterday, the storage bags didn't arrive but I did manage to complete another project which I've been thinking about for ages and now looks great! Back to normal today (the hoover is calling) but I'm looking forward to Saturday and the first proper clothes shopping day in months, maybe a year, and the first child-free day out I think since they were born!

White_Iris

Got a confirmation email from Music Magpie - all the CDs have been accepted so I shoud be getting my cheque in the post soon. I'm pleased about that as some of the cases were a bit tatty and I wondered if they would take them. Managed to get to the post office between downpours and get my eBay parcels sent as well as the sleeping bag - fingers crossed it gets fixed under warranty.

I was looking around the living room earlier and for the first time in quite a while I'm happy with the amount of stuff in the room. There is room enough for everything on the bookshelves (where we store almost everything in the room), just enough ornaments and once the storage bags arrive, I can re-locate the blanket box to use it as an end table, then eBay a small bookcase which is currently empty and just hiding some cables so the children don't play with them. Once that's done the living room can be officially considered to be de-cluttered!

That reminds me I also need to get DH to bring our old coffee table down from the attic so I can get in on eBay. Its a G-plan model from the 60's and I've seen ones in excellent condition sell for over £100. Ours is in average to good condition and I think we'll get about £25/£30 for it, plus it's another bulky item decluttered.

I'm currently trying to get a duvet cover for DD on eBay and the price they're selling for is crazy. It's only for a cot bed sized duvet but they're going for as much as a double cover! It's one of those slightly manic times at the moment, where we seem to need lots of things - as well as the duvet cover I'm looking for some new tops to replace the things I've either sold or given away, our kettle stopped working a few weeks ago and we're boilong water in a small pan on the cooker, so I'm searching for a stove top kettle to free up my saucepan again, I'd like some decent storage containers for flour to keep my baking cupboard a bit cleaner and I've just managed to get DD a UV protective sun suit for the summer after weeks of searching for one at a decent price. It gives me a bit of headache trying to search for everything and make sure I get it at the best possible price but at least I'm spending money in my PayPal account that has come from eBay sales rather than 'real' money, so it isn't actually costing us anything.

CarolynCh

You are very inspiring White Iris - I don't know where you get all your energy from!

For your flour containers, ASDA always had some pretty good ones for only about £2 - big enough for a bag of flour and will keep the flour mites out as well as keeping your cupboard tidy!

White_Iris

CarolynCh wrote: »

You are very inspiring White Iris - I don't know where you get all your energy from!

For your flour containers, ASDA always had some pretty good ones for only about £2 - big enough for a bag of flour and will keep the flour mites out as well as keeping your cupboard tidy!

Thanks for the ASDA tip CarloynCh. I'm being deliberately picky about the flour storage as we usually use a measuring cup to get the flour out and I'm trying to find something with a wide enough mouth to let us scoop easily without spilling flour everywhere. I'll head out to ASDA soon, armed with my measuring cup and try them out for size...that won't look wierd at all will it :rotfl:

White_Iris

Time to see how April went...

White_Iris wrote: »

April mini resolutions...

• Increase emergency savings to £375 DONE
• Increase personal savings to £175 DONE
• Process eBay stockpile ready for listing -

a) adults clothes DONE and mostly sold
b) boys clothes DONE
c) girls clothes DONE
d) toys and household misc. Not quite

• Start daily walks following 2-mile loop around village Nope

White_Iris

Just heard from the sleeping bag repair people and it's not a warranty issue, so they're sending it back unfixed...b*gger :-(

White_Iris

First of the month banking is done and it's not looking too bad, except that I'm waiting for things to leave the account from last month and also a cheque and money from PayPal to clear in the same account. This makes it a bit complicated but it works out on paper, just hope it works in reality! The only thing that may be tight this month is petrol money as we had quite a busy weekend which used up almost a whole tank paid for by this months budget - DH has a full tank, I have about 1/4 and we have £60 left in the pot!! No unnecessary travel for us then.

Money_mayhem

Hi White Iris,

This is my first ever post on MSE and I wanted to say that I've read your diary from start to finish today and am inspired by your ability to save, declutter and make some extra pennies.

Keep up the good work and I'll look forward to reading the rest of your diary as you write it.

Xx

White_Iris

Money_mayhem wrote: »

Hi White Iris,

This is my first ever post on MSE and I wanted to say that I've read your diary from start to finish today and am inspired by your ability to save, declutter and make some extra pennies.

Keep up the good work and I'll look forward to reading the rest of your diary as you write it.

Xx

:hello:Hello Money mayhem, welcome to MSE and please feel free to post as much as you like on here! It's lovely to find out that people actually read my diary

Well the PayPal money arrived today and the payments went out of my account, so things are looking a bit clearer (and it all seems to have worked out like it did on paper...phew!).

Thanks to a very good month on eBay (and resisting the urge to spend all the profits!) we have enough now to pay the car tax and the breakdown cover without resorting to the credit card. The two family birthdays this month are also paid for, it's just the twins presents we need to get. DH has found something suitable for £60, so I'm hoping to be able to cover a lot of that through eBay profits again. I've currently got 20 items listed and at least another 30 to get on there. They are lower value items though so I don't expect to do as well as in April but if I can make at least £30 it will help.