Nice people thread part 7 - a thread in its prime

michaels

Nikkster wrote: »

I can spend quite a lot of time on the phone - my mum likes to chat most days and I think my parents' phones must be incoming calls only I do get 3% back via Santander, so I save more by paying that bit extra, right? (Only joking!)

Just checked and I get 800 mins. I managed to go over that once :eek:

I get 3% back on £20 per month from Santander and then actually only pay 1 quid odd a month

Although tbh I forked up this year, got DW 500mb per month and when I needed a contract got only 100mb (we both get 600 minutes and unlimited texts and I also get 300 minutes same network) - as DW is her second mobile she doesn't care about the number so I should have ported my number on to her sim and given her my new sim. Now I find I run out of data after 10 days and then get the speed throttled for the rest of the month. I would just get a new contract as this one only costs a net pennies per month but I have to see out the contract to claim the cashback and it is not possible to port your number out and keep a contract running.

Nikkster

zagubov wrote: »

I looked up different tariffs ages ago and was with Asda which was cheap till you used the internet.
Turned out Talkmobile Essentials PAYG was cheaper, 4p per text, 8p per minute and 25p per day for internet use. Always use wifi when I'm anywhere so it lasts for ages.

I was tempted by two other tariffs Ovivo (free) and Vectone (£1 per onth) but put off by the fear they might go out of business and there seems to be some doubt that you'd be able to save your number (and it's the easiest to remember number I've ever had or seen so I'd hate to lose it).

I've had the same number for the last 10 years or so, so I'm reluctant to lose it too (I know I would get over it, but still).
I like knowing what my bill will be - well, apart from that one time when I was really confused, then realised I had managed to go over my allowance. It was the month before I moved back to my parents' so I think I was chatting to my mum from as soon as the westbound Met line goes overground until I got through the front door (at least 45 mins) every evening as we were both trying to hang on in there until I could get out of crappy job and crappy 'relationship'/ living space.

Also I was brought up not to use the landline as it would cost money... it took until I went from pay as you go onto a contract with free mins to re-educate myself to feel able to call/ text people freely (I'm still a bit funny about that, I think now because I assume everyone is busy having great fun so won't be free to chat/ text, but I'm trying to get over it).

michaels

Generali wrote: »

@michaels - so how do I do this savvy shopping stuff? I'm coming to the UK in June/July (when the Ashes series is on of course) and need/want the following:

- Shirts from Lewins
- Suit(s) from Austin Reed or nicer (not M&S as their suits are terrible IME)
- Shoes from a small shop on the edge of the City
- Some bits from Lakeland
- Clothes for the Missus and the kids from M&S/Next/Gap/[insert mid-market clothing store of choice]
- Maybe a few bits from Selfridges depending on whether their sale is on

I'll probably also get 1 or 2 cheap mobile phones with SIMs rather than getting a $1200 bill like last time I visited!!!!!

Lewins always have an offer on which you can then combine with cashback site and discount code (but they don't do pockets by default and I only like shirts with pockets ) However I don't know if they have a collect in store offer - do you have a UK address you can use?

I'm wearing M&S suits at the moment and yes they have become really poor over the years but 50 quid for an allegedly 300 quid suit means it is pretty much disposable anyway. Austin Reed sometimes have web sales that can be combined with discount codes and also free shirt and tie offers and of course cashback.

Purchases from a small shop your best bet is probably just a cashback credit card (I think Amex points where you can cash in the intro bonus offer and then close the account and repeat 6 months later is the way to go for max value on this) or even haggle when you are instore if you can bear to do so.

DW would tell you to be outside Next at 4AM on the sale morning:eek: I have been doing AMex foursquare offers (I think it is UK registered cards only but additional cardholders also qualify and with chip and pin don't need to be present). Recently they have sold us £100 of next cards at shell service stations with a £30 discount, £20 spend at Gap with £20 back and £100 at Gap with £50 back. Current deals are at Debenhams and Fenwicks.

Nikki I think is our resident Lakeland expert?

Sim only hones are peanuts even for smartphones or just unlock yours (jailbreak for iphones I believe although I steer clear of the darkside myself) and how about an ovivo sim assuming they are still in business when you come over and obviously skype (for Android) to talk to the folks back home.

Nikkster

michaels wrote: »

Nikki I think is our resident Lakeland expert?

When I worked at Lakeland, I don't think we had the internet at home :rotfl: In those days, Lakeland didn't really do deals (though I have some freebies that came out of the window displays or were returns that were going to be binned - we also got 30% staff discount so e.g. I have an unused ice-cream maker somewhere (sadly a Philips not a Gaggia)).

I think that there are often codes on the codes and vouchers board, so that would probably be your best bet if you have a UK address you can borrow? Either that or I would suggest looking around if you are after specific things - a lot of the stuff they sell I'm sure can be found elsewhere for less if you are willing to put in a bit of effort.

michaels

I'm so shallow - we have a very nice house designed to suit us and that meets all our needs...but I saw a detached house on a nicer street for sale which we are going to view tomorrow so I drove past tonight and found myself thinking 'yes this is a posher road, look at all the big detached houses and expensive cars, I could see myself living n this road...Sometimes I really don't like myself.

What we are really looking for is a much cheaper investment property that we can improve and make a nice profit on, probably by living through the building works whilst renting out this house so that it can be a ppr and thus tax free and then move back in here.

PasturesNew

The only advice I can give about shopping is: don't do it. 100% cash in your pocket without taking time or incurring expenses

PasturesNew

michaels wrote: »

....

Or you could sell what you've got, move to the seaside, pay cash for something compact and bijou and say "S0d it, life's too short".

Nikkster

Ok, I've looked up my last phone bill and I used (rounded):
480 minutes (mostly off-peak, same network-O2)
150 texts
500MB data

Sim only - £20.42 (will be £21.07 from this month)

Nikkster

michaels wrote: »

I'm so shallow

When it comes down to it, the vast majority of us are shallow on some level or another. Such is life.

zagubov

Nikkster wrote: »

Ok, I've looked up my last phone bill and I used (rounded):
480 minutes (mostly off-peak, same network-O2)
150 texts
500MB data

Sim only - £20.42 (will be £21.07 from this month)

OK vectone would have given you 1000 mins/texts and 1Gb data for £10.

I'd read their feedback re: CS before you jump in with them though.
Otherwise Michaels's recommendation of ovivo is obvioulsy cheaper- but I'll repeat his warning about how long it'll last.

As regards my current no.I keep getting local businesses saying its a cool number and I suspect if you could sell numbers to other people this would be worth something! Actually michaels knows it and could tell if it's quite memorable or not. But my ability to memorise mobile numbers is totally rubbish so I daren't sell it /lose it.:(