Ultimate Challenge. 457 days / £16600!!!

Siouxsie32

Evening everyone, where did the time go today??? A productive day for me today:

The Gumtree lady turned out to not be a nutter Not only did she hand over the £10 when I took the stuff to her this evening, she gave me a bag of chocolate as a thank you for dropping it off

Got a nice ebay message from someone asking if I would end an auction early on one of my items. I list it every free listing day and it never sells, so I jumped at her offer! £30 (after fees) is winging it's way from Paypal as we speak

Drove enough miles to trigger my £25 Motormate cashback

So thats £65 towards the wage shortfall with virtually no effort on my part...and some free chocolate - that's what I call a good day :T:T

I was reminded today by a friend that my annual increment kicks in this month so I should see a small wage rise in my pitiful next wage - Hurrah!!

I got my Apple vouchers through work and then ordered the iPod online via Quidco so I get 3% cashback! I went mad and paid the £3 for the giftwrap service and it's getting sent straight to my niece.

Hurrah happy, a new phone :j Did Apple sort it for you? Boo to the lack of back up :mad: so easily done (forgetting is easy, rather than backing up being easy...which it is, but you know what I mean )

Day off for me tomorrow...wonder what money saving/making techniques I'll come up with....maybe I'll finally crack Maximiles :rotfl:

happy_daddy_2

looking forward to following with great interest

NinjaSavingKat

GOOD MORNING!!!!

Happy Wednesday to you all and I hope this is an NSD for you!

Happy - I am glad you at least got a phone to keep you going! I can't live without mine!

Siouxie it sounds like yesterday was a superb day for you - so well done! Lets see how long it takes them to get our cheques to us though eh? And I am glad the Gumtree lady wasn't a loon!

A big fat WELCOME to Happy Daddy.. ( a real boy this time )... I have looked at your thread. Well done on all your cut backs.. seems like you are having fun and are thinking like an MSE'er... ( am thinking of that all you can eat Indian and the serving of guilt you had for dessert ..)..
Feel free to contribute any happiness, savings, thoughts for the day etc...

Well I awoke to my dopey tabby pawing at my mirror.. right by the head of my bed. 30 minutes prior to me needing to be up. Not pleased. Tried to grab her for cuddles instead and all I had was incessant purring in my ear. Not sure what is worse!

I am aiming for another NSD. I have my weekly meeting tonight so have 3 hours to kill in London. Not sure I wore appropriate shoes to do the Dora the Explorer route today so might find somewhere to sit and read. OR I might get myself to Picadilly / Waterstones which is on 4 floors.. rummage a bit with my safety mug full of free tea from work HOWEVER I might even hit a museum instead and make use of my time. There is a spectacular photographic exhibition at Somerset House thats free... the works of whimsical fashion photographer Tim Walker...OR the Imperial War Museum,....... OH HOW I LOVE LONDON!!!

I have had a free breakfast of porridge cause my mum sent a care package to me ( including porridge oats and a packet of mixed raisins ) so I have something in the house to eat as she seems to assume I don't eat properly... well I kinda don't but I love getting her parcels.. So a big bag of oats, instead of those horribly gloopy, sticky pots of mess for £1....Mother wins again.

Few people watching my tat on eBay..So am going to have a look at my funds and see how bad they are as I might not be able to hit that £160 gap on my CC by Tuesday! Grr...

More later people... Onwards and Upwards..

x

NinjaSavingKat

:)Financial Update alert!! Stop the Press!!!

Well determined to earn money for nothing I was looking at my bike insurance due for renewal on the 8th November and wanted to get it sorted asap. It was going to cost me £632 and was the best offer out there. I was determined though that I was going to earn the £20 cash back offered through Quidco and set about working it out..:D

WELL!!!......:eek:

Turns out the collision I had with a silly pedestrian in March was marked up as a claim, affecting my NCB. I hadn't claimed so was livid thinking the pedestrian claimed and I wasn't told. Apparently they leave the file open for 6 months despite no contact from the pedestrian. Using my loaf a few weeks ago I got an email from the Traffic Unit who reiterated that no fault was being held against me or her despite her saying she was waved across the road by a "truck" and didn't look...and that my insurers were told of this already!!!!

SO.... the nice women on the phone has closed the claim as the 6 months are up and she said it will reduce my renewal quote but wasn't sure how much. This suits me fine...:o

IF it falls below £600 I will be happy. I have only had my license for a year so can't expect anything better whilst being on such a large motorbike... this means it might be better than the cash back although if I do it online it will still register AND I will have funds left over to funnel into my CC deficit of £160 by the end of the month along with the possible £30 that my tat on eBay might make....

Ooooooh I love this scrimping, saving, making and planning!

Really hope you are all having a productive day.... Siouxie you are off - what you up to????

Siouxsie32

Hee hee, lying on my sofa under a blanket reading this :rotfl::rotfl: I'm thinking this sofa was the best investment ever! My living room gets the sun during the day and my bedroom's always freezing but previously I didn't have anything other than dodgy landlady chairs, so I'd stay in bed and put the heating on! Not that I get many days where I have a chance to lounge around til lunchtime

Talking of dodgy landlady chairs, someone's coming to pick one up this evening in exchange for a tenner :j I almost dumped these chairs as I didn't think anyone would want them but the first one netted me £15 and this one's apparently worth £10 And it declutters my living room - result!

Oh, also triggered a £3 Paypal voucher with MySurvey :T

Fab news about your insurance. ANY difference that it makes is good and it'll get ploughed straight into that £160 deficit so you'll be rid of it in no time :j Did the lady say when you would know the new renewal figure? Ooh fingers crossed it's a nicer number!

NinjaSavingKat

Well our fire alarm went off just as I heated up my lunch! Great.. So standing in a park starving..

Siouxie you have such a great day.. I'm a little envious! But yes those chairs have done well for you.. Sofa is the best place to be!!!

Apparently 24 hours for my updates to come through! I'm gonna check later tonight as the suspense is killing me!! I am running low on petrol which annoys memory! Think I'll need two more £20 fill ups before Payday!

Hmmm well have to drive more carefully.. More so than now despite cars overtaking me in central London... I would still beat them in traffic if I had a desire too waste petrol and brake pads!!

Well gonna micro-manage my food bill next month!? Can I keep it under £100.... I'd like to aim for £80.... Gonna use my landladies bread maker and the flour I have stashed away.. Get right down to an empty freezer... Use up all my pasta and lentils! Need cheese and vefetables! Sorted!!..:-)..

Oh I'm so hungry... Still in the park!

Siouxsie32

Oh no, bad timing! I've not ventured out yet - did we ever get those 20 degree temperatures they were talking about on the news? If so, it wouldn't be too bad a day to be stuck in the park but at least the horrible frizz-enducing drizzle has stopped! Hope you get fed soon

You should be fine with a £100 food budget - that's what I have and I'm veggie too. I do a lot of batch cooking and freezing, then just defrost each day what I need. The key is to be organised. I buy loads of tinned tomatoes and chick peas/kidney beans etc when they're on offer and stash them in a different cupboard (not a lot of space, but I manage). I always make sure I have garlic and a few onions and that way I know I'll never starve! Last week I had a packet of slightly out of date Quorn sausages and made a curry with them, tinned chickpeas, tinned tomatoes, garlic, onions and a bit of curry paste! Bingo, 4 meals created, where previously I'd have chucked the sausages cos they were a day ut of date :eek: I HATE wasting food! I used to do so much of it but now, with careful planning, nothing ever gets wasted

This food talk isn't helping you is it? I hope you get back indoors soon so you can eat!!!

Happytogetdebtfree

Hellllooo helllooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooh exciting about bike insurance, lets hope its loads cheaper ..... food budget apparently beans and toast are a nutritious meal lol i cant cook for toffee my oh is the chef lol hes better haha im currently watching crap tv "ninja cat ninja car rides a bike oh ninja cat caring for the neighbourhood ninja cat loook out here comes ninja cat " HAHA ah its my neices they were singing spiderman song and i just thought it was very apt for your cool name .... x

NinjaSavingKat

Siouxie I am in and fed.

You are right though batch cooking it superb. Try my Mum's red lentil stew... Potatoes, onion, carrots, celery and lastly add to the boil the red lentils. I add a stock cube, salt and pepper and chilli flakes. It will boil down to a mush depending on how long you leave it - whether thick or thin is gorgeous in a big bowl with home made garlic bread ( brown Tesco pitta with crushed garlic and Tesco own salted butter )... just add as much of what you want and enough stock so it isn't bland... Freezes well!

I was around the £100 mark this month but want to be super organized right down to the last meal. I have calculated I have the following to see me to the end of November..

1. 15 Breakfasts at work.
2. 22 Lunches
3. 26 Snacks required.
4. 4 Weekends...( easiest and most creative meals ):)

I haven't been to the work canteen once this month. I will make it through to the end as well. I might invest though in some more cheapo Tupperware tubs from the Pound Store..

I buy Tesco plain salted nachos and decant into little bags, I bulk buy pepsi max cans from Tesco or Lidls as this is my treat now and then, I use Approved Foods for tins of stuff, boxes of couscous ( 6 for 59p ) etc...


But now I want to get ruthless.. I made Chilli Con Quorn on Sunday and am still eating it.. I will use the left over rice to make "patties".( Rice, 1 egg, cheese and dry mushroom soup for flavor, rolled in cornflakes and fried - naughty ).... Siouxie do you eat cheese...? I love the stuff...


Oh I am ALWAYS eating though...always hungry so need to take snacks everywhere I go...:T.. and I love those sausages on top of spaghetti and sauce... ahem... with cheese!

HELLLLLLLLLLLLO Happy.. this is a BRILLIANT rendition. I am very pleased and flattered.... Hey if the OH is happy to cook leave him to it!.. More time to do competitions / blog / search for vouchers etc..:T:T:T

Siouxsie32

Ha ha happy, I'm so glad you explained there was a tune that went with the words, I just thought you'd lost the plot :rotfl: Now, I think you're a genius!!

Love the lentil stew recipe kat :beer: I must try that out - I love lentils I do eat cheese, but not too much of it. I love cheese and marmite toast though mmmmmm

I'm off out to the Post Office to post yesterday's impromptu ebay sale.

Hope you ladies (and gentleman...Hi Happy Daddy :wave:) have a nice afternoon!