Sammr85's DFW Diary

sammr85

Ok, I am officially rubbish! So much for keeping up on here using FL! I have been nipping in to update my sig though to keep track.

Had a busy weekend. My poor Sister discovered her Fianc! had cheated on her and she kicked him out. So I had her and my Niece stay with us for the weekend. This messed with my budget as I had to provide extra food and I also wanted to treat her so brought some nibbles. Also treated her and DN to a trip to CWP, where I brought lunch. Had to drive her home too, which was a 90 mile round trip. All worth it though

Spent quite a bit of money today Finally brought all the bits I have been meaning to for ages for DS and I brought myself some new jeans from Mata!an. They were needed as my only "fitting" jeans have holes in the thighs from rubbing Jeggings on offer, £6 a pair if you have one local to u.

On happier news, I have been PADding my LTSB CC all week and have already paid off £30 :jAlso paid £108 off my LW's BNPL today :T

October is looking to be a fantastic money month for us so hopefully DH can get some savings in the bank and I can focus on clearing the debts and purchasing xmas gifts.

wegle

Sorry to hear about your sister. That's absolutely awful, I'll never understand why people cheat. I bet she felt loads better though to have you looking after her.

Great going on the PADing! It's amazing how qckly those little amounts add up!

sammr85

Monday - Kitchen
15 minutes....
[STRIKE]Hover[/STRIKE] and mop floor
[STRIKE]Empty the bin[/STRIKE]
30 minutes to spare....
Clean a window
[STRIKE]Sort the under sink cupboard[/STRIKE] Didn't need doing
Got an hour....
[STRIKE]Wipe the worksurfaces over[/STRIKE]
Dust on top of shelves/cupboards/furniture
Wipe the window sill
Extras
[STRIKE]Sort out your T-towels, oven gloves apron, dispose of old one and wash dirty
ones
Wipe some door handles[/STRIKE]

Tuesday - Living Room, Hall & Stairs
15 minutes ....
[STRIKE]Do something from your Toots list, or at least start something if you have
nothing you can do in 15 minutes[/STRIKE] ?
30 minutes to spare
Declutter and dust the mantle
Dust any flat surfaces including the hearth
Got an hour.....
[STRIKE]Tidy away, CDs, DVDs, Books
Hoover the floors[/STRIKE]
Give your cushions a bash outside, watch the dust fly (duck Toots we could all be doing this together)
Extras
[STRIKE]HHI[/STRIKE]
Test the heating (ie put it on for an hour) - bleed rads as required

[STRIKE]Organize for chimney to be swept, stock up on firelighters, is the wood store
full?[/STRIKE] No chimney here
S&S toilets and sinks

Wednesday - Any bedroom
15 minutes....
Clear a surface and dust it
30 minutes to spare....
Clean down behind the bed
Tidy books/piles of magazines, toys etc
Got an hour....
Hoover any floor you can see
[STRIKE]HHMe time[/STRIKE]
Dust lampshades and bulbs
Extras
[STRIKE]Test smoke alarms[/STRIKE]
Clear a hotspot
[STRIKE]Find the hot waterbottles and test they don't leak (carefully)[/STRIKE] No hot water bottles here. Just wheat bags

Just getting ready for a run :undecided Also on my list of things to do today is

[STRIKE]put WM on at least twice
Organise monies as tomorrow is the start of a new week
Shopping list for tomorrow[/STRIKE]
Make a Christmas present list as I have already started
[STRIKE]Post a snowflake order[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Shower
Packed lunches for tomorrow[/STRIKE]

sammr85

It is shopping day in the J household. Going to try something new and withdraw £100 cash and put it in a separate purse. Hopefully this will help me to stay in my grocery budget because it has been over £100 for 2 out of the 3 previous weeks this month although I blame DH for last week as I took him shopping on Saturday to buy something for dinner when my Sister and Niece were here and he decided to buy us lots of snacks etc. My main food shop last Thursday lasted us the week apart from bread and milk and we don't have freezer space to buy extra and freeze

Will be also buying some paintbrushes and sugar soap and hopefully get on with painting the bathroom and touching up DD's room as it's starting to look grubby. Will also see if Hbase have any bargain paint for DS's room as his in desperate need of decorating.
Already paid £5.07 off my LTSB CC this morning rounding down my bank account so that is nearly under £1000.
Monday - Kitchen
15 minutes....
mop floor
Clean a window
Dust on top of shelves/cupboards/furniture
Wipe the window sill

Tuesday - Living Room, Hall & Stairs
Declutter and dust the [STRIKE]mantle[/STRIKE] sideboard
Dust any flat surfaces

Wednesday - Any bedroom
15 minutes....
Clear a surface and dust it
30 minutes to spare....
Clean down behind the bed
Tidy books/piles of magazines, toys etc
Got an hour....
Hoover any floor you can see
Dust lampshades and bulbs

Thursday - Bathrooms & Landing
15 minutes....
Clean floor right into the corner
30 minutes to spare....
Clean baths/sinks/showers/toilet
Do toothbrushes/sponges etc need changing?
Got an hour....
What is living on your landing and do you want it to?Deal with it or another major pile of stuff
Gather laundry from around the house
Wipe all dusty surfaces
Extras
Clean/bin grubby bath toys
Deal with emails/phonecalls/post
Bung some moisturiser on your hands, feet, knees, elbows etc

wegle

I love your 15min/30min/hour lists. That is such a good idea. I find the task of housework so overwhelming sometimes but your way makes it much more manageable.

OHs are a nightmare for blowing the grocery budget. I never take hubby with me anymore but ask him before I go what 1 treat he wants. He's allowed to pick one thing that isn't usually on the shopping list and that is it! Seems to work quite well so far.

OrangeFairy

Hi Sammr

Looks like you are very focused.

I used to do the little lists so housework seemed more achievable. Though now it seems to be that Saturday is housework blitz day and then I do what I can in the week!

Your poor sister it is nice that she has you to lean on.

sammr85

Hi OF & Wegle :hello:

Wegle, my lists are from the OS FlyLady thread. None of my own work

Well yesterday was productive. I went for my morning run and managed to go further than normal, came home and painted DD's room, sanded down some filling we've done in the bathroom ready for painting, sugar soaped the bathroom walls ready for painting and I did some filling all round the house where it needed it. No more waiting for DH! Managed all that before lunch, so then had lunch and treated myself to a bath! And to top it off it was a NSD (for me DH went to the pub but only took £10 )

Today DH is working. He is helping out at the annual ploughing match his company helps. He normally comes home with some cash in hand which would be nice. Doubt I will see it though as I expect he will just use it to buy his tobacco supplies :mad: We could go along, I'm still undecided. Would be nice to get out the house, socialise and have a nice look round. Chances are I'd get in for free, but I might not, and that would be £18 for me and the 2 small ones. (DD1 is at her Dads) Decisions, decisions! We are currently watching films and the kids are in their pj's still which is nice. Should get on with these lists.........

Monday - Kitchen
mop floor
Clean a window
Wipe the window sill

Tuesday - Living Room, Hall & Stairs
Declutter and dust the mantle sideboard
Dust any flat surfaces

Wednesday - Any bedroom - Girls
Clear a surface and dust it
Clean down behind the bed
Hoover any floor you can see
Dust lampshades and bulbs

Thursday - Bathrooms & Landing
Clean baths/sinks/showers/toilet
Wipe all dusty surfaces

Friday - Little bit of everything
Level one
Hoover anywhere that needs it
Level two
Clean the kitchen sink
Dust pc/laptop screens/decrumb the keyboard
Level three
Change any beds in need (including pets)
Try to get outside for 15 minutes, sweep the path, clean the cat flap or just enjoy the start of autumn
Declutter/ebay/recycle at least 5 things
Extras
Catch up on mending
Do some crafts/puzzles/something you enjoy
Make a list of just 5 things that you will achieve in October

sammr85

Ok, new week for FL lists for me. I have DS at home with me today, as I did yesterday as he is unwell

Still plodding along PADding off my LTSB CC. Also made a payment on my LW's account yesterday so that's now under £4000. Still a lot, I know, but it's all in the right direction. Also, my £100 cash withdrawal and separate purse has been a success this week :j. It is only week 1 of this trial, and I have until Thursday before the start of week 2, but I still have just over £1 in my purse (would of had more but I brought extra nappies this week for DS as Mrs S have them on offer) and £8 of my budget went into my £2 coin pot too. 2 birds, 1 stone as I was hardly using cash to obtain any £2 coins for my pot

Monday Musings ~ Kitchen and Dining Room
15 minutes...
Clean floors
30 minutes to spare...
Clear and wipe kitchen surfaces
[STRIKE]Sort fridge bringing what needs using soon to the front, clean out any spills or [/STRIKE][STRIKE]
manky stuff in there!![/STRIKE]
Wipe dining table.. (clean table cloth if necessary)
Got an hour...
Dust any extra furniture in dining area, checking for cobwebs on way round
Wipe and replace all those small appliances.. kettle, toaster etc
Clean cupboard door fronts and fronts of appliances .. don't forget those kick boards..


Extra Mission ~ Choose one or more of:

• [STRIKE]One load of washing[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Empty bin and make it smell nice[/STRIKE]
• Wipe window sills and clean windows in these rooms
• Clear and wipe the tops of the wall units!!
• Clean oven if you didn't do it last week
• [STRIKE]30 minutes ironing.[/STRIKE]

Tuesday Thrills ~ Living Room, Hall and Stairs
15 minutes...
Vacuum floors and sofas
30 minutes to spare...
Dusting, even if around everything
Remove clutter making sure stairs especially are safe
Clean TV, other electricals and cabinets
Got an hour...
Wipe light switches, sockets (make sure they are not switched on!!) and banister
Clean any other glass like mirrors, pictures etc
[STRIKE]Tidy shoes, coats and bags [/STRIKE].. wash any that need washing in preparation for cold weather!! [STRIKE]See if there are any that don't fit, past their best or just plain uncomfy which could leave the house![/STRIKE][STRIKE]
Sort through your handbag and fling all those ancient bus tickets and receipts.. don't forget your purse too!!![/STRIKE]

Extra Mission ~ Pick one or more of the following tasks

• [STRIKE]One load of washing[/STRIKE]
• Paperwork clearance.. spend 15 minutes minimum sorting through those piles of paper.
• Vacuum under furniture you can manage to move without hurting yourself
• [STRIKE]Clean a window or two.[/STRIKE]
• Get yourself a bag or box, go around collecting things that are not in the place they should be, then put them back where they should be, or better still give them to their owners to put away themselves

sammr85

Well today is the last day of our budget week. Both bank accounts have been rounded down to 0 ready for the start of a new week. Paid £10 off LW's BNPL and paid £2.83 off my LTSB CC.

My £100 cash grocery challenge worked well, I haven't spent a penny since my last update so I finished my week with over £1 left, plus £8 of my £100 going into my £2 savers pot. I also have loads of food left from last week so I can spend even less tomorrow, especially as DS has enough nappies to last him a couple of weeks so no need to purchase any.

Monday Musings ~ Kitchen and Dining Room
Wipe and replace all those small appliances.. kettle, toaster etc
Clean cupboard door fronts and fronts of appliances

Tuesday Thrills ~ Living Room, Hall and Stairs
Remove clutter making sure stairs especially are safe
Clean any other glass like mirrors, pictures etc

Wednesday Whiles ~ Master Bedroom & Landing
15 minutes...
[STRIKE]Check fire alarms are working[/STRIKE][STRIKE]
Remove and wash bed linen.[/STRIKE] - Done yesterday
30 minutes to spare...
Dust surfaces & make sure no cobwebs..
[STRIKE]Vacuum mattress before replacing with fresh linen[/STRIKE] Not being done this time
[STRIKE]15 minutes floordrobe clearance [/STRIKE]
Got an hour...
Vacuum floors in bedroom and on landing
[STRIKE]Sort one area of clothes or linen storage making sure [/STRIKE][STRIKE]
only what should be in there is, anything that's had it's day or doesn't belong there is removed
Clear out one 'hotspot' drawer/box[/STRIKE]

Extra tasks list ~ as usual choose one or more

• 27 fling boogie time, time for that midweek fling, go on grab a bag and clear that clutter
• Put away those summer clothes from someones cupboard and get out the winter woollies.. don’t store anything that is past its best! Make a list of things you need to buy!!
• Clean windows in these rooms
• Check house for places where draughts are getting in.. doors, windows etc and see if there are ways to stop it!

Deep Clean Challenge [STRIKE]Get under the bed.. drag everything out and sort through it.. Clean out all those dust-mammoths before putting back ONLY the things you need to keep[/STRIKE] Only have xmas items hidden under the bed

sammr85

So today is shopping day. Been to A!di and spent £43 of my £100 and spent £8 in Mrs S on natural peanut butter, wipes on offer and pasta (A!di doesn't sell whole wheat) and that will cover all dinners for the week and the most I should have to buy is bread and milk. Was a bit naughty and treated myself to a McD's for lunch. Spent £3.58 and used grocery money.

In a bit of a quandary. Been invited out with my cousins for a birthday this weekend. This will require a £6 bus journey then drinks and I will be on the 1 hour bus journey each way alone as DH will be at home with the kids Not sure what to do......... I know I'm not the only DFW'er to ever have this problem, I just don't know what to do!!

Monday Musings ~ Kitchen and Dining Room
Wipe and replace all those small appliances.. kettle, toaster etc
Clean cupboard door fronts and fronts of appliances

Tuesday Thrills ~ Living Room, Hall and Stairs
Remove clutter making sure stairs especially are safe
Clean mirror

Wednesday Whiles ~ Master Bedroom & Landing
Dust surfaces
Vacuum floors in bedroom and on landing

Thursday Tinkles ~ Bathroom and Study/Pc Area
Clean floors in these rooms (even if it is around the clutter)
Clean baths and sinks
Clear any clutter from desk
Wipe down tiles in bathroom.. defragment the pc while doing this (programs.. accessories..system tools.. defragment!.. if you do the disc cleanup as well it clear all the cookies and temporary files too.
Clean shower screen/curtain if you have one/if required
Clean the brushes/dust box/filters on the vacuum cleaner!!!! .. make sure they are completely dry before using it though.. I don’t want anyone electrocuted!!

Friday Frills ~ those frightening Friday kids rooms and spare rooms
15 minutes...
Vacuum the floor, even if it's just where you can see
30 minutes to spare...
Clear away anything that isn't in it's place, clothes, toys, books etc
Dusting.. all those shelves and flat fluffy surfaces!! Don’t forget the light shade and curtain pole!!!
Got an hour...
Strip beds and replace with fresh linen .. check if duvets need freshening up too
Sort through a cupboard/chest of drawers and get the clothes out which are no longer wearable, too small or out of season
Wipe any sticky marks off walls and doors

Extra Task List

• Wash a set of curtains, nets, duvet or throw
• Time for the Friday Flylady Fling, in the toy box!!!! aim for 27.. if no toy box you’ll have to choose another area!
• 30 minutes ironing
• Get those uniforms and coats and things in the wash which you will need on Monday

Deep Clean Challenge

Pull out the beds, furniture and clean all behind them.. the skirtings and light fittings and everything.. get rid of all the things that are no longer required!

Apart from the dailies and night time routines that's the lot for the week, of course if you still want to join us over the weekend you are more than welcome

FRIDAY EXTRA - Don't forget your ME time this weekend, even if it's just a nice relaxing bath or catching up with an old friend, go on you deserve it


WEEKEND Frolics
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO IGNORE!!
New one this week.. for those who have extra weekend time and can't function without tasks... lol If you don't have time or want to spend time with your family that is brilliant.. go for it. It is a list of 10 tasks to do over the weekend if you get chance.. no pressure at all.. just ideas!


This is also a chance to get hubby's and children involved in the flying

• Make a christmas card list .. do it on the pc so you don't lose it! Make a note of posting dates for friends/family overseas!
• Extra 30 minutes ironing
• Sort through the freezer.. what do you have loads of and what needs using first.. vacuum up those escaping peas and brussels!!
• Change any bedding you didn't get chance to do over the week!
• Meal plan for the next week and make a shopping list... based on what you found in the freezer
• Make sure you have everything ready for school/work for this week.. pe kits, socks, homework done etc.
• Fill a binbag for charity shop or bin.. or better still do both!!
• Photograph 5 things for ebay.. and if you have time get them listed!!.. Christmas money!!
• Vacuum those places that you missed during the week, or worse, miss every week!!.
• Do a D.I.Y. job, fix something you've been putting off forever!!