It feels like forever ago that I wrote my last Monday Money post. I have been on holiday for five days to Penzance and Isles of Scilly and it feels like an alternative universe. Last Wednesday I pelted it down the A303 and A30 to Cornwall. I tried to book a train to be more environmentally friendly, but the ticket I booked was cancelled. So I drove instead.
I arrived at 8pm and some friends in a hotel/bar and had several glasses of wine. The start of being 16 again had arrived. Along with storms. Our boat to the Isles of Scilly was cancelled and we had 48 hours in Penzance.
I loved spending time showing my friend Neil around Penzance and all the places I used to hangout when I was a teenager. We also went back to the house I grew up and in and met the people that live there now. I havn’t been back there since in left in 1995. It was surreal, not emotional as it looked so so different.
We managed to stay in Penzance for free, calling up my sister who lives there to say we were homeless. Drinks in Penzance are SO much cheaper than London. A round of half a cider and a glass of wine £5!! We ate crab and scallops for lunch, we had Jelberts ice cream, we went to every pub I frequented as a teen and had a brilliant 48 hours.
After a two day delay the seas had settle to just a 4m swell and the boat was allowed to sail. We prepared for a very rough journey with seasickness tablets and it was fine. Kwells work or I just have really good sea legs. We arrived to blue skies and sunshine on the Isles of Scilly.
It is heaven here, the sea is so blue and clean. The sand is white and millions of shells decorating the beaches. The island is in bloom with beautiful flowers everywhere and the people are incredibly friendly. Its a good holiday. Follow me on Instagram for so many pictures, instastories galore.
Chasing Refunds and Complaints
Before holiday began I had a hectic few days getting work done before I left. One thing on my to do list has been chasing refunds and complaints. I have an outstanding complaint with Virgin Media about over charges at the end of a broadband contract. I need to chase down £50 incorrectly charged by new broadband provider EE. The trainline owe me £85, Virgin Atlantic still owe me £432 from March cancelled flights. I am owed around £600.
Chase down those refunds or complaints they can be worth a lot of money!
Earning Whilst I am on Holiday
I am on a mission to build my passive income, the money that my business earned without me having to do anything. This includes referral income, advertising revenue and product sales.
Since I have been away I have had people signing up to Octopus Energy, switching means saving money on monthly bills and a £50 credit to both of our bills. I have had readers set up products with my insurance partners LifeSearch about their life and income protection needs again we have both shared refer a friend cash back, up to £50 for you.
Topcashback friend referrals have gone crazy, I just checked my account and had £170 sat in there to transfer over to my bank account. If you sign up at the moment you get a £5 sign up bonus. Earn cash back and extra discounts on all your online shopping (my last purchase 200 book envelopes from eBay got me 80p in cash back, also £100 for switching my broadband from Virgin to EE!) *all of these links earn us both money, you get a sign up bonus and I get a referral fee, if you do sign up, a huge thank you for helping to fund all the free content I put out.
Book sales are flooding in. Its not really pre-order anymore, as I start to ship them out on Friday of this week when I return home. If you order my book today you will receive it maybe by Saturday, more likely Tuesday 1st Sept.
Interview with Kat Byles on my Podcast
I have been busy pre-recording lots of interview for Mrs Mummypenny Talks and last week saw me chat to Kat Byles, PR from heart and True Business founder. Her story is hugely inspirational and her business is incredible. You can download and listen to the interview here.
Next week I interview Jennifer Broadley, founder of Healthy Chat Therapy and Jennifer Broadley Executive coaching. My podcast is published every Tuesday at noon.
Being a model for PensionBee
I get so many messages from friends and followers at the mo when they spot me on TV, the PensionBee advert! September sees me appear on huge billboards nationwide, please do send me pictures if you spot one;-). I wrote this post about what it felt like to be part of a huge marketing campaign with my face and story as a huge part of it.
Writing for The Sun
And finally watch out for my latest article for Fabulous magazine and The Sun where I share bargain ideas for back to school packed lunches. Hopefully another viral post just like my last one in July on healthy family meal planning. This time I make frittata and pasta salad. Food that keeps the children feeling fuller for longer. The article is planned to come out on Wed 26th August.
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