No Money - but BIG ambitions

Weronika

frugalfrog wrote: »

I've just read the all of page 1 and see that you already shop at Aldi. I think its great

If your good with pivot tables, categories the items ie fruit, dairy, cakes etc and that will really help you see where the money goes bit time consuming tho

Hi Frugalfrog - That's what I'm afraid of - that I spend my time playing with figures and graphs and what not - instead of really doing something to save money:p

I decided I got 4 weeks (if baby monkey doesn't come early) till my Mat All kicks in and I'm not allowed to work while claiming it. The whole 128 per week - I don't know what I'm going spend such a large amounts on - maybe new Manoholo's high heels :rotfl:
BUT I can still receive money for work I done earlier, so I'm going to start blog, slap ads on it and write articles like mad and than hopefully it will bring me some income without me touching it anymore. It should bring just about the same as surveys:D

I looked at the surveys but when I read somebody was happy to get £1.5 for 30 min of surveys I wanted to weep! If anybody advertised job like that everybody would have called it slavery, why survey sites think they can get away with it???

Hi gallygirl - carrots don't work, but cucumber does. at the 80p per cucumber though it's not very much cheaper! The cheapest are bananas I find, and they are great, very filling! The worst are grapes - they weigh a ton for a little bunch!:cool:

Weronika

gallygirl wrote: »

Tbh though, I wouldn't have any of this 'must have something different every day' - they eat what they're given at that age, or at least they did with me as I was a nasty mum :rotfl:

you were lucky! Mine just simply won't eat for a whole day if it's not to his taste! Very stubborn!

gallygirl

Weronika wrote: »

I looked at the surveys but when I read somebody was happy to get £1.5 for 30 min of surveys I wanted to weep! If anybody advertised job like that everybody would have called it slavery, why survey sites think they can get away with it???

It's not working though, it's sitting on your *ss on the computer at home, just like you're doing now, except every now & then you get a wee payment or voucher

Re not eating for a day...... you don't subscribe to my 'break their spirit while they're young' outlook then

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Hello,

Galley girl made me laugh with the "break the spirit while they're young " as I was the same, if they didn't eat what I gave them they had to wait until the next meal. And so they ate most things. Weronika, good luck to you, you are so right to start now especially as your outage is over a shocking 35 years. I really don't think that should be allowed! It is like a life sentence. We are the first generation to be saddled with lifelong debts. Fifty years ago houses were more affordable so people bought when they were younger and the strict rules around tax relief prevented people from adding other debts to the sum. They paid it off in their fifties and then saved for retirement. Now that everybody seems to be saddled with a mortgage until retirement, what will they live on later?

If I was in charge I would make it illegal to add any home improvements, cars or anything to the original amount borrowed. But then I am never likely to be in charge!:D

Stick with it Weronika, and enjoy the challenge!
Squirrel:j

getmore4less

why not post the SOA?

edinburgher

I looked at the surveys but when I read somebody was happy to get £1.5 for 30 min of surveys I wanted to weep! If anybody advertised job like that everybody would have called it slavery, why survey sites think they can get away with it???

gallygirl already said it very well, just thought I'd add the few thoughts I have on the matter as I've done my fair share of surveys!

The money isn't great, but as gallygirl says, you're sitting on your bottom (probably at home) and someone's giving you a couple of £ for your opinions or experience. The benefit to them is very small as you'll typically be part of a very large sample group and while the survey operator doubtless makes a decent profit, they do have the network of survey writers, admin staff and affilliate companies to deal with. It's a fairly unique way to make money and the opportunity wouldn't exist at all without some fairly complex organisation.

You can't compare it to a 'real' job, because there's no real commitment from either party and it's a very brief transaction.

For me, it's a matter of choice (or lack of). When I was an underemployed graduate and was struggling with my debts, I did loads of surveys and wrote hundreds of reviews - these were some of the limited ways that I could boost my income (I couldn't find another p-t job to do with my real job). I took what I could.

The moment I paid off my debts I gave up completing surveys and reviewing - the benefits can seem laughable when you're earning a decent wage.

Now if I need to save money it's a case of witholding some small luxuries from myself, not having to do things such as the surveys.

I think you just need to be completely honest with yourself - how good (or bad) is your financial situation? How serious are you about zapping the debt? etc.

All the best.

Weronika

gallygirl wrote: »

Re not eating for a day...... you don't subscribe to my 'break their spirit while they're young' outlook then

If I shout at him, he will eat it but I feel so bad for making him cry that it's just not worth it.

Weronika

edinburgher wrote: »

I think you just need to be completely honest with yourself - how good (or bad) is your financial situation? How serious are you about zapping the debt? etc.

I think I will only truly know how serious it is at the beginning of 2013 when I'll start to look for a job that would pay more than a childcare for 2 monkeys.

Right now I'm starting my 3rd year as a mum - first one was fairly easy because of SMP, second was ok coz of savings and I also worked a little part-time - now I'm going to have a 2nd baby and I just don't know how it's going to pan out!

We can survive on 1 wage - that much I know but as I said before what scares me is that there is no wiggle room for emergencies or luxuries.

Like this Christmas - we finally saved for wardrobes and bought them and next week car broke down (£500!:eek:) So in 1 month 2 major expenses. The good side is that we finally finished renovating the house, bought all the appliances (the freezer in Jan was the last) and car was bought for cash as well, so no loan repayments or unnecessary interest.

Just when I thought all is well my Hoover died;(

What I'm trying to say is that we can survive and makes small overpayments till I start working in 2013 again.

Weronika

getmore4less wrote: »

why not post the SOA?

I have done one based on last year but it's inaccurate as our circumstances drastically change this month.

I'm no longer working part time and I do not know till April how much maternity or tax credits I would get.

I am also not sure how much is my grocery bill as I never stick to the budget before. If I saw something good value I would just stock up (eg. 5 bottles of olive oil last Monday, half price, coz I use that a lot), so it's hard for me to estimate average monthly spend.
I don't meal plan - I go to shop and see what is half price or other offer and than I'll think what to cook with it.
No point bying chicken drumstick £3.6/kg if the pork loin stakes are half price and £3/kg!

But I started spreadsheet for groceries last Mon and that will give me a rough indication for next month and so on.

Weronika

Secret_Saving_Squirrel wrote: »

Hello,

Weronika, good luck to you, you are so right to start now especially as your outage is over a shocking 35 years. I really don't think that should be allowed! It is like a life sentence.
Squirrel:j

That's how it feels to me - life sentence! I feel sick at the thought of paying £8 each day in interest!

Over weekend I'll count all my money again and I'm increasing my OP even if it is only £10!

After all, after giving birth I need to go on diet anyway, so I'll save on food:rotfl: