From Little Acorns...

WhiteSnowdrop

Managed to sell an additional item to the people who came to collect the one I sold through gt yesterday plus we had tickets for Caro Emerald and I managed to see her live at a festival so we have wrangled a refund all of which can be op'd on the mortgage so £145 all together!! As an aside I'm no longer really sure what I'm counting in the £300, I'd somehow convinced myself it was just what I was generating where as me and DH had already decided it should be, cash back, vouchers, unexpected refunds coins and selling stuff. So that's what I'll start counting from now. Also, I think I'll change the my signature to have one annual OP challenge of the £3000 and update that rather than having monthly targets.

I've made burgers buns (cobs where I come from) today for the first time as we are going to a DIY/BYO birthday party for a friend. They look very nice at the moment, fingers crossed they taste yummy too! I'm just about to make the burgers and pack up things for the kids to eat.

I have some fruit to use up so may attempt to do some juicing, I've had one since christmas and haven't got around to using it. I may use the bananas in some cake… off to investigate the cupboards to see what I could rustle up. Can I claim today as a NSD if I make DH pay for everything?

Off to shove more washing out!

WS

WhiteSnowdrop

Burger buns were delicious, as were the chocolate banana cakes…yum! The only issue with making everything from scratch is the washing up, a small price to pay though.
Today is all about Uni, AGAIN 'sigh'. Oh well only a few more months to go and that is me totally done with this course so I must keep that in mind.

Money generating
2 flea bay sales have gone through yesterday and a few more will end today so will op any profits as soon as I've posted them all out. I've put another thing on GT and might have a dig around upstairs to see if there is another big item I can put on there today just to keep things ticking over.

Money saving

I should be able to have another NSD today, I've made some bread dough this morning so we can have that for lunch with the left over pizza/pasta and burgers from yesterday. I need to order some vouchers for P express from Mr T as we are taking the kids to London to see the Tiger who came to tea soon and want to eat for free! We paid full price for the tickets (still cheaper than going to see Cbeebies show!) and we used the rail card thingy to get a further reduction on the cheap train fairs so although it isn't a cheap day out we've done it for the least amount of money possible.
I also saw something on the grabbit board about a Mr T offer on household cleaners etc. My stocks are running a tad low so I may have a look to see if it would be worth my while

To do
1. pitta bread
2. Uni work - sep list
3. make hummus
4. make granola
5. Check out Mr T offer
6. buy Mr T vouchers for P exp
7. see if anyone wants the cheap family day out ticket I bought but haven't used yet!
8. Pack all flea bay sales
Right off to start stuff - if you see me sloping around here commenting on other people's diaries please tell me to get back to my uni work ASAP!:rotfl:

littlegreenpeas

Hello thought I would catch up with your diary :cool:
I love the fact you use up dodgy looking veg, I thought I was the only one and I also like your lists.

Wish I had your energy

Lgp x

WhiteSnowdrop

Hi Lgp

Thank you for dropping by, I can't imagine why anyone would love my lists but I can't function without them, I've been serial list maker since I was a small child! I think I'm fundamentally quite a lazy person and I like to know when 'enough' is so lists help me to know that.

My DH always looks at fruit and veg and uses the sell by date!!!! My point in if they are in the garden they don't dates on… I see dodgy looking veg/fruit as a challenge to my culinary imagination!

You are doing so well with your mortgage op's

WhiteSnowdrop

Didn't do amazing on my list yesterday but should make that up today. Had quite a productive weekend on money making though.

Money Generating

sold 3 items through GT, one on the same day I put it on. Some flea bay items finished and I sold everything bar 2 of them which I'll put to one side now and save for my sale. My other items don't finish until next Sunday and I've put one more item on GT but will leave it for now as I'm away this weekend and I'm not sure about the connection to the internet to answer queries etc. I've had a conversation about some of the bigger items we need to sell/get rid of with DH so l can get on with that next week.

Money Saving

Another NSD clocked up yesterday, today will be a spendy one as I'm taking the kids out for the day. I'll pack up so it shouldn't be too bad, maybe just parking and an ice cream? I'll need to do a little shop at the end of the week for bits and pieces to go away with but will take all of the food with us in the main. I need to really hold back on food spends when I return if I want to hit my target again this month.

To do
1. hummus - really must do this today as it has been on the list for days!
2. Granola
3. Rolls for packing up
4. flapjacks for packing up - DK's love them
5. Menu planning for the rest of the week
6. 2 articles
7. water greenhouse
8. pick fruits
9. washing - which seems endless:(
10. order some new shoes for me

Have a good day whatever you are doing.

katiegizmo

No diary for me - I am simply a lurker! I've thought about it a lot but I think I'd feel a bit pressured to keep it up to date and nothing in my life seems up to date anymore!
I do enjoy reading others diaries though, it gives me more stamina to tackle our mortgage more
I have made my own hummus but I found it to be not that much cheaper than the basics own brands so I decided the effort wasn't worth it... nice to be able to portion off and freeze though.

WhiteSnowdrop

katiegizmo wrote: »

No diary for me - I am simply a lurker! I've thought about it a lot but I think I'd feel a bit pressured to keep it up to date and nothing in my life seems up to date anymore!
I do enjoy reading others diaries though, it gives me more stamina to tackle our mortgage more
I have made my own hummus but I found it to be not that much cheaper than the basics own brands so I decided the effort wasn't worth it... nice to be able to portion off and freeze though.

I've never costed making hummus up against whats in the shops, I do make it with dried chick peas to keep the cost down, I started doing it when my kids were little and I was trying to control the salt in everything and its just kind of stuck. I've really enjoyed keeping the diary, I think I work best with structure and I'm finding this is keeping me focused and accountable. I hope you'll keep dropping by every now and again.

WS

Habibiboo

:wave:

Hi WS, well done with all the selling successes, I know it feels endless at times but at least things are moving out the door!

We like h/m hummus too, usually with extra garlic etc, seems to last longer as well, although I guess it's back to the good point you made about fresh veg and sell by dates, some things don't come with dates they become a use up victim! My OH used to be stringent about dates too, but is slowly coming round to the more MSE way of thinking!

Sounds like you are having a busy, but productive summer! Did you ever hear back from the job by the way? x

WhiteSnowdrop

Hi Habibiboo

Listing and selling stuff is endless but I can start to see space in the attic so it is making an impact plus I am getting money for stuff I just don't want even in the house anymore so win win with a little effort. I do have to admit to getting a little excited in the final few minutes of a sale!

I did hear back from the job, thank you for reminding me, I can't believe I haven't written about it! I got the job and I start in Sept. I don't have anything in writing yet but if all goes according to plan I will start to have hours towards the end of Sept which fits in fab with my 2 kids starting nursery. Thank you for remembering.

WS

WhiteSnowdrop

A lovely day out with my mum and the kids using up my cheap voucher. Took a picnic and bought ice creams from the shop on the way home so considerably cheaper than it could have been! Did all of my spending last night, I needed some more sandals and the kids needed a couple of things so managed to do all of that using £co and sales, quite happy with my haul for the price I paid.

Money Generating

I'm hoping I've sold another item through GT, just arranging collection at the moment. I'm away for a couple of days at the weekend so I don't think I'll put anything else on until I get back. I do have some books to recycle but I think I'll take them tomorrow when my mum is over as they are very heavy and think I'd struggle to carry the books and control the kids! I do need to work out how many more items I can list for free in July and get them listed to go live on Thursday. I am currently listing them for 10 days to get 2 weekends in but I'm not sure how this is affecting the success rate as I don't have much to compare it to! I still have one outstanding payer from the last sale, I've sent a couple of nice emails (it ended late Sunday) but I've not heard anything in return - how long do you normally leave it before going to ebay?

Money Saving
I'm continuing to use things from the store cupboard when cooking dinners, although I did do an extra shop this week to take advantage of the discount offer on at Mr T which may make my grocery challenge for this month a little tight. I should manage another NSD today and maybe even tomorrow. I'll plan to spend on Thursday for any shopping I need for the weekend and any other last minute holiday bits. Long before I started this diary at the beginning of 2014 I set myself the target of making most of our bread and I think we've bought 3-4 loaves in the last 6 months, so I'm counting this as a success. I'm not sure it saves much money but it does stop me nipping to the shops for a loaf of bread and coming out £10 lighter! I'd like to have a go at cheese but that may to wait until after my MA is finished.

To do
1. Clean house! It does look like we may have been burgled
2. Sort out ironing
3. clear washing basket - dry what I can
4. finish packing list - never quite managed it
5. catch up on articles
6. decide upon the fate of the buggy - it needs new wheels - long story but Glastonbury mud did it! Look up alternatives
7. Sort out ebay non payer situation…
8. Change guest bed
9. check I have b.card for mum
10. sort out little gift for mum from kids

Lunch - JP and toppings
Dinner - h.made pasta and sausage sauce
WS