The march to financial freedom

Ali-OK

Well I'm glad I caught up on all the work emails and admin yesterday, as today has been really busy - all good with month end in sight and quite alot of work booked in for March.

Electrician popped round with the halogen linear energy saving version in LED - it fitted, however it flickered alot and wouldn't work consistently. Looks like it's to do with the lack of heat it produces in the unit to get power (all too techy for me!). A real shame, as it means we're stuck with 3 x 60w (ES version of the 100w) for now. I've got 3 of those bulbs left anyway, so will use those up and then look for replacement fittings in time (after DFD).

Financials for today:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - not looked at yet, but that's my next job
- Nectar canvass - picked up 60 points on 2 surveys
- Nectar card - up to £39.60
- Inbox Pounds - just completed 3 surveys and with little bits and bobs am over half way to the next £20 request at £10.59. Only taken 10 days so far - pretty impressed with that.
- Qmee - another 5p last night, no searching today so far - time hasn't been on my side.
- Had a NSD :j

Lots on the go with follow ups to Quidco and the energy transfers to do. Chasing pennies is almost a full time job in itself.

Tomorrow, I'll be heading to the Post Office to send the first birthday parcel off by second class post and to buy the car tax - £125 which is in the budget. Must get the paperwork together for it.

I'm no further forward on finding more stuff to make the book pile up to £10, but there is an option to take a lower offer (by about 60p). Think that might be worth doing as a) still make £7 and b) we'll be rid of the stuff. Must do that this week to keep it valid.

Hope everyone has had a good Monday.

Ali-OK

....because of the meter type. Yep, that's my frustration for today folks!

I have an electric meter with 2 sets of numbers. It was on Economy 7 when I bought this house, but didn't fit our usage (GCH etc) and even worse since I work from home alot. Soo..it's on single tarriff, I give 2 readings and the supplier adds the 2 numbers together to get total consumption x by kwh rate. Simples.

Having put switching into action, it's come to light that the 3 cheapest electric suppliers cannot take 2 readings and add the consumption together and bill on one rate - no folks, it's got to be Econ 7 or don't switch. :mad:

Soo..I'm at an unfair disadvantage. One of the suppliers (OVO) is happy to take me on providing I pay @ £60 to have the meter changed to a single reading one. Given the electricity saving forecast is @ £30 a year, it doesn't seem worth it.

Or maybe I need to look at the longer term - after all, BG are going to charge me £6 more a month to stay with them (even with 22% less usage this last 12 months).

Grrrrrr.....rant over And food for thought.

Off to do something much nicer now - to buy a new baby card, flowers and baby present. In the hail that's just started :eek:

Any thoughts on the electric, please post. I'm stuck on what to do.

Ali-OK

Back and calm...with a cuppa of course

Resolution on the electric achieved! I phoned Energywatch and explained the situation - they said current provider has the responsibility to change the meter to a single reading one. Phone said supplier and it's booked in for change on 12th March. Job done (hopefully). It could be a smart meter which I don't want based on it costing electric to run....let's see what they turn up with. But sorted for now anyway and I'll be able to instigate a switch once it's in.

A hefty day on the spending front with buying the car tax, but the birthday parcel was able to go as large letter at 59p. New baby card and flowers came to £8 and I've put money in the card as I know that'll be appreciated. Friend now has 3 under 5 and a teenager :eek:.

Missed the lightbulb delivery by minutes and tried to phone so I could add 'leave with a neighbour' if they miss me again...no such luck with an officious computerised voice system sounding like Anne Robinson with it's Goodbye :rotfl:, so it's a note on the door job tomorrow and pray :rotfl:. The delivery office isn't that local, so don't want to end up driving 15 miles to get it nor it being returned to the company I purchased it from.

Good work day inbetween all the above :rotfl:

DS's school have Ofsted in for the next 2 days so he's come happy as no homework . They normally get 7-10 good sized pieces each week on top of a longer than average school day.

Toad in the Hole cooking away - I got given 10 freshly laid eggs yesterday, so need to make the most of those and get on with some more cooking.

Financials:
-bank account checked
-freepostcodelottery checked
-Nectar adpoints - got up to 63 points with a triple ad too
-Nectar card up to £39.65
-Inbox Pounds creeping up and now at £10.82.
-Qmee - nothing to add there at the moment

We're completely out of bread, so I shall pop to Morries on a YS hunt tonight and then head over to friends with the new baby.

Hope everyone has had a good day.

Ali-OK

I've spent a wonderful hour or so cuddling a newborn - 3 days old - and I'm not in the least bit broody . Felt more like a Granny who could give baby back :rotfl: He is scrummy though and it was lovely to catch up with all the family, including Dad who is usually hard at work when I normally visit them.

Morrie's yielded just 2 YS loaves of bread at 38p. Was really busy in there tonight, though I was a little later and not much heavily reduced.

Other news I forgot from today was I was due my hygienist appointment this afternoon, however she went home unwell at lunchtime, so it's been moved again - to 25th March. This will be the 5th appointment - oh how that £50 doesn't want to leave me :rotfl:. Neither does DS's school transport £48 - awaiting the letter and slip to return the cheque which would normally come home prior to half term. Both carried forward into March's budget.

I also ordered the Mothers Day basket of flowers whilst I was at the nursery. £40 (going halves with DB) which is to be paid on collection on 29th March.

Qmee popped up a couple of times and another 11p earnt. Up to £1.41 total.

Last weekly food shop to do tomorrow and that's all the February spends completed.

Ali-OK

Busy day and a :money: evening with DB here comparing energy prices as his current dual fuel deal is also coming to an end soon. Looks like he is going to separate companies as well, as he can save £404 plus £34 cashback. :j He wanted to know more about TCB and Quidco, so have emailed him referrals too. He's slowly coming round to being a bit more savvy with spending,

We did my weekly shop together and he was noting down prices to take back to SIL :rotfl: I spent £18.39. Well over the budget this month, so need to bring March back into line.

I spoke too soon on DS's school transport fees, as he came home with the letter tonight. Cheque written so he can take that back tomorrow.

Today's other financials:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - still at 63
- Nectar canvass - more available, need to check those out
- Nectar card - up to £40.04
- Inbox Pounds - cheque processed today, £20.24 on its way :j and up to £11.29
- Qmee - not done any searching as yet, so nothing earnt there today.
- P!necone - I've got a survey to do there, so another £3 shall be earnt.

Meal Plan for next week:
Sun - Roast chicken and trimmings
Mon - Chicken curry, rice and Naan bread
Tue - Bacon and cheese omelettes and a side tbc
Wed - Lattice Pie, new potatoes and veg
Thur - Beef cobbler and veg
Fri - Fish fingers, chips and peas
Sat - Chilli, rice and garlic bread

The last 3 LED lightbulbs for the outside lights arrived today, so a job to go on the weekend to do list.

Hope everyone has had a good day.

Ali-OK

What another odd day of weather we've had here - drizzle and grey first thing, then intermittent sunshine and hail showers. Still, warm enough to have the heating off during the daytime.

A couple of small spends today - the second of the birthday parcels was squeezed into large letter category at £1.10 and spent 55p buying the Daily Mirror for the £4 off £40 Ald! shop voucher. Going to carefully plan what I buy next week - probably a combination of store cupboard goods across 2/3 weeks of meal planning, weekly shop items that will keep, dog food and a stock of DS's bottled water. Has to come out of the March budget, so won't be going mad.

Financials:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - no advance on 63 still
- Nectar canvass - the 80 pointers that DS completed but it didn't show up as such, Nectar have responded to my query only to say it's open for re-completing the whole thing :mad: Not impressed as it was a 35 min survey.
- Nectar card - up to £40.04
- Inbox Pounds yielded lots today - I was doing tasks at 6.15am either side of showering and breakfast, then another load tonight. Plus a 96p survey. Up to £13.69 within 2 weeks.
- Qmee - yielded another 15p late last night, total up to £1.56
- P!necone - survey completed, £3 to Paypal

I think I might write up all the extras earnt this month in a separate post at the weekend, as it's adding up to quite decent amounts that has all gone or is going towards paying off debt.

Pay myself day tomorrow and expenses reimbursement to do, then we start all over again for March. . At least all the birthdays etc are done and I can focus on April's. Just 2, but one is my nephew who will be 18.

Hope everyone has had a good day and can look forward to updating sigs with debt going down again soon.

mizmir

Hi Ali Sorry have been AWOL for a couple of days - just been flat out trying to get my site ready. Still a couple of videos to edit but getting there.

Congratulations on another month successfully manuoevered - you've done really well. Definitely worth noting all the extras earned - I suspect will add up to quite a bit. Have just allocated OH's salary in YNAB and calculated I need to earn at least £1200 this month so off to set up March's "£39 a day" challenge!! :eek:

Ali-OK

Friday night and just in time for the weekend, the car insurance renewals have arrived. A shocking 17.6% increase to £557.52 if I want to stay with them. :eek: Don't know how they can justify that, will ring and ask for the sake of it and have already found an alternative free telephone number to use.

It's hard to get multi-car quotes online, so have just got the one to work with at the moment, which will bring it down to £443.06 - that's a £30 saving on last year and pretty happy with that. Cashback reviews are very poor for paying out on this insurer though, so probably not worth going that route.

It might be worth me looking at 2 completely separate insurers as well (a bit like going from dual fuel to separate suppliers) - the sports car I can get 15% discount on through my car club and now it's built it's own no claims bonus up (where before it was mirrored full against the runaround) it might be worth spending some time checking that route out. Guess what my weekend will be focussed on!

I must remember to put the new tax disc in the runaround tomorrow too. Would just be my luck I forget and get stopped, even though I've bought it on time! Living near the area Traffic Police HQ we do see alot of plod.

Good work day and everything planned this week went ahead, so my nett pay to myself is £1950 - only £50 off my average and good for a 3 week month. Have to hope ex's maintenance arrives in my account on Monday too.

The monthly use and pay off CC has rolled over and the whole payment for that is set up to leave my account on the 17th March and I've earnt 97 nectar points. No idea how, must find out how it works these days. Certainly it's alot fewer than it used to be.

All the other financials:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - nothing extra late in the week so still 63 points
- Nectar search - will fire that up again from tomorrow
- Nectar Canvass - Need to do some of those
- Nectar card - value the same at £40.04
- Inbox Pounds - up to £14.20
- Qmee - another 10p, total £1.66
- P!necone - £3 received and also moved to current account

Got lots of little DFW things to do over the weekend:
- Gas and Elec readings to take and submit
- Change outside lights to LEDs
- Finalise books to one of the buying sites and send off
- Batch cooking - cheese and onion potato cakes, cottage pies, bolognaise
- Dog treats - biscuits and liver cakes
- Dry washing on airers or outside

I want to clean the runaround car too, it is just so filthy. Will depend on the weather of course! Have written myself an hour by hour task list for tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get lots done. Got to do month end accounts as well and start preparing for year end and new tax year.

In the meantime, enjoying a relaxing Friday night with tea and tv!

Ali-OK

15 minutes using a comparison website and getting separate quotes for each car and lo and behold, I can save more money :money:

Total cost is £332.84

A saving of £141.02 on last year
A saving of £224.68 on renewal quote
A saving of £110.22 on the new multi-quote I got tonight.

I know what I'm going to do!!

millionaire_in_training

Ali that's great news on car insurance. Just shows it's worth spending the time looking. Well done xx