The march to financial freedom

Ali-OK

Yay for Friday! :j But would you believe it, working tomorrow is back on now too! :j With no billable work booked into Monday, it's a needed and welcomed bit of extra work, even with having to set an early alarm and do 60 miles of extra driving to drop and collect DS at my Mums.

I'm being dragged into the techno 21st Century - my new debit card arrived with 'contactless technology'. Good grief, I've had enough trouble working out how to swipe a Nectar card in the new terminals in Sburys, let alone moving on from remembering Pin number and hitting the keys without breaking a nail and not pressing a pad hard enough so it jumps a beep :rotfl: Another great reason to stick to using cash I feel

My electrician friend came over this afternoon and all the garden lights have been replaced including the LED lightbulbs. Really pleased with that and all for the price of 3 cups of tea :T He also properly installed the washing line reel - back in the autumn the old one broke and my attempt at putting the new one up left alot to be desired...basically it wasn't secure and I was lucky it hadn't fallen off the wall complete with washing hanging from it :rotfl: But sorted now. We also found one light that still needs an LED bulb - the front door outside light. He has loosened the screws a little so I can take a look at what bulb I need and will be able to replace that myself. He didn't have time to check out the hall/landing lights where the retrofit LED didn't work properly - he still thinks it should do. Something to look at sorting one way or another as they're 60 watt halogens x 3.

Financials then:
- bank account checked - £17 cashback from switching gas suppliers has been credited :j
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - a few more ads and up to 64 points
- Nectar Canvass - did a 100 pointer late last night
- Nectar card - up by that same 50p to £44.53
- Inbox Pounds - up a little to £3.36
- Qmee - nothing there so far today

The £3 from P!necone has arrived in my Paypal account, so I've got that and the 15p Qmee to transfer to my bank account.

Looking at likely income to pay myself next Friday, I'm budgeting a capital mortgage payment of £721 and a CC payment of £255 next month. I've got an extra unplanned financial gift to give as well, but don't want to say too much about that as it's a secret for another week. That sounds a bit cloak and dagger doesn't it :rotfl: I promise I'll spill the beans next Friday!

I'd better get an early night here and hope everyone has had a good Friday and a great weekend to look forward to.

Skinnylatte

Hi Ali-OK, I'm completely with you on Ald!, I'm a complete convert and love the place, I also do freezer inventory's and meal planning, and finding emptying in the fridge at least weekly helps too.

Now I've got used to the contactless card I quite like it really, very handy, some-one did ask me what happens if you lose it, well what happens if I lose my purse with £100 in it?

I too will soon be enjoying the new car smell - see what you did!!!

millionaire_in_training

Am going to have a really good bash at it this week and kids are older now so they will just have to wheesht!! DS is so flaming fussy though it drives me potty

Ali-OK

Hi Skinny!

Congrats on the new car :T I shall have to catch up with your diary to find out more. Are you moving it over to the business? I hope it's a good move for you or I shall be but I know your old one was costing you and we need reliability in order to do our jobs and earn. Chuffed to bits with mine.

There's a £20 transaction limit on my contactless card and randomly they'll want pin or a signature as well. I also noticed in the leaflet that the bank say they will take responsibility for any fraud on it. So they must feel confident about them. New challenge is not to use it now just for the fun of the first time use :rotfl:

I swear our fridge is too big for us, don't think it's ever full apart from when it's full of veg in readiness for pre-Xmas lunch for 19 people :rotfl: I've got some lovely balsamics in there though - vintage direct from Italy. Can't wait to get to summer salads with a sprinkling.

MiT I feel your pain on a fussy DS. There are times, especially summer and salads, when I have to make separate meals for DS - batch cooking will come into its own then and I'll make single portions of stuff to combat that. He has got better this winter though and has tried more foods than ever before. Stew, cobbler, chilli, omelettes, they're all relatively recent additions to what he will eat. Hope you make headway on it.

OrangeFairy

Hi Ali,

I hope you are well. I want to get back on Pine cone again- I did really well with it and then didn't go on for a while and it had been deactivated!

I need to check out an Aldi but we don't have any down here!

OF x

Ali-OK

Hey OF - great to see you.

I'm sure you could get back to being on P!necone, I get 1, sometimes 2 surveys a month, but each one at £3 is worth doing and had a couple of products to test as well, so saved a bit on shopping and further guaranteed surveys for after testing.

A real shame there's no Ald! down your way - I have to travel 4 miles each way to ours, but justify it with the savings I make on the products. We have a Lidl just down the road, but I haven't found that cheaper. Then a new Morries and an old Sburys as well, so a good choice locally. Tesco is the other side of town, I have used it before but don't like it, so it can stay there :rotfl:

Ali-OK

After waxing lyrical about food discipline, I came *this* close to a take-away tonight. An apple for breakfast and no lunch and I'm starving. I also forgot to get the mince out to defrost for making batch chilli tonight - I'm in the doghouse with DS for that!

But, have pulled together a couple of things from the freezer and am waiting it out - DS a chicken in cheese and bacon sauce pastry thing, me a YS quiche and doing new pots, carrots, mushrooms, pepper and a boiled egg! A bit of a mix, but it'll do

I've not achieved much today, apart from all the washing is done and has dried on the line and of course work, which was all good.

Postman brought the Inbox Pounds cheque for £20.89, so I have that and the £10 in 20p's to bank next week.

Financials:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints and canvass - not looked at
- Nectar card - up at £45.03
- Inbox Pounds - did a couple of tasks, vids and Paid Emails before work and up a little at £3.65
- Qmee - another 10p popped up doing IP tasks, so I cashed that out and have moved all £3.25 in PayPal to my bank account

Old gas supplier final bill/statement has arrived, but it's not 100% right - there's an increase in charges from 1st March due to 'change of payment method' but the DD is still in place. I think they're trying to get away with their promise to apply the old fixed deal rate until I left, rather than when it ran out, as I met their 28 day notification of supplier change. Hmm, it's probably only pence wrong and I'm too tired to phone them today, but I think I will do when I've more energy. It's my money after all!

Hope everyone has had a good day. TV evening here, peppered with a survey or two I expect :rotfl:

Ali-OK

I am going to complain to Wilkinsons! Due to their new policy of opening at 11am (rather than the 10am it used to be), I have quite a bit of hanging around time in town before they open and this is not good news for spending. I like to get parked by 10am otherwise it's queues and Card Factory are open, so that's usually my first shop on the list.

Planned spends this morning then:
- Assortment of 14 cards needed for April - £5.94
- Wilkos dog treats (all on offer though so bought double) - £4.70

Unplanned spends during the 'waiting for Wilkos to open':
£3 in Primark for nail polish, mascara and sunglasses. Love these at £1 a pair, but broke one last year, so back up to 2 pairs again now (one kept in car). Not tried their make-up stuff before so fingers crossed it is ok and am low on both so they'll be needed shortly.

£10 in Next - I've taken this out of the £20 I kept back of birthday money. They've got a 'better than half price' sale on and there was loads I really liked which is unusual for me. Kept to one nice top with scarf that was reduced from £26. Can wear that for work or casual.

Not too bad considering I haven't spent anything outside of groceries/fuel for 10 days, though it felt like I was spending alot more. Ahh...I've moved to the dark side of not wanting to spend

Off to the car dealership shortly - going to use one of the 5 free valets that came with the new car. Weather is a bit of a mixed bag here, so could end up a waste but it's Sunday use only so will take a chance.

Catch up on everything else later.

beanielou

Happy new top

millionaire_in_training

Ali it does get to that stage where you just don't want to spend. I find myself sometimes saying 'nope I'm skint' when actually I'm not ! When I am debt free I will need to learn how to spend. I am great at spending on food stuff but I hardly spend anything on other stuff.