Fox attacks - a list of what happened?

[garethg]

I'm clearly not very observant I hadn't noticed you'd already mentioned moneysavingexpert!!

[Charlottechicken]

Hi Garethg, thanks for your lovely comments and helpful ideas!

 

I'm converted to quidco as I've got enough cash back from household insurance to get free clear tarpaulins for the chkicken run (£43 to be paid tomorrow)! I never joined until a few months ago as I spend so little I didn't think it would be worth it. £60 later I'm converted! I'm now looking to sell some old CD's so not sure if the magpie site will be best for those, mainly old rock albums. I need to look into books too, was thinking of green metropolis for those. I've got a load of high end ladies clothes (Jigsaw, Hobbs, all from pound rails in charity shops) to put on ebay too.

[Christian]

Would definitely recommend Green Metropolis for your books Claire.

[Charlottechicken]

Thanks Christian, the name stuck in my head after you mentioned it ages ago somewhere on here

[Christian]

Make sure you take the postage into account.

[Charlottechicken]

I've got a new telly, and a little aerial , for free!

 

I realised my poor old portable TV (27 years old) upstairs will not work after we are switched to digital next year, as it has no scart sockets and the on/off button doesn't work, oh yes and the burning smell it releases after being on a while. Plus, there are only six channel buttons which all have to be tuned in manually! I received a cashback amount from a hospital fund health thing I pay into, for having my hysterectomy. Had a look on Argos.com who deliver tellys for free and bought a nice 19" ALBA with built in freeview for £100 in the sale, which happened to be the amount I received from the fund I found out I haven't got an aerial connection upstairs so had to buy one of those little portable freeview aerials. I found one in Argos again for £9.99 and used a £10 voucher I got from credit card points.

 

Result! Telly is brilliant and little aerial works fine upstairs, oh, and it was all free!!

 

I've also had two lovely glass clear tarpaulins from ebay for the chicken run, they were paid for with part of my Quidco cashback.

 

[Christian]

I think it is time I invited you round to look at my finances Claire.

 

Well done you!

[Olly]

Yet again, you are an inspiration - I think Christian is right, you could set up as a consultant in this!

[Charlottechicken]

 

Thanks for the nice comments folks, nice to know someone's still reading!!

 

I treated myself to my first ever supermarket home delivery yesterday. I'm not up to driving my mum over to the nearest Te$co and pushing a trolley round so thought I would give it a go (and keep the picker/packer and driver in a job too!) Went through Quidco so got a fiver for first registration, that covered the delivery charge, and found a code for £10 worth of points too, that'll be tickets for Christmas craft show at the NEC no doubt. I have to confess I wanted the delivery just so I could purchase more bottles of value gin, for sloe gin making, and the chickens are having oats as a treat at present and the Te$co stuff is only 57p per kilo. The whole order turned out to be gin, cereals and some tinned stuff, plus 2 kilos of soda crystals

 

Saved me carrying it all anyway

 

I might use the service again in a few months if I can find a free delivery code

[Charlottechicken]

Second quarter figures are;

 

£1247.18

 

This is on track for a £5K annual spend but I know the next quarter will be difficult as it involves car insurance, and I've already hammered the credit card this month with bits and bobs

[Daphne]

Dear Claire - have you ever thought about writing to George Osborne and offering your services

 

I am deeply in awe of your achievements. Very well done.

[Charlottechicken]

 

I don't think he'd be impressed with a UK quidco or topcashback account, or saving points on a credit card either. Mind you, think of the points you could accumulate

[Lesley]

He might be..........

 

I did hear that the Post Office have upset all their drivers by switching to a different fuel card - previously they used one which entitled the drivers to use a large supermarket and thereby collect loyalty points on their own cards. You could have changed jobs Claire!

 

Well done on the quarter results

[bronze]

Even so its an amazing result.

 

 

I was trying to work out what going by your standards would be a reasonable amount for a family of 6. TIs hard because some costs are the same and some are x6

 

 

You still inspire me and guilt trip me (in a good way) though

Keep up the good work

[bronze]

DO you have a blog? It would be great if you could do one

I for one would follow it and I would definitely direct other people to it

[Charlottechicken]

I do have a blog, there's only a couple of posts on it as I keep forgetting to do anything with it.

 

It is also very boring. Maybe I should update it with my charity shop finds

[Lewis]

I do have a blog, there's only a couple of posts on it as I keep forgetting to do anything with it.

 

It is also very boring. Maybe I should update it with my charity shop finds

I'd go through and back-post with the posts you've made on here ... then they're all in one place and can really see how you've been getting on

[Charlottechicken]

That's a good idea Lewis, thank you!

 

 

Ooh, almost forgot, been to see the local HETAS approved folk and had a guesstimate for a woodburner and chimney work. Should be no more then £2.5K, including woodburner. They sell the Lovenholm, which I really like, so will probably go for that sometime soon. I'm now washing old Victorian quarry tiles and stripping the decor in the front room (oh, and moving furniture ).

[bronze]

please can I have a link to your blog then

[Charlottechicken]

Well, I did have a blog. At the end of September Vox closes down so I will have to find another host. I had done a bit of backfilling too

 

I'll find the address of my present (excuse for a) blog and post it so you can have a laugh, I mean look

 

Found it***here it is***

 

No laughing, and I did warn you there's not much of it.

[green]

Nearly end of the year now, how are you getting on?

 

Just found this thread, very inspiring. I would love to do something similar, but my OH is absolutely hopeless and should never be let loose with money or credit cards on him.

[Charlottechicken]

Thanks for asking! I haven't even bothered with figures for the 3rd quarter of the year, I'm afraid. However, judging by what I have earned, less what I have saved in the past 12 months, I think I have managed to live on £6.5K, if I exclude the extravagence of the woodburner and associated decorating! I know I have spent £3K on the woodburner and the room (woodburner, carpet, curtains, wallpaper, coving, paint, and two cream leather recliners with matching stools coming tomorrow ).

 

I appear to be able to manage consistently on around £6-7K, which is good as my income is really low. However, I've also managed to up my income considerably by using cash back sites, selling/bartering eggs, selling/bartering other home made drinks and foodstuffs, bit of ebay, coupon websites and acquiring vouchers from internet/credit card cashback, that sort of thing. I reckon I've upped my income by £500 with these other methods, which is a lot if I'm only spending £6k per year, and most of that is bills!

 

Edited to add: Just calculated 3rd quarter figures at £1786.55. Car insurance was included in this but was less than £250, and I was recovering well in this quarter from my op so was up and about and shopping!!

[Egluntyne]

You are an inspiration.

[Charlottechicken]

4th quarter and final year figures are in!

 

4th quarter, including £3k on woodburner + room £4091.77

 

Total for the year, including woodburner + room £8502.76

[catherinedon]

wow amazing