Wednesday 18 February - What small DFW things will you do today?

ziggy2407

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:

ziggy2407

Good Morning All

Maria - remember baby steps - don't go overdoing it

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.

Didn't seem to particularly achieve much yesterday but had fun with DS - he decided he'd like to learn more cooking skills - so making the shepherds pie took a lot longer but tasted fab and he was so proud. All washing now done, just ironing to sort - maybe today while he's upstairs with his friends. Today's little list:

Pack-up for DH - Done
Ironing -
Bake (son has some friends round later) -
Meal plan for next week & start shopping list -
Re-list few bits on facebook -
List couple of bits on Eb*y -
Continue purge on Emails -
Surveys -
Check Banks -
Check swapits -
Enter a few comps -
All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer -
Check https://www.freepostcodelottery.com - Remember there are now 4 chances to win -
Read - In progress
Knit -

Have a great day, love to you all

C x

twiggy86

Morning all!

No idea where I've been, but I'm back now!

I'm looking after my boss' house/dogs for a couple of weeks so I'm making full use of the washing machine/tumble dryer/charging facilities! I work from her house anyway but I'm staying between here and home. EDIT - Before you think I'm really mean doing this since my LBM moment in October she has been to Egypt for a week, New Zealand and Australia for a month and is currently on holiday for 2 weeks in South Africa (and had a boob job in between!)! So maybe it is cheeky but it wont make much difference to her finances!

So today I have/will:
* Post on here
* Check banks
* Check TCB (not much in there but it all helps)
* Check FPL
* Bring lunch to work
* Charge phone at work
* Fill water bottle up at work
* Do 3 loads of washing at work
* Take leftover milk home
* Dinner from stores
* No heating on (we have radiators off the wall to decorate so cant use it!)
* NSD?
* Chase friend for £9.10 for cinema tickets I booked

Think that's everything!

Hope you all are ok and have a good day. Right I'm off to see what's been happening whilst I've been awol!

DawnW

Morning all
Thanks for starting the thread Ziggy, and well done to your DS for learning to make shepherds pie :T Learning to make yourself something to eat is such an important life skill, and so many children don't seem to have the opportunity to acquire it

Hope Maria is feeling better today.

I am lazy this morning for some reason OH was even up before me, and that is virtually unheard of :rotfl:

So, must get my act together and do something! List for today:

Yougov survey (done)

Check banks Done

Shopping list Done

Sainsbugs shop to use £7.50 off £50 spend voucher. Must take a calculator to ensure that I don't spend more than that :eek: Sounds (and is) a lot, but I need to stock up a bit and can include dog food and some other non food things that I need anyway. Downside is that I will have exceeded my GC budget AGAIN this month But hopefully not by much. Only spent £24.96, but was able to use a money off voucher as OH bought a top costing £20 and we paid for all of it together. OH had a £6 off £40 voucher which we were able to use instead of mine - so I haven't gone over my budget - yet :eek:

Cleaning - lounge window but need to move a heavy item first. Must find a space in the garage for it. Lounge needs hoovering as well. The sun is streaming in through the window again but the downside is it shows every speck of dust and dog hair, and there are loads of both Well, the hoovering didn't get done, but I cleaned the window (an internal one) and then had to do the other side. I carried on and blitzed the glass box thing on the back of the house, which is the other side of the internal window. I washed, dried and ironed the lounge curtains too, so a small part of the house looks better at any rate

HM meals - macaroni cheese tonight, which I had planned for last night but we didn't have because I made cheese scones (does this make sense?) so we had omelettes instead. Done, macaroni cheese, runner beans from freezer and grilled tomatoes. V. nice

Decluttering - might do gardening shelves in the garage if it gets a bit warmer (brrrr!) If not, bedside cabinets. Clutter central here Didn't get to this - did the back porch thing instead - I never know what to call it. It is not posh enough for a conservatory (that word always makes me think of rattan furniture and potted palms, whereas this is more welly boots and chitting potatoes )

Ironing :eek::eek: Hardly ever do this but fed up with there being a few items in the basket (for ages ) Well, I did the curtains - and the ironing board is still out ......


Received £11.46 from my latest Amazon Trade in today I don't have any more books that they want atm, but I will try again in a few weeks, as there are still loads more to go.

Not MSE this one, but I bought a new laptop today This was a planned purchase, paid for from savings, so not a disaster. I got £100 off the price too Not using it yet as I have to faff around getting it connected to the BT antivirus, the printer etc which I need to be in the right mood to do. OH wants this old one - he rarely uses a computer (likes his smart phone) but has decided that he wants to do some writing etc He didn't want a new one as he is a bit of a technophobe, and he is used to this one.

FatVonD

Morning all.

I'm due back at the hospital today for my mum's follow up appointment, I have jacket potato in the oven for an early lunch so I don't have to resort to the petrol station again!

I've just signed up for the free postcode lottery, I'm not sure where to look for the 4 chances to win but will have a proper look around later.

Son is currently in the bath getting ready for his driving lesson, I will jump in his bath water when he gets out.

If I'm not too late back today may be the day I get around to switching all my direct debits to a Santander 123 account, otherwise I may do it on Friday which looks like being the only day of my holiday where I'll be home all day. I'm so grateful now that I didn't find work for this week!

Dinner tonight will be the spag Bol that didn't get cooked on Monday though I briefly glanced at the meat and it looks very brown despite still being well in date. We still have eggs and lemons left for more pancakes tonight too

I realised I missed Monday's episode of 10,000 BC so will watch that online later. I'd love to do something like that but they are such a bunch of wimps, down to 6 people from 20 now in just 23 days! Will also be watching EastEnders though they've dragged it out so long now I'm not sure I actually care who killed Lucy Beale just bloomin' get it over with!

twiggy86

FatVonD wrote: »

Will also be watching EastEnders though they've dragged it out so long now I'm not sure I actually care who killed Lucy Beale just bloomin' get it over with!

I haven't watched Eastenders for years but even I want to know who it was now!


Hope your mums appointment goes well.

milliemummy

Good morning.

Today's list:

Walk to work and back ( I used to catch the bus back, but save £1.80 per journey walking)
Charge phone at work
B/L from stores...am having a girly evening with a friend tonight, so will be eating at hers this evening. Left DS1 with a pizza that I found at Tesco local yesterday, YS to £1.13 from over a fiver..also got tomatoes for 14p and a big punnet of grapes for 20p, both YS.
Check one poll,etc
Should be an NSD hopefully.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Bobarella

Hi Guys

Feeling cheerful and happy today. My son is upstairs watching cartoons, hasnt even got dressed yet. I feel a bit guilty, but heck he doesnt get much downtime during term & spends weekends shuttling around between piano, dance & birthday parties, so is it so bad to let him veg?
Plus, lets be honest, I've managed to hoover the whole house, clean the bathroom, plant some seeds & give the kitchen a good once over whilst hes been happily engaged...

I was feeling very unwell last night, so we decided to have our pancakes this morning instead. Which was lovely. Husband is off this week, but working at our business doing decorating. So he can control his hours this week. He made all of us pancakes, with raspberries, and blueberries. And it was lovely to have him here for a bit longer than usual.

Financial stuff today.
1. Checked that the £16.21 Topcashback money had cleared off my credit card.
2. Checked my rewards on my MBNA reward card. Currently at just under £10 in Argos vouchers, so thats a nice work in progress. We earned loads for buying the floor, which has been paid straight off.
3. Checked banks, waiting on 2 invoices to be paid in business account. Personal account, not too bad, have updated my spending App anyway.
4. Uploaded a reciept to Checkoutsmart for 1p. Initiated a pay out from them as well.
5. Have planned dinner from stores. Will need to buy some cheddar & a loaf but thats all. When little man eventually surfaces we'll walk to Mr Ts.
6. Have done a balance transfer on a card listed in my total, which the 0% had ended on. The cost was £64 but, it saves me £30 a month in interest so is a no brainer.
7. Have washing out on the line for 2nd day in a row. I am very proud to see on my last electricity bill, we only spent £27 for the month. That was a decrease of £10. Now if we can get the damn gas down, which it will once the heating goes off which Im going to say end of March max. We should get back to normal pretty soon on our monthly amounts.

Dawn - Glad you had a lazy start, why not indeed.
Twiggy -Your boss sounds minted. How does she have so much time to travel though? I dont think you are doing anything wrong by using the facilities at her house. Unless she has asked you not too...
Ziggy - Thats lovely that you had time to teach your son to make shepards pie. It is time well spent. He'll soon be making tea one night a week Im sure.
FatVD - Thinking of your Mum, poor thing. Hope today is ok. Any news on your house viewings??

Hi to everyone else that may stop in today.

Bob

ziggy2407

DawnW wrote: »

Morning all
Thanks for starting the thread Ziggy, and well done to your DS for learning to make shepherds pie :T Learning to make yourself something to eat is such an important life skill, and so many children don't seem to have the opportunity to acquire it

Bobarella wrote: »

Ziggy - Thats lovely that you had time to teach your son to make shepards pie. It is time well spent. He'll soon be making tea one night a week Im sure.

He's been doing "cooking" at school this last term and to my mind can't really be classed as cooking - one week was a fruit salad :eek:
From being little we've always made buns, cakes, biscuits and decorated, as he's got older he's enjoyed making his own pizzas so now he is showing more of an interest I want him to see cooking as more than just bunging something in the oven or opening a can - who know what our next culinary delight will be :rotfl:

DawnW

Back from Sainsburys and I didn't manage to spend £50. I had thought I might, as OH wanted a top from in there that cost £20. It came to just over £47 all together, so I couldn't use my voucher. Luckily though, OH had a £6 off a £40 shop one which I used instead. So I haven't yet gone over budget for the grocery challenge - the groceries only came to just over £27, and that was before the voucher was applied. Clothing does not come out of the GC budget

FatVonD

hospital visit went okay but she's still not discharged until they find out if a repair is needed when a bit of dead tissue drops off :eek:

Bob - We have a viewing booked for someone to look at the house on Saturday. I was going to ring them to discuss putting the price down as viewings seemed to have dried up so massive fingers crossed for this one!

Ziggy - My son did one day a week at catering college throughout years 10 and 11 and then a year full time at college before deciding he doesn't want to be a chef after all. It does mean that he is quite confident in the kitchen though which is useful (and we have inherited a fantastic set of knives!) but alas I think he missed the washing up module!