Tuesday 20th Aug What Small DFW Things Will You Be Doing Today?

littlepinkstars44

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 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

littlepinkstars44

Morning everyone!!
Today I am back to work after 10 days holiday

• Work 6:30-3:30 done
• Take Breakfast, lunch, snacks and water to work done
• Check banking done
• Check surveys done
• Check Ebay done
• Check Etsy done
• Make Mould orders
• Package up orders to post tomorrow
• Quick Tidy Up done
• Read some of my OU Book for course starting in Oct

happytails

Thanks littlepinkstars for starting us off. I thought I was up early!! Hope work isn't too bad.

Evelyn (dd2) who is 9 months had me up for today at 5.40am but I've already done 2.5km on my cross trainer and now having a semi peaceful (without the other 2 kids) cup of tea before grabbing a shower.

The husband is off today so we are going to fountains abbey & Brimham rocks national trust parks, using our annual passes. Taking packed lunch so it's just the money for bread/ham/crisps etc and petrol oh and £8 for the dog to go in doggy daycare run by my friend :T

Before I go I need to pack the bag, husband is making the lunches, pick up the dog poo (hate the job!) and feed the butterflies, we did a caterpillar to butterfly project and they are nearly read to release

Once in the car I need to drop dog off, pick up my prescription, drop the form off at nursery and then we're off!

Sarah x

stitching_witch

Morning all, and thanks to littlepinkstars for starting the thread today. Could you remember to put a smilie on the thread title please? It helps us oldies find it quickly!!!

Okay today so far:

1. Breakfast from stores
2. Fed and watered the chickens
3. Checked banking - dire :eek:
4. Checked for surveys
5. Made packed lunch for work

Also on today's list:

1. Get a lift to and from work with a colleague
2. Phone to cancel bike insurance as I don't think I'll be riding it anymore
3. SORN bike for same reason
4. Doctor appt at lunchtime, but not take my purse so won't be tempted into shops
5. Order new Prescription pre-payment certificate - this saves me tons of money over the year!! I put money into savings each month for it so it's not a huge chunk and also doesn't count as far as spending goes
6. Ask DH for the £50+ he owes me
7. Dinner from stores, not sure what yet
8. Have an NSD

I must have pressed the wrong button as my usual bullet points are numbers today - I really can't be bothered to go back and change them!

That'll do for now. Must dash as an early staff meeting at work this morning...
Stitchy x

determined_new_ms

Morning guys - thanks for starting us off littlepinkstars . Horror at getting up so early! That is dedication starting the thread at that time!

Can I also ask you to put the yellow smilie in for us please?

My list for today:

* checked banking
* doubled checked what I had lent dd and she is right she owed me more :T
* let dd know she owes me £7.56
* working from home today so saving petrol & an hour commute :j
* washing in machine and line dry
* look at meal plan for dinner
* just about to have fried tomatoes & courgettes for lunch mmmm
* go for a run later
* hopefully go for a walk with oh tonight
* dd & dgd popping in for lunch. dgd is now smiling! :grinheart
* hopefully NSD

Right better go make my breakfast and start work. Hope you all have a great day x

happytails

I didnt even notice this thread usually had a smiley *blush*

pixiechick99

Morning ladies!
DNMS you're about to have your lunch?! I must be up late;)

I'm very pleased with myself - I finally got round to sending off a PPI miss-selling letter for a credit cad I have. I do t ever remember agreeing to ppi, I wouldn't have due to my pre existing condition. Was too rubbish in those days to cancel:o Here's hoping... Also send an enquiry email to the financial ombudsman about a mortgage ppi payment the ex and I took out which was done as a one off charge added on to the mortgage, not a monthly payment...which I think is now considered bad. We shall see eh, worth a bash:D

So today's list:

• Check banking
• Check onepoll
• Meal from stores tonight - not sure but something with mince
• Take dd2 to town so she can have a wander and spend the £20 her dad gave her. Normally I'd say save it, but she has been so bored, all her friends out, my dd1 busy with my niece too, so just letting dd2 enjoy it:)
• Try find cheap academic diary in town
• Check eBay listings
• Oops - must confirm shipment for the 2 amazon sales I posted yesterday
• Quiet evening watching the new series of Great British Bake Off:T

That's it...better get on and get cleaned up:D

foxgloves

Hi Money saver friends,
Well, I started the day having to put some Factor 30 on, but it's getting back to our default setting of grey murk now, more's the pity :-/
Today's positives on the MSE front:
*Did the last load of laundry this week overnight on Economy 7, 30 deg & half powder.
*All blowing dry outside on the line.
*Updated two budgets, as this dropped off yesterday's list. I don't like months with 5 shopping days in them.....grocery fund £22-28 for rest of month, but loads of food in. Personal spends budget holding up ok, will be able to have a little BH weekend treat. Couldn't get Personal Spends budget to balance - only a bit out, but then I realised it was the 63p I lost to my 10-yr old nephew, playing cards for pennies!
*Watered veggie garden.
*Picked more chillies & started a needle & thread for hanging them up in a garland to dry. I can add to it as more ripen.
*Entered 2 camping magazine competitions.
*Did a Waitrose feedback survey - prize draw each month for £500 vouchers.
*Checked for surveys - not many around this morning.
*Potted up a tray of wallflowers I grew from free seed.
*Tidied up ebay account. I was unable to resolve the transaction that caused me all the problems back in May/June. The buyer paid me for the item, but due to a postal problem, I ended up with her payment plus the item. Her absolute failure to communicate meant it went unresolved. I feel a bit dishonourable as am going to relist the item, but really, I initially offered to refund her, then emailed about 6 times to try & resolve but to no avail. mr f says she's been given plenty of chances, I've got the audit trail, so relist it & sod her. He's probably right, on balance, I suppose -Going to do a bit of ebaying to add to the £100 I won & see if we can make enough to pay for my birthday weekend away in Spring :-)
*Dinner tonight is the rest of the lamb & marrow bake from yesterday, as I did enough for 2 days.
Still to do:
*Firm up meal plans to the end of the month, as only want to be using grocery budget for essential top ups such as milk, eggs, etc.
*Pick salad stuff for tonight.
*Make tomorrow's packed lunch.
*Rule up more pages in my food tracker book - not specifically MSE, but it does keep me focussed on my weight loss/portion control which has a knock on effect on how long our food supplies last!
*Write letter to gardening magazine. I've been 'star letter' twice in the past & they pay out a £40 garden centre voucher for star letter. That would more than buy all my compost for next Spring - One can but hope!
That's it from me - it's definitely Tummy-time, off to see what we've got in the fridge! Have a good day, everyone.
foxgloves x

LittleMissDetermined

Hi - can I join?

Here I am at lunch on my no spend day (except for my PADding which I am addicted to!)

Already I have:
- Checked bank accounts
- Made my 'Payment A Day' to Santander by rounding down (£4.88)
- Updated spend tracker
- Re-jigged planned future payments to reduce as much interest as possible
- Packed my lunch for work (and I have just eaten it )

To do later:
- Make dinner from bulk cooking which I have frozen
- Make tomorrow's lunch
- Plan tomorrow's dinner from food we have in
- Update my debt free diary
- Make hubby an anniversary card :heartpuls 6 whole years
- Abstain from drinking alcohol in the week - saving me pounds and losing me lb's!:T

I'm hoping hubby has put some washing in as he is at home today - it should be blowing nicely on the line... fingers crossed!

Have a lovely day peeps

LMD x

Pernicious

Hi everyone,

Thanks for starting us off LPP.
Stitchy - Why won't you be able to ride anymore?
DNMS - How on earth does that fill you up for lunch? Maybe I am just a piggeh hehe.

Today's plan:-

• Making use of free water at work
• Charging phone at work
• Staying in for my lunch break to avoid spending
• Food from stores, leftovers for lunch
• Dinner from meal plan
• Log calories & exercise on free apps
• Checked postcode lottery & birthday bingo
• Check online banking & DH's
• Check for new mystery shopping opportunities
• Enter some comps
• Do some surveys
• Declutter & flylady
• DH hopefully doing some overtime this evening
• Check if cashback has tracked
• Prepaid pole class this evening (cheapest option)
• Go to Sainsbugs/Mr T's after pole to use less petrol, not using prepaid card as we've used it all :eek: 2 months in a row of using this now & it would appear we are spending far more than we thought! Need to get back into the grocery challenge...
• DIY beauty treatments this evening, I feel I need a bit of pampering

Have a great, MSE day everyone x

stitching_witch

Pernicious wrote: »

Stitchy - Why won't you be able to ride anymore?

Oh there are lots of excuses - none of them valid reasons though!!

1. DH borrowed it many months ago and something electrical popped and he 'hasn't had the time' to look at it, so I've been without it all summer
2. I refuse to ride to Portsmouth to take my test so just pootle about on a CBT certificate. This need renewing every 2 years at a cost of £130. Mine's due again in October.
3. I have arthritis and am finding it painful getting on and off the bike
4. I'm getting old now (55 in November shhh..)

I do miss it, but I've had a little car since January so I'm as independent as I need to be with that!

We've had the bike in the family since Jo bought her in 2001 so it will be a shame to see her go...