Monday 14th June - What small DFW things have you done today?!

pixiechick99

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 :money:

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 :D

Gooood morning people! Me again - only up as I have to get the girls off to school:o
Hope you all had lovely weekends - you definitely looked busy (Yes Fay....you, with the mammoth list;))

So, another day at home today - I did venture to the school fayre on Saturday...I just sat at a bench and watched!!

Here's a little list for me....

• check banking
• daily scratch
• packed lunches made for dd2, dd1 has money on her school card
• meal from plan tonight - chicken chow mein
• take chicken out of freezer for dinner
• get a daughter to hoover for me
• NSD

Hmmm....that's my lot I think - I am trying, honest:):)
Have a great day everyone!! Tis good to be back:D

OliveOyl_2

Morning All :wave:

Thanks Milly for this thread - already it has helped me. You reminded me to take something out of the freezer for supper

So today I have/will:
Taken something out of the freezer for supper AND something out for tomorrow night which I am defrosting in the fridge (reduces the running cost of the fridge everso slightly )
The storecupboard/feezer challenge I;ve set myself therefore continues.
Last night when we got back from a weekend with the out-laws I SO wanted chinese takeaway, but I cooked myself some peanut noodles instead- I had to put that in, it was such an achievement .
The out-laws have given us money to buy a cross-trainer for our birthdays (we're both half a century this year :eek:) and I plan to research on the Which site (my Dad subscribes) and then buy something at the African equivalent of Cash Converters or Macro so continuing to follow the mantra Do I want it? (Yes) Do I need it (Yes) Can I get it cheaper (hopefully!):money:
Must do my banking
The cuttings we took of shrubs last year have taken :j so will be gardening tomorrow.
Today we're going to my parents so will drive economically and use the Dart tag.

Have a great day everyone :A

La_escocesa

Hi everyone :wave:

Where is everyone????!!!!

Need to pop out on my lunch break to go and get some lunch supplies to last the rest of the week so no NSD for me. Will be a different story the rest of the week though – I will be prepared! I will, I will, I will…


Other things for today:

• Update spending diary :A
• Update diary thread
• Chase up wedding card/paper for evening invites that didn’t arrive after an email saying it got dispatched Freephone number at least…
• Tidy round and put everything away that isn’t in its proper place!
• Work hard at work but forget about the place as soon as I leave (being off work on Friday and having a busy weekend is taking its toll – feels like it was ages ago since I was here and have now no clue what’s going on…All part of the fast-paced pensions lifestyle! Is it poss to get the post-hol blues after only one day off?! )
• Finish my list from yesterday
• Got a packet of tissues for free
• Got a hair clip for free (an EZcomb in fact) and I’ve been thinking about buying one for a while
• Enjoying a free cuppa
• Used a freebie lip balm
• Smile because mum said I’ve ‘not to worry’ about the price of the hotel at cousin’s wedding – dad’s got it covered phew!

Are you seeing a ‘freebie’ appreciation trend??? Realised I’m appreciating things I get for free a whole lot more these days. I used to think “oh, free hand cream, that’s nice” and chuck it in the basket in the bathroom and then probably still go out and buy one. Today I thought “that’s good, a packet of tissues for free. That’ll save me about 50p.” I heart the small things!

MiL2b also offered to cut my bridesmaid dress so I can wear it again as a cocktail dress. Not sure how it’ll work out (think it’ll probably still look too ‘weddingy’) but worth a go as I’ll definitely never wear it again as it is. Might try and ‘do a Gok’ with some embellishments/bit of material/frill/sequins/new straps/belt etc… It’ll still be lilac satin though… hmm.

Hope everyone is having a good Monday (I presume you are and are all busy and not posting!). I’ll catch up soon when I’m back home and the place is sparkling clean! :rotfl:

Xx

Wee_Jo

Hey!

It's quiet today here!

So far I have:

• Walked to work instead of getting the bus (free exercise too!)
• Brought in my lunch and chocolate brownies (which are pretty much all gone!)
• Turned off everything at the wall before I left
• Charged mobile at work
• Availed of free tea and biccies
• Checked bank account (all good)
• Have dinner sorted as it's spaghetti bolognese that I made yesterday
• Having an NSD so far!

Think that's it for now.....

Hope you're all having a decent Monday, it's quite bright here (though not as nice as it was first thing) so going for a walk at lunchtime.

Jo

Wee_Jo

La_escocesa wrote: »

Are you seeing a ‘freebie’ appreciation trend??? Realised I’m appreciating things I get for free a whole lot more these days. I used to think “oh, free hand cream, that’s nice” and chuck it in the basket in the bathroom and then probably still go out and buy one. Today I thought “that’s good, a packet of tissues for free. That’ll save me about 50p.” I heart the small things!

MiL2b also offered to cut my bridesmaid dress so I can wear it again as a cocktail dress. Not sure how it’ll work out (think it’ll probably still look too ‘weddingy’) but worth a go as I’ll definitely never wear it again as it is. Might try and ‘do a Gok’ with some embellishments/bit of material/frill/sequins/new straps/belt etc… It’ll still be lilac satin though… hmm.

Xx

Hola La escosesa! :hello:

Definitely agree with the freebie appreciation - I didn't used to appreciate free things at all - I guess I didn't see the value of it, but now that I appreciate the value of money now, I find myself quite obsessed by freebies, offers and bargains!

Re: the bridesmaid dress, my bridesmaid had her dress dyed a few months after our wedding so she could wear it again and it worked well (it was already mid calf length so she didn't need to have it shortened). It used to be a dusky pink and now it's a deeper cerise-y colour. Might be possible, s'pose it depends on material and colour you want to dye it.

Jo

elfen

Today I have/will:
Had an NSD
Rent has been paid
Water has been paid (both essential bills so don't count)
Researched next to nothing online lol
Read more of the Adventures of a Call Girl books
Sort out stuff for going home tomorrow
Check train times

Beencounting

Afternoon all

Nice to see you about Milly

Quite a cool day here today, got my woolly-pully back out again…well it saves on heating!

Today I will/have:

• Check banking & update spreadsheet
• Surveys
• HM lunch to work
• Dinner from stores
• LSD day (am absolutely sure I’ll need some chocolate later )
• HC and airer or line dry depending on the weather
• Some ironing to keep on top of it, plus it’ll keep me warm since it’s much cooler today

That’s it for now.

Catch up later.

Been

La_escocesa

Jo_Rourke wrote: »

Hola La escosesa! :hello:

Definitely agree with the freebie appreciation - I didn't used to appreciate free things at all - I guess I didn't see the value of it, but now that I appreciate the value of money now, I find myself quite obsessed by freebies, offers and bargains!

Re: the bridesmaid dress, my bridesmaid had her dress dyed a few months after our wedding so she could wear it again and it worked well (it was already mid calf length so she didn't need to have it shortened). It used to be a dusky pink and now it's a deeper cerise-y colour. Might be possible, s'pose it depends on material and colour you want to dye it.

Jo

Thanks Jo! That's a great idea. Definitely going to look into that - pretty sure I could find a dye for satin...What's the worst that can happen???:)

ETA - seems satin/polyester is the worst to dye! Humpf.

Wee_Jo

I just put on a jacket I had left in work for ages and found 50p in the pocket!!!! It's so funny, my "old" self would have just shrugged, but I am genuinely delighted!:j

La_escocesa

Jo_Rourke wrote: »

I just put on a jacket I had left in work for ages and found 50p in the pocket!!!! It's so funny, my "old" self would have just shrugged, but I am genuinely delighted!:j

Woohoo, I love it! That surely counts as a 'freebie'! :T

Mazzy_2

Hi all, this is my first post on a daily thread, but thought I'd join in if that's OK?

Just been to Tesco this morning and needed a birthday cake for DD, normally I'd buy one ready made but this time bought two basic victoria sponges, and have found some icing sugar in the cupboard, so got a bottle of pink food colouring and will use that to ice the cake, then print some pictures of DD's fave people using the internet, and saving the lolly sticks from the cheap lollies in the freezer (20 for £2) from Tesco, will decorate the cake with these folk! :rotfl:

Also managed to get my cheap bread from Tesco, they usually have a good amount reduced on Monday's if you give them time to get round to pricing it up, I got 3 Hovis loaves reduced to £64p from a £1 so happy with that, I also buy Tesco Economy wholemeal, at 50p a loaf it tastes just the same as their standard loaf, but unfortunately it sells out quickly, but the reduced bread makes up for that, and I freeze it so no problem with the dates.

A tip is, even if you don't shop online, if you go to the Tesco website (or any supermarket website I imagine is the same) they have all their special offers grouped together, so you can find the buy 1 get 1 free offers, and any other offers and see if any are of use to you, it really does help, and much easier than roaming round the supermarket looking for them, if you know what you're buying, and the aisles you need to go down, then less chance of picking other stuff up whilst browsing round!