The 2008 Money Neutral Gift Challenge

jamtart6

I'm really happy as Tesco Healthy living club have just sent me coupons for 20pts when I buy normal things like Milk, veg, fruit, and fruit juice. And also a bonus 50pts just for being a member. Thats an extra 130 points or 520 in deals! and towards my target of £12.83 in basic points

jamtart6

It has been a month since I posted this thread, and ideally need all the vouchers etc. by September/October time so I can start xmas shopping. Feel free to add your own updates!

ARGOS: £21.72
BOOTS CARD: £127
BOOTS VOUCHERS C/O PIGSBACK: £20
OTHER BOOTS VOUCHERS: £10
CD WOW : £1
QUIDCO: £15.56
EBAY: £0
MARKS & SPENCER: £0
OTHER CASH: £5 to come from Envirophone
TOLUNA: 18'000
HMV: £0
TESCO: 114 POINTS

TOTAL SPENT ON MAIN GIFTS: £255 (INCLUDES A LARGE GIFT FOR OH BIRTHDAY)
TOTAL SPENT ON OTHER GIFTS: £0 (AND HAVE SORTED 12 GIFTS)
TOTAL EARNT BACK: £20.56

AM QUITE HAPPY

DdraigGoch

Hello again, "Neutral Newbie" here! I'm totally, and I do mean totally, new at all this. I fully intend to achieve my aim of a neutral present 2008, in fact, if I don't no-one's getting any presents!

So, I take it that selling on eBay's a Good Thing? I have, "shame, shame" so far only bought from eBay. I suspect it's about time I changed my ways

Can anyone please take pity on me and give me a few pointers on things I shouldn't do as well as things I should - when you know nothing it's useful to know where NOT to go.

Many thanks in advance
a decided Newbie
DG

sophiesmum_2

Got another 766 boots points today doing an online order on my account for my mum:D and made 200 piggy points at the same time:D

Totals buildiing up nicely so far and quite a few pressies sorted. If anyone has a "card factory" shop near them they are currently doing 10 decent cutie style birthday cards with coloured envelopes for £1. I have just bought 50 as I always end up finding cards for dd's friends and people I work with etc at short notice. Very good quality for 10p each.Should have enough for the year now.

FEE_100

:santa2: :santa2: :santa2: To Ddraigosh?!! If ur a first time seller on ebay my advice would be to start off small. Just post maybe one thing at a time till it sells and then maybe 2, just to build your confidence up with all things ebay which sometimes can seem a bit complitcated but honestly when you have done it a couple of times you will b a natural Good Luck:D .Sorry about the santa`s at the start... sometimes even this site can be a bit complicated there was only supposed to be one at the end!But hey this thread is all about christmas so I will just leave the beardy bodyless boys :rotfl:

FEE_100

Sophiemum we also have one of those shops in town and I love it the cards are so cheap and really everyone just chucks them in the recycle bin a few days later so whats the point in paying £2 for a card that goes straight in the bin? !! Its even cheaper than making your own that has been suggested on a few money saving forums that ive read.! Off to the shops tomorrow with my list to see what Christmas pressies I can get in the another 20% off sales.:j

sophiesmum_2

Have just finished updating and checking my 2008 gift challenge spreadsheets and feeling very happy so far.
I have earned the following..........

QUIDCO £44.62
PIGSBACK £62.46
BOOTS £23.23

TOTAL EARNED £130.31

I have bought 42 items in the sales which were originally £240.47:eek: BUT I have only paid £107.89 as everything was reduced by 50% or more:D . Which means I have saved £132.58 so far, and the £107.89 I spent is covered by the amount i have earned so i am currently 100% money neutral on my gifts for 2008:j :j :j :j :j :j with money to spare.

Thanks to cheekyweegit for sending me the spreadsheets - it makes the calculations so much easier:T :T :T :T

jamtart6

Well done Sophiesmum!!! :T

DdraigGoch - for eBay I actually find selling a fair few items in a lot of categories helps, as it brings in a "bigger audience" if it were....

Just so that you all know (completely up to you how you do it by the way) is that to class myself as "money neutral" I have either bought items with points or vouchers to be neutral OR if I have spent any cash I then have to earn back that cash via Quidco or eBay rather than just covering it with other vouchers. Its personal choice on how to class yourself, but that way I know I'm completely neutral!

brownjasperdog

I've sold a couple of books on GreenMetropolis today! Well, every little bit helps!:rotfl: Daft how pleased I am over an extra £3.17.

kbl

jamtart6 wrote: »

Well done Sophiesmum!!! :T

DdraigGoch - for eBay I actually find selling a fair few items in a lot of categories helps, as it brings in a "bigger audience" if it were....

Just so that you all know (completely up to you how you do it by the way) is that to class myself as "money neutral" I have either bought items with points or vouchers to be neutral OR if I have spent any cash I then have to earn back that cash via Quidco or eBay rather than just covering it with other vouchers. Its personal choice on how to class yourself, but that way I know I'm completely neutral!

Hi there, good tip, thank you, gearing myself up to list on ebay, just a manic few horrible weeks ahead of me to get over first. The way I was planning on trying the neutral challenge is by getting as much dvds and cds via pigsback vouchers as poss. I intend to carry on buying on ebay:o (it does work out cheaper for me, honest) but hopefully will recoup the money by sales through the year. Any other buying I do (Argos sales etc) I intend to recoup THAT money by selling more Avon and not spending the commission before I get it (this I view as extra money, cos although I've been an Avon lady for years now, I have ALWAYS been my best customer:rotfl: )

My sig looks laughable at min, cos I bought a fair whack in sales, but on the plus side, I reckon the gifts I bought this year are comparable to those given last year and at least a fifth of price. Hopefully will be able to make up my spends within next few months. I went to Argos today and got a load of bellisima products (for my dd, this year she got a load of playboy stuff, cost me €90) which look really good (the manicure set is esp impressive at that price) for £14.58. This also includes a spa waffle bag with contents at £2.50 which I will put with other spa set (€1.25 in local chemist) and a dressing gown/slippers etc for my sis. i reckon I should manage her pressie for €25 easy this year, previously it's been at least €70, am slowly getting cured!!!!!!