Fri 1st Aug - What small DFW things will you be doing today?

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:

ldhme

allydowd wrote: »

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:

I got paid today, and my 1st DMP payment came out today.

Because of this, I have managed to afford put £20 in a brand new savings account and still have enough to stick to my budget.

First time I have had money in a savings account in many years.

allydowd

Morning DFW-Jedis,

Another early-ish again to have another shot at my Masterplan For World Domination. Basically I have a huge list of stuff to over five days; some of it fun and some of it essential. Yesterday went well so I've a smaller, but still epic, quest to deal with all the things that make me sigh with despair by the end of the week. So here I go:


Masterplan For World Domination Day Five:


Check online banking and pay a couple of bills. Done.

Wrap and post eBay item I've sold. Done.

Do Nectar AdPoints.

Do i-Say surveys. Done.

Lift the couple of radish as they've gone to seed. Done.

Clear up an issue with OH's National Insurance Contributions. Got home too late to call; wrote a letter instead.

Sew up hand-made hot water bottle cover I finished knitting last night.

Get free Physio from OH. Done.

Plan the weekend.

Look for gas/electricity bill online. Should be due today, I think. If I've paid more than two months too much by Direct Debit I'll be entitled to have those two months refunded. Hoping this happens. Will also look at lowering the Direct Debit as I think it is higher than it needs to be, even allowing for the forthcoming Winter. No sign of bill yet.

Look into going back to Linux instead of Microsoft Windows.OH to backup her laptop.

Look at the photos OH and I took last night. Done.

Go to the supermarket and town with OH. Sigh, I hate shopping! Done.

Encourage OH to back up laptop.

Well that's me for today. Good luck on your quests, Jedis.


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 ( Link )
• MSE Deals and Vouchers ( Link )
• MSE Wow Offers ( Link )
• My Supermarket ( Link )
• Nectar Points, AdPoints, Search Toolbar ( Link )
• 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 )

Freebies:

Complete the Big Butterfly Count. Free entertainment. I've enjoyed doing this for the last couple of years. If you're doing this with children you can download a free certificate. (Link)

Do you donate goods to Oxfam shops? Do you work? Do you have a Nectar card? You can get 100 free Nectar Points. (Link)

Tiggy10

Morning all!
Thanks Ally for starting.
Congratulations ldhme!


Todays list:
- some cleaning and sorting in the flat
-check banking & bills
- NSD
- walk to town to post a gift for OH dad new baby
- pick up my free Krispy Kreme & look for free diet coke on my way
(thanks Ally) do you have to buy the hot drink or can you just get the free doughnut?
- try and go to the gym later.
- food from home:
b: smoothie
l: lo pasta
d: beef fajitas


Have a good day all!

solvencyseeker

Hello all,


Feeling a bit calmer today. Was in shock yesterday as OH was told earlier this week that sons job was safe, then the same person called son in yesterday morning and said "your employment is terminated because you have done too little too late about getting an LGV licence". Having an LGV licence is not part of his contract or job spec, has never been formally given to him as a target and he has had no warning that his job was at risk if he didn't take action.....this is how Council's treat their young, enthusiastic new employees. Son has sent a letter of appeal to the Chief Executive - might as well go straight to the top!


Anyway, back on topic. Thank you Ally for the start and well done Idhme!


Today I am at work, just having a little coffee break


OH gave me a lift in, I've had breakfast at home and brought a packed lunch.


Tonight we are having a Friday "Takeaway". I keep a stash of (homemade) curry sauces and veggie curries in the freezer. I have taken out some sauce and an aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower). If the budget allows I add meat, chicken tonight, otherwise we have lentils/chick peas. Yummy and much cheaper and healthier than real takeaways.


I need to check bank accounts and decide on a strategy for not spending too much next week, when we are on leave. Probably will withdraw a set amount of cash.


Have a good Friday! x

Karen777

Hello
Today I will walk instead of drive
Cook from cupboard
Not take my cards out with me
Reconcile my accounts
Cheers all

allydowd

Tiggy10 wrote: »

- pick up my free Krispy Kreme & look for free diet coke on my way
(thanks Ally) do you have to buy the hot drink or can you just get the free doughnut?

I believe you can just buy the donut.

gemnomnom

Good morning all,

jodles16 wrote: »

Another NSD for me! Woohoo! My new book 'the self sufficiency manual' has arrived in preperation for moving house in a month or so to a place with just under an acre...so darn excited!

That sounds like a fab book. I'm really interested in that kind of thing. Hope it's good, and good luck with the house move!

As for me, OH had a last minute shift change so he went off at 7:30 this morning. I got up and cleaned for 2 hours, feeling pretty good about that. He's back at 4 today which is soon

Today I have -
* Rang my mum and checked she did her WTC form in time. She did
* Finished rest of the dishes. Yes it was a 2 day job
* Cleaned the bottom half of the piggie cage. Again, a 2 day job for me
* Hoovered & swept downstairs
* Gotten my purse back from the burglary
* Put some laundry in and tidied a few clothes away upstairs
* Received a working tax credit overpayment letter Apart from the initial alarm bells that went off, I feel fairly confident in sorting it.

Left to do -
* Rearrange pre-baby appointment. Accidentally booked it for a time OH is working
* Check my account to see if my mum's transfer went in
* Check OH's account to verify WTC payments, and update the spreadsheet of how much I owe him :embarasse
* Phone/write RE tax credits overpayment
* Phone chasing up where my tax refund is :huh:
* Post pension transfer form
* Check last couple of mobile phone bills, phone up and get wrong internet charges refunded
* Lower price of laptop on Gumtree
* Clean bottom half of the piggie cage
* Start court proceedings against old landlord
* Get Vinted refunds
* Clean dining room
* Slow cook something

Have a good Friday everyone. Weekend soon!

MinnieMousesMummy

Good morning everyone

Ally – Thanks for starting the thread off this morning

My list for today:
Go into town and do clothes shopping for holidays (little ones need some new tshirts)
Gather together clothes for the holidays and see what is required
Pay the vet bill
Catch up with emails
Book ferry tickets for using when on holiday next week
Do mystery shopping work that is in for today
Decide on presents for next week (my sons birthday next weekend they will be 1 & 11)
Nectar adpoints
Check and water plants
Return key to old landlord
Catch up with laundry
Raise invoice for work completed during July
Check online banking and move money around
Do a shopping list and do weekly food shop
Work in clients office 1-5
Quick hoover round the house
Print accounts paperwork and sort out accounts for July
Sort diary for August

I think that is everything for today, Hope everyone has a good Friday

Just had an email Argos are doing 3 for 2 on selected toys (sorry i don't know how to post a link)

DawnW

Morning all :wave:

Not much done so far as I woke up feeling a bit rotten There is a nasty bug doing the rounds, which consists of really bad headaches and high temp and I was concerned I might be getting it as I was hot and headachy (I am not totally paranoid / one of those people who always think they are ill - DD and her little one have had it). However, I feel a bit better now and will get on and do something and stop being a wimp!

Need to do:

Cook a proper meal instead of the bits and pieces I have quite happily - and cheaply - lived on for the week, as OH is back from his trip today . I have taken a small chicken out of the freezer, and have new potatoes, cabbage and runner beans to go with it

A bit of shopping, need bread, butter, cheese etc, plus vinegar to finish the pickled onions I prepared yesterday. This year's shallot crop were small, so I decided to pickle them all. There aren't many, as my garden is tiny and I only grow quite small amounts of any one thing. There will be enough for 3 or 4 jars for Christmas and beyond

I also made up the bread and butter pickles (onions and cucumbers) yesterday. I got 6 jars, so this year's preserving is getting well underway. Chillis to deal with next! Last year I dried them, the year before I froze them. Both worked well. Might look to do something different this year. They are very small, bright red ones. I don't know what variety as I was given the plant a few years ago. It seems to survive if I bring it in for the winter, and though it always looks weedy, it has lots of chillis on it.

Watering (even if it rains the tomatoes and cucumbers etc will need it as they are growing in pots) and walking dog later.

Might need to pick tomatoes as well

Loving the sound of the self sufficiency book and the 1 acre garden. OH and I were into all that back in the 70s and 80s. We used to grow nearly all our veg and fruit, and keep chickens, ducks, goats, rabbits, sheep etc for eggs, milk and meat. The children remember those days fondly And now they are grown up, they all know how to cook, grow food and look after animals

Nowadays OH and I just have a tiny garden and 2 chooks :rotfl: It is amazing how much food can be grown in a small space though! I see it as a challenge!

Have a good day everyone.

f_Anna_tastic

Well since its 1st of August I have stated to use my 20 free eBay listings. Found two things so far but I'm sure I can find some more to put on