The march to financial freedom

beanielou

Artificial grass seems to be the latest thing.
Lots of people getting it here.

Ali-OK

DS had a glut of coinage in his wallet, so we've done some swapping over and my £2 coin collection has hit £20 again. That can go into the bank and straight off the CC. :j

I'm edging ever closer to Inbox Pounds paying out £20 - now at £18.86, so I'm pretty sure I'll have that cheque in and banked this month and that will also go to the CC. :j

My electricity switch over is 13th May, so I can claim the energylinx £17 cashback then. May take a couple of weeks to come through, but should still be this month and that can also go to the CC. :j

Rest of the financials:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery (both) - checked
- Nectar adpoints - a good start with 57 clocked up
- Nectar Canvass - must do some
- Nectar Search - up to 18/100
- Nectar card value - up a little to £59.24
- Qmee - a few more oddments, up to 54p in the pot to cash out

I've done the food shop tonight and spent £13.84 - a few bits missing though as couldn't get those, so think I'd have spent £18 otherwise and will need to top up with milk and DS's bottled water for school before the next weekly shop.

Off to update sig and GC.

Ali-OK

beanielou wrote: »

Artificial grass seems to be the latest thing.
Lots of people getting it here.

It's great for kids and dogs, doesn't get ruined! Some friends have got it and it's lovely to sit on, walk on barefoot and always looks immaculate. A bit of maintenance with brushing now and then. Cost is coming down too as it becomes more popular.

Ali-OK

Evening!

First unbudgeted bill of the month has arrived - my mum's magazine subscription that I buy for her as part of her birthday present. Have got a promo-code for a discount, so have popped that on the monthly use and pay off CC card. At least it won't affect the finances this month and I put a ceiling on the CC spends that are built into the budget monthly also.

European Election postal vote finally completed and posted off. Haven't even heard of half of the so called parties!

Have been up to friends (free cuppa and cake ) to drop the £10 sponsorship money off and a quick catch up. Should have walked it to wear off the calories :rotfl:

No other spends today.

Financials:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery (both) - checked
- Nectar adpoints - 4 more and up to 61
- Canvass, search and card value - no change
- Inbox Pounds - up a little at £18.94 - it's taking forever!
- Qmee - another 5p in the bag

I made a batch turkey curry tonight for DS, so I can have the batch sweet'n'sour pork when he has that. It's getting to that time of year too when I like salads and summer foods and DS doesn't. The meal plan is going to get a whole lot harder without resorting to processed foods for DS.

Our local magazine has lots of adverts in for Fun Days and open gardens and other free things to do, now to try and persuade DS to come along - that'll probably involve the promise of an ice cream though!

Nothing else to report today.

Hope everyone has had a good day.

Ali-OK

What a wet and miserable day it's been here, DS got soaked in PE and in turn all his kit (including unused) got wet from being in the bag together. One load of washing currently on.

Dishwasher has been on and emptied - first time since the weekend.

Seen GP and prescription is now on repeat for 3 monthly - not allowed to have this particular med on 6 monthly, so that's an added ongoing cost to the budget - price has increased to £8.05.

Took prescription to Sburys to change tonight and had a wander around the YS areas. Nothing of real note, except 4 chocolate topped doughnuts for 69p. I did pick up 2 x Basics tomato sauce, 2 x chilli packet mix and 2 x kidney beans (softer than the Ald! ones I find). Total spent on food - £2.49, so will update sig total to date too.

Financials today:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery (both) - checked
- Nectar adpoints - 3 more and up to 64
- Nectar Canvass - only 10pts for what was a 20 min survey :mad:
- Nectar Search - up to 26/100
- Nectar card - has gone up to £59.53
- Inbox Pounds - had a good go at all the available surveys and got thrown out of all of them :mad:. Still, up a tad to £19.05
- Qmee - another 10p

Change bucket has produced a bit more to go into the bank, so along with the £20 in £2 coins, I also have £5 in 5p's and £1 in 1p's - all destined for the CC once deposited tomorrow. :j

Doglet No.2 will be going in for her groom tomorrow late afternoon, am expecting a £60 bill for that :eek: But got to be done and even worse, she goes in looking like a sheep (or Dougall to those that remember the Magic Roundabout ) and comes out looking like a whippet :rotfl:

No news to share on the sports car front.

Hope everyone has had a good day and kept dry!

Ali-OK

Friday at last and glorious weather to go with it. Breezy, but I took advantage of that and got all the washing done and line dried this afternoon as rain is forecast tomorrow.

A fruitful week workwise and I banked the £26 from the change bucket at the same time as doing the business banking. Will send that to the CC as a faster payment Monday morning.

Doglet No.2 has been groomed at a cost of £68 :eek: so that came in slightly over budget. If that was me, I'd have expected a spray tan, highlights and a manicure on top of a haircut for that money :rotfl:

I also saw a poor pooch who was an example of what happens when owners buy clippers and DIY it. Not pretty I won't be going that route, though had considered it as a money-saving plan.

The financials then:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery (both) - checked
- Nectar adpoints - nothing extra and still on 64
- Nectar Search and Canvass - no change
- Nectar card value - up a bit to £59.66
- Inbox Pounds - up at £19.10
- Qmee - nothing yet today

DS wants something from the internet, so I'll be buying that using my monthly CC and am going to pay the money he gives me off the debt.

I might pop into town in the morning to start working on the June birthdays as there's free parking for 2 hrs.

Think that's it for today - a tv night and some friends to catch up with on email.

Hope everyone has had a good day.

millionaire_in_training

I fancy the artificial grass as well. I will add it to my list

Ali-OK

millionaire_in_training wrote: »

I fancy the artificial grass as well. I will add it to my list

No.38 ?

I'm surprised there isn't a sort of community clubbing together part of the site actually for bulk purchasing of stuff and getting big discounts - a bit like villages can do with energy.

Hmm, now there's an idea...

supersaver1000

Popping in to say 'hello'.

Ali-OK

Hi SS, it's lovely to 'see' you and hope work is getting better.

* * *

The forecast was wrong again and though it rained during the night/early this morning, it's a glorious calm sunny day here.

Have been into town and spent £4.16 on cards, including another 10 for £1 selection - of which 2 of those will be used during June. Got the stuffed hooves for the dogs at £1.60.

Also paid another £25 off the CC in the branch :T which might have been a good or bad move as I then tried on some jeans. My few pairs I have no longer fit around the hips as I found out this morning. :eek: Fortunately didn't like the ones I tried on (though they fitted!) and left it at that.

I've set up another payment of £25 to the CC for Monday too, so for now I'm at £4,375 and that will reduce again to £4,350 on Monday.

Picked up a leaflet about Junior ISA paying 6% as DS has a savings account which is paying 4% at the moment. A few catches but I'll discuss that with him and see what he thinks about moving that money. He'll still have his current account at 3%.

For now, going to crack on with the housework and put the hedge trimmer on charge, with the plan to do garden stuff tomorrow. I need to do some work stuff at some point as well, so lots to be getting on with.

I am feeling a bit like I want to spend - on anything - so best I stay home now I've dodged the lure of the shops