Tue 27th Aug: What Small DFW-Things Will You Be Doing Today?

allydowd

When we start out on the Debt-Free Wannabe 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.

allydowd

Morning,

Just a quick post before I go to the Jobcentre. <Dragging my schoolbag behind me>.

The List:

:staradmin Clean my briefcase. It is a little mildew-y.

:staradmin Continue repairing expensive torch. This is turning into a long project. I've managed to get the expanded and corroded batteries out the barrel. Now to free the switch.

:staradmin Try claiming expenses for extra Jobcentre trip. Won't hold my breathe. They usually don't want to know.

foxgloves

Morning all,
Today's list of small positive money-saving things:
*Did laundry overnight on Economy 7, 30 deg, half powder. Still got spin cycle turned down to lower level to save a teensy bit of energy.
*All line-drying in the murk.....but supposed to burn off ready for sunny afternoon.
*Did rubber chicken. Had roast dinner yesterday, have divvied up leftovers to make cold chicken salad with home-made jacket chips tonight, Mexican chicken pizza & chicken & vegetable curry. Also put aside enough for 2 packed lunches & everything else is in the slow cooker bubbling away for stock.
*Made more free plant labels from empty spread container.
*Mascara still functioning since its dip in a mug of boiling water - there was a decent amount left, it had just gone dry.
*Rounded up more windfall apples.
*Checked ebay listings. 2 items have sold, several watchers.
*Check for surveys - that's the next job for this morning but need caffeine first.
*Start gathering together all the stuff needed for my Big Budgeting Day tomorrow.
*King poles ordered for camping trip - 10% discount using our 'Go outdoors' discount card. Could not save p&p by visiting shop as nearest branch to us is Sheffield - miles away :-/ Did not want to order non-essentials just to qualify for free postage though.
*Look for my Carluccio pasta sauce recipe to batch cook some of the tomato glut later this week.
*Decide how many plums/damsons I can use as Mum & Dad can usually pick these up cheaply where they live & always bring me a supply at this time each year. Do I need more damson gin? No. Would I like some? (Slurp) Yes!!
*Revisit holiday/camping list NOW so that I don't end up buying things last minute through poor planning.
That's enough for today, as I'm still not feeling mega-lively. Have a good day, everyone. Ally - Hope Job Centre not too disheartening & that you manage to avoid being sent on the 'How to pick up a pen with your own hands & fill in a form' course. Good luck with it, anyway.
Cheers,
foxgloves

foxgloves

Just performed small MSE positive thing for my Dad. He received a letter from the AA today about resuming collecting the annual dd fee for his membership. He didn't need to pay for the last couple of years as AA membership was included with a car he bought. The letter from the AA was all set out as though it was just renewing where it left off, but had added on all sorts of extra charges/cover & they were asking for £156........HOW MUCH?!! My parents don't use the internet & are in a bit of a timewarp when it comes to trusting companies to do the honourable thing regarding their money, so it was quite a breakthrough that he phoned me to see who we are with for breakdown cover. Found him one with everything they need for £64.99. He's gone away to phone them, then kick the AA to the kerb. He said 'Why do they add all those charges on when people haven't asked?' I said that if they have sent out, say 200 of those letters today & even 10 of the recipients don't read the letter properly & renew automatically (letter said they'd take Dad's money next Tuesday unless they heard otherwise), then that's a nice tidy little earner for them........& it could be a lot more people than that. They are just from a different era, when banks, financial institutions, etc, were respected & trusted by customers to do the right thing. Oh well, at least he rang me, it's taken about 3 years to get this far.....all stemming from them being ripped off by one of those big companies that does boiler/plumbing insurance. Small steps, but we're getting there...........sighs.......

ShootForTheMoon

G'day Gang!!

Hope everyone is well today!? Just woke up after last night's shift - and plan on having a complete chill day today!!
Good news is, the manic weekend has meant a total of 15 hours overtime at time and 1/3 so that should be a tasty little bonus for the holiday fund again next month!! :j

Loving the torch project Ally - I love potching with things trying to fix/modify them - all will be worth it when you get it up and running again... Good luck - Let there be light!!

Thinking of spending a couple of hours up the allotment with OH as she's been on at me for working too much. Whoops!
Think that would be a nice way to spend the day together!!

I'll make something yummy for tea tonight too and get myself back in the good books - thinking Thai green curry from scratch as we have most of the stuff in stores.

Then it's rugby training tonight with the girls - so no spends and a day full of doing stuff I enjoy - happy days!!

Should be a NSD - might just need to part with a couple of quid for some chicken, but that will be it!

Finally it's payday tomorrow, so will skim all accounts to £0 and top up the savings!!

Might look at Adpoints and Swagbucks if I have time/motivation later

Have a lovely day Money Savers!! Big love xxx

debtfreeeju

Today I will:

- have a NSD - should be pretty easy to do as I've got lots of leftovers in the fridge for lunch and dinner.
- I'll chase an ebayer for a refund I'm due, which should be £21 if it ever comes through.
- I've already chased another refund due, and got £39 back on the credit card - yay!
- try and get some washing done and dry it on the line so I'm not wasting money and energy on the tumble dryer.
- also cancelled the car insurance for my car I sold last week, not an instant saving but it'll save me £45ish per month from now on; added to the £146 I'm now not paying in car payments each month and I'm a happy bunny!

Have a good Money Saving Day!

La_escocesa

Hello :hello:

Back into the swing of things in work today

· Cheapo porridge brekkie
· Packed lunch
· Shopping with a list @ wilkos for housey stuff
· Reminded OH about the money he owes me – straight to CC!!
· Bit of yoga coursework & class planning/prep/advertising
· Looked out a few bits to sell – mum gave me stuff to sell – brand new watch in presentation box, chain and earrings set, another watch with chain and earrings set and another chain! She’s also given me an old/unused jacket to sell for her but that will be a bit of a nightmare to post…

That’s me for now

Ally – good luck with the job hunting.
Shootforthemoon – sounds like a fab day! Go you and all that overtime. I’m sure OH will forgive you when the money is rolling in
Foxgloves – nice one on helping your dad :T

allydowd

List 2

Foxgloves: I survived seeing the Careers Advisor at the Jobcentre. I was very well-behaved and attentive even though it was all very pointless. I have to go back tomorrow to sign on (or else) as they "can't just have people signing on whenever". LOL. I have managed to avoid the 'How to pick up a pen with your own hands & fill in a form' Course, for the time being at least. My OH has named the JobCentre the Slob Centre, on account of the number of advisors who seem to do absolutely nothing to help folk find work.

Foxgloves: Glad you found a bargain at Go Outdoors.

I'm enjoying a rare afternoon alone: OH has gone to a free IT refresher course, of her own free will.

:staradmin Housework on the go using minimal cleaning products. Oh Smurf! I just mopped myself into a corner.

:staradmin Bought OH hair dye for £2.17 in Tesco. No salon bills for us.

:staradmin Didn't feel like breakfast so saved on that.

:staradmin Collected R85 forms from bank as I was passing. Saving on printer ink. Will take back tomorrow when passing. Saving on stamp.

:staradmin Charged mobile in car instead of at home.

:staradmin Put wash on with minimum powder and conditioner. Line dry.

:staradmin Corrosion removed from torch. It's currently in the fridge cooling down in the hope of freeing a stuck component as the metal shrinks.

:staradmin Checked to see if Noddle has corrected error yet. Nope.

:staradmin Check remaining rechargeable batteries to see which can be resuscitated.

Pernicious

Hi everyone,

Thanks for starting us Ally.
Foxgloves - Do you mind sharing your pasta sauce recipe please? We're currently overrun with tomatoes as well! Had a lot in stores anyway but now my parents are in France for a month & my Mum has said I can take any that are ripe from her plant & there's been loads! Any other ideas for using them up also much appreciated, I chucked a load in the bolognaise part of the lasagne I made yesterday but there's still a lot left.
ShootForTheMoon - Mmm thai green curry, how do you make it from scratch? I always cheat & use the pastes.

Those of you in the FB group will know I'm in a bit of a grouch with myself at the moment, so need to really work hard at the small things today & sort myself out. So...today's plan:-

• Making use of free water at work
• Charging phone at work
• Staying in for most of my lunch break to avoid spending, but need to get a couple of stamps
• Food from stores, leftovers for lunch
• Dinner from meal plan - Simple fish fingers, veg & jacket potatoes tonight
• Log calories & exercise on free apps
• Check 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, not going to Sainsbugs afterwards though as I need to wait until tomorrow for payday...left ourselves so short this month somehow
• Email fleabay & hope for a miracle...
• Create new meal plan for the month & complie a shopping list ready
• Go through next month's budget & work it out better so we're not short!
• Look forward to tomorrow, payday will make things better

Have a great, MSE day everyone x

LittleMissDetermined

Hello everyone, hope you all had a lovely bank holiday

Today I have already:
* made my PAD to credit card of £3.25
* brought breakfast and lunch to work
* making use of free tea, coffee and water at work
* charging my phones at work
* promoted 2nd job offers (got 3 orders yay!)
* made a flyer to put up in health club for 2nd job
* chased info for mis-sold PPI claim
* updated debt-free diary https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4744818

Still to do:
* dinner from freezer
* take claim form to vets
* swim, shower and wash and dry hair at health club
* put poster and flyers up at health club

Enjoy your day - it's TUESDAY already - whoop whoop! :T

LMD x

ShootForTheMoon

Perni, its very easy and I tend to make it in batches and pop it in jars so that it's available for a quick, healthy supper!

Make your own paste and add coconut milk (I use tinned) to your own preference. It's nice because you can make it as hot/mild as you like!!
Lime leaves are worth getting and freezing in a bag as they add a fab distinctive flavour!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/greencurrypaste_67789

Then make it as you normally would from the paste in a jar - simple!! And much cheaper if you can make a batch!! We have it with noodles, rice, stir fry veg - all sorts!! Enjoy!!