Statement of Affairs

EssexHebridean

Contents insurance will cost you under £10 a month. To put it into context, what happens if you arrive home from work one day to find the fire engines sitting outside just damping down your smoking ruin of a flat? All you have is your car, the clothes you stand up in and the contents of your bag. My honest view on contents insurance is that you can't afford NOT to have it.

For additional oddments of earnings from surveys check out Opinion Outpost as a starting point - they pay out at a low level so you start seeing reward quickly. OnePoll and YouGov take longer but both run relatively short surveys and have a decent payout once you hit the level. Populus Live are another one that seems to mount up relatively quickly. If you can get a referral to PineCone from anyone then grab it - their surveys are ace and you can get a payout each time you do one if you want - £3 a time.

Have you looked at ZipVit for your supplements etc? I use them and find them excellent. (And I've just started a thread on the referrers board which incudes my referral link should anyone wish to register with them),

Your comment about your "funny set bill" on your water made me smile - we've just been put onto assessed billing too as they can't fit a meter with us either - it's a nice saving on our old water rates already. :T

zippygeorgeandben

Good luck on your journey. Great advice shared!
My post is about your monthly food outlay.
One thing which worked for me (and also for my partner who lives with me) is that on the 1st of every month we did our online 'big shop' for the month. Our Ocado limit is £175 (we have a cat which is accounted in the £175) We really enjoy the challenge. We make casseroles, stews, tikka masala in a slow cooker and portion it out once it's made. The ONLY things we are allowed to buy outside this are bread, cheese, fruit. Things like 8litres of milk went in the freezer, along with many other items. Bulk buying means you get a cheaper deal and you don't have to scrimp on quality if you don't want to. Obviously that's your choice.
We were amazed before we totted it up how much we spent just 'nipping to Marks' or the co-op'. He'd spend £20.. then I'd spend £20 (it's those damn percy pigs at the checkout...) between Sep-Dec we'd worked out we'd spent £150 on ocado and then £60 each, each month, at our 'on the way back from work' supermarkets. Yes the salmon is £6 from £12 but you didn't go in to get salmon!
When it comes to the last week in the month we set up the delivery for the 1st of the next month and it doesn't seem so far away then.
Hope this helps in some way.
Ben

danuiseult

Just want to say "Thank You!" to everyone who has posted here. I have so much I want to say but am being quite quiet because I am recovering from oral surgery under general anaesthetic and am on Tramadol for the pain so somewhat sideways! I think I had better send all my replies when I am slightly more compos mentes But for now - thank you so much, everyone!
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