Sat 10th/Sun 11th April - What small DFW things have you done today?

josiebabie

When we start out on the DFW trail we do loads of "big stuff" that makes quite a difference to our situation. These include having our lightbulb moment, cutting up the credit cards and cancelling Sky and the gym.

But once we have done the bigger stuff, we often feel that we are not making the same amount of progress, when in fact the small steps are helping us form good financial habits and helping us get closer everyday to staying in control and becoming debt free, or staying debt free

Examples could be charging your phone up at work instead of at home to save your electricity, hanging washing out instead of using the tumble dryer or leaving your purse/wallet at home to avoid the risk of spending.

So be proud of those small steps, they really are important :beer:

Morning ladies! I am working today so thought I'd start the thread. Got a quiet day ahead of me by the looks of things work wise...
So today I have/will:-
- [STRIKE]Check banking/cc's online to see if anything has changed[/STRIKE] Nothing's changed
- Overtime today - £85 for 6 hours work
- [STRIKE]Taken snacks in from home, no lunch as I'm only here til 2pm and I'm on my own so won't be able to take time away from my desk really.[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]Purge cut off date Monday, not had a good month really but have had nearly a week off so don't feel too bad, plus it's bonus month this month so all in all will be OK.[/STRIKE] Submitted to manager
- NSD today, don't need anything Successful so far!
- [STRIKE]Took sausages out of freezer last night for toad in the hole off meal plan tonight. Will have with mashed potatoes and onion gravy.[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]Had water heater on over night as OH wanted a bath this morning instead of shower[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]Did the washing up before 6.30am and turned off hot water![/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]Started washing machine at 6.15am to try and catch cheap electric for the heating of water in it :S[/STRIKE]
- [STRIKE]Catch up on all outstanding jobs at work, check my figures and see what I have in the workshop against figures for the month, this one has slowed down but have sold another headgasket, so that's 12 hours straight away.[/STRIKE]

Have a lovely day all
J x

PS Mum can you hang my washing out when it's finished? Paul has left his metal collar stiffeners in the stripey shirt so you may find these in the bottom of the WM. Thanks xxxx

Pippilongstocking

Morning Josie

You beat me to it today!

My list today

Lots to do!!

Check banks:eek:
Go to new house after I've gone into town to see if I can find a shower head (ours broke yesterday)
Move some money
List some dvd's on Amazon
Take ebay photos (I know I know still NOT done)
Take about 1 million willow cuttings to the new house and put them in a bucket to plant tomorrow
Herbicide the bits for the hedge - its money saving because its going to be an 'energy hedge' to grow wood for our house
[STRIKE]Make some tomato soup fro lunch as the lodger and her mum are popping out to the new house[/STRIKE]:eek: campervan broke down so change of plan but eventualy got to have a cuppa out there
See if we can get a telly signal at new house without buying a new aerial
Planted shallots and need to plant onions and clean out greenhouse some more
Move leaves etc from paths and use as a mulch on the garden
Walk dog
[STRIKE]Go to charity shops[/STRIKE]:cool: didnt manage
A bit of HC at the new house and line dry
Put more of my shopping away!!!
Do a bit more fencing
Start to think about where I can put some big pots in the new house for veggies as there's no garden except grass in new house and I don't want to lose a season's veggie growing
Find pots for tomatoes and see what compost I still have
Food from the freezer - we don't need to buy anything except some veggies!

Josie thanks for the thread lovely to see the smiley

Hugs to those who need them

PS I forgot - Dr Who this evening must watch it - I quite like the new doctor although I didn't want to IYSWIM........................:)

Pippilongstocking

Josie - how does cheap electric work (I have it at the new house)

I know you have cheaper rates at certain times..............but apart from that I've never had it before

Does everything in the house work on that cheaper rate?
Do you know when the times are?

Sorry to be asking - I'm just a bit confused (Mind you I'm generally confused!!)

princess_loki

fayjmck wrote: »

Go to new house after I've gone into town to see if I can find a shower head (ours broke yesterday)

fay - if shower heads are expensive you can cobble one together using a watering can rose (sure you have lots) and then buy one off internet if cheaper! we have done this before and it works!!

loki x

josiebabie

Fay,
In my house it runs from 11.30pm through the night til 6.30am and it's just for anything. It's brilliant for putting WM on over night or tumble (if you have to use it) on time clocks. Also good to charge things over night if you can, like electric toothbrush or mobile. I think mine is about 13p a unit in the day and 5p a unit in the night, not sure if that's accurate or not but it's not far off.

I dont know if it works but in my logical head the washing machine only heats water at the first stage of it's use and does't rinse in hot water (I think...!) so by starting it before the cheap leccy stops it gives it 15 mins/ 1/2 hr to do the expensive heating bit. This might be COMPLETELY wrong, but it's a theory!

I only have night storage heaters like you in your new house, except mine don't have a manual override so I leave the fuses in . Storage heaters are soooo expensive!

NewlyFrugalMumof3

A Very Sunny Good Morning to you All

Feel really lazy sat here in dressing gown and pj's, whilst all 3 boys are in the same watching Nick Junior!:o Whilst others have been up since the crack of dawn and worked hard before going off to work.

Plan:
Must go to bed earlier so can get up earlier and get ahead of the day!

After a productive day yesterday, there was one major frustration:

" Get passport applications x 2 checked and sent off at Post Office as only got 6 weeks until holiday - hope haven't left too late."

Used PO check and send service but OH had forgotton to sign and enclose his new photos and DS2's photo had a scratch so she wouldn't accept it.
Cost me £16 to be told that :mad: And she said "that's just £16 to pay" - agghh.

So today:

Must get new photo's taken and countersigned again.

Get few essentials in: milk, juices, veg & fruit
Tackling ironing mountain
Take boys out this afternoon to coast again
Homemade pizza's and wedges for tea
Make scrummy easy fruit cake today
Find my birth certificate ?! to send off to OU for funding application
check online banking
Have LSD
Washing on
Washing line dried
Order birthday presents online tonight
Have family board games night with boys, instead of TV
Dig over couple beds in garden
Walk dog

Have a great day everyone. I shall try and sparkle (despite hideous PMT!)
:rotfl:

Pippilongstocking

josiebabie wrote: »

Fay,
In my house it runs from 11.30pm through the night til 6.30am and it's just for anything. It's brilliant for putting WM on over night or tumble (if you have to use it) on time clocks. Also good to charge things over night if you can, like electric toothbrush or mobile. I think mine is about 13p a unit in the day and 5p a unit in the night, not sure if that's accurate or not but it's not far off.

I dont know if it works but in my logical head the washing machine only heats water at the first stage of it's use and does't rinse in hot water (I think...!) so by starting it before the cheap leccy stops it gives it 15 mins/ 1/2 hr to do the expensive heating bit. This might be COMPLETELY wrong, but it's a theory!

I only have night storage heaters like you in your new house, except mine don't have a manual override so I leave the fuses in . Storage heaters are soooo expensive!

Thanks Josie - I'll check with my provider (its Scottish Hydro at the mo) - as to the hours. I think I need to get ANOTHER energy owl - I keep switching it between the cheap/night rates meters and I'm getting confused (easily done again!!)

I'm trying to readjust to doing HC's at night etc - Not looking forward to storage heaters and LOL shhhhh about the fuses (the kids think the heaters are being 'fixed/serviced')

Ta for the info

:rotfl:

Pippilongstocking

princess_loki wrote: »

fay - if shower heads are expensive you can cobble one together using a watering can rose (sure you have lots) and then buy one off internet if cheaper! we have done this before and it works!!

loki x

Thanks Loki - I'm investigating superglue and things - its a plastic shower head thingmy that snapped on the bit where it goes into the pipe.

Off to the greenhouse (I have 6 watering cans - I don't know why!!)

determined_new_ms

Morning girls! I was up at 7 but am till absorbed by the thread I posted yesterday - I'm currently on page 14/206 :rotfl:, I think that's my entertainment for a while :rotfl:!

Watched a really good film last night "Disgrace", I'd recommend if you have a dvd rental (we're really making the most of the 3 mnths for the price of 1 offer from Lovefilm and are generally watching 1 on the day we get them and the second on the following night and posting them back the following days. Never been this good at it before!) We currently are complete hermits! But I guess that will start to end with the weather getting nicer...




Ok today list:

• [STRIKE]checked online banking[/STRIKE], robed peter to pay paul and now A&L od is £0!!! . However this i just an illusion as I haven't paid our rent for April yet , but am thinking I will hold off paying until 20/4 (payday), as we live in a housing association property I think I can get away with it...
• watch 2nd film tonight
• [STRIKE]post back film watched last night before 11.30[/STRIKE]
• take back 2 spare packs of laminate flooring and grout pen to B&Q and exchange for beading (we need 29 meters :eek: so may have to make a very small top up)
• lay beading
• [STRIKE]have done cupbaord/fridge/freezer stock take, prepared meal plan [/STRIKE]and only need to spend around £20!!! nd that includes box of wine (usually spend £50PW) opps there goes my optimism again!!! Spent £35 but still need to get toms and lettuce as they didn't have. Not bad tho...
• [STRIKE]worked out figures for next few months[/STRIKE] - with AL days sale have reduced od repayments by another month! Just hope I can continue being so disciplined when it comes to not spending any money for another 3 months
• plant potatoes, basil, peppers, chillis, rocket, lettuce, corridander
• see if I can save last years strawberry plants as I have been rather neglectful of them
• [STRIKE]either go for long walk with oh, go to gym (oh laughed and laughed last night when I said I was going today and said "you've said that every day this week" ) or do exercise dvd at home[/STRIKE] walked to the wood which is about 3 miles each way and then did the 2 3/4 mile route - knackered!!!!
• check for surveys/piggy clicks (although I never seem to get any at the weekends :mad:)
• wash up rather than use dw opps oh got there first nd filled the dw! couldn't be bothered to mention it or unload and wash up
• vacuum hallway & bedroom
• clean bathroom oh is doing this tomorrow
• polish bedrroom & lounge
• [STRIKE]email 2 friends from uni [/STRIKE](we graduated neverly 7 years ago) as we have made plans to meet up on Tues but need to organise what we are doing. M suggested meal and bowling I ot back nd said I couldn't afford that so not sure what we're doing. I'm gonna suggest either meal at mine and board games or go to my gym for saunas (they will need to pay £5 each to get in, but there are 2 suanas there) and then go for a drink afterwards..
• just entered a comp for a all incl. week's holiday in Malaysia

Phew what a list!!!! Will be exhausted by the evening , better get on and not spend too much time reading the new thread I'm addicted to :D
so after the walk think my list was too ambitious and I have left no time for doing nothing/reading/relaxing will do what I can be bothered to and transfer the others over to tomorrow

La_escocesa

Morning ladies :wave:

Soooo happy it's the weekend!

I'm staying in most of it (might need to pop out for milk and to put on a sneaky Grand National bet...) but apart from that I'll be enjoying the sunshine from the window. Uh, sounds quite sad. Maybe if it's still nice tomorrow I'll suggest to OH about going for a walk for the first time this year - we're keen walkers, usual walk we go is 9 miles through the Peak District - only trouble is that it ends at a really nice pub so easy to get sidetracked!! So if we go tomorrow it'll be a packed lunch and a cheeky drink only in the pub. That's a DFW compromise! :beer:

Anyway, I digress, on with the list!

• Check through old CDs that are languishing in a box to see which ones I can sell (Anyone sell a lot of CDs? Is Amazon best?) Put some on Music Magpie and currently coming to £14.22. Also need to check with mum how many I left there when I moved out. Might be some more pennies there
  
• Mend hem on work's skirt - was £4 from Next Clearance 5 years ago and still going strong!
• Try to fix a necklace I got less than 6 months ago (all the beads flew off in the pub!) or try to take it back for an exchange. (Don't have my receipt but what do you think of my chances?! I reckon it's worth being a bit cheeky...)
• Slow cooking sumat Chicken has defrosted so will do this tomorrow and gammon joint is currently soaking
• Meal plan for next week - didn't do this on Thurs! Went to aldi to get a few more bits and bobs - feeling a bit more prepared now!
• Watch a film, read a book and chill with a glass of vino (started buying boxes of wine with the groceries and it's saved us so much! Really annoyed we didn't start doing this sooner, rather than buying £5+ bottles from the corner shop!) Watched SATC and drinking a glass of wine that my SIL2B left here last night! Free is better than cheap!:beer:
• Lots of boring housework stuff keeping me out of spending trouble Not really got very far with this...as per usual...There's always tomorrow!
• Pay Quidco cashback to cc#3. That baby is going down!
• Won on my £2 each way bet on the grand national @ 10/1 - every little helps...
• Updated my spending diary
• Ate some pasta that was in the fridge rather than cooking something else
• Put some coins in the jar
• Unplugged the heater
  

Urgh, Newlyfrugalmumof3, that's so frustrating about the passport pics. I haven't heard anything from the driving licence folk and I didn't bother with the post office checking service... At least you got told at that stage rather than posting it and getting it returned. I hope you're off somewhere nice in 6 weeks! That'll make it all the more worthwhile!

Catch up soon folks!

xx

WelshWoofer

Morning all - nice and sunny here too.

Today will be a quite limited list as I have a lot of work to do and stuff to do out of the house...

• Walk dog x3 for free exercise - 1 done
• Write 3 lessons - must do this!
• Go to cinema to see Clash of the Titans this evening with OH (not fussed but he fancies it) - will use SU card for cheaper tickets and buy sweets at Mr S before we go - just had to tell someone! £17.90 for two tickets (one a student one)!!! Daylight robbery - don't even like 3D makes me feel a bit sick in the glasses and look daft! The things we do to keep OHs happy.......
• Hoover house with new hoover - very excited;) Hoover is fab - almost lifts the carpets its so powerful - I'm a bit of a cleaning obsessive so very happy!
• Do one load of washing this evening and dry naturally - in now
• Have hair cut and dyed this afternoon - about time!
• Checked banks - 5p interest in current account, I'm rich!
• Do a little bit more on my standards file if there's time -done a teeny bit

That's it for today - hope everyone has a good one!