Mon 16th Aug - What small things will you do today?

catmiaow

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

Hello all,

My list for today is:

Start new job - very nervous
[STRIKE]Check bank
Email friend back
Use free texts in the morning, lunch and evening
Do comps before work, lunch time and evening - Doubt I will get personal internet access otherwise
See to pets
Take rubbish out
Clean bathroom
Ring my nan with free mins at lunch time[/STRIKE]
Meals from stores
[STRIKE]Ordered RAC cover for me and OH using CC vouchers :0)[/STRIKE]

Hope everyone has a good day!

determined_new_ms

awww Cat, good luck at your new job, no doubt in my mind you'll be fantastic & everyone will all love you, I'm sure you'll be buzzing later xxx

catmiaow

determined_new_ms wrote: »

awww Cat, good luck at your new job, no doubt in my mind you'll be fantastic & everyone will all love you, I'm sure you'll be buzzing later xxx

Thank you xx

determined_new_ms

Morning everyone else who follows :wave:urgh! Its Monday working 6 days this week but on the bright side only 11 working days till I am off for a week :j (then after I go back only 5 working days till I'm off for 10 days and we're off to Turkey :j:j:j) so I really should get my act into gear, but I'm doing overtime today to make up time for when i was ill the week before last so not so urgent as a usual working day

Weather here is like the beginning of winter


Today:

• [STRIKE]check banking [/STRIKE] no change
• [STRIKE]soup/gruel for lunch[/STRIKE] /:o
• [STRIKE]working in home town so saving 40 miles worth of petrol[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]hang up hc done last night[/STRIKE]
• water toms later
• be efficient at work errr not sure how I did on this one...
• call cc1 to find out balance & if statement has been issued
• [STRIKE]dinner at in-laws so saving food costs but...[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]need to make something for students tea before I go[/STRIKE]
• clean bathroom
• (I may) clean car
• any surveys available

ok that's me have a fantastic day everyone

mogchops

Good morning, thanks for starting the thread Cat, and GOOD LUCK for your new job!! :j

Today:
- check online banking
- packed lunch for DH
- DDs to holiday club
- go to work
- sort paperwork
- make dentist appts
- do all comps ending 17/08

Have a great day everyone x

OliveOyl_2

Best of luck Cat. I'm sorry to say that the best advice I was given was "you'll hate the first week, but give it time" So here's to next week :beer:

Morning All :hello:It is sunny today in Jo'burg, and there are buds on the trees

So today I have/will:

• been waiting to post on this list - :oI'm so sad, but it does concentrate the mind.
• make fish pie for supper tonight
• I need to finish Sis's shrug for Christmas, but don't have the right sized needles, so I've put it aside to finish in the UK rather than buying another pair,:money: and I'm going to look for another pattern using the wool I already have for the next present
• water my seedlings - I think the lemon tree cutting may have taken, but the avocado seems to be asleep still
• 20 mins on the CT. And I should get my Play.com voucher to buy Shred _pale_
• should be a NSD as I don't plan to go out. But either today or tomorrow I need to get a wedding pressie for next Saturday.
• Still planning outings for when we have guests -:D

I've sort of started my journal - well I've made a title page.........when I'm up to date I *may* put it on-line so my Dad can read it.........I can't remember who suggested that, (putting it on-line) but it seems a nice idea thanks.

Have a great day :A

notjustlaura

Hello

First post to DFW although I've been off and on OS for a while.

I really like this idea. My small thing for today is to menu-plan for the week and then make my shopping list. I'll put it through mysupermarket so I know how much I'm spending (and make it as low as possible, of course!) and then do the shop myself tomorrow.

stitching_witch

Right then, after a "down" week, I am determined to pull myself together and *do* stuff. Only 5 days at work then ten days off :j

So far today I have:

• checked banking - need to get some cash in there today :eek:
• checked surveys
• fed and watered the chickens and asked for at leaast three eggies today
• made lunch to take to work

I will also:

• read my book so I don't go to the bakery at lunch time
• send DH into town to put money in my bank
• ask DH very sweetly to hang washing outside as it was washed yesterday and still in machine
• try to enjoy my day at work (that's the hard one)

It would be nice to have an update from those of you doing the 101 things. Pop over to the diary and let me know your progress - it's only because I'm nosey!

Stitchy

determined_new_ms

Ok I posted this on the weekend thread for SJ1 but thought I'd put here in case she didn't see (I'm presumming ur a lady )

SJ1 wrote: »

OK. I am dying to know how you are feeding a family of four on £60 a week! Tell me all. I really struggle with less than £100. Where am I going wrong! Just bought Economy Gastronomy in an attempt to help!!

Please help and do tell what those weetabix brownies were like!

SJ

Hi SJ1 ok how I feeding a family of 4 on £60pw is as follows:

I do an inventory of what I have in the fridge/freezer/cupboards this is the start to my meal planning. Then I shopped at Lidl as my main shop and got what was on offer there and planned my meals around that so for example aubergines were 50p each so we are having moussaka one day. Once I brought this home I worked out what I needed to get from Asda. Meal plan is as follows:

S: Roast chicken, roast pots, yorkshire puds, frozen brocolli, tinned sweatcorn & steam courgettes. Desert hm brownies
M: Eating at in laws/student/son leftover signapore noodles from Saturday
T: Moussaka - aubegines, mince (SP from asda - after browning drain off the fat to make it healthier) & cheese & veg from storecupboards
W: Toad in the hole (half a bag of suasages in the freezer from last week)
T: hm pizza & salad (when I made this the week before last I 3x the tom base & frooze it)
F: Steak (whopsied at lidl for £1.69), hm chips & salad
S: Garlic fried potatos, lamb steak burgers & salad (I will have a jacket pot & coleslaw & salad)
S: Chilli con carne

Lunches: leftovers/cheese/chicken roll/egg mayo/tuna sandwiches (all storecupboard other than the chicken roll)/lidl noodles for oh & ds, crisps/banana, oat & cinnimon muffins(always have brown bananas to use up at the end of the week!)/ a piece of fruit

1 bottle of wine/cider, I pack of fresh coffee, I jar of hot choc (I've decided to give up alcohol for a month :eek: so am drinking tea & hot choc like its going out of fashion!), natural greek yogurt for me, muller corners for ds & student (bogof in lidl), lidl had an offer on cheese 600grms for £3

usually I make my own bread but with the student here atm we're getting through bread ridulously so I'm buying sp bread atm, which was reduced to 30p a loaf yesterday so I got 2 & froze one

a lot of things I grab while they're on offer or buy bigger amounts for example we always get generic frostys but its cheaper to get a massive box of cornflakes & add ur own sugar, buy a kilo butter when its on offer - there's usually one at one of the supermarkets (same goes with cheese - use mysupermarket.co.uk to find out what deals are on), I bulk out meals like chilli/spag/curry/shepperds pie with somke red lentils. I always boil up the carcass to make a soup stock & freeze if I'm not going to make that day - soups a great/cheap lunch for me or oh. Always have porridge oats for filling breakfast/make quick desert. I also buy longlife milk for when the fresh has run out...

for cleaning products I buy nettos washing powder (£1.99 for a box that last 3/4 weeks - it doesn't smell as lovely as the named brands but it cleans just as well) and about 2/3 weeks ago there was an offer 2x 2ltr fab con for £1.50 at nettos. I use star drops for cleaning & grab bleach when there's an offer on.

It took a long time to get here and there are weeks when its more expensive as I need to get storecupboard essentials but if I'm aware of what they are I can get them when they're on offer (for example boots has 6x johnsons babywipes at the moment for what works out at 62p, that's much cheaper than I can get the generic anywhere so that's what I'll be grabbing later, I get generic usually for 85p in lidl) I use the OS board for inspiration & have had the cheapest most delish meals off of there - for example the sausage casserole has got to be one of the cheapest & best meals I've ever eaten!

phew the mundane workings of my shopping excursions!

ps the wheatabix brownies are amazing! Make them but be aware they won't last long! :rotfl:

WelshWoofer

Morning all! It appears to be summer again here - forgot it was August!
Good luck with the job Cat!

Back to normal today after the weekend - still on school holidays so I'm at home again.

Today's list will be ....

• Walk dog for free exercise - think it'll be a run in the park today (for both of us)
• Got my pashmina and bag from ebay for the wedding from ebay last night for £11 for the both - £1 over my budget but that won't break the bank!
• Phone payroll people about mistakes in pay - I will get that money back!:mad:
• Do at least 2 hours school work
• Clean bathrooms
• All food from stores - fajitas for tea
• Do one load of washing and dry naturally
• Put the dry washing away
• Try to have a NSD - don't need anything so its a matter of just not buying anything
• Weigh - not looking forward to this
• Checked banks - only the expected DDs gone out
• Checked quidco - give me my money!!
• Do any surveys that come

That's all I can think of for now - have a good day in the sun for a change!

josiebabie

Good luck with the new job Cat. Here's happy vibes coming your way! Please come on later and update to tell us how it's gone

I have had an odd email this morning - got my bill from BT, they say I am in credit so am having a payment holiday until November 26th (yay!) but then they will be putting my direct debit up to £20.50 a month from £16.50???? Confused!!! Never mind, it's still less than I was paying originally £44.50 for broadband and phone!

My small things today:-
- Dinner from stores - Tuna pasta bake
- Snacks from stores, inc choccy given to me by salesman
- Maximise on labour sales today
- Rejig budget for the month etc
- HC on line, not tumble - taking a risk on the lovely sunny weather!

Jx