November

A Good Sort Out!

I get to this time of year, with Christmas fast approaching and I always have a damn good sort out. I often also end up setting myself some unrealistic target of painting the kitchen or lounge before the day too, but have decided that I can do without that sort of relentless pressure!

So, throughout November I have set myself the challenge of going through cupboards and drawers, clothes and kitchen items and de cluttering. 

It all ends up in here! Good job this is being re done in the building works!

I am being ruthless.

 A bag of 'junk' a day has to go. I have made an E. Bay pile, but am being realistic about what will sell and the rest is going to my nieces ( clothes, jewellery and make up) and charity. Tomorrow I am even going to head into the dark abyss that is better known as The Loft. If I don't return by nightfall, please send in a search party to get me out.

It is a fantastic feeling . I always think I am not a hoarder and am quite organised, but no, not so. You won't believe the stuff I have found! 

Now there is an ulterior motive to all this madness apart from Christmas. We are launching into an extension to our house early next year and I intend on documenting some of this on my blog. It is a pretty major bit of work and we have been saving forever to do this. However, as with all projects, when is enough, enough? So we are tightening our belts to make sure we can spend the spare cash we have on this project and finish it to the standard we know it deserves. For those who know me , you know how long and how patiently I have waited for this and how many times we have postponed it's start so a little tightening our belts is no hardship I can tell you! I am going to end up with a fantastic new kitchen and living space.

Of course once you look afresh at your finances and how you spend, it becomes somewhat shocking how much can actually dribble through your fingers in a short space of time. These small expenses quickly add up and can be the thing that tips the balance between saving or not. So, in my mission to save a little (and my hatred of giving away unnecessarily our hard earned money) I am going to be documenting this part of my journey in some regular posts on a Friday. I am going to call these 

Frugal Friday posts

 Although I am not technically being totally frugal in our spending - just careful with how I do spend - these posts will contain tips and hints on how to cut back on your weekly outgoings and also how well (or badly ) I am doing. I often have set myself a" no spend" period of time like I did during my 30 x 30 challenge as I feel this helps diminish in me that desire and need to spend, spend, spend! 

When you see how much after a week, a month, a year that you can save then it can become quite addictive! We have the attitude that we would rather be careful with our money where we can so we can spend it on the things we really want!

If it's not your thing, then thats fine too - avoid my Friday post!

What do you do when you need to rein things in and tighten your belt?

E.Bay

Selling and Buying on E.Bay

The delights of e.bay are actually a fairly new discovery for me I have to admit. I had been pretty sceptical about selling anything ( what would anyone want with my hand me downs?) . I could spend hours , however, trawling through pages of handbags or maxi dresses or bundles of kids clothes that were obviously other peoples unwanted treasures, but hadn't often jumped head first into the bidding arena. Once I did,what I didn't bargain for was the thrill of the chase and that nerve racking, addictive activity of..... the bidding war. 

Actually, let's be honest, it is the whole process that is appealing - selecting your item, watching it for days, certain in the knowledge that you have bagged a bargain, unknown to you that 15 other people are also stalking watching, just waiting to launch their bid in those final crucial seconds, snatching your item from your hands without a thought or a care. And yes, Ive done it to many a person too! E.bay gazumping -  the racing heart, the decision about when to place that final bid to claim your prize, it is almost addictive in it's nature and always pushes you beyond what you wanted to pay. 

I've won some bargains though - a beautiful cane bag with silver handles and a stripy green lining for 99p and £2.00 postage, a new Zara spotty skirt for £3.00, various lego items that you can't get in the shops any longer that I find my eldest son is watching on my account. When I log in to see how my designer item is doing, I have to rifle amongst pages of Star Wars lego models and Bionicles to find the item I am watching!

Having mastered the complicated arena of 'buying', I decided rather tentatively to have a go at selling some of my junk  treasures that I no longer needed. I had a sort out and listed a few bits rather painlessly on line. To my surprise I managed to sell almost all I listed - one item, a Joules Gillet that I had worn and worn reached almost the price I had paid for it new. I hasten to add it was still in lovely condition, but I was surprised by my rookie success! I have since gone on to sell all sorts - shoes, books, bundles of kids clothes, my clothes, bags, purses, sports stuff - anything I no longer need .  At the moment I am using it as an opportunity to save for an ipad - I am up to £407 in my account . Not bad for hand me downs!

I have learnt along the way that I am a pretty obsessive neat freak. I cannot just throw a package together and post it, no, I have to wrap it nicely with tissue and brown paper, despite the fact this costs me more to do! Where is the logic in that ? I guess nowhere. Another one of those -' I accept that's what I'm like ' things . Anyway , what I have learnt and what I'd suggest, for what it's worth is: ( and always open to learn more.....)

- Group your items in blocks of about 5- 10 so you don't get overwhelmed when they all sell at once and you have to package and post them on the same day!

- Keep your listing descriptions very clear, accurate and honest. 

- Always list as 'used' unless your item is new without a shadow of doubt! Just because you haven't worn it for a year doesn't mean it is new.

- Take as many good and clear photos as you can - these will sell your item.

- Print a packing slip off paypal - all the info you need is on there.

- Leave a couple of days between listing groups of items to give some space for people to pay and for you to complete your posting.

- Give a time limit to when you expect to be paid.

- Try and combine as many items as possible to a trip to the post office otherwise you will find you live there.

- If you are unsure about cost/post and package use the post calculator or check other listings. This is important so you don't out price yourself.

- Always wash and iron clothes - buyers will return to a good seller.

- Pack things well and neatly.

- Leave feedback after the buyer has left you feedback.

-Don't be tempted to spend all your profit back on items on e.bay that you don't need!

-If the thought of non payers bother you - Use e.bays preferences to block buyers who don't have a paypal account - this cuts down non payers ( this has happened to me!)

-If a buyer queries something after a sale , is it worth an argument? Keep things pleasant, it is worth it in the end.

- Don't bother with negative feedback in my opinion - you will only receive it back. No one is really interested in the reasons why. Move on.

I could go on, but give it a go if you haven't - I can understand why some people make it into a business- there is profit to be made! Here are some pictures of my latest stash on it's way to the postoffice.

Happy Bidding Happy Selling!