2012 mfw

Spiggle

That's excellent Malski updated for you and you have now at the end of quarter one achieved 78.53% of your target. Amazing!

Take care,
Spigs

LavenderBees

curlygirl1971 wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3061466

Hi guys,

Just incase youve not spotted it.......Cha97michelle started a thread, last year, for MFW's called 'All the small things....' Most of the time I guess its just motivating us to be bothered with the small things but every now and again I discover something new and genuinely helpful. But we could do with some new blood / new ideas.....please drop by when you get the chance and post if you think of something even if it's a small and/or common sense saving.

I worked out recently (cause i'm sad like that) that 73% of my OP's can be attributed to being bothered to do the little things and by thinking about my purchasing choices - this has meant 52 months off the life of my mortgage :cool: so check us out sometime!

Thanks

Thanks, Curlygirl. I've lurked a couple of times but it's so hard to find the time to read everything I want to, and I'm conscious that sometimes the size of a thread puts me off starting it . Seeing your stats, though, makes me want to read it from day 1! :rotfl:

If I qualify as "new blood" (if only!...maybe 20 years ago!...), I'll see what I can do. I completely agree that we all do things every day that save money, so it makes good sense to share and help motivate each other. Consider me enrolled.

I'm off next week so will have plenty of time for browsing large MSE threads with a cuppa (made from 3 times brewed tbag of course)

LB xx

P.S. Just joking on that last bit about the tbag....honest...though it's a thought....wanders off mumbling to self :rotfl:

curlygirl1971

LavenderBees wrote: »

Thanks, Curlygirl. I've lurked a couple of times but it's so hard to find the time to read everything I want to, and I'm conscious that sometimes the size of a thread puts me off starting it . Seeing your stats, though, makes me want to read it from day 1! :rotfl:
I'm off next week so will have plenty of time for browsing large MSE threads with a cuppa (made from 3 times brewed tbag of course)

I like your style - don't forget that after the 3rd brew you can use them, once cooled, as eye compresses. Cheapo beauty treatment :rotfl:

TBH I wouldn't bother reading the whole thread - there is probably A LOT of repetition. Maybe flick through the first pages so you get the gist of it?

starflame

It's Payday! and the first thing I wanted to do with my money?
Yep, pay a chunk off the mortgage.
£1,010 paid off today (119)
Total Mortgage remaining.....£5,515 (give or take a few pence) and still on target for my August deadline.

rockabelle

Go Starflame! That'll be a fantastic achievement.

Curlygirl, I've had a look at that board (and felt guilty as all I've done recently is spend ). People keep talking about surveys - what surveys, and how much do they pay? Also, the quidco and topcash back sites, which I've never used - do they actually pay the money back, as there are lots of complaints about them both around the place, but lots of people on these boards seem to almost have regular incomes from them!

Belle

LavenderBees

rockabelle wrote: »

Go Starflame! That'll be a fantastic achievement.

Curlygirl, I've had a look at that board (and felt guilty as all I've done recently is spend ). People keep talking about surveys - what surveys, and how much do they pay? Also, the quidco and topcash back sites, which I've never used - do they actually pay the money back, as there are lots of complaints about them both around the place, but lots of people on these boards seem to almost have regular incomes from them!

Belle

Hi, Belle

I use TopCashBack and everything has paid out (albeit one thing took 5 mths). But definitely worth checking if there is a deal through TCB when you've sourced your cheapest supplier. The important thing is to source your cheapest supplier first THEN see if there is a deal through TCB...not choose a supplier because they offer cashback. That way you won't ever be disappointed. What have you got to lose?

I decided on TCB rather than Quidco as they don't charge £5. I'm tight :rotfl:

I also do a few surveys with My Survey & IPSOS. And have redeemed Amazon vouchers fairly regularly. I work full time so don't put much effort in, but they are good ways to earn the odd extra tenner. It's certainly NOT a good earner in my opinion.

One better thing I find though is Shop & Scan. If you shop weekly, then it's a guaranteed £1.60 a week, which soon mounts up. Sometimes I spend just a couple of pence to have somethng to put through to them, and earn £1.60.

I've just liberated another tenner in Homebase vouchers from S&S to help me buy some paint for my "time off" next week

The return on all these things as with anything in life depends on your time and effort.

HTH

LB xx

curlygirl1971

Hey Belle

Don't feel guilty! - we do have lives to live as well - it can't all be MFW/MSE (although some people over on the thrift boards seem to manage it )

Surveys - I only do YouGov and Shopper Thoughts (Tesco). I get ST's about once every quarter and that's about 150 clubcard points. I get 2-4 You Gov surveys everymonth - one is an Oracle one that you don't get paid for (but it prompts other surveys) and the other 2 are 50 or 75 points. They take 10-20 mins. It took 2 years to get upto 5000 points and I got a payment for £50 within 4 weeks. There are others but I can't be bothered!

I have also downloaded the Nectar Search bar and do any internet searched via that until I collect the max of 100 points in a month (50p). I currently have 7700 points - worth £38 in-store. It's taken a couple of years and that also includes some petrol and shopping spending - but £38 can't be sniffed at and will be either a day out at Drayton Manor in the school hols or some Xmas presents - not decided yet.

Cashback - I've had a couple of problems but nothing too major. 99% of my cashback has been paid to me, that's about £590 in 2 and half years. It's a little more hassle than going direct, but not much and it's worth it to me. I think the most important thing is to clear your cookies to ensure the cashback tracks.

Got a smartphone? Also see if there are any apps ie. Nectar, Quidco that could you download and earn with.

HTH

curlygirl1971

I think you also have to decide whether the effort is worth it for you and your life.

In my case - I'm single (average) income, no children, I'm pedantic and obsessive, I get a silly kick out of saving pennies......so it suits me to do little niggly things and I can also see that in my case it has made a difference to my OP's. If I earned a lot more, if I was looking after children - would I be bothered? - perhaps not. It's completely your call how you do this

Spiggle

Brilliant starflame! To be so close must feel fantastic. All updated for you.

See you later,
Spigs

rockabelle

Thanks for that - it really does help (even if I did have to look up HTH:o)

I agree with the idea of what effort's worth it - I'm not sure that 70 odd surveys for £50 is an effort I'll keep up (though I'll try). I'm very good with some things (just rearranged my car insurance, saving 200, and my home insurance, and my utilities (saving over 300!)), and I'm fanatical about Nectar points!

Good to know about top cash back - my car breakdown's expiring with my insurance, and I was going to get the AA through tcb (which would give me 50 back), but if they don't pay the 50, it's more expensive than going through my insurance. Decisions decisions......