The Diary of an Obsessive Moneysaver

[chw86]

Hello everyone,

I'm a 28 year old mother of 2, soon to be 3, and an obsessive money saver.

My aim isn't to save for anything in particular, but just to save. I can't bear to be without savings and will only buy things if I need them and can afford them. I'm proud to say that the only thing I've ever bought on credit has been my house.

This year is likely to be a particularly tough one financially as I'm due to take maternity leave, which, as I'm self employed, is pretty poor. I'm planning to work until my due date to try and put away as much as possible to see me through, but I'm hoping that I can use survey sites and similar to save up enough vouchers to cover birthday and Christmas spending for the year. I'd also really like to clear out my home, in preparation for possibly selling in the summer, so will be eBaying lots of our old stuff too to go in the new house fund.

In January, I managed to make:
£75 in Amazon vouchers on Swagbucks
£20 from StudentEats
£28.25 from mystery shopping.
I also won a £50 restaurant voucher, not earnings as such, but money I haven't conventionally earned.

I'm a bit of a Tesco clubcard addict too, and often cash out my vouchers for days out/restaurant vouchers. My greatest feat was buying my husband a Tag watch with Goldsmiths vouchers I'd converted. I did it by buying and selling games and mobile phones, at no loss, but gaining 1000 points for each one. Sadly these deals are harder to find lately, but I'm always on the lookout.

I've recently signed up for lots more survey sites and have bits and bobs here and there, not yet at withdrawal limits.

If you've any pointers to other sites worth using, I'd really appreciate them.

 

[Jon]

Hello everyone,

I'm a 28 year old mother of 2, soon to be 3, and an obsessive money saver.

My aim isn't to save for anything in particular, but just to save. I can't bear to be without savings and will only buy things if I need them and can afford them. I'm proud to say that the only thing I've ever bought on credit has been my house.

This year is likely to be a particularly tough one financially as I'm due to take maternity leave, which, as I'm self employed, is pretty poor. I'm planning to work until my due date to try and put away as much as possible to see me through, but I'm hoping that I can use survey sites and similar to save up enough vouchers to cover birthday and Christmas spending for the year. I'd also really like to clear out my home, in preparation for possibly selling in the summer, so will be eBaying lots of our old stuff too to go in the new house fund.

In January, I managed to make:
£75 in Amazon vouchers on Swagbucks
£20 from StudentEats
£28.25 from mystery shopping.
I also won a £50 restaurant voucher, not earnings as such, but money I haven't conventionally earned.

I'm a bit of a Tesco clubcard addict too, and often cash out my vouchers for days out/restaurant vouchers. My greatest feat was buying my husband a Tag watch with Goldsmiths vouchers I'd converted. I did it by buying and selling games and mobile phones, at no loss, but gaining 1000 points for each one. Sadly these deals are harder to find lately, but I'm always on the lookout.

I've recently signed up for lots more survey sites and have bits and bobs here and there, not yet at withdrawal limits.

If you've any pointers to other sites worth using, I'd really appreciate them.

There's a ton of stuff up on the Toolkit on the blog (http://blog.themoneyshed.co.uk/working-from-home-toolkit/) which if you apply for would net you a nice £800+ a month I think

 

[queen81]

I thought you could still claim some sort of maternity pay if you were self-employed?

 

[chw86]

I can Queen81, but it's a big drop in earnings - I will probably stick with it til the end of Summer then go back to working, well, I say that now, but let's see what life with 3 under 5 is like first!

 

[queen81]

I can Queen81, but it's a big drop in earnings - I will probably stick with it til the end of Summer then go back to working, well, I say that now, but let's see what life with 3 under 5 is like first!

Ooooooooo good luck with that!!!!

Mine are 13 and 9 and they're hard bloody work

 

[Stims]

Good look for the next few months You should find lots of help on this forum!

 

[chw86]

Thanks Stim & Queen81, I can't say mine are angelic - all boys too, oh and we have a puppy. I'm clearly insane!

 

[Srmcb88]

Good luck! I have recently started to try to earn a bit extra online after using up my savings on maternity leave.

Do you have any tips for Swagbucks? I did join but it's been a week now and I still have less than 90 SB. How do you build it up to withdraw so much? All the tasks I could see were only for a few SB each.

OnePoll seems to be a good, easy earner if you haven't tried that? I've built up money from just a few easy surveys in the last week.

Thanks

 

[chw86]

Hi Srmcb88,
With Swagbucks, I run the apps on my phone (boring videos but you can just click through them) for extra, play the games for 10SB a day, and I've done the casino one for 2890 SBs - if you sign up, play roulette with equal on red and black, you should get your money back so the SBs are free

 

[busybusy]

Sorry if this is a rude question. But is £75 a standard month for you on Swagbucks? It is very impressive. I average a fiver!!

 

[Chammy]

I just aim for the daily goal on SB. Toolbar, Poll, NOSO and then head to peanut labs for the surveys. I tend to be about 2 SB off goal so Swag Jump until I get them. I then just throw any codes into it that pop up

 

[Srmcb88]

Thank you! I haven't downloaded the app so maybe that is where I am going wrong. I will do that tonight!

I love these diaries..they are so helpful. I have started my own today to try to keep track of what I earn...if anything ;D

x

 

[Karonher]

That is a good amount from SB. I am lucky to get 5 and tend not to go on it often as I am sick of surveys and offers not crediting.

 

[queen81]

I do the same as Chammy.

 

[chw86]

No, not a normal month sadly! I did a couple of the casino offers in Jan so got the extra points there, as well as doing the app downloads for various things (Wowcher etc). I've cashed out £10 so far this month as I had Jan bonuses as well as the usual dailies. I try and build it up to cover birthday and Christmas presents, my little boy has asked for an iPod for his birthday next month so I'll be cash free by buying with Amazon vouchers ;D

I've had some success selling off the toys clogging up our house this week on eBay and Facebook groups which has been wonderfully freeing, there's only so many pieces of plastic tat one house can hold.

Joined Roamler (thanks Jon!) & need to find time to complete the tasks for the XP and the banana task so I can start earning with it. I've done a mystery shop for £12 too.

Unfortunately I need to buy a new car in the next few weeks, to house the growing family, so we'll be doing some serious spending. It's such a minefield, the only cars that fit 3 kids along the back are either hugely expensive 4x4s or people carriers, one of which I don't like and the other I can't afford!

 

[Karonher]

My job for tomorrow is going to be looking at the apps such as Roamler and working out how to use them. I must be missing out in so many opportunities through not using them.

 

[chw86]

Cashed out my first £15 from Valued Opinions in Amazon vouchers & another £10 from Swagbucks today. I know, not a fortune but I've been time limited lately.

I've also done a few mystery shops, mostly to get the free meals rather than the payback, as it's pretty poor. Got a good supermarket one though that gave me £12 for doing very little

Still trying to get to grips with the apps, saw a few on StreetSpotr I could've done for the coffee machines, just couldn't motivate myself to actually do them whilst they were live, foolishly. Fancied a coffee today so looked again but all the local ones were gone!

 

[Stims]

Cashed out my first £15 from Valued Opinions in Amazon vouchers & another £10 from Swagbucks today. I know, not a fortune but I've been time limited lately.

I've also done a few mystery shops, mostly to get the free meals rather than the payback, as it's pretty poor. Got a good supermarket one though that gave me £12 for doing very little

Still trying to get to grips with the apps, saw a few on StreetSpotr I could've done for the coffee machines, just couldn't motivate myself to actually do them whilst they were live, foolishly. Fancied a coffee today so looked again but all the local ones were gone!

Heh, it's a learning process as well! I've been the same with some apps.. finally made myself go and do a Clic and Walk task this week just because the shop was across the road and i couldn't really say no haha!