Bloggered up

Quick announcement

I'm going to migrate this content over to Vox, because I think it's the type of blog that needs some community around it and Blogger is too damn big (I miss people randomly drifting in and sharing their tips and triumphs).

So, when I stop being all distracted and web-dyspraxic you will be able to find bargainous blogging over at:
http://misspennysmoney.vox.com/

Bookmark it, cheapsters. And audience participation will be most welcome.

Feb sample sale

Secret Sample Sale
Catwalk, studio and showroom samples and clearance stock, up to 80% discount. Brands include Oki Ni, Serfontaine, Robert Cary Williams, Berube, and Roland Mouret.
Accessories section: Jimmy Choo and Tod's shoes and boots, and Chloe and Prada bags.

Times: Mailing list members-only preview on Friday 2nd of Feb 11am-5pm, then open to the public from 5-7.30pm. Open 11am-6pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Preview passes can be obtained by registering via the website at www.secretsamplesale.co.uk .
Fee: Admission £1.
Place: Well Gallery, Old Truman Brewery ,90 Brick Lane, London.

Roundup

Brora (www.brora.co.uk) have a sale on, starting today, if you fancy some lovely posh knitwear.

I've had my contact lens fitting, but have been told they will only give me my prescription after 3 months have elapsed - this is ILLEGAL and I'm quite pissed off. However, I'm doing a free trial of some lovely shiny new contacts this week, and might try out another brand next week too, so maybe I'll keep my annoyance to myself and stand up loudly for my rights once I'm sure my corneas are OK. Then I'm going to go online and buy a year's supply of whatever I like the best. You can save about 50% annually if you shop around and buy online - well worth doing an hour or so of research.

And finally, all quiet on the home front. I really should start taking stuff down the chazzer shop and doing some recycling in preparation for the move. Can't seem to get motivated though. Still, the paperwork on the new place is all done, and the van is booked. Progress.

Eye eye

I finally got around to arranging an eye test, and had some good news at the optician's. My prescription has stayed the same, so no forking out for new glasses! Woo!

If you're due for a test, don't put it off. Most work places will reimburse the cost of the eye exam (check with human resources) if you use a computer monitor as part of your job. Even if you can't get that, it's a good idea to look around for vouchers for a free or discounted eye test. Try an internet search, or scan the pages of local papers or magazines.

Should you have a first degree relative with glaucoma, I seem to remember that you used to be automatically entitled to a free eye test as well - check that out with your local optician. It may still be the case. If not, pay anyway - it's a big risk for blindness.

And tomorrow I have a contact lens fitting, so I will be getting back to you about some of the newer contact lens options, and ways to get them cheaper.

Hungry for a deal?

It's traditionally a lean period for restaurants. Everyone's skint, on a diet, detoxing or out of town for most of January. In which case, it's easier to find a good deal, discounts, or even to book into ususally oversubscribed places.

The Telegraph are doing 'Eat out for a fiver' again. Collect the tokens, get a cheap meal. It must be said it's a bit of a misnomer - most of the meals are 'Eat out for a tenner' in reality. Still worth a look though.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wine/main.jhtml;?view=CAMPAIGN&grid=A1NoGoogle&pg=/ETHtml/content/promotions/2007/01/11/eatout/index.jhtml

And also, it's worth checking out Yo! Sushi if you're near a branch. They are doing half price on anything off their conveyor belt between 15th and 31st January - you need one voucher per person.
Get vouchers either via Time Out or by going to the Yo! Sushi website.
http://www.timeout.com/features/yosushi/

Yum.

Lean and mean

Lean - Been going out a fair bit, and decided to cut back slightly before I completely emptied my current account. This means I've been doing an extra evening and a weekend session at the gym to keep busy and out of the house, since I've already paid for the membership. Suffice to say, buffness is coming along nicely.

Mean - Today I've been getting online quotes for house contents insurance (mega savings to be had using the online supermarkets), and looking at options for phone and broadband. There are some good deals to be had, much better than I expected. Will be very careful about my choice of broadband provider and go for a slightly more expensive deal with a better reputation for customer service. A little online research has thrown up some very angry customers as regards some of the cheapest deals - I need reliable and unfussy.

One month on

I still have days when it feels like I'm swimming through glue for hours on end. It's unpredictable - sometimes I wake up and feel OK, other times I can't get out of bed. I've been trying to keep busy because it seems to help, and I think physically getting a long way away from a certain person will be very therapeutic too.

It's too easy to give in and hide under the duvet, so I'm trying to do one positive thing for my health every day (call the optician, go to the gym, have lots of fruit and veg, whatever I can manage). On top of that, I'm forcing myself to do one practical thing every day too.

Today I got ahead of myself with the practical stuff, and got all the paperwork over to the estate agents so I can move in without any hassle and delay. Then I haggled my mobile phone contract right down to 6 and a half months of completely free use, followed by 5 and a half months at half price (just over a 75% saving). Not bad, considering I'm not at my haggle-tastic best.

Then I called around to find out who supplies gas, electricity and water to my new flat to get some idea of the average bills. And I then went through Energyhelpline to get the cheapest gas and elec - remembering to ask them for their £15 cashback deal on top cos they never offer that spontaneously - and got 11% off the bills plus another £30 cashback from the supplier. It takes up to 8 weeks to get it all switched over so I'm very glad I thought ahead and got a headstart.

This means that I'll have battered down my monthly bills to about the £150 mark, including council tax, landline, broadband, mobile, insurance, TV, water rates, gas and electricity. I also got a £150 holiday voucher from the new gas supplier - but freebies like that don't sway my judgement cos you never know what nasties are in the small print - the bloke at the helpline reminded me that I could sell it on eBay if I didn't want it myself, so I might just do that.

Even at minimum capacity, it's nice to know I still rock the purse strings, baby.

Now then, what shall I spend the £45 cashback on? I was thinking maybe a freeview box, but perhaps it should go on the usual Tanqueray and fripperies.

Externally imposed resolutions

As obnoxious as the breakup has been, and as annoying as the move will undoubtedly be, I think it will lead to a much better quality of life once I've settled in. Being with the ex wore me down over time, and it will be so good not to have all that going on in the background at my new place. Better to live without constant false hope, and to not be on hold waiting for another person to break their empty routine of TV and ready meals, long silences and 'not tonights'.

I'll be able to get home from events more easily, nobody will be nagging me to get home before 10pm, and I'm going to be much closer to cafes, bars, restaurants and so on. Plus I'll be able to re-assess my career (I came into this job at the top of my scale, and there's nowhere left to go, so I can't stay here forever), and get freelancing again on new subjects. Signed up for various writing events and workshops from February onwards to kickstart the old brain cells, and might even do a few assorted evening classes for a laugh as well.

I hadn't realised how much things had been dragging me down and making me less enthusiastic. It's the perfect opportunity to change a lot of things for the better. It's a big, bright, interesting city - so long suburbia, you were killing me.


Completely off topic: Blogger seems to be falling apart and there's no sense of community on here 'cos it's too big. I'm thinking about jumping ship to Vox. Can I transfer this blog and its contents over there easily?

Bag some Biba

Billion Dollar Babes (www.billiondollarbabes.co.uk) are doing a sale of iconic brand Biba's clothes this Saturday.

Even with the discounts, it's going to be pricey (£800 bag down to £400, and so on), and I definitely can't afford to buy even at 60% off. But if someone else out there has that kind of cash lying around the week before payday in January then perhaps they might like to go.

In which case, it's Saturday Jan 13th, at Chelsea Old Town Hall on King's Road, 9am-6pm. You need to RSVP via their website if you wish to attend.

And spotted in the Times: Emma Hope Shoes sale
Now on, up to 50% off. Available in her shops at 53 Sloane Square, 207 Westbourne Grove etc. Very gorgeous and unique shoes that should see you through quite a few seasons.

Financial revamp

If I'm going to be bound by a rental contract for the next few months, I want my savings to be safe and getting as much interest as possible, rather than languishing in an old account and losing their buying power.

Time is of the essence - I need to do it while I'm at the current address (try getting any financial services approved after you've just moved house and you'll see what I mean). I've done my homework: best buy tables (with pinch of salt) in the newspapers, www.moneyfacts.co.uk, and a quick look at MSE.com as well.

It's a good time of year to do a financial revamp anyway, whatever your circumstances. After all, if you're not getting the top amount of interest paid to you on your hard-earned, chances are it's making profits for your bank or building society instead. Rather than 'oh it's only a few quid, I can't be bothered,' just imagine it's some overfed oik from the bank pulling fivers out of your pocket - might provide the motivation needed.

Anyway, here's the plan:

1. Put as much spare cash as possible into the top paying ISA - done
2. Transfer older ISAs into the best ISA that accepts transfers (the top paying ISA sadly doesn't accept transfers) - doing this today
3. Open top paying savings account for anything that won't fit into an ISA - done
4. Transfer all remaining cash into new savings account - waiting for account to be activated, but will do next week

I was thinking about opening one of those 'regular saver' accounts as well, but it will have to wait for a while until after I've moved.

The whole thing's a tiny bit of a hassle, but it's part and parcel of looking after yourself, I suppose.