Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd March - what small DFW things are you doing this weekend?

[Deleted User]

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:

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.

[Deleted User]

Good morning people! I was a bit too wiped out by longer days at work the last few days to post...I hope everyone who was unwell is healing, and those who've had a payday (mine is mid month so I am in the hump of the cycle now) have relished it!

Some things from me:

• Currently sat in lounge waiting for paying guest to get up and go - another one coming in this morning to stay tonight. Don't often do quick turnarounds and have had two this week. This guy was a bit awkward - nothing dangerous, just didn't gel easily with him. I think its only the second time that has happened, but I am hoping the frost won't put him off getting out and about to explore the city soon|! Want my house back (briefly!!) How bad do I now feel? It turns out my listening to him (lots) last night whilst doing my ironing really helped him - he just left with heartfelt words of thanks and a card! update - New people seem lovely too :T
  
• 2 x washing on on low temp, quick wash, minimal detergent. I cleaned machine yesterday on the inside (descaling packet thingy) and will do the doors etc later so its sparkling. I don't descale very often but was given a packet by my aunt, so thought it couldn't hurt. What do others do?
• clean out fridge and look for any lurking items that need using up. Its pretty empty so a chance for a thorough wipe through!
• Hoping for a dry day so I can air the damp loft a bit more. Have borrowed a dehumidifyer but conscious these are expensive to run and loud, so trying also to have windows and hatch open lots and only run dehumidifyer at convenient times. Going to ring the roofer again today and chase for a quote. Been 3 weeks since they came to look. 3 seperate roofing companies let me down before that - just never showed up. I'm stressed about it as damp patch now extending into landing and bedroom.
• catch up on bnb correspondence - got some more enquiries overnight DONE
• several ebay items ending soon, including some big items of furniture that need to go before some other big items I've been given by friends can be dropped over. Fingers crossed.
• several other items to list.
• do end of month updates for challenges on here. They have really helped and the folk have been so encouraging :beer:
• look into maintenance contracts (boiler).
• Friends dad hopefully coming to look at faulty elec switch and tap that needs changing. They know a lot of tradesmen (I know none here yet) so can hopefully recommend someone, but friend says there is a chance it might be something her dad can do himself. Fingers crossed. I seem to have a lot of house bills looming. DIDN'T need - other friend helped with switch, tap less urgent.
• Forecast next 2 months expenditure in more detail (how I imagine foxgloves budgeting day to be). Going to sit down with calandar and plan in detail. For last several months I have got into having a budget for fuel, food but it hasn't been closely tailored to the months events.
• book our final few nights holiday accom. Much needed time with DD - feeling family hols are precious as she gets into teenagerhood - but being careful about costs so staying in airb&b, a convent(!) and a youth hostel so far. The hol accom & food is paid for by renting our home out whilst we are away. We are sharing bills with a friend of mine who is accompanying us, so some small economies of scale. Hoping now to add nights with relatives on on way up and from airport DONE - very, very excited now!
• going to a play tonight with my folks and DD, in a village hall near their place. Folks got their tickets free in return for helping the woman whose one woman show it is. Shouldn't be too expensive for DD and I. Nice bit of quality time out and educational too!
• staying with relatives tonight after play. Possibly sunday night too as there is another family event sunday afternoon that will keep us there fairly late.
• Need to firm up with Dad bits he can give me for the garden. My idea of posh raised beds can wait, If he can help me with some old bits of wood to bodge some this year, I can give it a bash. Although by the sound of more green fingered folk, I'm a bit late to this race this year?
• swagbucks, nectar ads DONE, free postcode lottery DONE

ikesmummy

Morning Crazy lady, thanks for starting us off and a happy weekend to you and all. Been AWOL for a few days with a faatricbug and then a horrible virus I am still fighting with.

I have got to get a few DFW things done this weekend, think it is going to be a tight one so

• Finish sorting March's budgets
• Write a shopping list from meal plan which I may need to try and further cheapefy
• Do the shopping between lidl and Asda
• Finish making bag (birthday gift for friend)
• Finish making dress (treat for me and trying to spruce up work wardrobe without spending much)
• Take boys out with season tickets and packed lunch
• List some more stuff on local facebay site and consider listing elsewhere (eBay/Gumtree etc)
• Do some baking for packed lunches/snacks
• Make up another batch of soup to see us through coming week
• Continue decluttering, done well in the kitchen and front room but still far too much stuff in this house.

ziggy2407

Good Morning All

crazylady - Thanks for starting us off

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.

Hope you dont mind me popping by even though Im not really doing a lot (but Id still like to be part of the gang), but I will/have:

Check Banks
Check swapits
Check www.freepostcodelottery.com -
Son @ footie training
Read magazines/library book
Knit

Have a great day, love you all xx

wishies_x

Hi everyone! I've been a lurker but it's time I joined in! This weekend I'm hoping to:

- ring orange and find out when my contract ends, if I can give notice to end I will
- cancel sky sports and the movies that we don't get chance to watch!
- list 3 things on eBay
- do competitions
- check freepostcodelottery
- no take away!!

We also haven't had the heating on all day lol, this is an achievement for us really..well me, I am ALWAYS cold so I always have it on, however when hubby is home and tells me it's a normal temperature I am going to listen and just add more layers. My little boy is always so warm so it probably is just me! Although being so pregnant I am having more money saving hot flushes than normal

Olliegami

Gosh you've all been really busy already!

I've only just managed to get showered. Think it's going to be a struggle to be productive today, but there are plenty of things to keep me busy.

I've overspent already... but it's not to the extent that I'm not going to be able to get through March without going over my overdraft. It does feel like a missed opportunity to get 'out of the red', as March payday comes a few days earlier thanks to February being so short!

Crazy Lady, It's really nice to hear you got some nice words and a card. Don't feel too bad!

Today I hope to:

- Clean the bathroom
- Tidy my room. (Ahaha)
- Get a load of washing on
- Clean out the bunnies!
- Go out for a friend's birthday, but only drink blackcurrant!

I'm thinking about withdrawing the money I have saved in Premium Bonds. It's only £100, but that could be £100 I put towards my debts... but then I lose out on the 'lottery' of possibly winning other money????

Hope you all have a fab weekend.

soopa_de_doopa

Hi all

Welcome Wishies_x! I too am like you, have lurked for years and this week finally decided to get involved! It's so great to have a little DFW gang on here to share with, I think a lot of my friends think I'm a bit bonkers but I don't feel odd here:D

Having a lovely kid free weekend, DDs are at their dad's and DSs are at my friend's parents for the weekend (long story, but they are 'adopted grand parents and are fabulous!) It's a glorious sunny day so DH and I went out for a lovely walk and went for breakfast at a local cafe which came in at £16, was under budget at the end of Feb by £27 so it was a little guilt free treat!

My DFW list for today:

* Music magpie courier collected the huge pile of CDs I am sending to them, hopefully it'll be approx £28 towards the cc debt.
* Free walk in sunshine and guilt free cafe trip:j
* Get all the washing done (using 50/50 washing powder/soda crystals) and line dried.
* Check banking.
* Give DH a hair cut with the clippers (have become quite skilled at this over the last 15 years!) He is desperate, he is lucky to have been blessed with a head full of extremely thick wavy hair but when it crosses the line into being too long it just grows at right angles to his head and no amount of hair product can tame it, he looks like he's wearing a crash helmet!! :rotfl:
* dinner from food stores, making risotto using some frozen Rose wine left over from having friends over a couple of weeks ago.
* Netflix and bottle of wine for tonight's entertainment. I know we should be going out whilst child free but we can't afford it and just being in a quiet house and not having to prepare meals and do the bedtime thing will be a night off for us!
* as soon as we get DS1 & 2 back tomorrow I will cut their hair too! We must have saved hundreds of £s over the years with the clippers, a fabulous investment! Luckily DD 1 & 2 like having long hair so only need to get theirs trimmed a couple of times a year.
* Clean out chicken coop and collect the eggs, will use the poop to fertilise all the plant pots as the bulbs are starting to poke through.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Soopa x

Chrisblue1962

Paid an extra £2.96 off debts with potentially another £14.00 into my Piggybanking accounts at the end of the month.

DFW - Slowly but surely! :T

[Deleted User]

Hi again...having a lovely day, enjoying having the time to crack through some jobs. Its sunny here today and warm enough to have windows open everywhere - makes me smile as I know the loft is drying out (a bit!). Nice to see the washing out although wind has dropped so I have to keep rotating it so the weak sunshine will dry it.

Friend called in to break his long journey, bought bread and cheese so we could make toasties! I feed him on this journey a couple of times a month usually so I didn't feel guilty that he had bought the makings this time - but it was a nice surprise and a very welcome boost to my empty fridge as there is plenty of both left over. Also, he helped me fix my faulty switch - electrician not needed now! Horay!

Soopa, can we talk about chickens? Same friend keeps them and suggested that my garden is big enough (we are in a terraced house on edge of city). Would they disturb neighbours? Are they likely to be either loud or smelly? Can you tell me any pros or cons?

Hope you are healing ziggy - take it easy. Welcome to chris, olligamie &wishes, best of luck with your journey! Posting and reading here has helped me stay on track. I pick up something extra to do everyday that helps. For example, I am making a regular habit now of my foxgloves-inspired thermos to store any extra hot water boiled in kettle for the next time, and have added to it with a large jug next to the tap which I collect cold water when trying to run hot in the sink. Not rocket science but I hadn't bothered with either until joining in here. Thank you all!!

Tiggy10

Afternoon all

Thanks Crazy Lady for starting!

I say this alot but I. Must. Keep. Posting. Here! It keeps me on the straight and narrow.

So payday yesterday a big sort out today and time to keep it that way!

- Paid another £50 off the OD
- Breakfast from stores
- sort out fridge/ cupboad/ freezer ready for Asd@ delivery
- moved money to pay all bills - no suprises
- pay off the CC
- went to town with a list mainly stuck to it
** appart from a cheeky primarni trip - my only treat this month and a dress, cardi and tshirt for £20 quid is not the worst
- use no7 voucher for new cleanser
- edit meal plan
- stay in to save money this weekend

Thats about all for today! Have a good day everyone!

soopa_de_doopa

Hi Crazy Lady,

So, chickens! In answer to your questions, sounds like you have space, we keep 7 at the side of our house which is not a huge space but they have approx 2m x 14m and they are totally happy with that. We don't have a rooster so they are lovely and quiet. You sometimes hear excited clucking in the morning when one has laid an egg and is shouting about it but it's not the type of noise that would wake the neighbours, we have never been woken by them yet!

We started with a wooden coop which was cheap and we thought it was perfect, however, we got red mite (an absolute nightmare for the hens as they live in the wood in the coop and pile out on mass at night to chomp on your hens through the night, it can even kill them!) impossible to get rid of so we burnt it and bought a recycled plastic one (not cheap but the red mite can't live in there so we haven't been bothered by them since the wooden coop which is approx 5 years ago)! The coop also has a light sensor electric automatic door so we are not having to go out morning and night to open and close up which is a massive bonus!

We have 3 generations of hens, we get about 3 new hens every 2 to 3 years to keep a decent egg production up through the year (younger ones lay more eggs and all through the winter for their first couple of years, older hens lay bigger eggs less often and have a little holiday in the winter, can't blame them!)

We deep litter them so every couple of weeks we scoop out a bit of poo and chuck in some fresh wood chips and rake it about a bit and fresh straw in the nesting boxes, they're very low maintenance.

We're currently on 3 eggs a day which is great, if we've not been using them all or have been away I take the surplus into work and sell them to eager takers!

They make brilliant pets, they're very friendly and actually very cuddly. We have 2 cats and they've never bothered them, don't think chickens and dogs mix well but I haven't any experience of this....

Sorry, maybe I've gone on a bit?? We love our hens, the eggs are totally delicious and we wouldn't be without them

Soopa x