Tuesday 12th May - What small DFW hings 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

Dawn - Glad you're back, we have missed you

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.

Today's little list:

Packed lunch for DH & DS - Done
TV off & listen to my New and BEAUTIFUL radio (a prize ) -
Craft -
Look at O2 freebies -
Continue de-cluttering -
Continue purge on Emails -
Continue purge on FB & Twitter -
Surveys -
Check Banks -
Check swapits -
Enter a few comps -
All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer -
Pamper feet this evening -
Check https://www.freepostcodelottery.com - Remember there are now 5 chances to win -
Read -

Have a great day, love to you all

C x

Bobarella

Hi All

Morning Ziggy

Today I will:
- check my bank account and move my salary across into the main account DONE
- Have a NSD DONE
- Make use of Nectar reward for business shopping DONE
- Hope the engineer can fix our boiler as no hot water for 1 day is a novelty, beyond that it's a bit tiresome. DONE
- Push BT to resolve the billing issue it seemingly has with our monthly payment DONE
- Cycle all journies saving £4-£5 per day, £40 a week on travel cards roughly DONE
- Look for any roadkill
- Make dinner from what we already have in DONE
- Book a large item collection to declutter our old TV. It's been sitting in our dining room for around 2 months. DONE
- Try and sit down for a bit at work. I tend to be on the go from 9am till we get in from the school run afterwards. My legs cope ok but thinking it's a good habit to try and get into. NOT DONE

Right think that's me.have a good day all.

bob

DawnW

Morning
Thanks for starting us off Ziggy (and for the welcome back)
Well, it poured with rain for a while and now it looks nice and sunny :huh:

List for today:

Heating off, even the airing cupboard, even the towel thing in the bathroom!

Check banks

Work - sales unit needs a bit of an overhaul, and I still have auction boxes to shift

Hoover round as it is grandma day again tomorrow and I don't want baby GD playing on a dirty floor :eek:

Need a few little bits of shopping today, but nothing major

Need to buy a couple more big garden pots for my tomato plants - poundstretcher ones will do fine

Collect a parcel from the post office

Read meters and submit readings

All HM meals - I am going to have to empty one of the freezers and defrost it (I have a fridge freezer in the kitchen and a small upright freezer in the conservatory). They are both pretty full :eek: Trouble is, I tend to get something out, cook it, and put what is left back in again Anyway, I have got some chicken breasts out for today, and will have them with some kind of tabbouleh (sp?) salad as I have loads of lovely fresh mint and parsley in the garden

Right, better sort out some bits for the sales unit!

Hope you all have a nice day

twiggy86

Morning all!

Bob - I would hate to be responsible for you so I promise to do my best to post everyday! (Said in a Brownie style way!)

So last night did not go to plan! Had a splitting headache by the time I got home so took some tablets and went to bed for an hour! Then woke up starving and freezing and no motivation to cook so got a take away! Poll And tonight I'm babysitting for my boss so won't be able to get the bits done around the house until tomorrow now.

So today I have/will:-
* Check banks
* No make up on as only one in office again
* Watered plants using water in the dogs bowl rather than throwing money down the drain (literally!)
* Take HM curry out the freezer for OH's dinner (as I wont be there he's liable to get takeaway - hopefully he can cook rice unsupervised but I may get a call later asking for instructions!)
* Take lunch to work
* Claim £2.03 from Quidco
* Claim £1.23 from TCB
* Walk dogs for free exercise
* Use boss' exercise bike for free exercise
* Pop to post office to cash postal order and pick up forms for OH
* Pop to Lidl to get some fruit for my lunch tomorrow (run out as haven't been shopping since last Monday!)
* Earn more SBs (this is slow progress!)
* Earn more on Onepoll
* Babysit to earn some pennies
* Dinner will be fish and chips paid for by boss (however not good for the waist line!)
* Shower and wash hair tonight whilst babysitting (may even blow dry it!)
* In a "use it up style" start using up number one of 3 bottles of half used moisturisers!
* Call dad tonight whilst mums at work to discuss mums birthday

That's everything I can think of so far.

Hope you all have a good day!

ellesbellesxxx

Hi all Thanks for starting us off Ziggy!
Hope your headache is much better now Twiggy!


Today:
-Have already (finally!) listed the dress on the bay!
-Need to finish washing/ironing/cleaning but getting there
-Signed up for a mystery dine
-Put name down for focus group, hope I get picked as 60 pounds for 2 hours!
-B/L/D all from stores!
-Pay in money to bank
-Work for 1 hour 40 this afternoon!


Have a great day all x

NewlyFrugalMumof3

Good Morning


I haven't posted in eons, so thought I'd rejoin this lovely group.


Today I have/will:


Washing on/out - DONE
Walk to/from school with boys & dog - DONE
All meals from stores - DONE
Have a NSD - DONE
Switched all non-essentials off - DONE
Check bank account & pay a bill - DONE
Quick tidy up - DONE
Book passport photo session at Timpsons - DONE - Fri
Water runner beans and sunflowers - DONE
Lots of OU study - DOING
Drop football kit back to team en-route to Taekwondo class - RESCHEDULED
Prep/make pack lunches for tomorrow - LATER


that's plenty for today. x

1HANNAH

Morning all, Thanks Ziggy for the start & enjoy your radio!
Twiggy, hope the heads feeling better today, I had one last night too and can still feel it lingering
Dawn, nice to see you back!
Bob - great news about your salary!


Daily

• Switched mobile off over night done
• Heating off (get fleece blankets out if needed) done
• Kids breakfast free at Schools breakfast club done
• Fill water bottle at gym done
• Check FPL
• Use nectar search
• Check Banking/update spreadsheets done and receipts all filed, desk cleared
• Unsubscribe from junk emails done
• Walk to/from bus stop with boys this afternoon not today, as straight off bus to swimming lessons
• Make families lunches for school/work tomorrow

Food & Health - got to start looking after myself (need to lose about 6st)

• Make myself a banana/spinach whey protein smoothie (to take in the car for after the gym) - done
• At least 1/2hr exercise at the gym 1/2hr session with my PT this morning plus walking to warm up/cool down.
• Gym - shower (using up mini shampoos samples etc) & dry hair done
• Apply make up/perfume done

• Drink warm water rather than tea/coffee save the cost & less calories too coffee first then I'll do this! done
• All meals from stores - plan & prep -
  Old school, make do & mend & use up

• Try to use something out of the use up food box used some flax seed & protein powder for smoothie
• Use up pamper box started with 18 nail polishes 4 handcreams 1 footcream & 3 perfumes - so far uu - 1np 2hc done used perfume
• Use up household box started with 5 shower sprays - so far uu - 3/5 done
  Entertainment
• Read a few pages of a book
• Listen to spotify whilst cleaning done
• Check Sun perks done
  Home and decluttering
• Wash a load at 30 degrees done
• Hang washing on rails (as waiting to buy new retractable outdoors line on Wed from BQ on Wed with my mum to make the most of her 10% discount)
• Check out flylady email and complete todays task
• Clean & tidy fridge done and planned food today/tom to use up salad tonight and veggies tomorrow (better get some meat for a dinner)
• Clean & tidy freezer (update freezer list) done & found a pork joint which I've taken out for tomorrow (must ask DH again to add food to the freezer list!)
• Tidied the front of the fridge freezer and cleared paperwork off it
• Add items to charity bag
  Earning chances
• Do some Swagbucks running apps during the day
• Check email survey oppurtunities one avail, will do it when I have lunch
• Check checkoutsmart
• Check shopitize
• Check TCB/Snap Save - moved payment to Amazon and claim £1.58 thats confirmed today
• Check Quidco/clicksnap done
• Check totals/balances on all survey/points sites etc and focus efforts effectively.
• Do Geolotto done, got 44p so on £3.20 so far

Bobarella

Twiggy - sorry to hear you felt ropey. Wonder what led to that? Have to say I've had a lot of headaches lately but put it down to pregnancy hormones. Glad you accept my buddy challenge though

Dawn - it must be a nightmare trying to clear your freezer if it is very full. Have you considered being a bit hardcore and only eating freezer food for a week etc?

Ellesbelles - good luck with the focus group. They are a great earner.

Well it's a little slow this morning hence me being here but not too worried. Have another £1 in my tips jar already. Which is very pleasing.

The counter is looking nicely full of cakes and treats so no need to bake today. The rain has put a few people off I'd guess but sun's out now. Basically it's better for me to be busy between 11 and 2 ie lunches than morning coffee anyway. As spend is higher then. We do appear to be having the odd ant issue this week though. Need to get OH to come and spray the outside area with ant killer as that stops them coming in then.

allydowd

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 )
  
• Coupon Shop Forum list of money-off coupons (Link)
  
• eBid ( Link )
  
• Freecycle ( 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 )
• 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 Orchard product testing (Link)
  
• Toluna ( Link )
  
• TopCashBack ( Link )

allydowd

Morning DFW-Ninjas,

Thanks for the starter Ziggy. Hungover for the first time in years. Yikes.


New Era Day Five:

:grinheart Update Finances Spreadsheet. Have a look at how much spare we have for the rest of May.

:grinheart Defrosted deep freezer. Looked like an Arctic wasteland. Will turn down thermostat a notch. Retrieved last of last year's brambles/blackberries to cook later. Also rounded up 'scraps' for a curry later.

:grinheart Look at yesterday's photos. Find a PhotoBook deal.

:grinheart Called Gas/Elec supplier on cheap number to check they have put us on the right new tariff, they havee, but three months later we are still waiting for them to reduce our DD by £2.50 and have no paperwork for the new contract yet. Hopefully all sorted now.

:grinheart OH is listing three old bits of camera kit on eBay to finance the purchase of a new bit of kit. New bit will not be bought until old bits have sold. Cost of new bit will not exceed money raised from sale of old bits!

:grinheart Free spearmint tea. Pick five fresh leaves, place in tea cup, pour over hot water.

:grinheart Using up half a bottle of very old shower gel.

:grinheart Investigate Flubit. (Link)

Freebies:

:grinheart Free Office-type software. (Link) I've been using Open Office for years and I love it. It looks a lot like Microsoft Office but takes up less space, doesn't continually demand to be updated and, in some cases, does things more simply. Also you can just download the elements you need. Totally hate Microsoft.

Competition:

:grinheart Win a cosmetic sample. (Link)

News:

:grinheart Martin Lewis' guide to reclaiming air passenger duty for under 12s on some flights. (Link)


Good luck on your quests, Ninjas.