Everyone lost in the Ether II

mhoc

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

After being up early enough to get the chickens sorted and go and get a couple of cabbages from the other plot, I found naff all on TV to watch so decided to have a clear out of my dining room :eek:

Now to decide whether I can be bothered to sort my clothes in my bedroom out - putting away my holiday things, boxing up the summer stuff etc.

I'm quite resentful of work at the moment because they've spread a policy to include ALL staff that if we are anywhere near patient areas or where they might be lurking, we are not allowed to wear anything from the elbow down, including watches, jewellery and nail polish :mad: it means that when I walk to different places I need to be, I end up stretching the arms of my long sleeve tops to comply, but it's too chilly otherwise to not wear a long sleeve top at work, so I have ended up keeping out a lot of my "summer" stuff.

I forget how cathartic a good clear out is though

if its your own stuff you are clearing out and tidying and organising then its very cathartic and it puts you in a much better head space.

If its other peoples its not so much so.

I've had to clean and clear out the houses of both my m-I-l after she died and my dads when he went into a home - its very time consuming and depressing, having to clear stuff you have no idea about the history or background of but I did the best I could with no help from siblings but at least there was an end date to these jobs.

Eldest son came back from 3 years in Cyprus with 8 rucksacs and every time he comes and goes from various deployments and tours and courses he brings more stuff home. so there is not a lot I can do about the storeroom which is also technically his bedroom.
Youngest son moved out of his shared house in the summer and 2 car loads of his belongings came home. A day later he left the country with just a bag of belongs so most of his stuff is along in the storeroom/boys bedroom. All of his clothing I've washed and boxed up into deep plastic storage (as I did for his brother when he was way for 6 months) and I've been slowly sifting, sorting and organising other stuff left here so at least its boxed and neat.

Sorting OHs stuff is the most frustrating. There was a pile of Top Gear mags that came out of the boys bedroom while the boys bedroom was being revamped last year, these were shifted into eldest childs room until she came to visit and they then went under our bed and then on a chest of drawers downstairs when the builder came to do the bathroom until finally today I blew a fuse and they went into the recycling. 3 of them read the mags but none of them could take over disposal of them.

also OH and his books, an ongoing issue. Even though we have taken bags and bags to the Oxfam book shop almost every week up until September the pile stills seems to be growing.

In the summer he sifted out some books from the study and these were piled onto the chest in the dining room (next to the Top gear mags). I've tried unsuccessfully to have a sort out of the dining room this morning (at least the Top gear mags have finally gone) but OH just moved his book pile from the top of the chest back into the study.
I cleared 2 shelves of a bookcase and re organised a stack of my own books and this left a clear space but OH has just dumped his books back in this space, 2 foot high pile of books so I am back to square one - mostly these are books too big and heavy for Amazon or Ebay so they have to be gradually be taken to Oxfam books when we are in town - mostly trains and planes books he has been collecting over decades.

No use me complaining as all he ever says is that all you have to moan about.

Just wish I could all the time and effort and energy I put into sorting, sifting and organising other peoples belongings into doing the same to my own

neas

Thanks for the C+C dishwasher tablets got a c+C tomorrow at 8am so hopefully keep going till then.

Btw in terms of moneysaving what does everyone else do?

I do/done the following:

- Glitching
- Stooze (16k stooze pot earning 3.5% interest at various banks = free 600 quid a year)
- Amex signup offers - switch between gold card for £100 free in vouchers, and Nectar Amex for £100 ebay vouchers
- TCB and Quidco on all signups etc
- Free bank signup offers (made £2,000 on these, esp YBS/Clydesdale 6x £150 ) - Currently run out of new targets lol
- Tesco bonus points, e.g. 3V and pre-order points

Things I haven't tried are:

Matched Betting

bubbs

neas wrote: »

Thanks for the C+C dishwasher tablets got a c+C tomorrow at 8am so hopefully keep going till then.

Btw in terms of moneysaving what does everyone else do?

I do/done the following:

- Glitching
- Stooze (16k stooze pot earning 3.5% interest at various banks = free 600 quid a year)
- Amex signup offers - switch between gold card for £100 free in vouchers, and Nectar Amex for £100 ebay vouchers
- TCB and Quidco on all signups etc
- Free bank signup offers (made £2,000 on these, esp YBS/Clydesdale 6x £150 ) - Currently run out of new targets lol
- Tesco bonus points, e.g. 3V and pre-order points

Things I haven't tried are:

Matched Betting

I dont even know what stoozing is:o
Dont even do cash back sites, i just glitch really:o:eek:

Nannylala

Good afternoon have enjoyed my NSD as a friend rang out of the blue asking if I would like a visitor and when you live on your own it's always nice to have someone to chat too and share lunch with:TAfter she went I continued the marathon task of writing the Christmas cards ...all done now but not without consequence ...glitter everywhere :eek:
Early dinner for me then back to my can't put down book;)

rose28454

bubbs wrote: »

I dont even know what stoozing is:o
Dont even do cash back sites, i just glitch really:o:eek:

I believe stoozing is getting an interest free credit card. Withdrawing the whole amount in cash and investing it till you need to pay it back. Havent done matched betting but have done a bit if betting on TCB AND QUIDCO. 2 years ago when my son got married I paid for 2 hotel rooms in London for 2 nights ( nice hotel too ) with the proceeds of cashback betting. I dont have an addictive personality ( except for food!! ) so felt safe doing it

neas

bubbs wrote: »

I dont even know what stoozing is:o
Dont even do cash back sites, i just glitch really:o:eek:

stoozing is when you take a 0% interest free credit card for say 2 years and put the money you would spend on stuff into a savings account.

You owe 5000 to the credit card, and have the 5000 pound you would've paid off in a savings account.

The profit is approximately the interest on the 5000 pound i.e. 3% a year would be 150 quid a year.

There are other factors which reduce the profit (you must pay back minimuma amount and there is tax etc).

But once setup its kinda free income per year, nothing major maybe 1k to 2k extra year depending on your debt (and equivalent savings).

Only done for those with good credit and not going to blow the money.

mhoc

neas wrote: »

stoozing is when you take a 0% interest free credit card for say 2 years and put the money you would spend on stuff into a savings account.

You owe 5000 to the credit card, and have the 5000 pound you would've paid off in a savings account.

The profit is approximately the interest on the 5000 pound i.e. 3% a year would be 150 quid a year.

There are other factors which reduce the profit (you must pay back minimuma amount and there is tax etc).

But once setup its kinda free income per year, nothing major maybe 1k to 2k extra year depending on your debt (and equivalent savings).

Only done for those with good credit and not going to blow the money.

and with nerves of steel

I clear my cc cards every month - could not sleep unless I did, the long cold hungry decades have taught me that.

As to getting 3% on savings - very few places now pay more than 1%

I thought with these 0% cards you had to at least pay the minimum amount (is it 5% each month) so your hypothetical £500 could not be tied up in a long term bond and would have to be in an instant access account

zippydooda

neas wrote: »

stoozing is when you take a 0% interest free credit card for say 2 years and put the money you would spend on stuff into a savings account.

You owe 5000 to the credit card, and have the 5000 pound you would've paid off in a savings account.

The profit is approximately the interest on the 5000 pound i.e. 3% a year would be 150 quid a year.

There are other factors which reduce the profit (you must pay back minimuma amount and there is tax etc).

But once setup its kinda free income per year, nothing major maybe 1k to 2k extra year depending on your debt (and equivalent savings).

Only done for those with good credit and not going to blow the money.

where can i get 3% a year please? all i look at are lucky to be 1%:(

neas

Heres my current stooze allocation:

I have a 'Mrs' Neas so we double up on accounts.


*Breaths in*

Right... so I have the following credit cards

M+S (0% for 18 months) Mine - 6,000 debt
M+S (0% for 18 months) My Wife -6,000 debt
Barlcays (balance transfer from previous purchase 0 % for 28 months) - £6000
Lloyss ( balance transfer from previous purchase 0% for 27 months)) - £2000
Tesco credit card (current one for purchases 0% for 21 months)


And I have the equivalent cash in these 'savings' accounts. It is true savings accounts give about 1% but if you are clever you can get around 3-5% saving rate from current accounts. So we have the equivalent cash in these sorta accs:

Santander 123 current account (must pay in £500 a month and 2 DD) 3% on up to 25,000 -£11,000
TSB Mine -5% interest before tax up to 2,000 - £2,000
TSB Wife -5% interest before tax up to 2,000 -£2000
Nationwide Mine - 5% interested before tax up to £2,500 - £2,500
Nationwide Wife - 5% interest before tax up to £2,500 -£2,500

So I have £9,000 earning 5% before tax so 4% after and £11,000 earning 3%, so approx the interest rate is 3.45% (last time I calculated it).

To get 3.45% I have 5 current accounts between the of us and effectively the stooze money is transfered by SO each month from one account into another thus meeting the 'pay in X' amount per month criteria. For example Nationwide sends £1000 to TSB and TSB sends £1000 to Nationwide on the same day.

So 3.45% on 20,000 squid is nearly £700 profit

zippydooda

not tested but multi not showing on
Thatchers Gold Somerset Cider
(8x440ml)

should make each box £4.75

still expensive for us, as we are getting paid to get stella cidre