Sat/Sun 19th/20th July - What small DFW things will you do this weekend?

allydowd

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. :money:

allydowd

Morning DFW-Jedis,

Today's wee list will be carried out mainly by my OH as I'm on strict "sofa-rest" today. (I'm actually bored already as I'm a normally so active.) Will be using sleep to avoid spending. Does that count? Also includes some stuff OH did yesterday and I didn't get to report:



The List:

Deep cleaning the Study using minimal cleaning products (Stardrops, Baby Bottle Sterilising Tablets, beeswax, hot water and elbow-grease. We used to pay a cleaner. Great for the local economy; terrible for our bank balance.

Deep cleaned the Bedroom.

[STRIKE]Harvest last of our potatoes as we've none.[/STRIKE] Plant more. OH harvested 2kg from a 10p bag of potatoes tuber-thingies(?!)

Burn photos to CD at home instead of taking photos to a shop and paying them to do it.

Eat foraged raspberries and home-grown potatoes.

Do i-Say surveys. (Link below)

Washing is out to dry on the whirligig if/when the rain leaves.

Report freebies, some of which I found on a poster at the hospital yesterday.


Freebies:

Clinique via Facebook or Twitter: (Link)

Free 10 Minute Shake-Up Exercise Incentive Kit for children living in England containing a stopwatch, activity cards, and wallchart via an NHS organisation in conjunction with Disney: (Link)

Healthier Scotland (NHS) money off physical activities: (Link)

Change4Life Wales (NHS) free pedometer in some areas: (Link)

NI Get a Life Get Active (Public Health Agency) activity record book: (Link)

Free energy drink coupon (Londis) in the Star newspaper today (page 33).

Free Scooby-Doo ice cream (Toys R Us) in the Express (page 23) + free sunglasses offer.

Martin Lewis' Money Mantras Card: (Link)

Free Days Out in the UK: (Link)


Offers:

Nectar Points Double Up. Money off attractions or swimming from 23rd July: (Link)

Magazine offers Forum thread: (Link) Thanks Cats for inspiring me to dig this out. I always stick a reminder on my mobile phone calendar to cancel these after the trial period.

Print your own FarmFoods conditional spends coupons: (Link)

Martin Lewis' Cheap-ish Days out. I think this is worth looking at. (Link) If it doesn't load google "MSE cheap days out" and you'll get it that way.


For Newbies:

Martin Lewis' Money Mantras (Link)

Martin Lewis' Demotivator Tool (Link)

Martin Lewis' guide to checking your credit file for free: (Link) I have found Noddle user-friendly


MONEY MAKING AND SAVING SITES AS OFTEN MENTIONED IN THIS FORUM:

• A Girl Called Jack, cheap recipes ( Link )
• Benefits check-up ( Link )
• Birthday Bingo, daily free game ( Link )
  
• eBid ( Link )
  
• Freecycle ( Link )
• Free Postcode Lottery (Link)
• FreeStuff ( Link )
• FreeUKStuff ( Link )
• i-Say Surveys (Link)
• List of online newspapers. At bottom of the linked page. ( Link )
• MSE Boost Your Income page. Gateway to lots of money-making links. ( Link )
  
• MSE Abbreviations Explained NEW ( Link )
• MSE Deals and Vouchers ( Link )
• MSE Wow Offers ( Link )
• My Supermarket ( Link )
  
• Nectar Points, AdPoints, Search Toolbar ( Link ) Currently AdPoints website is offline for maintenance
• OnePoll ( Link )
• Quidco ( Link )
• Reclaim PPI at no cost to yourself ( Link )
• SayNoTo0870 cheap phone number finder ( Link )
  
• Survey sites that pay for your opinions ( Link )
• Swagbucks ( Link )
• Swapit ( Link )
• Tesco Clubcard Free Movies and TV Shows Online ( Link )
  
• Toluna ( Link )
  
• TopCashBack ( Link )

Right, that's me. Off for a snooze now if I can tear myself away from cyber-space.

cats2013

Good morning all, well i've not been on for a while here and had some bad months losing my job and all sorts going on. but now things are looking up...almost. i have part time work lined up for end of september a temp job starting the next two weeks hopefully. all on a good wage even though they are part time and zero hours.

So Im hoping that if i can keep unto date on the board and use the motivation of others that our debt free dream of September 1st 2015 (next year...) will be a reality. I am study my masters part time due to end in 9 months...need to get a chunk of fees for that as well. But the end is in sight.

If I can support others as well I will do my very best. I love to find bargains, vouchers, freebies def, and allow ourselves a little something that makes us get through whilst recognising that we can have all the lovely nice things we once had or wanted and crave right now....

one example is a favourite magazine for a little hobby I got into. Well, I have a barging voucher deal that is also starting again as my current deal ends..basically the magazine - which this particular one always comes with a free gift even better costs 4.99 usually each month. My deal is actually 5 issues for just £5! So for £1 a month for 5 months I get my buzz of a hobby and a relax time etc.

I will find the codes for others because there are lots of other magazines too on the deal!

Sorry to go on but I thought I'd share whats been helping me through and a big Thank you to everyone on the board.

Current debt 8,461.85

So today I will

Clean the house from top to bottom, scrub scrub form in store cleaning items
Complete 2 draft chapters of dissertation and make a list of tomorrows tasks
Look for freebies, get the hang of these survey things to earn free points for gift vouchers
Cook dinner for friends tonight from indoors items got yesterday
Plan next weeks breakfasts lunches and dinners for me and BF
Sort and iron clothes

Read throughout the forum and the is site to get motivation and as much tips as possible.

Kitten

allydowd

La_escocesa wrote: »

Hmmm, I've been thinking about 'supporting my local economy' recently. Getting down about this house and can't keep up with it.

House cleaning is going to be my top priority today to see if I can fend off the urges!

My problem was before my LightBulbMoment (MSE Abbreviations Link) the deep cleaning company would say "that'll be £100 please" and I would just agree without considering whether we could afford it or whether it was good value!

Now we do most of our cleaning in 15 min bursts, or, more often, in the advert breaks on tv and we've no pets or mini-humans who can't clean up after themselves. But we're far from being Kim and Aggie, yesterday OH found a woodlouse cemetery under the bedside cabinets during the Bedroom deep clean!

If you're trying to resist paying a cleaner maybe the Demotivator will help? (Link) Or do you have a friend/relative who would clean for you in return for you cooking them a meal or something? Or cautiously google "skills swap"?

jodles16

Off to do the weekly shop soon, do love @ldi! Aiming for as close to £50 as I can, have been going over recently and not sure why! Its very rainy here today, boo, so might need the tumble drier.

Used the deals to get a lovely photobook for £20 instead of £80 which Im going to fill up with all our Honeymoon photos! Exciting!

Not the best money saving day, but not a massive spending one either!

Have great weekends everyone!

Jodles

Bagpuss741

Today I have/will:

1. Checked online banking
2. Picked up free samples of clarins skincare in debenhams and added them to my sample bag (saves me loads on skincare:D)
3. NSD
4. Meals from stores
5. Cleaned bedroom using minimal products
6. Clean/disinfect cat bowls/mats
7. Update snowball

Have a good weekend everyone:A

allydowd

Bagpuss741 wrote: »

7. Update snowball

One of many Snowball calculators which show you how your debt pans out month on month and, often, how much you'll pay if you only re-pay the minimum. It'll still work fine if the calculator is in $ not £: (Link)

lulabelle

Hi all

Not been on this thread for a while as have been diarising instead but thought I'd pop in

So, after spending too much yesterday today I will:

1. Go to supermarket and get food to batch cook for healthy lunches and dinners this week so that I can stay late in the office but still eat well. I will make a list and stick to it and not hover around the pretty things in the "home" section!!!

2. Do a little bit of cleaning and put some washing on. Trying to tackle this in small chunks to make it more faceable

3. Stay in tonight and make the most of my net flicks subscription by watching several episodes of the good wife

foxgloves

Hi,
Today's very small things:
*Decided not to go into town. Neither of us needed anything, so saved coffee shop & doubtless other small spends too.
*Stuck 100% to shopping list for groceries. One final shop still to go before new budget & £28 left to do it with. Shouldn't be too much of a problem as we're picking a few things from the garden now, & I drafted out an impromptu meal plan to see if we can go a week on what we already have, & we can.
*Usual small energy saving measures such as sharing a hot bubble bath & taking a free Waitrose coffee home with us when we'd finished our shopping, instead of using our gas, coffee & milk (the old me would have had a coffee & cake in the cafe then bought a few delicious but expensive treats to take home for lunch).
*Today's free fitness was pond maintenance.
*Mr f lifted this year's shallott crop.
*Updated budgets.
*Watch film from our own collection.
*Knit present.
Wishing everyone a good weekend,
F x

lulabelle

Well, success in the supermarket! Managed to stick to list (although treated self to a buttons yoghurt - but staying in so fair enough!)

Have failed on cleaning but have put a wash or two on.

Have to work tomorrow which is crap but at least it will stop me from spending!!!

Gingerjar

Feeling very pleased, was surfing the Next sale early this morning and fancied a pair of denim shorts (£28). Resisted and have since converted 2 pairs of jeans into cut-off style shorts.

So pleased as they look great and it has inspired me to look through the rest of my wardrobe to see what else I can alter :j