So, just what can I do?

 No, seriously, what can I do? I'm very aware of what I can't do, what my weaknesses are, but what of my strengths and skills. I'm really good at downplaying any good stuff - you know the sort of thing where someone says something positive and you go 'it's nothing', or 'it wasn't just me', or 'no, no anyone can do it' or - well you get my drift.

When I started on this month's project of looking of ways to increase income I began by looking at the obvious of selling unwanted things that were part of the sorting process that I had embarked on. Very quickly using any skills I have crept in so now it's time for...

Month 3 - Bite 25

Taking a long hard look at myself ... in a positive way.

I enjoyed and often return to 'The Multi-Hyphen Method' by Emma Gannon. It always makes me stop and think about how I've often tried to describe what I do/like/make and so on - like my butterfly brain description. She make it feel ordered and reasonable - it's well worth a read.

Anyway, if I'm going to explore all the ways in which I can benefit from my skills and/or talents (get me!) then I need to start from recognising what they might be. 

knitter..                        

fabric worker..               

literacy consultant...              

spinner...                            

 weaver..                            

classicist...                         

writer.. or perhaps food lover!

it's certainly not style icon!        

So, this task is a thinking and listing one (I love a list), and requires a cup of tea, a pencil and paper (for writing I'm more at home in front of a keyboard, for thinking the physical holding of a pencil does it for me) and a space of time to establish just who and what I am and what use I can make of that information. 

Hmmmmmmmm......

Purse busting task

 So having tidied my purse I’m now going to give myself a task that’s going to fill it up again!

Month 3 - Bite 23

I often use coupons and vouchers so this addition to the job list is an extension of that. I’ve got one or two vouchers and now need to maximise any other offers out there. This means having money off vouchers and coupons with me whenever I go shopping as well as remembering any loyalty cards that can add to savings.

My current task then is to track down all those I've already got and store them in my purse/shopping bag so that they are ready and available when I need them.. then all I've got to do is remember to actually use them!

I also need to research where I can lay my hands on more to get the best possible results from any shopping trips.

An aside....

Back during the clothes mega-sort I found a pair of jeans for repair, I also discovered a cut up pair which must have been part of some project or other. Rather than throw this remnant away I did my usual distraction routine of watching endless 'how to' videos online. It was obviously time to stop watching from the sidelines and start creating so here's my attempt.. The lining isn't perfect and the air was a bit blue while I was working out how to sew through multiple thick layers, but that's the creative process I guess.

Month 3 - Bite 24

Watching those step-by-step videos made me think about what I could provide helpful instructions for and after thinking 'I couldn't do anything like that' I gave myself a good talking to. This was along the lines of - you were a teacher for about 35 years, why can't you produce some simple instructions. So, dear reader that's what the next item on my joblist needs to be. 

First, make a list of what I could give a broken down list of steps to make and then research how to disseminate this material. I have no idea about any of this, only to know that me making mini-films about how to do anything isn't going to work! Research then....

Spare what?

 Month 3 - Bite 22

Now this is going to sound rather grand - following yesterday's encounter with some spare technology I've now found some spare jewellery.... Not wildly expensive crown jewels sort of stuff that will fetch a king's ransom and I'm not the kind of person you'll find dripping with diamonds either. I do, however, have one or two pieces I never wear.

For example, I've got a bracelet, quite pretty, but not one I've worn for a long time. It wasn't chosen for me and I'm not really very attached to it so there's really no reason to be hanging on to it. So, today's task is to cull my jewellery box of anything I don't wear, or is broken, and then find out what to do with any pieces I never wear and that aren't the kind of thing that my family might want. 

I know there's also a broken chain from a good maker and a ring that was bought many moons ago. I wonder what else I might discover....

I have also got some little bracelets that I made a while ago - time to track these down while I'm on the glittery trail and list them online too.

Wonder what I'll discover next!

Funny what you can find lying around...

 First a bit of a quick result...

Having found and downloaded an app for selling photographs I managed to upload one or two to see if they were interested and lo and behold they've accepted a few.

These for example...

A random collection I know - or is it an eclectic mix, well anyway let's see what happens!

Month 3 - Bite 21

While carrying on with the sorting and throwing I have come across some old technology. There's a digital assistant, a very old personal notepad thingy (so old that I don't know what it's called) and amazingly a phone...

Today then I need to find out if any of these have any value and then pop them off to wherever will take them!

Let's Get Appy

 Having started all the research into online and physical sales, not to mention the web social media and online surveys it's time to address my use of apps.

I know there's probably an app for most things, but now it's time to find out about apps that can help me with my Eating the Elephant project

Month 3 - Bite 18

I run - not very fast and some might say that others walk more quickly than my running speed, but neverthless I say that I run. One of the highlights of my week is the Park Run on Saturday morning. I like to go to Killerton most weeks....

but of late part of the course - Muddy Lane - has truly lived up to its name and my hips and knees don't thank me for the part that lies under water! So then I join our seafront Park Run ...

I know, tough life eh?!

Anyway, I do remember reading somewhere about an app or two that rewards you in points for exercise taken so next on the list is tracking (sorry) down an app or two to try. If there's a way for adding extra delight to my walks and runs around here then why not?

Month 3 - Bite 19

Looking through some of my photos I also thought I might look up some of the apps that will accept photographs and sell them online, recompensing you as they are used. My photography skills aren't incredible, but faint heart and all that so the task of the moment is to find and download the app and upload one or two photos to see if they are acceptable. You never know.

Month 3 - Bite 20

Finally on the apps front it's time to research vouchers and coupons. I know some websites and newsletters have suggestions for where you can find these (thank you Mr Lewis) and that there are apps that can direct you quickly to what's available so that's a step to be taken.

Not my strong point!

 

I'm going to put it out there I'm rubbish at selling!

There are others in my family who could sell umbrellas in a desert, but not me. I love making, I enjoy chatting about how I create things, I feel the urge constantly to be sewing or knitting or writing, but then I'm left with stuff. I've done craft fairs and written when asked and all that sort of thing, however, when it comes to selling it on, urgh... It's just not my strong point. That's why I was so pleased with myself for doing the work for the website I mentioned earlier. I managed to suppress my imposter syndrome fears and make contact.

This next little suite of mouthfuls are all about getting to grips with it again in order to pass on some of my makes and to add to that extras account....

Month 3 - Bite 13

I've written for pleasure for a long time. As I've mentioned before I have written as part of jobs I've had and then been paid as a writer for a variety of publications and so on. I have a number of notebooks full of ideas, half-written stories, article research, etc. just sitting there waiting for me to do something constructive. So today's the day. I've got a story in full in my head and I need to get it down. That happens a lot. The difference is that today, instead of saving it into a folder on the laptop, I will research a magazine and send it off to see what happens! If you get to read a story called 'No Treats at Pete's' (all about a neighbour's cat) at some point then you'll know its fate too.

Month 3 - Bite 14

A number of years ago the readers of this blog encouraged me to get up the courage to approach a local shop with some of my brooches and to my surprise they took them, sold them and then asked for more!!

I need to face this fear again and see if a brilliant local cafe gallery we've got nearby is interested in some of my new designs and perhaps some cards. Deep breath and...

I also need to investigate a co-operative stall in our indoor market who sell items from a variety of local crafters and artists and then see if there's any mileage in that avenue too.

Month 3 - Bite 15

While I'm being brave (!) some research into craft fairs and table sales needs to be done. I have participated in these before with different degrees of success. The difficulty is in finding the right fit for what I've got without having to produce loads more stock which then leads to more clutter and.. well you get the idea. Also, there's the issue of the size of charge for the stall so that it doesn't end up costing more that I make! There are one or two possibilities around here that occur regularly, particularly when the holidaymakers are in  town so today's project is to find the details and dates and then put them in the diary to visit and decide if it's worth taking a table. Then moving on one step when I know and booking it.

Month 3 - Bite 16

Do I have enough stuff for a Boot Fair I wonder? Well the next task is to venture into the loft and find out. Once that's done I need to repeat the same process as for the craft fairs and decide if, when and where I should move forward with this one. Perhaps I'll ask my neighbours who like to clear their stuff with a day at a Boot Fair once the weather improves.

Month 3 - Bite 17

Finally a big one. From time to time I've popped the odd photo on Instagram (and received some nice comments as well as a few likes and the odd follower. This research project is to find out about using social media and how I might use it, then to start posting more frequently (if I say regularly I'll persuade myself that it means once every other month and that's not what I mean). I'll need to read up on my Sara Tasker and investigate how to present everything, but nothing ventured, nothing gained they say. (I just say 'Help!).

Play your Cards Right and Give an Opinion

 Now I know I've got some catching up to do, but some of the backlog is by design.. yes, honestly. 

With some of these tasks I wanted to have something to show for them so I've delayed detailing them to enable me to put the task and any immediate results in the same place, rather than trying to flick backwards and forwards to see how it all went... SO

Month 3 - Bite 8

When I pruned the plastic lurking in my purse, wallet and other locations I was a bit shocked to find a number of credit cards. One or two were well past their expiry dates so they've been carefully disposed of, but there were a number of others that I seemed to be using in a very random way. Today's research needs to look at what exactly each card gives me (as I usually pay them off in full so don't need necessarily to worry about APRs and all of that).

Once I'd looked into it I only needed to keep three. One I only use on holidays abroad (fingers crossed that can happen again now). It's because it doesn't add a surcharge for using it in Euros (or whatever) and the exchange rate back to sterling isn't bad at all. That left me with two. It didn't seem to matter too much when I shopped equally in both the supermarkets that issued them, as the rate at which I could earn vouchers was the same as was the value of the 'points' or 'rewards' they gave. Now, though, I use one far more than the other so it's time to use that one solely to gain the maximum value in vouchers.

Month 3 - Bite 9

In amongst the bits of plastic was an old Oyster Card for travelling in London. Not something I do anymore! I thought it still might have some cash stored on it so dug up the account details, logged on and voila! there was nearly £15 just sitting there. One phone call later and it was winging it's way into my 'extras' account. That led me to double check on the other bits of plastic that I'd weeded out only to find odd bits and pieces on other cards and subscriptions - no prizes for guessing what I've done there...

Month 3 - Bite 10

That led me onto survey sites. At one time I used to idly complete surveys while I was working away from home and browsing while in hotel restaurants at breakfast time. The next task was to track down all the survey sites along with any account details I'd squirrelled away. That led to listing what they gave as rewards, which were worth pursuing and which not to waste time on. While in the midst of this I discovered enough points to claim a cash reward of £5 and a voucher for £25 - yes £25.. how did I miss that?

Month 3 - Bite 11

Obviously that means that the next step is to reboot the survey taking to add to the hoard. I now know which sites to visit (from re-establishing contact the previous day some email invitations are already appearing. I don't use my regular email address for these. I've always had a separate one for competitions, surveys and giving out an email address in shops that can't lead anyone to my work or personal emails. I'm now going to allocate the period of time between my coffee and breakfast as survey time. A finite period that won't use too much time and yet should provide more for the extras stash.

Month 3 - Bite 12

Finally (for now), I need to award myself time to gather all the information on savings that I possess. There are a number of little sums in odd accounts scattered about - I'm talking £2-3 at a time. These would do better in one savings account with as decent an interest rate as I can find. That's that job for today's list!

None of this has proved very interesting in a photogenic way, so perhaps it's time to confess to another reason or two for not driving the keyboard so regularly of late...

There's this...

                                 

and this..

                                

and then again...

                             

Well, you wouldn't expect anything less from my distracted thought processes would you? Mind you, the last photo is of a purse for a birthday gift card so it's not quite as random as it appears at first.. really..

A bit of good luck to set the month off well..

 Month 3 - Bite 4

As it happens I used to write a bit... Not great literary works or anything (don't say you're not surprised having read this blog...), but advice articles, activity suggestions and handbooks for youth organisations, lesson materials for schools, a range of 'stuff' really. It just so happened that I was reading a newsletter from a website that I follow when I saw a request for writers. Well, I thought, why not so I made contact, did a sample piece and lo and behold I've been accepted. So with very little effort I've got another little pot of gold (well dollars actually) to add to the extras account!

Month 3 - Bite 5

Having reactivated the online auction some of the listings are already on the move. There are a number of items that are gathered together from my makes. I've always wondered if I could sell on an online craft site so today's task is to set up an account and start listing some of the cards and brooches I've created. Fingers crossed!

                            

Month 3 - Bite 6

In addition to the easily posted craft items I've made some larger, more expensive to post, things which need to be moved on. There are one or two local social media sites for local sales around here so the next on the joblist is to investigate these and start listing some of the bulkier items so see if they will sell.

Month 3 - Bite 7

And finally, the last of this little run of jobs is to look through some of the online sites for clothes. When I was freeing up my wardrobe I created a small pile of dresses that might sell, but I've never found out much about the apps to do this. That's another line of enquiry to follow!

Mind you - I think some practice with photography wouldn't come amiss!

Oliver - the elephant who wants some more!

 Meet Oliver...

This little elephant ushers in a month that will see him, just like his namesake, asking for more!

This month I'm going to research and (hopefully) take some action to increase my income. Not anything as big as a new job - after all I've been looking forward to more freedom with retirement. But I know there are avenues to explore, especially after all the discoveries around the bungalow of 'stuff' I don't need even though it's in good condition - just not needed by me!

Month 3 - Bite 1

The first move is some preparation. I need to find a home for any 'extras' I raise so that I can see just how much the exercise raises. An account is required to stash any new money in easily and quickly before it just gets spent elsewhere.

My banking app has a savings account which is empty since I raided it for a holiday. That's where I'll start. In this account will go anything that comes in from the steps I take this month and hopefully keep on taking! Some of the amounts will be quite small so it might pay me (sorry) to pay in once a month unless a large amount turns up. (Mind you if I win big on the Premium Bonds I might just splurge - but I'm not holding my breath.) I can use the app I record my spending on as it's got a money in option so I'll just pop off and set that all up....

Month 3 - Bite 2

One of the final tasks from last month was based on the DVDs and CDs that are no longer used along with the emptying of the bookcases. First off these must go as they're taking up rather a lot of room. There's a number of companies that take them and resell them. The amounts they pay are very small, but with so many to dispose of that's my first port of call. All those I've been recommended send labels for postage so that part doesn't cost anything and there are drop off points at local venues (including the garage at the end of our road and the local Post Office), so that's where I'll start..... Operation scan it, box it and post it starts here!

Month 3 - Bite 3

Some of the items sorted and ready for going out are saleable - stamps, coins, brooches, programmes... So today is all about dusting off my old account with an online auction. It could be a long day of photographing, writing descriptions and posting items, but I'm hoping that by downloading their app it will be speedier than it was the last time I tried. Mind you, that was when we had both just left the classroom and had lots of our tools of the trade and reference books to shift. That time we raised enough to pay for new winter jackets and walking boots for our 'new life'! I'm not sure there's enough to raise that much now, but as they say it all adds up.

Before I start listing anything there's the small maths task of checking the cost of fees and postage to make sure the process makes sense financially.....

Trimming the Storage.. (and the stored!)

                                                                                            

 I thoroughly enjoyed the trawl through all the books and files on the study shelves and they soon emptied out quite amazingly.

Month 2 - Bite 27

This is the result of the before (well one of the bookcases anyway)

and after... Notice the difference?

Well, once the shelves were much liberated we looked at them carefully. For a small room they were taking up rather a lot of height and making it feel a bit enclosed. New storage on a smaller scale was clearly called for. New storage did I say? Well today's task, which we're both very pleased with was re-purposing the old using brute force (in the lifting stakes) and a saw... A surprisingly short time later the shelves were transformed and re-stacked with the lesser quantity of books and voila! the study also feels much lighter and airier. Instant reward...

Month 2 - Bite 28

You know there's a movement towards mindful pursuits and peaceful creativity? Lots of colouring books and apps are now available for calming the thoughts and destressing. However in sorting out all the pens and pencils I've found a new mindful pastime. Today's task was to check all those items of stationery to see which needed throwing. Boy, trying out all the pens to see if they were dried out or working was soooo therapeutic that I'm thinking of starting off as a new 'thing'. Go on try it....

Month 2 - Bite 29

Now I know that I'm writing this in February and that Bite 28 would be the last of the month if I was 'doing' one a day, but as I've said before I want to be able to revisit this at any time of year so two more bites are needed here!

Did I mention the fact that the bungalow is stacked with DVDs and CDs? No, well when it came to pulling them all out and looking the pile of them was enormous! I'm not sure how many hours (or perhaps years) it would take to watch or listen to them all... There are one or two favourites that have gone off to the car - CDs that is - as that's the only place to listen to them, but I'm pretty sure that most of them will go after one hearing. I did also discover a CD made up of all my favourite tunes so I probably will only need to keep that one and a couple of others. The films on DVD make up two collections - one which I know we'll never watch again having played them once, the other is a much smaller one of old favourites/classics, but having checked I find we can stream them all so there's no need to keep these either. 

The current task then is to find out the best way of getting rid of our surplus ...

Month 2 - Bite 30

Before retirement we both had ICT/Computers as one responsibility on our job descriptions. It's meant that there are loads of computer-y bits and pieces lurking about. I still have some files and programs on floppy disks would you believe? There's also a number of CD Roms with documents and photos on them. Unfortunately there isn't a piece of technology here that will read them! Today will see me ringing round to see if anyone I know has some tech that I can run them through to check what's on the disks before disposing of them one way or another. I'm pretty sure all the information and files are already on sticks or the external disk drive, but you never know!!! Then of course there will be the task of collating all of these into a single, easily accessible library... Could take a while......

Finding out some more...

 Month 2 - Bite 20

After the sort out of the airing cupboard I found out I was right.. Just because I'd reorganised it fairly recently didn't mean I knew exactly what was in there! Among the items were some items of bedding that I've already mentioned are on their way to the loft for a future project. I also found some fairy worn, but still serviceable towels that I'm sure there must be a need for rather than just binning/recycling. There was also a really thick beach towel that looked lovely, but when I looked the edge binding and the towel itself had shrunk at different rates...

It ties in a bit with examining all that sports gear hanging near the front door as there's a towel or two there which get used to protect the car seats from mud (from running), soakings (when diving off the tennis court during rain) and sweat (well sometimes with exercise you have to don't you?). The towels we're currently using aren't that thick or absorbent so it's time for sewing machine action...

The beach towel needs cutting in half and hemming so that it can rise into its new life as two seat covers to be kept in the car!!

Month 2 - Bite 21

Having been busy with all the listing, sorting, decluttering, cleaning and so on now is the time to pause and do some wider finding out about where useful information can be found. I'm no expert so it's time to start consulting some. This won't involve any extra money going out, but does mean I'll have to spend some time online.

Today I'm going to concentrate on researching who takes what! The airing cupboard and coats collection got me thinking. Where can the excess items be best distributed? I mentioned the local library and its donations rail, but who else needs the spares that aren't actually good enough for sale?

On with an internet search to find homes for the growing piles of 'stuff' that I want to clear - towels, coats - you name it - time to find it a home!

Month 2 Bite 22

Bit of shopping needed in the food department. Although I'm pretty good at combining tasks to limit my journeys picking up essentials on the way to and from other locations there's plenty of room for improvement, especially as the weather is improving. So, it's off for a reasonable shop on foot. Of course carrying the booty home requires some thought so that I can actually lift it, let alone walk home with it all intact so time to search out my rucsac to help with the task. 

You never know I might end up fitter too!!

Month 2 - Bite 23

Armed with that list of service details, car insurance renewal dates and so on some research is needed here too. A session with the laptop to read up about deals and to sign up for newsletters that will help. The reliable Mr Martin Lewis is the first stop on my list with moneysavingexpert.com along with moneymagpie. Settling down after that for some reading and note taking to make sure I'm making the best of my necessary expenditure.

Month 2 - Bite 24

Now that list of household tasks and scheduled maintenance.... Firstly it's the day to defrost the freezer. Ours is rather old, but working fine. Having done my manual reading homework I now know that keeping it un-iced up will help with its efficiency so that's what today's task has to be about.

Month 2 - Bite 25

From food to laundry... The manual on the iron was enlightening. I guess I always knew that it due to the time to heat up and cool down there's an efficient order in which to iron, but in an attempt to constantly keep up I'd overlooked the fact that batch ironing, like batch cooking, maximises the use of electricity - just as full loads for the washing machine are better than lots of little ones! Reorganising when I wash and iron should make this both more economical and environmentally friendly too!

Month 2 - Bite 26

The last major bit of investigation before I go into information overload was into the manuals for all the varied rechargeable devices - phone, tablet, toothbrush - you name it I've read about it. Now I know where I've been going wrong with charging all these items. I've got a list of which need charging at a particular point to prolong their battery life and so most of them are no longer subjected to short, sharp bursts of firing up!

Phew....