New and scared but so determined

freebyfifty

I'm a bit late posting on my diary today because this morning I sat with the Mr A website and the Mr T website open switching between the two, writing my shopping list and trying to get the best deals.
I was surprised to find that Mr T was the cheapest and the best value for money, they seem to have some great offers on at the moment. Loads of price cuts and bogofs, plus I have a money off voucher so that's where I'm off to at the weekend. Reckon I can get everything for the week for under £40 .

Thanks to everyone who has posted replies to me, I am so grateful to you all for supporting and encouraging me. I love this site and the people on it, everyone has been so lovely to me and I have to admit I am so pleased that people have been replying, I had visions of being a bobby no mates and that was one of the things that scared me most (besides my horrible debts). I am nowhere knowledgeable enough to help people back but if I can support, weep, cheer and motivate along with anyone then count me in!

Had a NSD yesterday so that made 2 out of 3 for the week and it looks like it is shaping up to be another one today making it 3 out of 3 :T. Maybe, if I am very good and very organised I can squeeze another one in before Monday??? Will do my very best.

I have items finishing today on ebay with watchers but no bids yet (great hope with the 'yet') I haven't sold anything on ebay before so I am really hoping my first time is not a disaster - wish me luck.

Speak to you all soon x x

freebyfifty

Here I am again, happy to be here and happy to be number crunching again

I am currently obsessed with my weekly shop. I have done a meal plan for the week but I reckon with a bit of careful eating and imagination I can get this weeks shop for under £40 and it will last for two weeks!!! I have a Mr T voucher for £4 off if you spend £40 so I have become well acquainted with Mr T's website these past couple of days. The list is written and I will be scouring the shelves for all the deals I have seen. Been here before though and they have things on the site that aren't actually in the store (we have a smaller store in our town than the one they deliver from) so I am going brandishing my trusty calculator!!!!! Never been shopping with a calculator before and am anticipating many stange looks :rotfl:
I have also discovered that if I shop in a smaller supermarket nearby at about 5pm ish they have LOADS of stuff reduced. Managed to get some turkey breast strips reduced from £2.95 to 75p a couple of days ago. There were 3 packs left so, naturally, I got all 3!!!!! Straight into the freezer and, bob's your uncle, 2 or 3 days meals!!!!

I love this feeling of being in control.

The heating is on though but only for a minimum amount of time. Blimmin' Scotland, always about 5 degrees colder than everywhere else! The other morning I had to defrost the car, probably the first morning of many! I will have to unearth the woolly jumpers because the heating is not staying on 24/7 like last winter, I am determined!!! All this chat from the goberment (freudient slip) and energy providers just winds me up, they know the energy prices have rocketed, they know people will struggle to pay their energy bills, they know that people might actually die because they can't afford to put their heating on but do they actually do anything about it????? Other than tell us to shop around?????? No!!!!!!!!! Personally I don't want you to tell me how to find the best provider from your warm cozy office, I want you to stop the energy companies from earning millions in profit by passing some of their wonga onto the poor customers!!! Rant over :mad:

I feel better now.

Have a brilliant day if your reading this and I'll be back with my shopping bill

freebyfifty

Quick ebay update. Two items finished yesterday but I only sold one I have relisted the unsold one for free (a little bit cheaper)and two finish today and one has a bid .
Have just found four more things to go on today/tomorrow but don't expect much from them, never mind whatever it is it's better in my bank account that hanging around in cupboards!

freebyfifty

I am obssessed - it's official.

Have now started drinking my coffe black to save on milk!!!!

Knitting_Nora

Hi freebyfifty *subscribes*

Thought I'd wander by and add my congrats for starting your own diary and grabbing your debt by the throat. You certainly deserve to be chuffed with yourself!

Congrats also for binning the Christmas mag - those things are pure temptation aren't they? With me, anything like that is an excuse to sit down with a cuppa and a biscuit, so the strength to *ahem* 'file' it immediately is brilliant.

I'll leave others with more experience to comment on the SOA - but pat yourself on the back for doing it, no matter how scary.
Nora.

mrsspendalot

Hello :hello:

Just wanted to say stick at ebaying .... it's amazing how quickly it adds up. When our stuff doesn't sell we just relist and relist until it does. Eventually, most things go. We do ours for 7 days, Sunday to Sunday, and regularly take advantage of the free listing weekends by saving our higher value items until then to list so it costs nothing.

Also, don't know if you've heard of Quidco by reading other people's posts, but I've been a member since 2007 and have made just short of £2k through cashback for buying online things I would have needed to buy anyway ... all adds up

Good luck x

freebyfifty

Good Morning lovely diary and Good Morning to all the lovely folks who bother to read this.

Well yesterday I didn't end up going to Mr T. The day was just manic from beginning to end but I managed to get through without spending a single solitary little penny, so that makes 4 NSDs this week. I am officially chuffed :j
I have to spend today though, need shopping and fuel and DD2 is going swimming etc with her friends so I will need to give her something as the swimming pool people might object if she tries to sneak in the back way!!
I will try to shop for two weeks so I can use my money off voucher and I am away doing other stuff next weekend. Afternoon at the football on Saturday and a day in Glasgow at a craft fair on Sunday. If I don't get organised now the week that I haven't done a shop for will bring chaos to my newly organised life. Me thinks a touch of OCD is creeping in here.

Last night DD2 was out at her nana's for tea so DD1 decided it was her mission to persuade me that we really needed a takeaway. Now, once upon a not very long time ago, I would have said 'yay let's do that' and think that because there was only the two of us I was saving money!!!!! Oh so young.......Oh so naive.......Oh so skint!!!! Last night I held firm. There was food in the fridge and we were eating it!!!!! :T Trouble is DD1 went about with a face like a smacked a*** for the rest of the night.
Hopefully I am teaching her many lessons here:
1. If you haven't got the money you can't have it.
2. Even if you have got the money why waste it when there is perfectly good food in the fridge.
3. Saturday night does not equal takeaway night
4. Takeaway food is very unhealthly and not as good for you as the delicious pasta I have placed in front of you.
5. Eat it or you'll starve.
6. Don't get on the wrong side of your mother when she's on a money saving mission (or any other kind of mission, in fact)
7. Stomping off to your bedroom and slamming the door will not bring your mother running up the stairs clutching a wad of takeaway menus.
8. Cold pasta is actually very nice.



Well must get on, I have a kitchen floor to scrub, blimmin dog (I have a feeling I've said that before?)

I will be back, you don't get away that easily

freebyfifty

I change my mind like the wind changes direction.

I ventured to Mr T with my trusty list, pushing a trolley and had a moment!!!!! :cool: I replaced my trolley with a basket and bought only the things we needed!!! I got to thinking, why am I spending this money for stuff I may or may not need/want in a fortnight?? Isn't the money I was planning on spending better in my pocket (even it is only for a week) than in Mr T's very large and extremely full one??
So the upshot of it was, I spent £19, have what I need and feel very smug with my little ole self. Smug until I have to go back on about Thursday or something that is!!!

I got a sort of bargain though. Needed crisps for play snacks at school and Mr T has 18 for £2 (rhymes with Stalkers) but in car crash corner there was a pack all sticky taped up for £1.50. 'I bet there's not 18 packs in there' I mused but bought them anyway. I am so sad, I couldn't wait to get them home to count them and lo and behold, someone must be smiling on me today, 18 packs!!!!! 50p reduction for some torn packaging!!!! I am now a car crash corner convert!!!! Soon my cupboards will be awash with bashed tins!!! :rotfl:

Knitting_Nora

Wow Freeby (I feel we're at that stage)

You are a total inspiration. I never look in car crash corner - which is daft, I know...but then check the signature..I've not been known for the best judgement previously! ;-)

But not only am I going to do a proper list for shopping after payday - I'm also going to check the corner of all horror.

More lists!! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

freebyfifty

Hi Knitty ( I agree, we have bonded )

In days of old I would have marched by with my nose in the air sniffing disdainfully at the hordes rummaging in car crash corner. The thought of buying a bashed tin put my OCD into overdrive! How on earth could I get them stacked neatly and in soldier type lines in my cupboard if they are all lopsided and a bit wonky??? :eek:
Now I intend to throw people out of the way, king kong style, to get to those bashed beans and torn crisp packets if it means I have a few pennies in my purse. I have shifted my OCD (or CDO if you want it in it's correct alphabetical order) to my money worries. :T

This battle will be won - king kong style if necessary.