Only a week and a day left until I start uni!

still got quite a lot of stuff left to prepare though..

I have opened a new savings acct, partly (I admit) to get a free £10, and partly because it's a good deal anyway.

It's with ING Direct and you can have several different "pots" to keep your money in (which is good for me because I want to keep 3/4 of my savings (i.e. for years 2 3 and 4 of uni!) and my money I pinched from my interest-free overdraft separately.

It makes it harder for me to accidentally spend money I shouldn't be, it gets a good interest rate, and interest is paid monthly which I like

ooh, and also I have an interview at Asda on Thursday for seasonal work

Mum rang the insurance people and they will cover me for £5000 of posessions in my room for free.

Yay!

Rosie

Well, I haven't posted in a while so here's an update on what I've been doing

- bought more bits & bobs for uni - plates, bowls, cutlery, kettle, iron, etc

- took in receipts from mum's shopping and got points added to my card in Tesco.. so they will send me £3 extra worth of vouchers you can spend like cash in their shop next month

- applied for a Nectar reward card which you can use at the main supermarket in cambridge

- took out £900 of my (interest-free) overdraft to sneak into my savings account

- applied for an ING direct account with a referral to get £10 and also because it's a good savings account and you can open several "pots" with them - I want somewhere to stash my overdraft money, and I'm dividing my savings by 4 (for my 4-year course) and putting 3-years' worth in a separate savings "pot" so I can't spend it by accident

- applied for another mystery-shopping job

- got paid for a mystery shop

Still trying to sort out my insurance, though!

Working Wed & Thurs this week.. bit annoying as I just got some free cinema tickets for Wed.. but I'll find someone who can use them

Stuff to do:

INSURANCE!!!
Clothes horse
Pack clothes
Sort out when I'm, getting my new computer etc, they aren't being very helpful
Get some pots & pans
Get some cooking-basics stuff
Wash & pack my bedding!

Went shopping today and got some bits & bobs for uni:

smart top in the sale I'm planning to wear with my black skirt for the formal stuff at the start of term.. it's also nice enough you could wear it for going out or make it more casual too - £5

Some folders in the sale: 50p / £1
some erasable highlighters, new pen, pencil case..

I noticed the paper I like is half-price again in WHSmiths but I'll get some next time I go because I have a gift voucher that needs spending there!

I need to beg/borrow/buy some cups, plates, cutlery and suchlike too.. oh so much to do!

Reminder to self:sort out insurance!

rosie

well, I got 2 prizes, a Prize for Outstanding Achievement and the Leaver's Scholarship..

naive me thought "scholarship" sounded like a nice big sum to help you at uni.. but sadly no.. it was just £10 of book tokens.

But still it was very nice to get £20 of boook tokens (I got them for the other prize too) for nothing.

I also won 20p on the scratchcard yesterday (I know I know.. I'll try not to spend it all in one go!)

Ummm.. .

my job application to ASDA has "passed the first stage" and they will contact me if/when there are any suitable vacancies (I applied for "seasonal work", which I guess is mainly Xmas)

rosie

Another day at work and another £25..

Also filled in a form for my money back for some food my mum bought, and did 2 surveys (1 for £3, one for some points).

Spent £8.50 on some petrol...went to get a new book on tape from the library, and they're FREE now I registered for charges exemption!

rosie

well
finished another week at work and another £100 for me.

only working Monday so far next week though. I don't mind, I could do with a rest!

Going over to see my boyfriend tomorrow, plus I'm mystery-shopping at a pub. No big bucks, but it all helps, and it's a cheap "going out".

Prizegiving on tuesday - with a bit of luck my school might give me a scholarship or something - if not I could get a book token you never know.

Worked again today.. got £10 in the post for mystery-shopping plus a refund for a "try me free" product

Um, haven't really been doing much else. Did a couple of surveys - it all helps.

I haven't won anything on the scratchcard for days and days

Rosie

woo, despite getting slightly (!) lost I finally made it to the market research thing..

Gotta be the easiest £65 I've ever made

I did some retail therapy, however, but mum paid me back for them. I got 3 jumpers (I know, i know, but where I'm going to uni is COLD! and I didn't have any nice ones,, and they were 2nd hand...and...and..). Anyway, they're very nice and super warm.

Also treated myself to getting the tram instead of walking, a frappuchino (I met a friend I rarely see.. and I had a bogof coupon,.. of course ).. and for lunch i met up with a different friend and we went to a yummy tiny little bakery I know (it's so small, and so good, that people queue right outside the shop and up the street! really!) and got hot baguettes and an almond cake and ate them in the park.

so all in all, a good day, I have some lovely warm jumpers and some not very hard-earned cash!
Sadly I'm working again tomorrow..

well, i took Tuesday off work to go to this play thing with my family.. but then a lady rang me up from a market research company im registered with - could I come over to Sheffield on Tues and do something about the National Lottery - 3 hours for £65..?

so I am going and my friend (who really wanted to go to the play thing and didnt have a ticket) is going instead of me to that.

been tackling forms today.. I think I am through most of them now. I'm going to go into town before work tomorrow and go to the library, buy a ticket for the thing im doing the research about (just to make sure i know enough about it!) and take a form into the bank so I get my interest tax-free.

Ooh, some good news - mum has said she will pay my tuition fees and rent for the first year of uni which is more than I expected

rosie

Went out again today mystery-shopping at House of Fraser - £10 for me. We parked at my old school and walked down so we didn't have to pay for parking.

Had my boyfriend's parents' anniversary party today... it went OK despite me not knowing many people there. I had handmade the card and present for no cost - be proud

I also won some jeans I wanted on eBay - £10 odd including postage - so my mystery-shopping today has bought my jeans, which I think is pretty good

Working every day except Tuesday next week... zzzzz......but £££!

I've got a headache so I'm going to go to bed now - tomorrow I'm going to try and clear that list I posted the other day of all the stuff I have to do. To which I should add filling in the form so I don't have to pay tax on my interest, which came today.

Stuff I really need to sort out:

student insurance
fill in my endless forms
work out what I'm going to take with me
get a letter from my doctor for my new doctor in cambridge
get a new PIN for my credit card (just in case!)
work out some kind of a budget
attempt to stop worrying!

well, it turns out the missing money was because they randomly started taxing me again.

I don't pay tax because I earn under the personal allowance..

at least I know I'll get it back... eventually...but it's a real pain in the behind!

anyway, did another day at work today.. and am working tomorrow, and the day after, and all next week too

rosie