The march to financial freedom

Ali-OK

Thanks all - and Bob it has a full size spare wheel I'm old school on that one too, I should have said 5 wheels and a steering wheel :rotfl: Got that as included extra, along with full set of proper mats, half a tank of fuel and scuff plates. I had a full size spare in the last car too as I don't fancy the idea of the spray stuff.

Had a lovely evening with family around for cake and a cuppa and car inspection :rotfl:

A couple of other things I've done today that are noteworthy as they're either spending money or getting a refund!

So the spends:

- Post office to send a birthday card abroad - 88p
- 24 x 2nd class stamps - think they were £12? Wanted to get a good stock before they go up in April.
- Pitstop at Sburys - picked up spotty face wipes for DS and Basics cotton wool pads - £5 spent. I did look at the 50% off TU clothes rail but didn't buy anything.

Did that running around in the old car so I didn't give much fuel away to the dealer

- Filled in form for car tax refund from the old car, as I'd only bought it in Feb there are 11 full months to come back, making that £114.51 due. Included the V5 slip, using just 1 stamp for that and posted on walk to meet DS from school transport.

Have to make up for the lack of work next, so a busy day focussed on that tomorrow.

Ali-OK

Been so good today and worked solidly from 8am through to lunchtime and achieved lots, so pleased with that. Not the best week for earnings, but ok in the scheme of things.

Decided to phone current energy supplier to find out about the closed account financials from the switch and also the elec meter changeover and readings. They tell me it takes up to 3 weeks for them to update their system with the gas supplier change reading and up to 6 weeks for the change of meter readings from their fitter to system :eek: That's shocking. They won't take the usual gas plan payment DD, just any money I owe them once they've worked it all out which I'm ok with as I've a fair idea on that front.

Anyhow, they've noted all the numbers I've given them and a very pleasant chap is taking responsibility and plans to update me when there is news.

Emailed Energylinx and applied for the £17 cashback now the gas has switched :j

Nectar - my Sburys purchase still isn't showing as tracked, so I've emailed them. Coupons have arrived in the post today too.

Have requested the £20.89 next payout from Inbox Pounds too. They've also credited another £1 bonus to start me off on my next trek to £20. Oh crumbs, it gets addictive, survey city here we come :rotfl:

This afternoon I am going to go and fill up with fuel in the new car. I have no tax disc nor an cover insurance note, though checked askMID and it is showing as insured and I also have the tax disc cover document to tie me over until it arrives. So I am legal, just doesn't look and feel like it!

Going to deliver a local birthday card (another friend) and then back to work stuff. Will update on the other financials tonight.

Hope everyone is having a good day.

Ali-OK

Financials update for today:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - up to 49
- Nectar Canvass - nothing done, oops
- Nectar Search - up to 54/100
- Nectar card - up to £42.46
- Inbox Pounds - £1.00 (£41.13 cashed out)
- Qmee - another little 5p, total now £2.48 from that

Filled up with fuel, costing £24.60. Will be interesting to see how many miles I can do on a tank. Hoping somewhere close to 550-600.

Have found a friend of a friend who is a mobile hairdresser, so I'm going to give her a call. DS and I both need haircuts and should be cheaper than the salon we usually use.

Nothing else to report - going to have a survey-fest next. What's the betting I get screened out of loads of them now I have the time :rotfl:

Ali-OK

Late update for today, as some friends popped over this evening for drinks and nibbles - bring a bottle styley My contribution was Sburys Basics Tortillas at 50p, the bottle of birthday wine and tea on tap . Used the sour cream dip that I'd bought in the Ald! weekly shop.

Post included good news:
- tax disc for new car
- mortgage capital payment confirmation letter and new interest payment down another £2.37. I wrap that back into the next capital payment.

Good news on the work front with some more booked into the last week of March and first week of April. Need to get a few work bits soon for the new financial year, but am being more frugal with shopping around for those and only buying what I need to.

Picked up the new stairs hoover from Sburys today too and it seems I got 2 points for £1 for that, but the bonus 250 points still seems to be AWOL. Had a standard response from Nectar about it, so have to wait 60 days to see what happens.

Financials for today then:
-bank account checked
-freepostcodelottery checked
-Nectar adpoints - nothing extra today
-Nectar Canvass - 80 pointer done
-Nectar Search - up to 60/100
-Nectar Card - still at £42.46
-Inbox Pounds - up to £1.55
-Qmee - nothing so far today

Some washing dried on the line today and another load currently on an airer. So much warmer today and it dried quite quickly. Housework tasks started - bins emptied, beds and towels changed and finish all that tomorrow. Planning to start the 30 mins per day in the garden to bring that round over the next month or so. No spending, just cleaning and tidying.

Want to check oil level in the sports car, so may have a spend there if I need any. Yet to fill that up with fuel and use the 250 BP bonus points, might be able to wait until April as can't foresee me doing many social miles between now and then.

Off up north on Sunday - well north for us anyway (south of Birmingham :rotfl:), taking Mum to visit her friend of 50 years for lunch. The new car will get a good run from that and the weather forecast looks like a great day and no pea soup fog!

Half way through March already and I've made very little progress in payments towards debt this month. Ashame we're out on Sunday as it would have been perfect car boot weather I think. Need to look at the longer range forecast and hopefully pick a decent day in the coming weeks. Luckily, the boot sale starts at 1pm, so not the ridiculously early start that alot require.

Have also done a bit of research on dog clippers. Either I do that or fork out the £100 for the 2 of them to be done at the groomers. I think the former makes sense, though they might need to be kept out of public view for some time if I make a hash of it :rotfl:

Hope everyone has had a frugal day and can enjoy the weather at the weekend.

Ali-OK

What a glorious weekend, so nice to be outside without a coat on and great for the heating mostly being off. Last night we opted for candles for the extra 2C heat it brings too.

I took the elec and gas readings yesterday and input those into my spreadsheets to continue keeping track on that, helped by lighter nights for longer. Can't wait until the clocks change!

Finished the housework and all washing dried outside - I'm not even using the tumble dryer for towels which is a first, though do miss the softness, so can see that reverting.

Sports car didn't need any oil at all which saved a spend and has 3/4 tank of fuel from last year in it, so will definitely wait until April to fill that up and will still be enough time to use the BP voucher.

Today the new car got it's first long run and a 1/4 tank of fuel used, but great return on mpg for petrol. I've also got 5 free valets to use on Sundays only, so need to balance that with doing a car boot sale.

Financials update:
- bank account checked - a few payments to go out tomorrow inc. new gas supplier DD, monthly use CC full amount and council tax.
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - another 4 points and ending the week on 53
- Nectar Canvass - another 80 pointer done this morning
- Nectar Search - up to 70/100
- Nectar card - up to £43.36
- Inbox Pounds - up to £2.39
- Qmee - another 15p there, lost track of overall total now, but have transferred the latest 45p to the bank account.
- A NSD weekend :j

Counted up the change bucket and tin - there's £10 in 20p's bagged and ready to put in the bank. I'm shy of my £3k fund by £150 based on everything due in, which is not bad considering the Tank Fest weekend costs were £300 and the car insurance £354.

A quick log of extras this month so far:
£75.00 birthday money
£0.97 Qmee
£30.00 in £2 coins
£20.00 in £1 coins
£10.00 in 20p's
£150.25 dividend cheque
£20.24 Inbox Pounds cheque
£3.00 P!necone payment

And money due to come in:
£17.00 - gas switch cashback
£15.00 - Quidco due this month
£114.58 - car tax refund
£20.89 - Inbox Pounds 2nd cheque

A busy week planned for work and a quieter one socially - all good. Just DS's bags to prep for the morning and we're all up to date as can be.

Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend

Ali-OK

A bit of Monday blues here today Largest piece of work and Saturday's have fallen by the wayside, so the busy week is now not quite so, but month end income target should still be met and possibly exceeded. The in limbo work should come back on schedule hopefully next month. Still, a good work day today.

My motivation to make more money seems to have totally slipped away as well. Just about enough energy to get through work, but on/off headaches and tiredness are a constant battle. Really need to get this sorted.

So much I could do and it's just not happening Ah well, talk to self might help :rotfl: Going for a pampering bath shortly to see if that brightens my mood. Paint my toe nails, facial scrub and get cosy. All free stuff

On the bright side, DS's school report was once again glowing and he's doing so well. He also found the Ald! Magnums - almost 2 weeks after I bought them :rotfl: That's very good going!

Financials for today then:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - new week, but just 13 available and done
- Nectar Canvass - not looked today
- Nectar Search - up to 80/100
- Nectar card value - up to £44.03
- Inbox Pounds - only a tiny few pence at £2.43. No vids and all the tasks I tried to do had broken tracking links so a wasted effort there. Screened out of all the surveys, just not my day on there today :mad:
- Qmee - another 5p

Things I need to do but involve cost:
- contact mobile hairdresser to book DS and I in
- get eyebrows threaded
- measure DS for new school trousers and order, if I leave it much longer his current ones will be 3/4 length at this rate! :eek:

Ooh new little stairs hoover is fab and mum paid me back for that yesterday.

Am going for the 'be kind to myself' train of thought - things aren't bad, debt is coming down albeit less this month, sun was out this morning and my doglets love me and keep me warm, even if 45kg on the lap is a bit much :rotfl:

Hope everyone has had a good day.

ragstoricheswannabe

Hope your feeling better today?!

Cant remember the last time i had a pampering bath, or had any type of bath for that matter. Im lucky if i can have a full shower without someone needing the loo or running water so it goes icy cold! lol!

Boo to work falling through, what is it that you do?? Have i missed that written somewhere??

45kg of dog is a lot on your lap, would keep you nice and warm though..........

Ali-OK

Hi Rags - thanks for popping in and I'm brighter today with a more positive perspective on things.

Headaches have subsided again but the tiredness is so draining. It's all menopause stuff and I've got to drink alot more water and eat alot more grainy foods. What will I do without my beloved crisps and biscuits :eek: Oh and drink alot less tea

Rare for me to have a bath too, DS is old enough not to interrupt me thankfully. Instead the dogs open the door and steal towels and slippers :rotfl:

My work is in business management with fingers in lots of pies most of the time so it's pretty varied and enjoyable. When work slips, so does money, that's the worrying bit (and I do worry more than is probably good for me!).

45kg is heavy for sure! No chance of seeing the tv when they both sit on my lap upright :rotfl:

Daily update to come next....

beanielou

The joys of the menopause~not :rotfl:

Ali-OK

Good news today, the £17 energy switch cashback has been approved and should be with me in 2-3 days. Inbox Pounds cheque for £20.89 gets processed tomorrow, so that'll be here in a few days time I would think too.

DS came with me on the weekly shop earlier. I gave him his own list of the things he has and sent him around the store to get them whilst I got the rest, meaning he couldn't just pop a few hidden things into the trolley It worked! Total spend was £19.56.

Other financials:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - picked up another 4 so at 17 now. Very low this week so far
- Nectar Canvass - screened out of 3. Pah!
- Nectar Search - up to 85/100
- Nectar card - £44.03
- Inbox Pounds - still problems with tracking so only at £2.56
- Qmee - nothing today so far

We finished up the Ald! gammon joint tonight that I roasted on Sunday and had chips, beans and egg with it. Onto batch spag bol tomorrow night. DB is coming over for the eve but will have eaten already.

DS is being shy about me measuring his inside leg :rotfl: He really doesn't think he needs new trousers either. I'm not winning this one at all :rotfl:

Electrician friend hopefully should be here tomorrow afternoon to change the garden lights. That'll be another job out of the way.

Hope everyone has had a good day