The 2008 Money Neutral Gift Challenge

mum2one

kbl wrote: »

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!!!!!!

That basimmo range is amazing prices, I cleared my 2 local stores out of manicue, pedicure and brushes sets, the pedicure was £10.00 for "£2.50, another good buy is the gents leather coin tray, reduced from £9.99 to £1.24, ideal present for uncle, granddad, the older guy.

Love argos sales. xx

jamtart6

Quick update - now got enough points for £30 in Boots vouchers thanks to Experian points being credited on Pigsback - hoping by next week I should have another £10 after some others have been credited they are due next week! Hurrah! I am also waiting on £10 to come through the post from them.

I have posted off my phones to Envirophone and should earn £19 in Argos vouchers plus a fiver for reccomending a friend!

I need to get listing on eBay again but don't have the motivation I did really well before xmas too

skipboy

Hi Everyone. Just a quick update & advice please. I have spent in cash £93.98 which was on smellies in the Boots sale.Original price was for these were £150.00. I have £90 currently in paypal from ebay from last year. I wish to use this towards payment of these items. Do you think this is going against the challenge? I going to start today to relist on ebay to free up more funds.Any advice would be appreicated.

tattycath

Hi Jamtart. How does the envirophone thing work please? where do I get details of how/where to send old mobiles to and how do I find out what they are worth in argos vouchers? Is there a cut off date for sending phones to envirophone. Sorry for all the questions but I have possibly 3 phones doing nothing and obviously the money would be great towards next christmas!!! Thanks in anticipation.

tattycath

Skipboy I don't think it goes against the challenge as you are using money (profit) from stuff you have sold so therefore it's equivalent to no spend as far as I can see. I'm sure someone will be along soon and (hopefully) agree with me.

JesaRose

I agree - if its all made from things you didn't want that were lying around the house and I would class it as free money.

sophiesmum_2

tattycath wrote: »

Hi Jamtart. How does the envirophone thing work please? where do I get details of how/where to send old mobiles to and how do I find out what they are worth in argos vouchers? Is there a cut off date for sending phones to envirophone. Sorry for all the questions but I have possibly 3 phones doing nothing and obviously the money would be great towards next christmas!!! Thanks in anticipation.

Have a look at the site tattycath, everything you need to know is on there.
If you use quidco i think there is a link through them to envirophone too, used to be, with a little cashback. All helps.

http://www.envirofone.com/index1.asp

jamtart6

skipboy wrote: »

Hi Everyone. Just a quick update & advice please. I have spent in cash £93.98 which was on smellies in the Boots sale.Original price was for these were £150.00. I have £90 currently in paypal from ebay from last year. I wish to use this towards payment of these items. Do you think this is going against the challenge? I going to start today to relist on ebay to free up more funds.Any advice would be appreicated.

I would calculate you to have "offset" your £93.98 with £90worth of your paypal...making you 96% money neutral up to now! :T well done - this is exactly what this challenge is about

jamtart6

sophiesmum wrote: »

Have a look at the site tattycath, everything you need to know is on there.
If you use quidco i think there is a link through them to envirophone too, used to be, with a little cashback. All helps.

http://www.envirofone.com/index1.asp

:eek: gutted I missed the quidco - why didn't i think?!!!!!?!?!?! thats £7.20 i missed out on

Envirophone seems easy to use up to now. They send you a freepost jiffy bag, you send off your phone (get an estimate off the site) and they test it, and will pay cash or argos vouchers (you get 15% more this way). Good feedback, but as yet I'm a new customer.

I'll be cheeky and say I can refer you if you PM me (where I get money for this) or you can just go unreferred straight to the site if you google Envirophone.

Heads up on the 75% sale in Boots this week. We think its on Tuesday, but rumours of it starting tomorrow too. I'm not that desperate for stuff so not too bothered if I miss it so will be going on Tuesday just in case.

Quiet on the present front - just valentines day to think about which is a mag subscription (£15) and chocolate slabs which are about £2. Haven't had time to eBay anything (aka can't be bothered yet) but need to get a wriggle on.

I feel like that £240 that I've spent for the joint xmas and bday present is getting me down a bit its such a huge amount to re-coup and I have so little left in the way of stuff to eBay. I've started to do more cash paying surveys, but they won't make mega bucks. Any one got any bright ideas of making proper cash??

SugarSpun

Curses!

I put Skype credit on my computer just yesterday.

Turns out you get 25% from Quidco, that I didn't know about.

*kicks Skype*