1 teacher + 6 weeks hols = debt free?

MrsTinks

Cat and food... changing them over suddently from one to another CAN cause a few problems. Mine are now "hardened" and can eat nearly anything I give them Try some of the own brands or the one I have opted for on a day to day basis is GoCat - they both seem happy on that and then they get a treat from time to time with a tin of whatever is on offer and once in a blue moon they get maccrel in tomato which they adore (they have to eat it outside though as I hate the smell!)
As for posh "stuff" then I used to have a thing too... Now I use Boots No & apart from for my foundation - this is the one thing I have found it's worth spending money on! Well... I say money... actually pigsback vouchers for boots
Magazines - you can use your tesco vouchers too here... I have a weakness for good housekeeping and it cost me £10 I think for a yearly subscription to GH and now it gets delivered and I don't get any of the usual "impulse buys". Same for shopping - where possible order online with Tesco - make sure you use either a code to get you enough money off that it at least pays for your delivery OR sometimes you can get a 1000 points code for a £50 spend - when converted to deals that's £40 worth!!!

Good luck!

auntie_brenda

petite_anglaise wrote: »

The tip about the library is a great one, seems so stupid not to have thought of it before. was practically brought up in the local library and devoured the books there as a child but haven't been back since. Always get seduced by the lovely clean shiny ones in Waterstones instead! Will get myself down there first thing on Monday

Thanks for the tip about buying books in tesco and Asda, but Ibuy then anyway ON TOP of the magazines!

Love the idea of signing up to the free DVD offers for cash on Quido as I've got all this spare time to finally watch things!

Have put 8 books on Green Metropolis in the last hour but never used it before - Is it any good or have I just completely wasted an hour of my life?

Good luck with your challenge!

Try looking for mags on quidco (sorry, can't get on there at the mo so can't send you exact location). You will find there are trials where you actually get more cash back than you spend. (e.g. Time, and Scarlet which has taught me a thing or two:eek: ) .

You'll probably find GM will be ok for text books & non-fiction, but not for fiction. I listed about 12 text books last week & have sold 3 already.

Tip for quidco - on their home page sort the companies by £ then work your way through the list a few letters at a time.

Another tip for those using quidco for accomm bookings - use www.hotelscomparison.com to find the cheapest then check for the co on quidco and book via them. Superbreak is often cheapest but does not show up under the accomm heading - I think it's under packages, but you can just type in name & get it.

Have fun!

cheerleader

Well sorry to hijack thread but I'm starting my PGCE primary in september and you've all scared me now with how happy you are to be off!! Is it that bad??!!!

:eek:

chocaholic110

cheerleader wrote: »

Well sorry to hijack thread but I'm starting my PGCE primary in september and you've all scared me now with how happy you are to be off!! Is it that bad??!!!

:eek:

Speaking for myself, no I love my job and can't think of anything else I would rather do (so far at least, going into Y6 after the summer and not sure how I feel about it!), it's just that during term time I am so busy that everything else seems to fall by the wayside and it's nice to get an extended period of time to do what I want.

candygirl

cheerleader wrote: »

Well sorry to hijack thread but I'm starting my PGCE primary in september and you've all scared me now with how happy you are to be off!! Is it that bad??!!!

:eek:

On the whole yes it is bad, but there are times when it all feels worthwhile....like the holidays for instance:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

slowlyfading

i'm considering being a teacher, and by the sounds of it, I shouldnt!

Actiongirl_2

petite_anglaise wrote: »

Ooh thankyou for all your fabulous ideas! Am raring to go now - It's like the start of the school year when you get all your shiny new books and pens and can't wait to start (or is that just me being sad?) (yes?, thought so).

Wow! I thought it was just me. I tried to explain to my BF the other day that my mum always used to buy autumn uniform on the last day of summer term, and I used to spend the summer trying it on, working out how it would look best. I used to think I am weird. No more! I am normal!!! I used to love the new bag and protractor set thing too!

Ps. I am 29, so it must be a generation thing!

On the ready meal front, I hate to say this, but when you are doing those kinds of hours, you DO deserve ready meals and a decent bottle of wine. When I am flat out at work, I do the same thing. But perhaps you can stock up the freezer every half term with batch cooking and staples and then if you know you can bung stuff in the microwave, its less tempting to go to the supermarket (from which you will also walk out with a decent bottle of red, and a large bar of dairy milk if you are anything like me).

Good luck.

petite_anglaise_2

Hi guys,

Thanks so muc for the tips, fortunately many of which I'm already doing since discovering MSe a while ago. I already do my big shop online using a free delivery coupon, do all the free offers on Quidco and pigsback, check everything I buy on a search engine andthen go through quidco. Do all my insurance etc through Quidco and am reading the oldstyle board to learn how to freeze things and use stuff up.

On the house front, this is where I am a great moneysaving expert even if I do say so myself! (v. proud actually!) Having bought, gutted and totally renovated my house in a year I saved a fortune. Spend £8000 in total from dapmproofing, buildingwork kitchen, roof, furniture, bathroom, furnishings, whitegoods even down to tinopener! Buy the mags which show the posh houses where people spend thousands and then copy with cheap stuff. So got my hob and sink from Netto, got posh seconds tap from ebay, handbuilt fireplace in victorian stylee using reclaimed tiles and fireplace from netto cost £20. Bought console table from Wilkinsons for £20 in sale, replaced handles with antique french knobs from ebay and painted in Farrow and ball. Got gorgeous Laure Ashley Lloyd wallpaper for my hall from a bargain bucket in laura ashley for £1 (only needed 1 roll!) Bought antique stripped pine doors from ad in paper for £5 Also made my own laura ashley style armoire using an old argos wardrobe, laura ashley paint testers and some chicken wire! And my mum paid £800 for hers!

Though obviously still learning in other areas! On the plus side have photographed another 20 things for ebay and will upload tonight.

Thanks for the idea about selling teaching stuff, have got a few books from when I wasan enthusiastic NQT few years ago and obviously never used them. Will list them on the TES site and see if can dupe some new enthusiastic PGCE student into buying them.

Thanks for the tip about IAMS being on offer in Sainsburys - will get myself down there tomorrow. Have decided that poor puss shouldn't have to suffer for the sins of his mum!

Plus having had a couple of articles published in the Times Educational Suppliment a couple of years ago am thinking maybe I'll give that another try - Got £100 for the last ones. 'Adventures of a skint teacher' anyone?...

Keep the suggestions coming, all advice greatfully received!

candygirl

have got a few books from when I was an enthusiastic NQT few years ago and obviously never used them. ..........
I can TOTALLY relate to that:T :T :T :T

petite_anglaise_2

ha ha candy girl, glad I'm not the only one then! Used to spend a fortune in Waterstones and on Amazon buying activity books, teaching advice stuff, gcse revision guides etc.

4 years later, and having the knowledge and cynicism that only experience brings, realise that a shiny £15 'expert guide' will no more motivate my 'orrible year 9 bottom set than bribery, chocolate or fancy worksheets!