I'm actually laying off Freecycle now because I am getting angry with the morons on there. I gave away a perfectly good CD player and then the recipient complained it wasn't the right shade of black to match her bedroom... Whatever...
Anyway, this week we have Jonathan who requested some vegan books. We exchanged 8 emails, sorting out collection. Guess what... yet another no show and yet another without the balls to email me and apologise.
I also offered my old ballgown. I had more than 60 requests and was sorting my way through when I got a serious of demanding emails from several people because I had not yet posted the Taken message. They could have given me an hour or so, like...
Follow up to the money saving. I forgot to mention that I have a couple of money boxes that I put all my spare change into. I have one Shinto-style offering box that can hold ten quid in coppers and then a tall Russian doll one that can hold £100 in silver. That'll be Christmas paid for...
Already done an hour on the bike and feel pretty good. Been having problems with my back so need to get myself straightened out.
35 days to Los Angeles!
Sunday, 15 February 2009
Saturday, 14 February 2009
It's all about saving money
My mobile phone contract was up for renewal next month so I called O2 and said thanks but I really don't need to spend £35 a month on a phone I never use. The nice boy I spoke to offered me what he called the £30 deal. I was there thinking saving a fiver a month ain't gonna win me over... Turns out, it's £30 for 18 months. It's £10 a month but because I didn't upgrade my handset, they gave me £150 credit so I'll only have to pay for the last 3 months of my contract. For that, I get 200 minutes and 400 texts. That's more than enough for me. I'll be saving £600 over the next 18 months. Not bad.
Of course, then I started of thinking up other ways to save money. I don't have a gym membership (I have my own equipment at home) and I don't subscribe to newspapers or magazines (I read everything online) so I had to be a bit more creative...
I check my emails on my phone every day and that comes to £5 a month so I've stopped that too. That's £60 saved a year.
Twice a month I buy lunch in M&S at the train station. I really don't need to. I always pack my own lunch for work. £120 there.
I have a hell of a sorbet addiction that sets me back £8 a week. I've given that up so £416 in my pocket over the next year.
No more junk food. £182.
Kay and I go for lunch in Ask once a month. I can do without the shitty service and mediocre food and will keep my £300 if it's all the same.
I buy Perrier even though I am an avid supporter of the Nestle boycott. I really wrestle with my conscience over this so the £72.80 I will be saving from not buying it will go to charity.
Why do I buy hummus? I don't like shop-bought because home-made is far superior. A can of chick peas costs me 39p whereas a tub of hummus sets me back £1.20. £72.
Deli olives! I love them but what a rip off! £3.50 for a small tub that I eat in one sitting. I can buy a small jar for 50p. They taste so much nicer knowing my bank account is £150 better off.
No more smoothies. A carton costs me £3 whereas I can buy a big bag of frozen fruit for £1 and that will make 14 smoothies. £260 for me.
My biggest annoyance through all this is moisturiser. I love one particular one from Neal's Yard but they have put the price up from £14 to £16.15. I am now searching for a decent (cheaper) vegan moisturiser.
I've worked it out to be £1816 saved just be excercising self control. Wonder how far I can take this...
Of course, then I started of thinking up other ways to save money. I don't have a gym membership (I have my own equipment at home) and I don't subscribe to newspapers or magazines (I read everything online) so I had to be a bit more creative...
I check my emails on my phone every day and that comes to £5 a month so I've stopped that too. That's £60 saved a year.
Twice a month I buy lunch in M&S at the train station. I really don't need to. I always pack my own lunch for work. £120 there.
I have a hell of a sorbet addiction that sets me back £8 a week. I've given that up so £416 in my pocket over the next year.
No more junk food. £182.
Kay and I go for lunch in Ask once a month. I can do without the shitty service and mediocre food and will keep my £300 if it's all the same.
I buy Perrier even though I am an avid supporter of the Nestle boycott. I really wrestle with my conscience over this so the £72.80 I will be saving from not buying it will go to charity.
Why do I buy hummus? I don't like shop-bought because home-made is far superior. A can of chick peas costs me 39p whereas a tub of hummus sets me back £1.20. £72.
Deli olives! I love them but what a rip off! £3.50 for a small tub that I eat in one sitting. I can buy a small jar for 50p. They taste so much nicer knowing my bank account is £150 better off.
No more smoothies. A carton costs me £3 whereas I can buy a big bag of frozen fruit for £1 and that will make 14 smoothies. £260 for me.
My biggest annoyance through all this is moisturiser. I love one particular one from Neal's Yard but they have put the price up from £14 to £16.15. I am now searching for a decent (cheaper) vegan moisturiser.
I've worked it out to be £1816 saved just be excercising self control. Wonder how far I can take this...
Saturday, 7 February 2009
Bad Freecyclers
I've been on the Cardiff Freecycle group on and off for years. For those that don't know, people post stuff on freecycle they want to get rid of and others request the stuff. It's a way to avoid dumping your stuff in landfill. There are several rules involved like no money must change hands and you can ask for stuff but only one request per week.
My biggest issue with Freecycle is time wasters. For the last 3 weeks, I have been trying to get rid of several boxes of books (no crap; all criminology textbooks, law books, nearly new novels, craft books, etc).
It started off with Lorna emaling me several times, saying she really wanted these for her family. We arranged collection and I waited home for her. She didn't show so the following day I emailed and asked if everything was OK. She said she had had a "family emergency" but would come the following day. Again, I waited home all day and no show. Again (like a sucker), I emailed. Someone claiming to be her husband then emailed back and said Lorna was disabled and was not in control of her requests for stuff. Surely he should take control of the email account then?
I reposted them and "barclaykedward" said he would definitely collect. We decided on a time and then no show. Not even an explanation.
I am now waiting home yet again today for a third person to collect. She had better show...
There is a man on Freecycle who posts the same request every few days for pretty much whatever he can get. I have previously given him wool, books, material, etc. I offered some bento books and he said he would definitely collect. Guess what... no show... After I sent my (now) usual "where were you?" email, he made some half-arsed attempt to explain his memory isn't good... Whatever...
A while ago, I offered some cowboy boots and Maria asked for them. She was supposed to come round that day but then didn't show. She did, however, email to say her car had broken down. We rearranged the time and, yet again, I got a no-show. I emailed and asked if everything was OK and she said her daughter was ill but would come round the following day. No show. I emailed and explained she had really let me down by not showing up three times and her eloquent response was "and?" Last week, I offered another pair of boots and she was the first to ask for them. I told her to ever so politely go fuck herself.
Tracey was the best. I offered my old Sega. She said she could collect and I emailed back to ask when. I then went offline (I waited for a response for about half an hour) and then checked my emails the following morning. She had filled my inbox with vicious threats and abuse because I had not responded to her email. I apologised for having to go to bed because I had had work the following day and she went ballistic. I ended up calling the police because of her threats. What a nutjob.
You get the usual requests like...
"hi there i was hoping that someone had a nintendo wii for offer as my house got broken into and my twin daughters one was stolen so please if anyone getting rid please email me on ***"
"Hi I exchange regular emails with a Doctor in Nigeria. He is only able to access the internet from a cyber- cafe; a cyber cafe that attracts many perpetrators of the scams known as 419 - and which is often raided by the police. His name is Dr. Ola and he desperately wants to have his own laptop, so he is not dependent on the cyber-cafe to send and receive his emails and to do his work. He is also under considerable threat to his life because of his work/association with the Nigerian Economic and Finance Crimes Commission, whose main purpose is to stop the spammers sending out hoax emails - and which has given Nigeria such a bad name throughout the Internet world. If anyone has a laptop that works reasonably well - and has its own internal modem - I would be so very grateful. I can arrange to collect it very easily (I live near Blackwood). I have told Dr Ola all about this freecycle mailing list and I promised him that I would post a message to see if anyone can help. Many thanks Warmest Regards Geoffrey"
"I have a space in a room crying out for a flat screen TV. Any size between 24" and 32" would work if you have one you are thinking of getting rid of. Many thanks!"
You really aren't supposed to ask for high value stuff because it's just being cheeky. My sister is on the Newport group where people will ask for Playstations, cars, holidays...!
They also have the rule about only one want ad a week. Yesterday, one woman posted 11 different requests (microwave, computer, TV, clothes, etc) but her posts have since been removed. They were, originally, approved by a mod in order to be posted, though.
You have Julian and Daychicko who sell everything they get. In fact, Daychicko sends round her morose husband who doesn't say thank you for what he takes.
Then there's the spam... I got the following group invites in the space of a week -
AmysFreeStuff (amysfreebies@yahoo.com)
TheBestGroupForFreeStuff (paulinewoodfern@yahoo.com)
LatestFreebies3272 (mollytaylorimps@yahoo.com)
FreebieFinder6137 (leahmorganpons@yahoo.com)
NewFreebies2508 (melissamoorehans@yahoo.com)
FantasticFreebies2499 (courtfloresman@yahoo.com)
FreebiesToday6724 (alexapowellmans@yahoo.com)
FabulousFreebies2128 (mariahfloreneas@yahoo.com)
FreebiesCafe3351 (miawrightpops@yahoo.com)
http://www.snaffleup.co.uk/ (who had the nerve to say I had subscribed to their mailing list)
The mods don't give a fuck when you complain to them.
Freecycle has amazing potential but when the above mentioned issues keep arising, it's no wonder there's so much crap in landfill.
Join your local Freeloader group. You wont be sorry.
My biggest issue with Freecycle is time wasters. For the last 3 weeks, I have been trying to get rid of several boxes of books (no crap; all criminology textbooks, law books, nearly new novels, craft books, etc).
It started off with Lorna emaling me several times, saying she really wanted these for her family. We arranged collection and I waited home for her. She didn't show so the following day I emailed and asked if everything was OK. She said she had had a "family emergency" but would come the following day. Again, I waited home all day and no show. Again (like a sucker), I emailed. Someone claiming to be her husband then emailed back and said Lorna was disabled and was not in control of her requests for stuff. Surely he should take control of the email account then?
I reposted them and "barclaykedward" said he would definitely collect. We decided on a time and then no show. Not even an explanation.
I am now waiting home yet again today for a third person to collect. She had better show...
There is a man on Freecycle who posts the same request every few days for pretty much whatever he can get. I have previously given him wool, books, material, etc. I offered some bento books and he said he would definitely collect. Guess what... no show... After I sent my (now) usual "where were you?" email, he made some half-arsed attempt to explain his memory isn't good... Whatever...
A while ago, I offered some cowboy boots and Maria asked for them. She was supposed to come round that day but then didn't show. She did, however, email to say her car had broken down. We rearranged the time and, yet again, I got a no-show. I emailed and asked if everything was OK and she said her daughter was ill but would come round the following day. No show. I emailed and explained she had really let me down by not showing up three times and her eloquent response was "and?" Last week, I offered another pair of boots and she was the first to ask for them. I told her to ever so politely go fuck herself.
Tracey was the best. I offered my old Sega. She said she could collect and I emailed back to ask when. I then went offline (I waited for a response for about half an hour) and then checked my emails the following morning. She had filled my inbox with vicious threats and abuse because I had not responded to her email. I apologised for having to go to bed because I had had work the following day and she went ballistic. I ended up calling the police because of her threats. What a nutjob.
You get the usual requests like...
"hi there i was hoping that someone had a nintendo wii for offer as my house got broken into and my twin daughters one was stolen so please if anyone getting rid please email me on ***"
"Hi I exchange regular emails with a Doctor in Nigeria. He is only able to access the internet from a cyber- cafe; a cyber cafe that attracts many perpetrators of the scams known as 419 - and which is often raided by the police. His name is Dr. Ola and he desperately wants to have his own laptop, so he is not dependent on the cyber-cafe to send and receive his emails and to do his work. He is also under considerable threat to his life because of his work/association with the Nigerian Economic and Finance Crimes Commission, whose main purpose is to stop the spammers sending out hoax emails - and which has given Nigeria such a bad name throughout the Internet world. If anyone has a laptop that works reasonably well - and has its own internal modem - I would be so very grateful. I can arrange to collect it very easily (I live near Blackwood). I have told Dr Ola all about this freecycle mailing list and I promised him that I would post a message to see if anyone can help. Many thanks Warmest Regards Geoffrey"
"I have a space in a room crying out for a flat screen TV. Any size between 24" and 32" would work if you have one you are thinking of getting rid of. Many thanks!"
You really aren't supposed to ask for high value stuff because it's just being cheeky. My sister is on the Newport group where people will ask for Playstations, cars, holidays...!
They also have the rule about only one want ad a week. Yesterday, one woman posted 11 different requests (microwave, computer, TV, clothes, etc) but her posts have since been removed. They were, originally, approved by a mod in order to be posted, though.
You have Julian and Daychicko who sell everything they get. In fact, Daychicko sends round her morose husband who doesn't say thank you for what he takes.
Then there's the spam... I got the following group invites in the space of a week -
AmysFreeStuff (amysfreebies@yahoo.com)
TheBestGroupForFreeStuff (paulinewoodfern@yahoo.com)
LatestFreebies3272 (mollytaylorimps@yahoo.com)
FreebieFinder6137 (leahmorganpons@yahoo.com)
NewFreebies2508 (melissamoorehans@yahoo.com)
FantasticFreebies2499 (courtfloresman@yahoo.com)
FreebiesToday6724 (alexapowellmans@yahoo.com)
FabulousFreebies2128 (mariahfloreneas@yahoo.com)
FreebiesCafe3351 (miawrightpops@yahoo.com)
http://www.snaffleup.co.uk/ (who had the nerve to say I had subscribed to their mailing list)
The mods don't give a fuck when you complain to them.
Freecycle has amazing potential but when the above mentioned issues keep arising, it's no wonder there's so much crap in landfill.
Join your local Freeloader group. You wont be sorry.
RIP Ming :(
Our rescued Persian, Ming, died Tuesday afternoon. He was only with us a few months but he was a lovely, affectionate cat who never did anything bad to anyone (well, except maybe stealing the dogs' dinners every evening...). He will be missed.
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