Smolly's Stumblings to Sanity - the next Chapter...

jvr

Hi Smolly,


Glad you had a good weekend .... coming up north is always a good plan in my humble (Yorkshire) opinion! I am also inspired by your success on survey sites Huskeyrunner.... although it has reminded me the one and only time I got to £10 on one it hasn't arrived... must chase that!
I have never sold anything on ebay an to be honest I'm not sure I own anything worth any money all my debt seems to be plane tickets and dogs rather than anything I have bought I can sell on later! I did have some dresses but they all went to charity shop.. since I can't afford a regular donation anymore I count that as giving to them instead of giving money.

Scott_Weiland_2

The Matrix tells us it tastes like chicken did you not know this lol

But the question is who tells the matrix what chicken really tastes like

Bobarella

Sorry about your speeding ticket.

EssexHebridean

Gah to the ticket - but the SA courses are actually pretty interesting (Yep, another one here who's done one). I suspect it's highly unlikely that any reduction in the fee is going to be possible though.

Your weekend with your friend sounds ace too - can't beat a few days like that with lots of laughing and catching up can you! :T

Good news on the 3Bay/Mystery Shop front too - It really feels as though a corner is being turned, doesn't it! :T

Smolly

Hi folks, just a quick catch up as I have an audit report to write. Sounds far more interesting than it actually is however. I looked at the brief before I went out to the shop this evening and thought 'heck - that's going to take a while' but it took about 15 minutes to take photos and assess situation and about half an hour trying to get staff to cooperate and assist! :mad:

I have been very lucky Misty with the 17 mystery shops - I don't have to get up off my backside to do them as they are all done on the t'interweb!!:T In fact the 17 have now become 20! And since yesterday I've managed to acquire a further 6 actual mystery shops on top of those!

Paying my brother back has taken a back seat in being priority debt number 1 - something EH said a while back has made me think a little more clearly about 'non-priority debts'. I have reduced the debt further and will continue to do so but I think I will just tackle the smallest debt first and then move on from there. My brother's debt is quite small anyway but there are others that are smaller. I'm a little haunted by goals which are too big and I need to see movement in my debt figure going down - however small.

I made a further £15 on fb selling after my initial £20. I have about another £4 to come but am determined to shift as much stuff as I can before I pack it all up and take it to the charity shops. I want to clear a load before Christmas before Mum comes to stay. It's really depressing me seeing it all around. I am much like you Misty - double checking everything I buy to make sure I do need it now!

jvr I am also Yorkshire and proud of it!!! My trip up north was a bit further however. I went to County Durham - I love it up there as I used to work there a few years ago and made some very good friends. It's also a very beautiful part of the country.

Scott nice to see the survey guru is still around. After my mahoosive list of mystery shops have been attempted I plan to sit down and decide which survey sites I am going to concentrate on. And the Matrix may well tell us what chicken tastes like but I still maintain my latest bag of free chicken is BLAND BLAND BLAND - tastes of nothing i have tasted before. It may well have to be consigned to the bin as I need the room for Christmassy foods....yum yum.:snow_laug

Thank you Bob and EH - I have been a very naughty girl but am grateful to have the opportunity to redeem myself without the points on my licence. The OH is adamant he wants paying back and said that £5 a week would be acceptable!!! :rotfl: He can hope can't he.

Gawd I hate family debt. However looking at it - I have made £35 since Monday just by selling rubbish and looking at my fb account in the top of the screen I can see two messages regarding stuff I have listed tonight so keeping my fingers crossed I will have a look in a minute and hopefully something else may have sold. Now I do need that money for food right now but I seem to be doing quite well. Maybe it won't take very long to pay the family debts back.

Just checked fb and someone is interested in something I've listed....:T I was asking £4 for something and two people have made offers. One for £4....and one for 40p:eek: How rude:rotfl:

Anyway I am off now to do that report and then update my finances. xx

Smolly

ada - sorry meant to ask: are you still doing GoodBudget and how's it going? x

ada-or-ardor

I am smolly and I'm really enjoying it! It definitely is making me more conscious of what I spend and where. Its my payday next Friday and I have no lunch budget left after I took a friend out who I owed a nice lunch. Anyway, previously I would have just thought "oh well I'll lend myself from another envelope" without thinking/forecasting that I would need all the funds in there, and spend it on lunches for the rest of the week. Instead, I raided the kitchen cupboards and made myself a batch of pasta to take with me for this week and will do the same next week until I can refill my envelopes! So I'm definitely feeling more in control, and trying to "beat myself" by coming in under budget where I can.

I'm also now becoming a bit obsessed with checking it to be honest, and when I have NSDs I get bored and antsy that nothing is happening.... oh dear, I think I need to find a hobby!!

How are you getting on with it? I'm so happy I stumbled across it and hope it's helping you out too :-)

Ada

Smolly

Wow well done Ada! That's fab news. I have just this minute finished catching up with GoodBudget and I have learned a very valuable lesson....I must keep it up to date every single day. I had a few days to 'catch up' and unfortunately had vastly overspent in one category leaving me with a fat red minus figure. It has meant some unsightly and messy jiggling around but I know to keep it up to date every single day now.

So my good news is that my total debt figure is now £26,977.66. This time last month, at its very worst with the added interest on and no payments being made it was £27,961.98! I have been very fortunate with a PPI refund and Mum knocking me money off that I owe her, but in one month my debt has reduced by £984.32!!! Oh if only that could happen every month! It's still slightly more than when I started this horrendous journey but another £153.83 and I'll be in the same place as I was in July. This has made me really really happy xx

Scott_Weiland_2

984.32 thats a big hit

I think in the new year i am going too start hammering debts down.

Dont forget survey sites and cashback sites can add a nice income boost.

ada-or-ardor

Yes I have done exactly the same! Its hard because things add up so much quicker on paper than in your head:o so I try and do mine every day. I have the app on my phone too which helps because often I can add the transaction right there and then and its done.

But enough about that.... CONGRATULATIONS! This great that you've managed to get rid of that interest! Almost £1000 gone!!! And that will keep happening until one day - !!!!!!! £0.00!!! So hang in there, keep your spirits up and keep working hard, coming here for any support you need, and well cheer you on for every pound you knock off! Don't worry, I haven't sold my pom pom on 3bay yet.... :j :j :j

Have a good day all!

Ada