The boy is obsessed!
He is at this moment still adding CD s to the Music Magpie haul. Grand total £112.54. I think I may get up tomorrow to find we own no more music and Max has pulled a bar code typing all nighter. It may not pay the mortgage off single handedly but if he makes it to £125 that is a quarter of the bathroom re-fit paid for with old music and films.
Watch this space.
Monday, 10 October 2011
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Music Magpie In Progress
I handed the thankless Music Magpie task over to Max. Hours sat typing barcode numbers into a website wasn't my cup of tea, but it turned out it certainlywas his. Two hours later and we have two bags for life packed full of DVD s and CD s waiting for a courier to collect and our grand total of cash in the pocket £70, that's if none of the selection are rejected.
Max is a brave man too, he has bid farewell to his entire James Bond catalogue and cast aside an unusual collection of classical music. I on the other hand clutched onto my DVD s. Even though I have Napoleon Dynamite recorded on the Sky box I still couldn't bring myself to let it go, and that was along with demanding to keep the first CD I ever owned (even though I haven't listened to it sine I was about 18!) I think Max's second round will have to be done while me and my sentimentality are out of the house.
All in all far easier than a car boot sale and it gave Max an excuse to have the rugby on in the background without being nagged.
Now it's my turn. This week challenge is listing some pre-loved baby items on eBay, lets see if I can beat £70.
Max is a brave man too, he has bid farewell to his entire James Bond catalogue and cast aside an unusual collection of classical music. I on the other hand clutched onto my DVD s. Even though I have Napoleon Dynamite recorded on the Sky box I still couldn't bring myself to let it go, and that was along with demanding to keep the first CD I ever owned (even though I haven't listened to it sine I was about 18!) I think Max's second round will have to be done while me and my sentimentality are out of the house.
All in all far easier than a car boot sale and it gave Max an excuse to have the rugby on in the background without being nagged.
Now it's my turn. This week challenge is listing some pre-loved baby items on eBay, lets see if I can beat £70.
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Philosophical Frugality!
Apologies for of lack of posts but I have been somewhat busy. Beavering away at my new job while trying to be a mother, housewife and crafter extraordinaire uses up a lot of time (and energy). I have spent most evenings this week crashing out on the sofa moments after I sit down.
We should be celbrating though, we saw in the start of the month with record funding in our bank accounts after the super saving month and we are at it again this month. Last months excesses haven't gone towards the mortgage yet though, we're still playing catch up and its going on credit cards to pay off summer Euro tunnel crossings and new cars (well pre-loved cars)!
The most striking outcome is that our attitude to things seems to have changed, on a small scale we have broken the routines of spending, pack lunch and thermos's are common place and I am shocked at the idea of spending Two quid on a cup of coffee when I go into town. I am far more aware of spending and prices as I toddle round the supermarket (This week I estimated my shopping as I went round the supermarket and was only a pound off at checkout, not bad eh) and we are more conscious of cooking and enjoying eating on a budget. However on a larger scale things have really got going and has posed us some interesting dilemmas I shall leave you with one to mull over.
Our house has three bedrooms and a cellar bedroom come office too. We occasionally have guests but on the whole theses rooms are dumping grounds for laundry and clutter. While we tackle the pennies by turning lights out and taking packed lunch surely we are wasting a great deal of money by owning (courtesy of the mortgage lender) two rooms we barely use. Wouldn't we be better downsizing, shrinking the mortgage and paying it off faster? And if we achieve paying off said smaller mortgage, what could and should we do after that?
hmm perplexing.........
We should be celbrating though, we saw in the start of the month with record funding in our bank accounts after the super saving month and we are at it again this month. Last months excesses haven't gone towards the mortgage yet though, we're still playing catch up and its going on credit cards to pay off summer Euro tunnel crossings and new cars (well pre-loved cars)!
The most striking outcome is that our attitude to things seems to have changed, on a small scale we have broken the routines of spending, pack lunch and thermos's are common place and I am shocked at the idea of spending Two quid on a cup of coffee when I go into town. I am far more aware of spending and prices as I toddle round the supermarket (This week I estimated my shopping as I went round the supermarket and was only a pound off at checkout, not bad eh) and we are more conscious of cooking and enjoying eating on a budget. However on a larger scale things have really got going and has posed us some interesting dilemmas I shall leave you with one to mull over.
Our house has three bedrooms and a cellar bedroom come office too. We occasionally have guests but on the whole theses rooms are dumping grounds for laundry and clutter. While we tackle the pennies by turning lights out and taking packed lunch surely we are wasting a great deal of money by owning (courtesy of the mortgage lender) two rooms we barely use. Wouldn't we be better downsizing, shrinking the mortgage and paying it off faster? And if we achieve paying off said smaller mortgage, what could and should we do after that?
hmm perplexing.........
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Wonder Weather
So the trip to the coast was an absolute success, I haven't felt so relaxed in a long time. A complete change of pace and scenery sorted the three of us out a treat. All this month we have been frugally saving money and thinking about the future but all it took was to stretch out on the sand to put a few worries into perspective and to consider what we could do next with our lives. Max especially had a chuckle about his looming 40th birthday and the ensuing mid life crisis. I don't know if a motorbike or sports-car will fit snugly into the budget.
OK so we did spend a Tenner on fish and chips and we had a cheeky half of Adnams, but I think we both agree the benefits of the day definitely outweighed our financial slip up.
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