New and scared but so determined

freebyfifty

It's Friday - I have that Friday feeling!

Checked my bank account and it's all going to plan:j
Checked ny ebay account and I have bids for all the items I'm selling :j
Had another NSD yesterday :j
Free insertion weekend on ebay so I can begin to get rid of the bits I have stacked beside my laptop :j
Kids are away at their dad's all weekend so I don't need to think about what to feed them, take them out, etc :j


Firesidemaid - thank you for the quidco tip.

BUT somebody needs to tell me about quidco. What is it? I see it mentioned loads in threads and diaries but I've no clue what it is or what to do. Is it a cashback site? Will I actually get cash back for buying stuff from ebay?

As it is Friday I am again obsessed with this weeks shopping. I only really need a handful of things for the next week, the trouble is, my old spend happy self is lurking in the background whispering that I can't possibly just need that, I must need more...much more!!! I am resisting the urge to rifle through the cupboards searching and searching to make my shopping list more worthy of a spendaholic!!! :eek:
I am priding myself on the fact that I am starting to recognise the signs and the reasons I got myself into this mess in the first place. So I will fight off the pesky urge to spend money on things I don't need and am buying just for the sake of buying and look forward to the smug satisfaction of beating the system (both commercial and bodily) for another week!!!!

Hope everyone gets that Friday feeling today too x x x x

miggy

Hi, I've just discovered your diary and am still playing catch-up but with regard to the urge to shop - why not make yourself a complete list of everything you might need this weekend, right down to salt and pepper, then go 'shopping' in your cupboards and tick everythingyou already have? Sounds a bit silly but someone gave me the tip once that if you 'shop at home first' it saves a lot of money. There's also a psychological value to it!

Igamogam

miggy wrote: »

Hi, I've just discovered your diary and am still playing catch-up but with regard to the urge to shop - why not make yourself a complete list of everything you might need this weekend, right down to salt and pepper, then go 'shopping' in your cupboards and tick everythingyou already have? Sounds a bit silly but someone gave me the tip once that if you 'shop at home first' it saves a lot of money. There's also a psychological value to it!

A good tip - we do that here and I have a list inside the cupboard doors now of all the stuff we use all the time - use it as a checklist against the monthly meal plan to see if we will need more in the next month. I have gone back to the BIG MONTHLY SHOP - use to do it BC ( before children) and have done it in fits and starts since but have got lazy. BUt Mr T just dropped off Novembers orders £220:eek: but that does include some Christmas 'put aways' currently at half price - and we are always very disciplined so it will go in the shed in a box until about 23rd Dec:)

Quidco - cash back site. I havent used it for Eb*y but have for a couple of other things. Also survey sites - have you tried them? Can be a bit laborious but I have managed a £10 voucher for B**ts which will go to buying stocking fillers for the DDs - it all helps:)

freebyfifty

Blimmin' heck - brilliant ideas, thank you :happyhear

I used to do a monthly shop but I always needed something by the end of the month probably because we ate all the best stuff at the beginning of the week and then lived on all the rubbishy stuff for the rest of the month.
I do like my weekly shop now and I LOVE the idea of writing up my meal plan,then writing everything down to make the meals, then going "shopping" in my kitchen!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for the ideas x

banwa

I'm going to try the 'shopping in my kitchen' trick too.:D

I used to use mysupermarket to enter the products that we regularly use to look across the supermarkets to see where the offers are and go and stock up. If you fill your trolley and then compare them in the different stores, it will highlight the offers and then I would go to those stores on my lunch break just for the offers. Haven't done it for a while though:o, must get back into the habit.

hillside777

Personally I've never used Quidco and always use Top Cash Back. Straightforward, quick to pay and no hassle.
Although I think they're all similar. It's more down to which site you're happy to use.

Good idea about the shopping. I could never do a big monthly shop. As you say all the good stuff would get eaten first and then all the bits people didn't like would sit there. Then the children would want us to go to the shop and buy some more nice bits. :mad:

Knitting_Nora

freebyfifty wrote: »

I am priding myself on the fact that I am starting to recognise the signs and the reasons I got myself into this mess in the first place. So I will fight off the pesky urge to spend money on things I don't need and am buying just for the sake of buying and look forward to the smug satisfaction of beating the system (both commercial and bodily) for another week!!!!

That's brilliant - seriously. I know that urge well, and it's so impressive when you manage to ignore it. :T
Nora

firesidemaid

Quidco or TCB.

Some use either, some both. I use Quidco.

Uses cookies as do many sites to track your purchases. some pay you a fixed amount, some a %. there can be some fab deals on there.

if you buy anything online, check if the place is on a cashback site first. plus if you change a utilities, insurance, mobile supplier there is serious cash to be had.

there are proably a few threads about as an intro. just try it!:j i have 'gained' £1500 over the last 2-3 years:D.

freebyfifty

Woop-de-woop. It's Saturday!!!

No idea why I am in such a good mood but here's hoping it lasts.

I managed my target of 3 NSD's by having another one yesterday (3 in a row - do I get a prize?). :T
I have items finishing on ebay today and it appears one of them has a small bidding war going on. :T
Updated my spreadsheet and all is looking good. Roll on January when I can tackle everything full on. :T
Have worked out I will spend less than £15 on the shopping today. And that's us for the week. :T
Loads of stuff to get photographed and listed on ebay while it's free (done one already) :T

I am a happy bunny.

About to go and investigate cashback sites. Thanks to everyone who gave me tips. I wish I'd found you all a long time ago. :smileyhea

Knitting_Nora

Good morning Freeby!

Your good mood is infectious - now I'm smiling too.

Love your idea of NSDs per week - think I'm going to pinch that myself from here on in.

And as for a gift....well, the MSE-verse worked very hard all night just for you because we're so impressed with what you've managed so far - and we'd like to present you with a small token. It isn't much, mainly because we're all skint (!), but here is.....Saturday!!!

A weekend day all of your very own. In fact, there was some talk of naming it Freebyday, but we thought it might confuse people.

Have a lovely twinkly day.

Nora.x