Monday 4th March - What small DFW things will you do today?!

mummybearx

Gooood morning!!

Sorry I've been awol, had a funeral on Thursday which really drained me, ended up sick as a dog since then Sleeping, toilet, trying to eat something, sleep, toilet... You get the idea

Back at work today! Remember how I said I hate my job? Well, I very well might have a new one :eek: Will hopefully hear today if they can offer me the money I want, and I might be handing me notice in here today :eek:

In other news, since I spoke to DH about how I can't afford to budget for his cigarettes (this was in January), all last month he bought his own using his own money. Well yesterday he went and bought himself one of those e-cig things, and that's been about 24 hours and he hasn't had a cigarette :T Fingers crossed this works!!

Lastly, I will do whatever I can today to not spend any money. Prepped tonights dinner last night so I just need to throw it together and into the oven tonight (baked butternut squash with tomatoes, yummy!)

x

themstarrynights

Hi, I've just joined quidco so I could use the quidco check in app to earn some change.. but i'm a bit confused.. i've registered but there wasn't anywhere to put in my bank card details.. so can I just start checking in without it? i'm guessing a total adds up and you click yourself to redeem it rather than it being automatic? if that makes sense.. can I start using the app and checking in at stores without quidco having my bank details yet?

I've seen a lot about the site over the years and thought it was about time I gave it a go

mrsdee

hi there

re seed potatoes - you sometimes find them in lidl so def worth looking as they are a good deal there. Also some shpos sell them in quite big bags (more than you need) so you could go halves with a friend.

You should prepare your seed potatoes before you put them in the ground - so leave them on a windowsill (but not in direct sunlight) for a few weeks til they start to sprout a little. Ideally put them in empty egg boxes for this (check online for more detail!).

Then dig a trench and pop them in the ground -and cover up well (and keep them earthed up as they grow. St Patrick's day is traditional (17th March) for planting them but Easter time is also good. They are SO easy to grow - do give it a try!!!

As for me for today :
-breakfast and lunch from home - brought in a slice of home made cake and will have that this afternoon with a nice cuppa. lunch is a sandwich with some cherry tomatoes, a yoghurt, and fruit.
- OH working this evening and DSS will be out so will make an easy dinner from stores (maybe spicy lentil soup with chickpeas and tinned tomatoes in there too - I have some home made bread and also some cream cheese at home which I can have with it - nom nom and hopefully some left over to bring in for lunch tomorrow)
- an alcohol free day for me! (Lulabelle - pop over and join me and others on the Giving up/Cutting down alcohol thread on Debt-free diaries - it's great!!).
- making most of free tea/coffee/hot chocolate and water at work today
- walking into town during lunch hour to pay a cheque in
- made food shopping list for later in the week - looks like our grocery budget is working out well so far!!
- looked at budget for this month overall and feeling v positive - it's great seeing it in black and white and have managed to put some money into a bills saving account (this covers non-monthly bills such as water rates, christmas and birthdays, car tax and insurance, an allowance for clothes) and some into another account for holiday fund
- becoming a bit spreadsheet bonkers which I am loving!
- lovely sunny day today - looking forward to walking my dog when I get home from work!

have a great day everyone!

allydowd

themstarrynights wrote: »

Hi, I've just joined quidco so I could use the quidco check in app to earn some change.. but i'm a bit confused.. i've registered but there wasn't anywhere to put in my bank card details.. so can I just start checking in without it? i'm guessing a total adds up and you click yourself to redeem it rather than it being automatic? if that makes sense.. can I start using the app and checking in at stores without quidco having my bank details yet?

You can use it now and add your bank details later. I will type a proper explanation later for you....

...so here's a longer explanation as promised:

When you sign up for Quidco you can start earning straight away. Just use the site/App. When you've got a minute sign into Quidco.com. Then click on My Quidco > Settings > Payment and you can enter your bank details. This now means that when you have funds in the account Quidco will automatically pay them to you on the next payment run. Quidco have payment runs weekly. I have found that check-ins pay really quickly and larger purchases, like car insurance cashback, can take up to three months to come through. My experience is that TopCashBack pay much quicker than Quidco. I joined Quidco five years ago and since then I've been paid £375 of cashback, mainly on car and home insurance. I'd say, give it a go, but also consider using TopCashBack (Link), sometimes you get a higher rate of cashback on there.

Quidco FAQs (Link)

MrsCautious

Hello wonderful people on this 'ere thread. I'd like to pop in now and again if that's ok xx

Today I have just rang council to get council tax dd transferred to new Santander account so can get cashback as per t&c of account.

I've just written letters to three store card accounts to confirm I want to close them. Haven't used them in ages. Now just have a cashback credit card with balance paid in full each month by dd. Won't be getting any more cards.

Just done Adpoints where a cheesy ad for kids' slippers shaped like animals did my head in

BLD from stores

Adopted new stance of insisting my daughters walk to school and planning to not go anywhere in car.
Heating off

Hoping for NSD, milk can wait til the morning.

Need to seriously declutter. First am sorting through loads of paperwork, bank, bills etc.

May go through bank statement with fine tooth comb if has arrived later.

Hope you all enjoy the sunshine, thank you as ever for the inspiration which really helps me xxx

Edited to add: bank statement didn't come but unexpected cheque for £33 did, eh-up!

foxgloves

Good morning Monday-people,
Good start & just noticed the sun is trying to come out!
So far, I've:
*Done laundry overnight at 30 degrees on Economy 7.
*Pegged it out on line rather than putting heating on.
*Done 3 surveys.
*Dough in breadmaker for tonight's pizza & rolls for this week's packed lunches.
*Prepped veggies for pizza topping, plus coleslaw, prioritising stuff needing using up.
*Received £50 knitting money in the post :-)
*Updated my 'personal spends' budget.
*Made tomorrow's packed lunch.
Still to do:
Planning an afternoon in the garden sowing the first of my carrot boxes, transplanting self-seeded foxgloves into borders - I do lots of this now, rather than spend loads at garden centres as I would have done in the past...garden just as pretty....maybe more so when the stuff is free? Harvest the last of the spicy winter salad leaves & rocket.
That's it for me - bright blessings to you all today,
foxgloves x

mrsdee

Hello Mrs Cautious! I too have switched to Santander 123 account and got £12 from them last month due to my DDs inc mortgage, phone, fuel etc..! Makes a change for a bank to give us money, hey?
Decluttering really helps I think, as does simplifying things just as you are doing -i.e. get rid of cards you no longer need, use one form of payment (or cash!) , know exactly where your money is going (look through your statement, as you say, when it comes in, or check online!) and the other thing I did, which has really helped me is to unsubscribe from all sorts of email newsletters which tempt me to spend money on their "offers" (including holiday websites etc...).
Good luck!!

The_Boss

Couple of things to add..

My mobile phone charger stopped working. Have had the phone since June so was going to buy another cheap one on Amazon. Phoned Vodafone this morning and they are sending a replacement free of charge.

Transferred balance to a 0% offer on my Santander card til next January.

Created two piles of unwanted clothes. One pile for brands that I will donate to a charity shop and another pile for stuff I can sell on ebay (some Ted Baker, Hugo Boss and Lacoste shirts).

Amended the hot water cycle in our flat as it will be warmer this week.

winsones

I can't believe it is 12.30 already!
I have been working like a crazy lady this morning!
Had a really productive day yesterday... cleaned the house like a banshee - cleaned the over, dusted and hoovered whole house, cleared the spare room out, made 25 pieces of jewellery for the stand, changed bed, 2 loads of washing and dried, watched a bit of footie, walked the dog and played a racketball match! phew!!

Things to do today:
- BL from stores done
- Need to buy something for dinner - I will look in the reduced sections first done - and all from the reduced section... pie and veg for less than a fiver!
- I listed eight 'labelled' pieces of clothing on ebay all before 9am! done
- Check bank accounts done... dammit Lloyds the !!!!!!s have taken out interest from my old account and has taken me over the overdraft, even though StepChanges letter has gone out to them!
- Go into Barclays branch and set up telephone banking done
- Transfer monies to joint account for bills done
- Need to find what shop I got the Dr Magic Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner spray from, as it was fantastic and I have run out done, but sold out
- Knit more of commission piece

Hope everyone has a good day!

Pernicious

Hi everyone,

Thanks for starting us off DNMS.
Lulabelle - I wish I had that option! I work in an open plan office & have recently been moved right into the middle rather than happily at the edge...
Zepsgal - Hope you feel better soon. I've got my fingers crossed for you re the job!

Today I have/will:-

• Made use of free water, milk, fruit & flapjack at work
• B/L/D from stores
• Leftovers for lunch
• Staying in for my lunch break to avoid spending
• Dinner from meal plan - Bangers & mash
• Check postcode lottery
• Charging phone at work
• Heating off as long as possible & on low when needed
• Check online banking
• Check for new mystery shopping opportunities & check if payment has been received yet
• Enter some comps
• Declutter & flylady
• Free guitar lesson on R0cksmith tonight
• Make use of TKD membership

Hope everyone has a great, MSE day x