Overpayment Addict

SuperSecretSquirrel

Sounds like you both had a fantastic day, and spent very little along the way - bonus! I'm a little worried about our little ones growing up and needing entertaining too... It's just so easy right now, and a total joy to see them have fun in such simple and innocent ways

DeterminedSingleMummy

DD has a birthday party today so that's today's entertainment sorted. Hopefully it'll stay sunny so we can go to the park later.

Also last night 2 items sold on Ebae making approx just under £20 after fees (I think) one has already been paid for so packaged up ready to post.

Also went through a lot of DDs clothes too and made a list of all sizes of essential items(tights, socks, vests, knickers etc) I have purchased in the sales and what sizes they are so that when I'm out and about and see a bargain I can check my list on my phone to see of I actually need it. I have saved a lot from doing this with her shoes. As I always buy her Clarke's shoes which can cost £30/40 a pair. As a general rule with Clarke's I purchase them when I see then for £10 Or under usually in the outlets which are brilliant.

Have just received a letter so I know which primary school she will be going to in September so I can start bargain buying uniform too sometimes her wardrobe feels more of a store than an actual wardrobe lol but it's better to be prepared with a bargain than having to pay full price when she needs it.

Cashback came through on my 123 life account. I've always had this account however never counted the cashback money, it just sits in my account so from now on I will be counting this in towards an extra mortgage overpayment. No idea why I havnt done this before... since I've opened the account I have earnt approx £500... where that £500 has gone I have no idea... lol

So from now on I will be tracking every month

1. Ebae earnings per month
2. Surveys/mystery shopping
3. Cashback from 123 account
4. Other cashback
5. Savings from weekly budget
6. Overtime in work
7. Other

Which should then give me a total of overpayments I can make towards my mortgage (apart from eBay which will go towards DD swimming first)

I feel a lot more organised since writing that list will add some figures to it tonight if I have time

Hope everyone has a lovely day today

PrincessLou

We also found out which school our twins got into yesterday and so I was excited to start looking at uniform. I'm really surprised how cheap school uniform is from supermarkets. Prices like £2 for a pack of two polo shirts, basically £1 a shirt seem crazily cheap to me. I was expecting to be spending so much more on uniform.

DeterminedSingleMummy

Hey PL. I buy my uniform from supermarkets too... it's great isn't it. Also another good place is littlewood clearance or very clearance. They both have ebae accounts and everytime I've purchased from there they have spend £30 and get £10 off. And the items are usually heavily discounted anyway!!

So far in April

1. Ebae earnings per month - £52.71 (also another 2 items sold not posted yet so not adding to the total but this is approx £20)
2. Surveys/mystery shopping - £5.50 (another £10 earnt but cannot withdraw for another 10 days)
3. Cashback from 123 account - £7.87
4. Other cashback - £0 (£20.50 earnt but cannot withdraw until end of May)
5. Savings from weekly budget - £30 ( I think.. need a better way of tracking this)
6. Overtime in work £0 (next payday is 10 May)
7. Other

So total so far in April is

£52.71 out of £180 for swimming
£43.37 overpayment that's been withdrawn

Wowsers... can't wait until the end of the month when i can update with a figure for the whole month!!!

This is all on top of my monthly budgeted £500 overpayment aswell. Overpaying my mortgage has become even more addictive... lol

Hope every one has enjoyed the bank holiday... back to work tomorrow... xxx

ch4rly2002

Well done on the 'day of a million freebies'! It sounds like you guys had a brilliant time

I always feel more organised with a list so I'm sure the one on your phone and the OP list on here will help you keep track. Don't waste time thinking about what could have been done sooner. Most of us on here feel like that (except the super organised who plan OPs from day one!) but the main thing is that you have started and are doing something now.

Have a good first day back at work!

DeterminedSingleMummy

Quick update/mini celebration

Posted two ebae parcels today and they only cost £2.32 instead of £3.90 saving £1.58 per parcel

Not massive amount but a total of £3.16 extra yay!!

I've also listed a few more things an now have a total of 28 active items. 4 were new items I've listed and 6 were items that didn't sell previously that I relisted. I am going to keep relisting them until they sell!

3 of the items have bids on but generally everyone likes to bid last minute so fingers crossed!!!

Runders

Wow DSM! Your diary is fab, I wish I could be as 'on it' as your are. I will subscribe to see how you get on and you have definitely given me kick to do better

DeterminedSingleMummy

Thanks Runders! Reading other people's diaries has motivated me loads!!

6 Ebae items ended tonight. 4 sold! Yay! Approx £15 profit. Three have already paid so just waiting for one more payment. Relisted the other two items. I've had no issues since posting second class signed for! I think people don't actually mind paying the higher postage as it's just a cost that has to be paid.

Roasted a chicken tonight (reduced at MnS) and have prepared several meals for the rest of the week love my bargain finds at MnS.

I've decided to track my extra overpayments from my weekly spending budget in a spending app. And at the end if the month should have a nice total in one place (atm I don't feel organised with It So hopefully it'll help) so far this month £30 from my weekly budgets have been saved to overpay on top of my monthly OP budget.

Been taking DD to Ikea for free activities and fun. She enjoys the 45 min free play area and i get 45 mins peace and quiet and a free cup of coffee so win win situation. They've also had free face painting too which is great until it's bathtime lol

I think if i really focus on eBay I could easily double what I'm selling which would mean more money to overpay... just need to get that motivation to list more things again...

pollyanna24

Loving the diary! Like I said on my diary, we sound so similar. You do a lot of things that I do, haha! Wombling for McDs vouchers, yay!

Why don’t you budget for your daughter’s swimming lessons? I do and so don’t have to think about finding the extra money.

You seem to have the same mindset as me regarding your daughter. Finding cheap and cheerful things to do. One of my daughters’ favourite things at the moment is to drive to a local lake (I do the driving, obviously, haha), cycle round it and throw sticks in the lake for the dog! Long may that continue cos we actually have a fab time! Simple creatures that we are, haha!

Re the 0% cards, cos I’ve only started doing in the last year or so, do companies let you have multiple credit cards with them or do they have strict quotas, like if you have had a card with them in the last 12 months, you can’t get another one with them?

I have only been declined one card so far and that was a Barclaycard (don’t think I applied for the 0%, but for cashback or something), but I think this was because I applied for two credit cards on the same day.

I am keeping a note of the credit cards I:-

1. Have,
2. Have had and closed (cos I have received the benefit, i.e.
cashback)
3. Have been declined for.

And re your broken watch. Has inspired me to put a mini scooter on eBay with a broken brake. You never know. The other mini scooter I have without a broken brake, is currently up to £17 (but it has a toddler seat aswell).

How do I subscribe cos I want to keep knowing your progress?!

DeterminedSingleMummy

Hey pollyanna - I never budgeted for DD swimming because she started this after I started overpaying and it motivated me to get stuff on ebae so I guess it gives me that extra push to find extra money.

Cheap and cheerful days out are great. Her fave is playland at Ikea which is free so keeps us both happy. I'm also lucky that we have lovely lakes and parks to walk around which we do regularly too.

I've been stoozing for 3 years now and I've not had any problems.

I have used

1.santander - 0% finished so I closed the account. But last month i got a new CC with them at 0% with a higher limit than the previous card
2. Tesco - 0% finished but I keep this card to earn points
3. Barclaycard - 0% finished but not closed this card as they send regular 0% offers. Have stoozed twice on this card. Very high limit too
4 halifax. Declined me a few years ago but Accepted me for a 0% fee free Balance transfer which has gone through this month (with topcashback too)
5. M and s - 0% ends in June. Balance transferred to halifax so I will be closing this account.
6. TSB - 0% finishes in Nov and I will be closing the card once balance transfered or card paid off.

I havnt applied for more than one credit card with the same bank. If I don't get accepted for Balance transfer i will pay off the card and then start stoozing again on a new 0% purchase card. Not really sure how banks decide who to give cards to at what limits. I just apply and hope for the best lol

With broken things on ebae people bid on them because they might be able to fix it or need it for spares or parts so definately list those broken items as long as you are clear they are broken.

I have no idea about subscribing to threads. I just remember which ones I've been reading and click on them when I see them (pretty much a newbie at this forum)