Buying a little piece of Middle England; Manifesting my way to mortgage free.

beanielou

Sounds like a phone is a priority. 

debtfreewannabe321

beanielou said:

Sounds like a phone is a priority. 

It has been for a few months 🙈 I've been putting it off since before our move. I've had a look and I think I will settle on a cheap one with a decent camera on. That's what I use it for most and the internet. Although I just mentioned it to DS1 and he said he may have another old one that he doesn't use (he upgrades every 1-2 years so it would be the next version to what I already have) and perhaps he'll be kind and gift it to me 🤞🏼 he just needs to check with his partner that she's not taken it to use already.

debtfreewannabe321

DS has found the phone yay! So I can have his old one as his DF doesn't need it Woop! Saves me some money and hopefully it will last long enough so I can start a new pot for a brand new one. Been years since I had a brand new one 🤣

NSD today!
I've had a PJ day, movies, food, chat with friend on the phone 😁 and now for more food (dinner )and another movie. 

DP has made it safely to his mum and Dad's house and managed to be gifted a box of vinyl records for our collection 👏🏼 and a new amp!! Our old one broke and we've been unable to listen to our records or CDs since then! Yay. Glad we didn't impulse purchase a new one now... sometimes these manifestations come in surprising ways and a fair while after asking for them 😉
That's a phone and an amp manifested this weekend 👏🏼😉

debtfreewannabe321

I bought my first Xmas present and then thought hmmm hold on I should have checked elsewhere first (bought it on a.m.azon on black Friday deal) so I popped what I'd bought into ggoogle shopping thing and it came up nearly a tenner cheaper at boots AND I could get 5% off there through a works perks app. Ugh! I immediately cancelled the amazan one and bought a voucher for the boots and ordered there instead. However I need to wait for the refund from the first one before I can spend it on another present 🤣 it was worth doing. The (most probably overinflated) price before sale was £150 and at boots it was £49.99 and amazan was 10 more than that. with five percent discount too it brought down a few more quid. 

One present down....please God make this easier for me than that purchase was for the rest of the presents 🙏🏻 🤣🤣🤣

I've also applied for a blue light discount I was told I could at work so have done. 
DP has just got a taste card which was highly reduced by his employer and I signed up to perk box with work....so now we have to remember to check all the apps (as well as the existing cashback apps I have) before purchasing anything. It's hard work remembering to do this. But obviously worthwhile. I got 5% off my food shop too this week. Shame it's not 10% like it used to be when my son had an employee card 🤣.

I'm going to buy vouchers for the older two kids (ddil is included in this) and I can get discounts on the voucher obviously but I don't then know how to gift that card so need to do a bit of research on that one.

HotDog2020

debtfreewannabe321 said:

I bought my first Xmas present and then thought hmmm hold on I should have checked elsewhere first (bought it on a.m.azon on black Friday deal) so I popped what I'd bought into ggoogle shopping thing and it came up nearly a tenner cheaper at boots AND I could get 5% off there through a works perks app. Ugh! I immediately cancelled the amazan one and bought a voucher for the boots and ordered there instead. However I need to wait for the refund from the first one before I can spend it on another present 🤣 it was worth doing. The (most probably overinflated) price before sale was £150 and at boots it was £49.99 and amazan was 10 more than that. with five percent discount too it brought down a few more quid. 

One present down....please God make this easier for me than that purchase was for the rest of the presents 🙏🏻 🤣🤣🤣

I've also applied for a blue light discount I was told I could at work so have done. 
DP has just got a taste card which was highly reduced by his employer and I signed up to perk box with work....so now we have to remember to check all the apps (as well as the existing cashback apps I have) before purchasing anything. It's hard work remembering to do this. But obviously worthwhile. I got 5% off my food shop too this week. Shame it's not 10% like it used to be when my son had an employee card 🤣.

I'm going to buy vouchers for the older two kids (ddil is included in this) and I can get discounts on the voucher obviously but I don't then know how to gift that card so need to do a bit of research on that one.

oooh discount galore, sounds great, well done on making the most of it all.

debtfreewannabe321

Thanks Hotdog, it is remembering to check first though. I failed on that first one  

I am on t'net looking for a spa break. I really could do with something to look forward to for just DP & I. None of my children will be with me for xmas, nor FLD and it all feels a bit strange, plus I haven't had a holiday in a long time. The last time we went away for a few nights we decided to coincide with a storm. We went to the Norfolk broads and well, even FLD wasn't impressed, we were drenched every time we went out, I ended up poorly from a cold I got yehhhh fail basically. 

I am looking at spa breaks, safe inside from cold weather with some treatments and maybe close to a city for something to do.....Will report back if I can find anything remotely in my price range. It would be nice to get away even if not out of the country. And have some time for DP & myself to reconnect, as we don't seem to have done anything but be in survival mode for the last few months. If it is wildly out of my price range I may look to book for Feb- valentines/ my bday/ half term week when kids should be going to their dad's house and I get a week off. 

I've worked out I need around £440 for xmas (50 of that already spent actually so 390) which I think I have assigned in my budget already - I will check though- otherwise I need to reassess what I am spending on each person. Going to speak to DP about a break when he gets home from his M&Ds house and see what he thinks.

~FlowerPot~

have you looked at wowcher? groupon?

they always seem to have spa deals

redofromstart

I was converted to the whole spa day thing by a fellow MSEer many years back. I particularly like the Handpicked Hotel spa days, I have been to Fawsley Hall and New Hall - both nice old country estate type places that I would like to stay at rather than just visit for the day. Much nicer than the Belfry type places imho as smaller numbers. 

I've always meant to try Bosworth Hall, or Sketchley Grange (both Leics) as have seen them on the groupon type offers.

Rushton Hall do a very nice indeed REN rose experience.

Is that enough corrupting?  If you have any clubcard vouchers I think spa seekers is still a double up and you may find something there.

debtfreewannabe321

~FlowerPot~ said:

have you looked at wowcher? groupon?

they always seem to have spa deals

I was put off of groupon after a spa day I booked with a friend. It was the right price but the spa didn't look anything like the pictures and we had driven over 2 hours to get there. The room was a let down too as was the restaurant. I have seen some popping up on there but feel a bit scared to try again.

Redo I think I sometimes need a bit of corrupting as I have the budget screaming in my ears no....but life is too short and we haven't done anything together at all like this in at least 2 years. I feel a bit sad about that so I want to do it. 
DP has been going on about spa days and I have been on 4 or 5 now and every single one was a let down in some respect- the first one was quite funny, it was a hen do in Brighton and the hotel was actually 2 blocks from the spa- it failed to tell us this until all 6 of us were stood there in robes ready to go to the spa we ended up walking 2 blocks in swimsuits and robes. I can laugh about that one, was pretty funny. Spa was ok- we were freezing when we had to walk back though
The second one was with a friend- she got absolutely blind drunk the night before our spa day as we had booked an overnighter. She disappeared into the village, found some illegal substances apparently, and I sat wondering where she was totally panicked that she had been picked up and un-alived or something. She arrived at 5am and totally ruined the whole thing. We were both a bit hung over her from whatever she had found and me from wine at dinner, and neither of us even wanted treatments ...and I was so angry with her! This was also the groupon one that wasn't all that good.
The third one was with my exH. A last minute- let's try to make this work thing. Oh dear. All I can say about that is there was a lot of shouting, tears and hysterical behaviour from me, as I had just found out about yet another affair shortly before I got there, and I got totally lost on the M4. The actual spa itself was okay but my treatment got cancelled last minute and the ones I was offered made me cry (yes I was a little upset on this one- we ended the marriage around 6 weeks later).
The fourth was with my friend and the day trip to the spa was OK...she was going through a bad break up though and all she did was complain ALL day instead of letting me relax
Soooooooooooo my track record with these things is awful and I didn't want to go on a spa break with DP as I felt my past experiences might blemish it. But you know what, I want a massage, some relaxation and some chill time. Perhaps this trip might be completely different as I am with someone I trust not to ruin it. So let's do this...let's get over this fear that every spa trip for me is going to be awful.

We are thinking Manchester or Edinburgh but I am open to all, even local ones to ease me back in after all the awful ones I've had previously Redo I will look those up, Leics is just across the county border for us!

~FlowerPot~

I've done a couple through wowcher and they were great. 
Does the Nottingham centre parcs have a spa? The longleat one down south due and that's really nice.
Im sure you will find a nice one this time, it's got to be better than those previous tries!!!