The Ultimate Incentive Threadies go all out!

poddle911

Wowee! Can't believe we're on diary number 7!

Dinah, I reckon we're pretty good DFWs really - we just have high expectations! Much as I admire all the people who seem to live off virtually nothing and eat 9p noodles every night, there's no way I could do it But I do need to start leaving my cc at home as I've been paying off £250-300 a month, but buying my petrol on it. Doesn't make sense!

I may yet join the £1000 challenge - just 'cause I want a ticker

Eek, NIM's gardening style sounds a bit extreme!

Dinah93

Lol if a ticker is what it takes Poddle then I'll take it.

Nah I know we're okay, but you're right none of us are willing to stop living for the sake of DFness, its all about balance.

Cinny91

shrimpy_80 wrote: »

Cinny, I'm super impressed with your speediness off the starting blocks, hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew taking on a challenges with such seasoned DFWs!

Don't worry for a second. I only had such a big starting leap because I found money in odd accounts, and had a build up of money left over from bills from the past two months. There's no way I'll be making that much of a savings lump again for the challenge. Will just be odd £10 ect when/if we can afford it.

It does feel hard for me to make extra extra money. I have the typical STP (which I HATE, but endure!) But like you've said, we kind of done all the typical things and offers. We need to get creative!! In some form.. that I don't have a clue about..

I couldn't live like that either Poddle! We manage to eat meals we love, and quite well on roughly £25 a week when I try hard with the shopping. But there's no way I'd cut it any lower. I like food far too much. And yes Birdie, the recipe book is my last ditch attempt in getting OH to eat some veggie food!

And my challenge savings are for Winter things. To pay the water bill, home insurance, tv license. Extra money for gas, plus extra in general for Christmas. We got a letter from our fuel people yesterday to say Electric is going up by 16% and Gas by 18% LOVELY!!! So we're going to need it. We save all our change and spare notes when we can in two big tins already (that feel quite heavy!) We've got at least £130 in them, but I can't count it as we're waiting until October until we open them. Hmph!

N.I.M

shrimpy_80 wrote: »

I could do with picking your brains on good companies NIM if you didn't mind? I'm signed up with a fair few but jobs seem to be sparse, and the amount you manage to pick up is pretty staggering!

Drop me a PM with the companies you are signed up with and your location and I'll see what I can find for you.

I'm becoming a bit of an MS Guru

Dinah93 wrote: »

NIM is out tonight taking a huge bush out my parents front garden so they can put a monkey puzzle tree in which someone has given them. It strikes fear into my heart when on the way to work he says 'oh no, I forgot my clothes to change into, my crowbar, pick axe AND the electric drill' - I hav enever, ever used any of these things to do the gardening and I feel like there should be adult supervision over him and my dad to make sure they don't injure themselves.

That patch of grass in our jungle would disagree with the above statement.

Dinah93 wrote: »

Brought my tablet in to work to show it off as a few people are thinking of buying one, and because NIM had it last it hasn't been charged and the battery is dead! Grrrr!

Ahem I did my reports on my laptop cause you wanted to play with the notebook...ergo, your fault itsnot been charged

Dinah93

That reminds me, I need to try to get a new energy provider lined up before the rises.

Speaking of creative, have you got your photography etsy shop set up Tete?

Tete_en_l'Air

Hello - happy new thread! I can't believe how long we've all known each other either, talking every day means you girls know the ins and outs of my life more than most of my friends!

Birdie85 wrote: »

everything I own gets at least a little speck of melted Dairy Milk on it, even when I've not had any!

SNAP! That's why I won't be buying any white jeans!

Dinah93 wrote: »

Didn't need an alarm to wake me up this morning for the Next VIP sale - kitten helpfully decided to wake us up by throwing up under the bed at 6am.

Mine do that it's so annoying - always forst thing in the morning so the first thing you have to do in the day is clear up mingy hairballs

I want to join the challenge but like Poddle it's mainly so I can have a ticker!

Not sure how much I'd be able to save as I'm on holiday in August and really hoping to be looking at moving out soon, expensive as it is I feel it needs to be done. But then I opened my Etsy shoppe the other night so you never know [EDIT, crossed posts - yes Dinah I have! ] ... and I could do with more incentive to bring a packed lunch (never did start that spending diary properly). Will have a look at my banking tonight maybe...

starnac

Dinah93 wrote: »

(known here as NIM, Naked Irish Man, poor fella was nicknamed by the girlies on my thread and it kind of stuck, he's not always naked, honest!)

I have lurked on your diaries quite a few times although not enough by the looks of it as I always thought NIM stood for Nice Irish Man. I didn't realise the Nice man I had in my head had been Naked all this time :eek:

Dinah93

Lol hi Starnac (another name I recognise - I feel a little like MSE celebrities are stalking me when I see a name I know!) - I can't really remember how the naked bit came about!

We're away for 4 of the next 8 weeks, so no doubt that will slow us down a bit too, but it all comes in handy. Are you looking for a furnished place or do you have some bits? I think you need an etsy shop with some of your sewn things - you're really skilled and I've been after one of those little stuffed cats ever since they were on your blog months ago.

The spending diary has made me think more about the little 'bits' I buy as snacks. I've paid about £10 in snacks in a fortnight - its like paying to be fat! Today I was going to have to go buy coffee at Sainsburys for NIM, then I realised I have £5 corner shop purchase MS on the way home, so I'll hope they have real coffee there instead. Only issue with the spending diary is I can't always remember what needs to go on it if I miss it for a day.

Got a call off my supplier this morning, running off packaging today for me to okay it or say no and make changes, then hoping to produce the first ones on Monday as he wants to take them with him to the National Trust on Tuesday. Which is beyond exciting as getting into such a huge organisation would be the making of the business.

poddle911

starnac wrote: »

I have lurked on your diaries quite a few times although not enough by the looks of it as I always thought NIM stood for Nice Irish Man. I didn't realise the Nice man I had in my head had been Naked all this time :eek:

Tee hee! Hi Starnac and hi to Shrimpy too - good luck on the £1000 challenge

Birdie85

I had a look on your shop last night Tete, you've got some lovely photos on there!

I always get very confused about energy poviders, just left it to OH to sort out! How do you know which one will be cheapest? We don't spend that much on gas and electric anyway (having a teeny flat does have it's upsides!) but I really don't know if we could get it cheaper?