The Splurge, Toy Edition

Remember a year ago when I said my house will never be filled with brightly-coloured plastic? Ahem. Anyway, Little X prefers about four toys to all the rest. But I went into a little independent charity shop this week and CLEANED UP, ie, I spent £8 and got an enormous bag of baby toys, which I do actually plan to sell in bundles. More toys for her is pointless right now as she can't divide her attention anyway and having too many surrounding her is just noise. She often ignores the lot in favour of the carry bag, my socked foot or chewing on her sleeve. 🤷‍♀️

I'm hunting around for a jumperoo or walker. Not to necessarily roll about in, but so that she can spend some time upright for the different muscle groups. She's an ace at moving around by rolling and scooting (crawling is on the horizon). 

One pair of trainers sold, two more listed, four to work on and list. I've done £50 on vinted in two weeks, about 30 of that is profit. £215 for bank switching 👏 and I've figured out how to pay several bills on credit card rather than direct deposit, since the "three months of no maternity pay" starts shortly. I can afford a few pounds of interest for a spell rather than affording a few hundred in bills each month. After that my annual leave pay begins and things improve 👏 

We actually went to play group this week for the first time in ages, and it was odd seeing tiny babies! Little X was as good as gold 🥇

Refunded: the trainer cups which turned out to be impossible to assemble without a crowbar (I even found the receipt). In exchange I bought 4 small wide neck bottles new from Vinted for a fiver, and £4 got us some different teats to switch in soon. 

Spendy: £25 on a space saver "real" cot for Little X 😍 and while it's slightly narrower than the travel cot I got free, I don't need to bend down to the ground to pick her up anymore. 😍

The Shoe Saga

Walking shoes - were too rigid across the foot, resold and broke even. 

Trainers #1 - too small. Cleaned up for resale as-is on eBay. No bids yet. 

Trainers #2 - same brand and still too small. Cleaned up and repainted toe leather with sports white. New laces. Need to photograph for sale. 

Trainers #3 - intended for me but not comfy, almost new, dirt cheap, missing laces, unexpectedly they're limited edition 😀 but also suede. 😒 I should be able to recoup the cost and the postage if I manage to clean the stain on the front. 

Trainers #4 - bargain, bought to resell. No laces, very good condition, washer time 👍

New #1 through #9 - heels and espadrilles - from a wholesaler for £22 altogether. Hopefully £100 profit from the lot but may take time to sell. 

Trainers #5 - not arrived yet but bargain, so let's hope they fit my fat feet 😁

Trainers #6 - I bought these because I made an offer then bought another instead, and then my first offer was accepted. They will be Fighting A Duel (tm) with #5 to see who are the supreme trainers. 👟

Bonus... My first posting error, an item which cost me £1.56, I sent to the wrong buyer. She said nothing (I assume her correct item also arrived). I refunded the lady who didn't get her item. Education is never free they say, I was incredibly lucky to only lose pocket change and safe to say I'll be far more careful from here on. 

Gold Mine

I have finally started listing some of the nappies this week (I know they'll take a while and some aren't worth much). So far I've sold £10 worth. 

Vinted: I've sold 6 items for £10 in profit. 👍 I also resold the shoes which don't fit and broke even. 👍 I got a refund on the AliExpress package that didn't show up. 👍 I've contested 2 on eBay taking forever, 1 refunded 👍 1 TBA 🤷‍♀️ The problem with Vinted is that I keep looking at AliExpress and buying things to sell 🤦‍♀️ when I have plenty of things to list and not plenty of money or space for more things! 

Stop Press: I just sold, and posted, another £15 worth of nappies. The other problem with selling things is that although I get exercise and money, the bakery also has cakes in the window for 50p at closing time. 

One must support local business. 

Enthusiasm

I sold £2 and £3 items on Vinted, and it's required a printed postage label both times. 😒 Little X and I had to walk in the rain, to print it at the library, an hour's work for my £2 profit each time. Thankfully I've now figured out how to disable the "print" postage! 

Anyway, I needed trainers. So I checked Vinted and found a pair for £3. Too narrow, so I've relisted them at £8 and already had an enquiry. Then omfg, the comfy brand-name trainers I wore in the 90s, for £4. They were muddy but seemed barely worn. Sold. Unfortunately they were too small. 😔 I then found others, there are tons, all going for under a tenner.

I checked eBay pricings, and DUDE. OK, 15 minutes of cleaning and a spin through the washer, the too-small shoes are near-immaculate now. I'll list them over there for £25 and cross my fingers. 🤞 If nothing else they might pay me back 😂 even if they take months to sell... 

I've been browsing about for some fleece to make more nappy wipes and found a second-hand fleece blanket for £4. I reckon I'll get about a hundred wipes, much cheaper than paying £30 for the fabric. 🕺

Stupid eBay has blocked me from listing nappies. I've posted some in a nappy group on Facebook, I really want to shift some of the sheer piles of stuff in here. 🤞

Spendy: trainer cups for Little X. And I can't find the receipt 😡 and I suspect we won't need them all. 😔 

Spinning Around

Me and Little X. One day's adventures: supermarket #1 for snack food, fuel with my Nectar points, class party for my course, supermarket #2 for discounted veg, supermarket #3 to post something I sold. Every stop required lugging a pram in and out of the boot or hauling a baby carrier. Plus we got caught in a storm running for the car, the rain cover was blown aside, Little X had rain and wind blustering in her face, poor little thing got all wet but didn't complain, just had a face full of frothy drool 🤤

Two hours in my sofa that night and I was as stiff as a robot. I found myself thinking that I really needed to walk more. Yes, I was so tired I forgot I'd spent the entire day running around 🤣

Some nappies arrived from Vinted (threadbare & smaller than expected) and a completely un-ordered set of kids clothes... the seller had a day like mine and sent my cot sheets to a person expecting kids clothes. I also got the pram liner, a box of baby toys, and my bed risers. 

Current project: to rearrange furniture and sort through the mountains of stuff. It's really rather difficult due to the sheer lack of space. I spent today moving furniture around, which was a bit like those parking games...

Moving furniture in my flat is actually like this. 

Boxes and bags are stacked everywhere but I also have a whole empty shelf unit which I'm going to use for stuff which I list for sale.🤞 And most importantly there's now space for Little X's cot, which she's now snoring away in as I speak. 💕

Happy Easter if it's your thing, I hope the bunny was good to you. 🐰 

Chuffed With Today

Today we popped into the baby bank. It's only open once a week, for two hours, and no matter how organised I am, I always feel rushed and forget something. Anyway, we got some fabulous sensory toys for Little X. Plus some musical instruments so that I can hate my life. 🤣

I'd been meaning to check for funky outfits, but she was starting to grumble. I did find a few cute rompers and some tights, but nothing coordinated or fancy. Then in chatting to another mother, I mentioned we don't have a cot yet. The coordinator pulled out a ratty red bag. It turned out to be an immaculate travel cot. Then on Facebook marketplace I found someone giving away a mattress that is also immaculate, and fits perfectly.

Fairly decent fit.

I fashioned a waterproof cover from an old work food satchel, then washed the mesh zip cover and zipped it over the top. Another lady on Facebook gave me some fitted cot sheets. 👏

I sold the big pram today for £10. Mainly I just needed the space. I also received my new £9 changing bag off Aliexpress and when I saw the quality I was over the MOON. 🌙 I've also spent a bit more on resellable items. Touch wood.

Tempted to spend some time charity shop browsing, to see if I can find anything amazing to sell.

Spendy: an £8 set of risers for my bed, so that the crates in my storage shelves fit under the bed. 

Zoom-a-Zoom

I've had some unused frequent flier points since forever and all I ever seemed to do was ignore them... ✈ Well, based on a tip from Martin Lewis, I've just converted them to Nectar points and I now have enough for a free tank of fuel. Not shabby at all! ⛽ 🚗

I saw someone mention last year's member bonus for Nationwide. I didn't qualify without either a mortgage or savings account. 😒 This poster was hoping out loud for £100 again, so, long story short I've just opened a savings account that I've got no savings to put into. 😂

I've had another broker look into refinancing what I owe as a mortgage. This time looks slightly more positive, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. 🏡 They've been quiet two days so it's anyone's guess. 

JamDoughnut fun, I bought another gift voucher for one of my fave supermarkets to get 2.5% cashback. These little vouchers have the bonus of forcing me to go spend them rather than pulling into the nearest shop. 👍

Freebie: a fancy pushchair for Little X. The travel system pram was what I thought I needed (since they insist it must lie completely flat) but it's unwieldy in and out of the car. Turns out they make decent stroller types which would have done just fine. In any case, she can sit up now on an incline. The kind man who gave it to me will also have a cot bed soon and promised to get in touch 💕

Accounting

So my phone is driving me insane and after a year of battling, I quit. I simply need one with more memory (I have plenty of storage, but I've nearly gone bananas having to make space for app updates). 🍌

New phone has been chosen, £120 on offer, plus I have bought via a cashback site for ten quid in hand 👏 and I also did it with my work perks card. I discovered through the hellish purchase process that I can buy a virtual mastercard at a 7% discount which I can use online anywhere. The drawback to these is you can't top up later, so you need to purchase exactly the amount you need in order not to waste any. That's OK, I'll just use them for Amazon, eBay, Aliexpress.

Speaking of the latter, I've given the pram bag a go, but it's not big enough. I went to look second hand and saw what I think are brand new, from the same site, at double the price... So I did buy another and also nabbed a couple of other items that I'll list for resale. If it doesn't work, I've lost ten pounds. If it does, I've gained ten and I'll do it again. 🤷‍♀️

I was rejected for subsidised housing on stupid technicality. 🤦‍♀️ 🏡 I recalculated my expenses for post-June, and it will require creativity. Survival will require kicking the can down the road cash-flow-wise, but it is what it is. Little X is getting bigger and eventually there will be more working options to get the debt down. 

Currently eating yummy snacks that Poppet gifted to me 🍪

Mathing

I have several options for buying discounted supermarket gift cards (app, work perk, cashback sites) but none of them seemed worthwhile for different reasons. I almost bought at a 3% discount yesterday on the app until I realised they only take debit card... but this in theory ring-fences cash that could be paying off interest. The rabbit hole beckoned and long story short it's about 40p bonus for a £10 voucher if I spend it within a month, so I bought one, but not from the app 😁

Next day: £2 TopCashBack bonus on gift cards 🤦‍♀️ so I bought a £5 one too, to get the bonus. 

Big win: all three bank switches have completed and all three paid me the £200 bonus. 🎉 👏 😁 I ended up putting £100 onto my poison-ivy credit card and £500 is staying in my bills account to wipe off the overdraft. Technically I'd be better off maxing the overdraft and putting it all onto PI CC, but it's only pennies different and I think it'd be nice to have a small cash buffer, since I haven't had an emergency fund for a long time. 

Last week I snapped up a mini dehumidifier from a German supermarket for £35. I didn't expect miracles but I thought I would try. Unfortunately even though its stated capability was only 300ml per day, I emptied it after 24h and found... 100ml. Unimpressed. 😒 Promptly returned for a refund. As an aside, I bought this on credit and returned it to my debit card because nobody checks and so you can essentially do small money transfers for free. I might have to remember this trick.

Spendy McSpenderson: a pram baby bag, a baby bottle handle adapter, a harness for Little X's mini high chair, baby ear defenders, and a baby bag in a backpack. The last two are for our two concerts. They're not until June but I saw the backpack and ended up buying the other four items because I was tempted by the free delivery over £10. Never mind that it went over £20 (they always get you this way). All except the harness have arrived and I love both bags, the bed bag especially is fabulous and really a bargain. It was £13 and I got a £5 credit for being a new customer. Not bad.

Child not included. 

Currently procrastinating about food club or the supermarket. Every time I visit one or the other I buy too many snacks and then gorge on them. 😒 

Snip Snip

We tried out reusable wet wipes and I was prepared to consider them a sacrifice, but they are so good that I've ditched the crappy disposables. I've been merrily snipping my way through a bunch of old clothes to make more squares. ✂ ✂ 

A weird rustling sound scared me earlier until I peeked out the window - the world is bathed in white hail. It's small enough to look like snow. ❄ This is only acceptable when you don't have to leave the house. I hope it melts quickly. I ordered a cheap little humidity meter off ebay and we're over 80% (no wonder clothes take forever to dry) but it ain't much better outside right now. 🙄

Annoying: Little X's vaccination was delayed... then cancelled... I get a reminder for the cancelled appointment 🙄 which I "cancel". They re-book (I turn up and they ask why I'm there 🙄) and when I actually turn up at the right time, I'm 10 minutes late and they won't see her. The waiting room was empty. If I weren't so frustrated with myself, I'd be angry at their general incompetence (or indifference?). 

Two bank switch bonuses so far 👏 🎉 and hopefully the third one comes through in the next few days. 🤞

Assignment Complete

Last night I did a good solid hour of adulting - which is unlike me. I had several spare current accounts ready for when the bank switch deals returned. I missed the last offer because it ended after only a week (!!) so the lesson has been learned. 

Four offers came up this week and reading the Ts & Cs I appear to be eligible for only one of them because I've done one bank before and the three other banks are all in the same ownership. However in my travels I read that people managed to get all three last time regardless... So, nothing to lose, I hammered out three switch applications in a row. I should get £200 minimum from the switches and fingers crossed I actually get all three, £600 🤞

This week I actually got slightly determined, and cooked several meals. 😲 The Too Good To Go app keeps reminding me to go back to where I scored that great haul, but I've been resisting (it's after Little X's bedtime and we've been doing so well, I'm not keen to derail it). So I'm watching out for earlier collections. 🤞 We did manage to finally get over to Big New Discounter to spend my gift card. I'm afraid I went a bit nuts and my freezer is full. At least I didn't spend any cash.

The Wet Washing Battle took an expensive hit this week. On Day Four the still-damp nappies had that "eggy protein" whiff like when you've washed up eggy dinner and then done all the other dishes. I had to put them through a hot wash then tumble dry them, which takes hours. 💰 Fortunately we had better weather after that so I was able to get dry air inside.

Currently listening to: "new" baby bank clothes in the washer. 

Wardrobe Update

For Little X, that is. The free clothing event was a good one, I managed to get Little X's spring fashion, and a few extra bits. I didn't feel comfortable taking as much as I would have liked, but I have a full washer right now, so I am very grateful.

We managed a more pleasant trip to Food Club ☺ and we even went to playgroup, where we smiled at the other mummies. There was not much actual playing, though.

YESSS both lots of money landed. They were swiftly distributed and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Our current project is learning about night time being sleeping time. We're two nights in and Little X is doing fabulously, it's just her mother who needs to figure it out 🤣 

Possible Impending Uncrossing Of Fingers

I hardly ever qualify for anything extra in support, so you can imagine my surprise to be told I'll get the cost of living payment of £299. Wahoo. I'll not believe it until it actually lands, of course!

Itching to withdraw my Help To Save, which I think was finished on the 31st, but I don't dare in case it really finishes next week when my bonus drops.

Little X has been out of sorts today. I'm beginning to realise I can't do three errands in one day. The last two days have been like that and today she's been so unsettled. Tomorrow there's a free clothing event I really want to see, so here's hoping for a better day!

I did manage to get to Food Club yesterday, where of course she cried while I just tried to hurry. They kindly helped me carry her to the car though. ♥ Scored myself free carrots, custard and the obligatory bread and pastries. 🥐 

The Electricity Consumption Rabbit Hole

So after much a'Googlin' I think that it's still cheaper to wash nappies than to use disposables 🤞 but not in the way I've been doing it (full rinse followed by hot wash). Several people say a warm wash is fine so I'm going to try a single rinse then just warm washing on the longest cycle.

My son J is coming to visit and meet his little sister this week 💕 and I can't wait!

Shopping sensibly has really gone out the window. While I don't go crazy in the shops, I usually forget essentials and then it's a week before I can organise myself to shop again. Related: I found an old tin of condensed milk (possibly free from my old house 3 years ago) and although it's out of date, in my coffee it's just fine. #frugal

So today's mission was to do a weekly shop. I actually remembered everything. But did Little X enjoy the experience? Hell no. She screamed. There's nothing fun about attempting to pack groceries while also trying to calm a baby down. 0/10 would not recommend.

I also had return two Amazon items -  child slept through this 👏 however she yelled while paying for fuel - the stupid pay at pump wasn't working so I had to drag her inside. 👎

Spendy McSpenderson:  The shop had a pack of toffee tarts reduced. So I had to. No regrets because they are incredible. 

Faulty Clocks

All of them. They simply must be faulty because everything takes so much longer than I expect. Today after the group, I calculated there were 1-2 hours left before Little X would demand feeding. Half way around the supermarket she started to cry, and quickly became inconsolable, which is rather inconvenient when you have a trolley of shopping 🛒 AND your kitchen is depleted almost to the bone so you can't actually not shop. When I got home I realised it was much later than I'd realised. She had a point in yelling at me. 

So anyway as hinted I used up a lot of food this week. Emptied both freezers and a fair few packets and tins. I even drank black coffee for two days when the milk ran out. ☕ It's probably the first time I have actually lived the way my income should dictate. 🤣 It helped that the temperature out there is hovering around freezing ❄ and it's just generally inconvenient to shop with a baby to begin with.

Today I managed a few yellow stickers. Seven (7) reduced cheese pizzas 🍕 which were only 69p each. Three lasagne portions - I consider lasagne a treat these days given the cost so I haven't had any for ages. And I also bought reduced cinnamon buns. This supermarket is new to me, spacious, cheap and clean, so I may have to make it a habit. Spendy also put cheap chocolate, coke and muffins into the trolley. It's important to taste test them, obviously. 

Currently playing a mindless game for cash. I have joined a bunch of Facebook groups for people who do "stuff at home for cash" and there are a few promising-looking programmes I may try out.

Volunteer Squad

Today I took Little X to my new group, the one I am volunteering at. For a couple of months they will be giving me some training - this is definitely not what I expected, since I thought I'd just be hanging around and being moral support to other parents. But it seems this bunch like to really invest time in their volunteers and I'm all for learning new skills ☺

I really need to spend some admin time on my laptop. It needs a days' worth of clearing and reinstalling Windows which is a crap job in any language, so I continue to procrastinate. 🕒

I found a few new groups on Facebook where I might possibly get a few referrals to the good survey sites. Ideas, ideas... 💡 

Need to sort out some gift cards. I have a hefty one for a discount supermarket 🛒 and also found a forgotten one I can use, if I can figure out how. 

Tonight I managed to cook dinner for once, I poured chicken in white sauce over some veg and potatoes. It was amazing, proper comfort food, so I will have to make it again. Four stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Zoom Zoom

That's how the hours, days and weeks go by lately. Little X has kept me busy (sat on my backside) while we fight with reflux, but we're getting there. We have started going to playgroup and I have even applied to volunteer, so I hope I'm accepted.

This week I swung by the baby bank, since somebody is challenging the washer's ability to keep up. I have a pile of clothes to sort through and a few more blankets.

Today's essentials shop was almost £30, a frustrating amount for not much food, to be frank. But this is reality. I didn't go to Food Club this week, going there is a hassle now and I either buy too much of what I don't need or come home loaded with cakes. 🎂 Hmmm, maybe I should go next week 😂 or more appropriately, I should organise my meals and actually use what Food Club sells. Ham and cheese sandwiches 🥪 really shouldn't be a staple food 😋 

HMRC have made me feel crappy in having to ask repeatedly to repay them slower. In the end I sort of won, the repayment isn't comfortable but it's not worth grovelling to get any lower. Irritating, but oh well.

My new glasses have arrived. To my surprise they are metal 😲 and really lightweight 🙁 but I think they'll be fine.  I need to adjust the arms to make them tighter on my head, but the script is perfect and I can look over the top again for distance. 👏

2 days to get a £5 PayPal redemption and cover my loan repayment... So I'm camping on Prolific of course. 😁 And 25 days left until I can get my Help to Save money out. 🎉 I will take great pleasure in knocking Poison-Ivy credit card down to zero. 💪 Watch this space. 👉

PS Doing these posts on mobile, while slow and annoying, gives me access to so many more annoying emojis! 😏

I Earn Too Much

So said the council lady about getting a discount on my tax. Ho hum. But in a pleasant surprise, I wasn't charged for my car insurance this month as apparently there's no instalment in January. Nice! My MOT also went through flawlessly. That's never happened before for me with any car. Lovely. 

Since I hadn't watched a single holiday movie so far, I finally sat down with The Princess Bride and quite enjoyed it. It hasn't dated despite it being 36 years old.

My glasses arrived from Zenni... the backup cheap reading ones are exactly what I expected. But the progressives (multifocals) are just not going to work for me, focusing on my phone is so low down in the lenses that it hurts. They've agreed to refund me which is outstanding, since nothing is actually wrong with how they made them up. Zenni doesn't have the low-profile half height frames anymore so for my "outside" pair I found another website and we'll see if they are any good. 

I also ordered myself a head cam to get more pics of Little X but it's way too heavy, so that's going back for a refund too. 

Currently eating my cheap Christmas trifle, and it's delicious. 😋

Tinsel Time

Merry Christmas, I hope you had a peaceful time and were able to enjoy yourself in some way.

Little X scored a pram play chain thingy, a hand rattle, and a teddy to snuggle. Plus some stacking cups for when she is bigger, and some books (The Very Hungry Caterpillar and a Vegemite book). She also got a bear hat. More than the four standard items I mentioned, but definitely no extravagance in our house. For myself I got Bailey's, chocolate seashells and After Eights. 

I did cook my roast and had it with tinned peas and carrots. Still enjoyed it and was honestly flabbergasted that Little X was kind enough to snooze more than an hour while I cooked - which is a gift in itself. 

Way too much on the plate, so of course I couldn't finish it. 

I also prepped snack bowls of cheese and crackers, antipasti, mince pies and sweets, but didn't have room for them. 😂 Nor did I get stuck into the Bailey's, but fortunately it's legal to enjoy special food and drink on other days too.

Tomorrow I'm going for coffee with Poppet and then I'll contemplate a day of housework, since I have the health worker coming in a few days and my flat looks like survival mode. 😜

Yuletide Eve Expeditions

So during the week I went a'foragin' (read: into the supermarket) with a view to finding Christmas grub. I thought that Fave German Supermarket would do just fine, but unfortunately, everything Christmassy was also Deluxified and expensive. When I saw that the miniature hams were ten pounds, I decided I wasn't having ham. But I then I realised I was too early for the Christmas veg bargains anyway, so I can try elsewhere later, right?

Well pfft, today I went into Fave Chain Supermarket and PFFFT. They had no carrots, no cheap veg at all, and as I picked up my ONE POUND TWENTY potatoes I forgot completely to look for sprouts. But considering I saw no retail evidence of a holiday, they probably didn't have any left anyway. (Supermarkets are supposed to have a giant display of chocolate tubs, mince pies and fancy biscuits, assaulting your senses as soon as you enter. It's the law.) In the end I've bought a pork shoulder for a fiver. It's huge, so I'm going to cut it and freeze half. 

I did manage to keep She Who Will Scream chilled for long enough to pop into work and spend £9 on an additional clothes airer. We're battling for drying space. It was nice to visit and see Star, Good Boss, Model and Bluey. But there were so many new faces and I'm reminded how fast retail staff turnover is... and it was slightly odd to see, for the second time that day, a major shop that wasn't overrun with customers doing last-minute panic shopping. I did score a free loaf of bread from Star (surplus, before it got binned) which is much appreciated right now.

It's so late in the evening now and Little X can't unwrap things anyway, so nothing is getting done in that regard this year. I'll no doubt skip 90% of the traditions for tomorrow, but I'm still looking forward to it. 🎄🎁