Thursday 31st October - What Small DFW Things Will You Be Doing Today??!

Nottoobadyet

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. :money::money:

Happy Halloween all :eek::eek::eek:

Right cheeky of me to be starting the thread after being gone for ages! Im settling into my new life in PNG and all the confusion that comes with that.

It is outrageously expensive here (seriously - like double the cost of living in London or New York) so being a bit of a homebody really. MSE habits are super important, obviously. in that vein:

Today:
- at an external meeting, so all tea lunch and biscuits covered
- work super hard, even though I only started in October i need to get my department up to my annual targets to earn my bonus :mad:
- arrange to get my local driving permit booked in for tomorrow
- go to the gym after work if I feel up to it, feeling like I may have a cold coming on
- check banking to see if GBP 500 cheque from BA for a delayed flight has come through. it has :T
- update budget
- make grocery list for tomorrow, meal plan for next week
- dindin at home from bits and bobs in the fridge
- follow up on a payment, my local paper at home had me do a book review ages ago but the payment didnt come through properly, they are re sending this week I hope
- do washing and tidying etc as my room is a mess and I've been hitting the sheets every night instead of dealing with that
- finish reading for online professional development course - free and good in the long term!
- call OH on skype before bed

Hope everyone has a great day, and I'll try to be back on the thread more often :T

Kate_fixing_it

I'm bright and early today. Each day gets a little easier all round now I'm sleeping better, eating better and less stressed.

Today:
Check bank
B/l/dinner from stores
Slimming World meeting tonight but I'm at target so a free night out with friends full of laughter and fun
picking colleague up again
Ebay auction ending at lunch time (looking fab so far)
Plan weekend activities (sparklers and hot chocolate in garden with kids)
Ignore trick or treating knocks (demanding money with menaces IMO)
get to work early and finish early avoiding slow traffic and time for playing with kids later

Have a great day everyone

Kate x

determined_new_ms

Morning NTBY & Kate! Thanks for starting us off NTBY and I don't think it's cheeky starting us off! Kate congrats on getting to gaol!

Blooming Thursday already!!!

Must be quick as have to leave minute ago (still eating my toast so blow it!)

* checked banking
* All meals from stores - grab something out of freezer!
* take note of mileage
* Post very dress (very embarrassed dress!)
* NSD
* db working on the bathroom today :T:A:j
* work hard this afternoon - training session this morning

Ok that's all I can think of right now! Better go am late late late! x

mon1o

Good Morning!

Today I have:

Checked online banking
Put washing on 30 degree quick wash
Breakfast from stores
put all sweets that we already had in a bowl ready for trick or treaters this evening.

Today I will:
L/D and snacks from stores
hang washing on line/clothes horse to avoid using dryer
not turn the heating on until 8pm tonight and even then only keep on for a couple of hours
meal plan for next week based on what we have in cupboards/freezer

Today should be a NSD. Taking the kids out for trick or treat tonight so they are very excited. Have a fab day x

allydowd

Morning DFW-Jedis, :wave:

Lovely to hear from you NTBY.

So tired....never mind it's my Friday today.

The List:

Checked online banking.

Ignored guisers last night. Up here you leave a light in your window if you're participating. Plenty of houses in the village participating so didn't feel too mean. :rotfl: Will do same tonight.

Take packed lunch and coffee to work tonight. Lost another pound it weight with all the exercise.

Shop around for home insurance renewal quote :undecided Existing insurer is quoting £104 but hoping to better this using Martin's suggestions. (Link)
Got £1.76 TopCashBack for getting a quote with Go Compare.
Quote of £60 through One Insurance via TopCashBack. Yay!

foxgloves

Have only popped on for a moan. Have had to call out locksmith as window mechanism broke last night & we could no longer secure it. £75 an hour, plus parts' VAT & we've just gone over into the 2nd hour. Aaaaaagggghhhhh!

Kate_fixing_it

EBay sale went for 14.99 plus postage and buyer has already paid! I'm on cloud nine here colleague unexpectedly gave me money for commute too

Won't be a NSD as hubby has asked me to pick up something and I'll buy raffle tickets at SW but that'll be less than a fiver so I'm at least £20 richer than I was when I woke up

foxgloves

Am still in full on moan mode. Locksmith bill was £228.60 and it could actually have been MORE because he was working on it almost 2 hours but thankfully only charged us for 1 hour of labour. That is SO much money, but whole mechanism needed replacing so we didn't have the skills or confidence to do it ourselves. So NOT a good DFW day.
Barely any small positive things today. Baked bread, baked chocolate orange buns topped with chocolate ghosts to take to friends tonight, friends are feeding us so just petrol costs to get there. Finished knitting baby socks for our friend, will cast on a case for my new phone, shared bath water, cut cleanser bottle open to liberate last of the contents.
That bloody window bill has really got to me, but we are away later this weekend, so couldn't leave it, as ground floor window. Grump, grump, GRUMP! Mr f has just pointed out that the window bill has cost more than we've spent on our city break, so I'm going to have to sign out now & do some deep breathing.......
Hope you are all having a better day,
Foxgloves x

Pernicious

Hi everyone,

Thanks for starting us NTBY, hope you're settling in nicely.
DNMS - Hope you're not too late today!
Foxgloves - Sorry to hear about your window woes, as annoying as it is at least you can go away knowing your home (& far more expensive goods) are safe, & I'm assuming you have the savings to cover it rather than needing to slap it on a credit card? That's always something to be proud of.

I didn't make it on yesterday as I was so busy but it was a fairly MSE day

Today's plan:-

• Making use of free water at work
• Food from stores - leftovers for lunch
• Staying in for most of my lunch break to avoid spending, but had to pop out for a couple of bits, less than £5 spent but all essential
• Dinner from meal plan
• Log calories & exercise on free apps
• Checked birthday bingo
• Charging phone at work
• Check online banking
• Check for new mystery shopping opportunities
• Enter some comps
• Do some surveys
• Declutter & flylady
• DH hopefully doing a bit of overtime today
• Heating off, fleecey dressing gowns on instead
• Check fleabay, 12 items will sell at the moment Answer questions
• Use cashback to order some bits later
• Check what gifts I have already from last year's sale to avoid spending more on people

Hope you're all ok & have a great MSE day x

ziggy2407

Good Evening My Lovelies

ntby - Thanks for starting us off today, great to hear your exotic tales
kate - well done on the extra pennies :T
foxgloves - sorry to hear the problems with your windows but as perni says you can go away knowing its now secure and you have achieved lots of small things today so dont be disheartened.
carrie - Please dont beat yourself up you're doing a great job and every day is a new start

Hi to all of the regulars and a BIG welcome to all the newbies, this is a really FAB thread with so many lovely, caring, considerate and supportive people.

Todays (feeble) little list:

Take mum to large shopping centre for Christmas shopping - Done, have managed to get the majority of her gifts sorted so now I only have to wrap them and distribute them (then start my own christmas shopping) and she is happy so makes me happy too
Check Banks - Done
Check swapits - Done
General Tidy up - Done
Check www.freepostcodelottery.com - Done
Meals from stores - Done
Track all food - In progress
Catch up on emails -
Surveys -
Nectar Adpoints -
Enter a few comps -
Knit - in progress
Read Book (from library) - in progress
Update here -

Hope you have all had a good day, love to you all.

C xx

Kate_fixing_it

Thanks Ziggy and another very welcome surprise to end the day, from my £1 of raffle tickets I won! Got a big bag of fruit and veg and as I left early for my SW meeting popped to tesco on the way and my £5 spend turned into three packed carrier bags of yellow stickers and all things we needed saved at least £10 and got a treat for the sproglets too