Batten down the hatches.....

Orange_Ena

BettyBones wrote: »

Gosh! You're doing brilliantly with the penny saver challenge. Well done! :T. I think I only have about half that amount in my Xmas saver so far. We need to talk about your weekends though. Step away from that hoover!! :rotfl: Have you thought about maybe volunteering on a weekend? Or looking for some free events to pop along to? Perhaps you could go out in the morning and save the decluttering and cleaning for the afternoon or evening? I challenge you to ignore the cleaning this weekend. Throw down that dishcloth and get out there and socialise. Go on... do it, do it, do it!

Thanks Betty I'm trying to tick off some of the bigger amounts, and I'm doing it in random order. I've realised though that if you average it out over the year, it's over £50 a month to save :eek: Determined to get there though

:eek::eek: No hoovering :eek::eek: I have indoor cats that trail litter and fur everywhere My house is definitely less cluttered than it was so pushing the vac round doesn't take too long but I know I could be tidier as I go along. I don't keep it nice, so then I have to do it all at the weekend. I honestly have never learned to tidy as I go. But I secretly think I'm addicted to transforming a sh1thole into a clean and tidy palace.....you know, so you can actually see what you've done :rotfl:

A local cat rescue is looking for volunteers actually.....might have a look. I really do want to do more at the weekends and I do feel like that time is coming. I really hope it is anyway :rotfl:

Orange_Ena

A very welcome day off today! Up early for the bathroom floor guy then shopping for plants. I unstacked the pots in the garden ready for me to fill with soil but there were quite a few spiders :eek::eek: so I've left it for now. I'm sorry to say I'm hoping for heavy rain to wash those spiders off me pots :rotfl::D;)

Monday 6th March
* NSD
* 0nep0ll surveys
* Youg0v survey
* VO survey
* Opini0n Outp0st surveys
* PA survey

Tuesday 7th March
* £11.20 in T3sco for lunch and a few groceries
* £30.01 for fuel
* 0nep0ll surveys
* 4 PA surveys :j
* P0pulusLive survey
* Opini0n Outp0st survey and £2.50 redeemed

Today
* £22.05 in Wilk0 for plants, compost and glue
* £110 to the carpenter for levelling the bathroom floor
* 0nep0ll surveys
* 5 PA surveys :T
* Youg0v survey and £50 payout reached :T:j I got the last £50 in July so it's definitely a slow burner....but so nice when you get there
* £22.21 received from PA


I've been thinking about some challenges going forward.......

Challenge 1 - Daily Mortgage Interest Challenge (DMIC)

My current daily interest is £4.11 so it would be amazing to make that money (or the equivalent) from surveys, roadkill, selling stuff etc. It is only a target and I doubt very much I will get a clean sweep but it will be fun to try at least, and to track my progress on my monthly stats. So far, I've hit target 4 out of 8 days which is brilliant. :T


Challenge 2 - Cruise Holiday Entirely Funded by Surveys (CHEFS)

At the moment, all my extra earnings are being saved for house improvements / emergency fund / new life so I can't specifically syphon them off for a holiday. But now my house is nearly finished, I might start diverting this money. All the survey money is extra income and luckily, I don't need it to survive (maybe when I get a new job I will though! ) so if I choose to never do another survey, it doesn't actually matter. Therefore, the effort I put in should really be towards something for me, and not debt payments, which I know is actually to benefit me really, but I want a holiday!!! :rotfl:

I suspect this would take a very long time, especially if I want a round the world cruise :rotfl: But if I can get to £1000 then that might get me a 10 night cruise. I remember reading about a couple who paid for their holiday by recycling cans at a T3sco recycling place, I think they got a clubcard point for every 2 cans. They used to collect them from friends and neighbours to boost it plus they helped the environment. Although flying off somewhere didn't really help their carbon footprint :rotfl:

GoingToDoIt

Hi Ena, glad to hear things are going well for you! Volunteering sounds like a great thing to do and something you will enjoy. I think this is a type of socialising.
I think you are a bit of an introvert, so it comes under the socialising umbrella in that you will be getting out, doing something non-essential to day-to-day life, but also not necessarily out every night/weekend with a gang hitting the pubs, if that makes sense? Out, doing something you enjoy (rather like Face Pack Friday, which has grown into having a facial as you've got less debt )
I'm most excited about CHEFS -being a cruise fan, and also saving hopefully towards a mini cruise myself woohooooooo:) brilliant idea!
Gonna x

doingitanyway

LOVING the CHEFS idea. This is a fab challenge. You have done so well on the house I think diverting money away from debt and house issues is an excellent idea at this time. You have inspired me to think of a challenge for myself

Oh, and you would be a perfect volunteer for a cat rescue centre. Go for it!

DIA x

ChicaBonita

Hi Ena, so glad to see you are going to save towards some enjoyment for YOU you deserve it after all the hard work you put in!!!! Cruise, verrrrrry fancy:j

Orange_Ena

GoingToDoIt wrote: »

Hi Ena, glad to hear things are going well for you! Volunteering sounds like a great thing to do and something you will enjoy. I think this is a type of socialising.
I think you are a bit of an introvert, so it comes under the socialising umbrella in that you will be getting out, doing something non-essential to day-to-day life, but also not necessarily out every night/weekend with a gang hitting the pubs, if that makes sense? Out, doing something you enjoy (rather like Face Pack Friday, which has grown into having a facial as you've got less debt )
I'm most excited about CHEFS -being a cruise fan, and also saving hopefully towards a mini cruise myself woohooooooo:) brilliant idea!
Gonna x

Thanks Gonna, yes things seem ok at the moment. Have my moments though

I'm definitely an introvert and I really don't enjoy being out out. I don't drink so that makes it hard. I don't mind local pubs and a meal and that sort of thing but nights in clubs are torture. I like the thought of being more sociable with more like minded people cause I can't really identify with getting wanting to get wrecked :rotfl: I work a lot on my own and I'm on my own a lot at night and the weekends so I'd really like to see people in a more relaxed setting. Something to think about

Haha glad you think the CHEFS thing is a good idea. I must set up another savings account......I think its number 17:eek: Curious to know if Nationwide will put a limit on me :rotfl:

Thanks for dropping by x

doingitanyway wrote: »

LOVING the CHEFS idea. This is a fab challenge. You have done so well on the house I think diverting money away from debt and house issues is an excellent idea at this time. You have inspired me to think of a challenge for myself

Oh, and you would be a perfect volunteer for a cat rescue centre. Go for it!

DIA x

Thanks DIA, I can't wait to get started on it and see it build up. I will feel so smug when I'm sitting on deck, drink in hand, silently thanking all the survey companies for paying for my cruise :rotfl: I'm looking forward to seeing what challenge you come up with for yourself

Maybe volunteering in a cat rescue isn't such a good idea....I'm not sure I've got room, or the budget for the 22 cats that I'll want to adopt :rotfl: I went last year to this cat rescue open day and they've got a retirement village where you can just go and sit with the cats. I was so tempted to kidnap this little elderly cat that came and plopped herself on me. It would be lovely to take care of the cats that need adopting and see them get their happy ending x

ChicaBonita wrote: »

Hi Ena, so glad to see you are going to save towards some enjoyment for YOU you deserve it after all the hard work you put in!!!! Cruise, verrrrrry fancy:j

Ah thanks Chica. If I wasn't going to do it before, I definitely am now! I so deserve it :rotfl:

Orange_Ena

One more day before a lovely long weekend :T I made orzo with bacon tonight which was yum, and have doubled up so tomorrow nights tea is sorted :)

Today
* NSD
* 0nepoll surveys
* Y0ugov survey
* Opini0n 0utp0st surveys

Night

Orange_Ena

I've just opened 2 new saving accounts which will be renamed when they show up online.

One is for a new tablet as I think mine is slowly dying and the other is for my CHEFS challenge :T

Really am going to bed now

doingitanyway

Thinking about your CHEFs idea. Would you be able to get a magazine article out of this (could be your spending money) You write well and it is such a good idea I'm sure you can monetise it further...

BettyBones

Cruise? Did someone say 'cruise'?! I love cruises!!! And I'm loving the idea of your CHEFS challenge. Surveys drive me nuts though. I started doing the Y0uGov ones last August and am still only at only £33.75 :mad: I was so hoping to be able to cash out before my DFD at the end of May and take that £50 away with me for cruise spends. I was going to buy my first pina colada with it! :rotfl: