Monday 29 April 2013

Challenge Update - April

My 2013 challenges are:-

1) Watch one old film each month.

2) List five items on Ebay each month.

3)  Have a date night with Mick each month.


The film I watched this month is one I haven't seen before, All About Eve. I'd bought the DVD for my mum one Christmas, as Bette Davis is one of her favourite actresses. She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Leading Actress for her role as Margo Channing in this film. The film was actually nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won six. One of Marilyn Monroe's earliest roles was in All About Eve.

The Ebay listings are going well, apart from me making a silly miscalculation with postage on an item this month. I knew the postage rates for parcels had changed, they're supposed to be easier to work out now, but I made the silly mistake of quoting for a small parcel when it should have been a medium parcel. Can you believe that the cost of posting a medium sized parcel within the UK is now £8.00? It's probably cheaper to send by courier, I must look in to this.

This month, our date night was a date day. I did a post all about it, so if you'd like to read about it, just click on the link.

I'm still enjoying my challenges. I'm trying to think of somewhere to go for our date night in May. This year seems to be whizzing by, only one more day left of April.

33 comments:

  1. What fabulous challenges Jo, am just re entering blog land (missed it lots!) so looking forward to catching up with yours. I am a bit scared to sell on Ebay, ridiculous I know xxx

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    1. Nice to see you back. Selling on Ebay is quite time consuming, and it costs such a lot to post things now, that I can understand people who don't want to do it. I don't think it's worth it quite as much as it used to be, but I suppose it depends what you're selling.

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  2. Good to see that your still enjoying these monthly challenges. All postal charges are so confusing, and expensive, nowadays. Flighty xx

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    1. Royal Mail were supposed to be simplifying the costs but I think they've just made them more confusing, and as you say, expensive too.

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  3. Postage for parcel to Ireland is sometimes dearer than the item I want to buy. I needed a element for my cooker. It cost £8.50 the postage was £17.00 to Ireland but if I lived in England postage was free. I have discovered Parcel Motel. it cost my 3.50 euro to get my package sent to it and all I had to do was drive up the road to collect it.

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    1. It sounds like you've found a good way round the expensive charges. I'm going to have to look in to alternative postal methods as Royal Mail is just too expensive, even within the UK.

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  4. I had a bit of a disaster with ebay too and the postage and decided not to bother any more! I made very little for the time and effort.
    Got to confess I have never seen that film either.Did you enjoy it ?

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    1. Selling on Ebay can be time consuming. There's so much bother writing up the description, taking photos, weighing the parcel, measuring it, trips to the post office, that it sometimes just isn't worth the effort. I think I'll be glad at the end of the year, when I've listed 60 items and see what I've made though.

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    2. Forgot to say, I did enjoy the film. I think Bette Davis is an excellent actress. I'm looking forward to my May film now.

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  5. I love Bette Davis and have a couple of box sets, love a good oldie :) xx

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    1. I'm really enjoying this challenge as there's so many old films which I haven't seen. I'm watching some which I have seen before though too, there's some really good ones.

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  6. I loved reading about your date day - it sounded really fun. Looking forward to reading about May's night out. It's incredible how fast the year is passing! Jx

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    1. I'm enjoying my dates with Mick. I'm trying to think of somewhere to go for May now.

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  7. Yes, postal charges are bad here too. I posted a normal 1 page letter to UK on Friday and it cost me $2.30. A medium quilt can cost me up to $100 if I go through Australia Post, so I've been looking at other parcel services.

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    1. I don't think I'd be posting any quilts, that's so expensive. I think the way round the high costs is to look at other services, perhaps a courier, that's what I'll be doing in future.

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  8. The post office claims that the new system is easier to understand but even the girls at my local post office admit to being confused by it so what hope is there for the rest of us?

    Well done for keeping up with your challenges. :o)

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    1. It used to be a case of weighing the parcel, now it has to be measured too, so how they think this is simplifying things is beyond me. I think the new system is there to justify increasing prices, yet again.

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  9. This year seems to have flown past, I agree. Where does the time go? I like the idea of the date a month. Have a great week - great weather today, lets hope it lasts!
    June

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    1. It's nice weather here today, I do hope it lasts, we might have our date outdoors then.

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  10. 'Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!' Haha. I love that film and Bette Davis is brilliant. My lovely mum looked a lot like her. I think I've seen most of the old movies, thanks to growing up with my dad, who loved them all. If you get to one I haven't seen, I'll let you know! xxx

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    1. My mum loves all the old films, but I was never bothered for them as I grew up. I wish now that I'd paid more attention, though it's nice to be discovering them now.

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  11. Postage has become extortionate, I think it will put a stop to a lot of people buying/selling on ebay.

    I love the idea of your date day/night it sounds very romantic, often we get so absorbed in everyday life we forget to make time for each other, must try that.

    The weather here in Doncaster is lovely today, bright and sunny with just a hint of breeze, great for drying the washing! Guess what I'm doing lol
    Karen

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    1. I'm sure Ebay will have noticed a difference since postage charges have increased. It's great having time for ourselves, even just once a month. It's fun choosing places to go on our date too. It sounds like we've got similar weather today, I do hope it lasts.

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  12. I think your challenges are just the sort I should be doing too. I would like to go to the cinema or theatre more often although a DVD that my husband I would both enjoy would be the next best thing.

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    1. I'm enjoying my challenges as they are all fun ones. It's a shame that it's so expensive to go to the cinema and theatre, I would go more often if it wasn't. Going to the theatre is a real treat, and we only go to the cinema if there's something specific that we want to see.

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  13. I think your challenge to watch one old film a month is such a great idea, just think of all the classics you are seeing now! I agree, postage charges are now totally crazy. x

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    1. I'm really enjoying the old films I'm watching. I don't think I'd get round to setting time aside to see them if I hadn't made it one of my challenges.

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  14. I buy on ebay but I've yet to pluck up the courage to sell ... I'm always afraid I'll make a mistake. Watching one old film a month ... that's a great idea and much more my style :)

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    1. It's only the postage which you could really make a mistake on, but it can be costly if you do. I'm really enjoying the films I'm watching, some great classics.

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  15. Postage rates are crazy! Just sent my nephew his birthday gift via Amazon and it was cheaper. I can't believe its May! Thinking of a date for ourselves as its our 21st this month, can't believe that either!!

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    1. I think everyone will be thinking of ways round using Royal Mail now that the postage rates are so expensive. Time passes by so quickly, it's our 23rd this year. Hope you think of something nice to do.

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  16. I saw that film once on TV a long time ago.
    MM is the most beautiful young girl in it don't you think?
    Glad that challenge is going well.
    Shame about the postage hiccup, but well done for keeping on going with it!
    Lisa x

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    1. Marilyn Monroe is really young in the film, not a huge role but enough to get her noticed. I still made on the item I sold, it's just a shame that the postage ate in to my profits.

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