Tuesday 22nd December - What small things will you do today?

La_escocesa

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.

princess_pea

Thanks for starting La E
Hugs CCL, you are amazingly strong even if you don't feel it right now


Whoop whoop - today is my last day at work until 4th January! I'm hoping I might begin to feel a bit more Christmassy when work is out of the way. I'm going to have a tidying-up day today I think - I've got lots of little bits to clear up
NSD today and all meals from stores
Banking checked - waiting for those cheques to clear then they'll go in a savings account until I've decided what to do with them
Chased a mileage claim at work I submitted in October! It mysteriously vanished until I queried it and not it has miraculously turned up! That's £25.20 I'll get paid into my bank account tomorrow


OH and I are going to pick up our "Christmas Meat" tomorrow (that's the term we've been using in the office as people have been discussing the various logistics of picking theirs up!). We're going to draw up a shopping list tonight of the other bits we need - mainly veg. I'm determined not to go mad as it's crazy just for one day, and we live behind a Sainsburys which is open at 9am on Boxing Day - no doubt with all the Christmas food reduced! I think we're going to leave getting a Christmas cake in the hope we can get a half-price one after the big day. I might have a look for a St Clements trifle recipe today - Mr S used to do a lovely one but hasn't for the last couple of years. I'm hoping if we make it ourselves it might be a bit kinder on the waistline!


Have a great day everyone :snow_laug

La_escocesa

[FONT=&quot]Hi everyone :santa2: [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Hi PrincessPea :hello: - sounds a good plan waiting until Boxing Day for another food shop :T [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hope things are good where you are. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Shh, I’m ‘working’ :rotfl: [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I thought I’d kick us off this morning and then got distracted and had to run to work. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I’m keeping up with the small things: [/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]Cheapo porridge brekkie – half water, half milk :cool: [/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Leftovers for lunch :A [/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Nice ‘use up’ tea planned for this eve – HM pizzas[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Taking something back for a refund – could keep it and use it myself but doesn’t 100% spark joy so it’s going back [/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Keeping YNAB up-to-date – gosh Jan is looking scary :eek: - think OH is really starting to notice that he does need a second job... :dance: [/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Making dad’s hamper of pickles and dips– seems like a useful pressie for a 70 year old who has everything he wants. Think next year I will do HM pickles but guess I’ve left it a bit late this year... [/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Night in with Luther and my knitting this eve [/FONT]

lambda

Hi Everyone!

Today is the last day before the Christmas break up.

I got my car back yesterday. £275 :'( I hope that's the last of the troubles on it for a while. In the good news it is running beautifully. Just hope there are no more issues with it.

Need to jiggle my budget around today to find an extra £100 to pay for the car. I think I should have it covered from somewhere.

Merry christmas, Everyone!

carrielovesfanta

Morning all!


Thanks to La E for starting us off


ccl - massive hugs and best wishes to you all. Although it must be so hard now, I really hope that this is the start of things improving for you all x


lego_mum - I was looking at the thread over the weekend. I know that all these retail parks are pretty similar, but it sounds like you live near me?!


I've been awol over the weekend as I was at mum and dad's for early Christmas. It wasn't too bad. Drives were good and got lots of useful presents. We left at 7am so we were home by 11am yesterday.


When I got home, I managed to sort, de-package and even take some silly bits to the charity shop straight away. Did two loads of washing which went straight out on the line, marzipanned 4 Christmas cakes, stripped and remade the bed, put OH's prescription into the doctors and made dinner. But most importantly I FINISHED BLANKY!!! See pic below





On to today's list:

• B/L/D from stores
• Charge phone in work - done
• Check online banking and reconcile spreadsheet. Very important as it's the last bit before Christmas - done
• OH is going to hoover
• Crossfit at lunchtime - done
• Find large box that I know is hidden in cupboard for baby things
• Make soup (pea and ham. Mmmmmm)
• Quick glance through the dvds as I can think of some that can go
• Crochet
• Be very happy as I'll be off for Christmas from 5pm *woohoo*

I might add more later.


Have a good one all


clf x

ziggy2407

Good Morning Everyone

LaE - Thanks for starting us off today!
CCL - Sending massive hugs, really hope that this a turning point for you and your family
CLF - Blankets looks fab, well done!!


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.

Been a rough few days, few highs (going to see Star Wars with DH) and a few lows topped off last night with the gas hob being disconnected and now out of use - could also account for how sick I've felt over the last few days. I had told hubby I thought I kept getting a whiff of gas but he couldn't smell anything but we had visitors yesterday and the first thing they said was they could smell gas so at 10.30 last night "gas engineer" came and yes we have a leak. Today I will:

Packed lunch for DH - Done
Investigate new "Hob" -
Check Banks - Done
Drop more pressies off at various relations -
Continue purge on Emails -
Enter a few comps -
All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer -
Check https://www.freepostcodelottery.com - Remember there are now 5 chances to win -
Check Lucky Phone - Done

Have a good day! Love to you all!

C x

carrielovesfanta

ziggy - I'm glad that you spotted the leak early! :eek:

maria3104

carrielovesfanta wrote: »

Morning all!


I FINISHED BLANKY!!! See pic below




Hi

Am stunned at this. It is a work of art. In all my years of knitting I have NEVER produced anything as lovely. Congratulations.

Mr T delivered our Christmas yesterday and whilst I was sitting pretty with a 22lb turkey in the freezer, I realised there are only 4 of us. Oops. I need to shop for a more appropriate sized birdy! Infact we are having a 21st supper for DD and whoever of the family is around that night, so 22lb one can be demolished then, with curry for new years day.

Will be a quiet work day christmas for us, as it ever was for farmers, but joyful none the less. In readiness I have acquired:
10 library books
2 knitting projects on the go.
Small local children to visit me to do fun stuff with when they are sick of their toys. I have 3 little occasional visitors and I love them dearly. So funny.
TV, one for DH and one for me. Downton here I come.

Working on all but Bank holidays except for 1 day when I hope DS and family are coming to visit me, possibly even an over nighter.

Work will break up my continuous procession of delights! Need to be careful, a surfeit of joy can kill! I am looking forward to it all incredibly.

Have a wonderful (low cost) Christmas and New Year all. We will be some of the lucky ones not dreading our January credit card bills.

I am off to google knitting patterns for baby blankets, feel I have missed something important here!

Maria.:j

Candy0107

Hi All,

Thanks to LaE for starting the thread
Thinking of CCL xx
Carrie the blanket looks fab – well done x

Busy day at work today, yearend payment run to do and then I can stop stressing and hopefully catch up on sleep.....counting down til I leave my current role !

I have just heard that my friend (ex boss) has got another job = more money and a change of department, so hopefully everyone else has positive news

Today’s list:
• Breakfast and dinner from stores
• Cheapo sandwich (cheese and tomato toastie)
• Treated myself to a large coffee this morning (it was needed)
• Read papers online
• Charging my phone via the PC
• Checked bank – I have received a payment from Funding Circle so I will buy some lottery tickets and pay some towards my credit card
• Need to update sig with above
• Checked investment & re-invested
• Off to WW tonight, which is free as I am a meeting clerk
• Stay away from the mince pies this evening. It is my last meeting as I have been moved to another meeting to help out
• Need to pop home to get my jeans for tonight
• May take a coffee from home for the meeting
• Need to buy lottery tickets for this weeks draw

Lunch break is almost over (and boss is glaring at me as I type), so I will catch up with everyone when I finally get home tonight

Candy xxx

foxgloves

CLF - The blanket is fabulous! I think that crochet has the edge on big projects like that. I could knit that, but absolutely no way could I crochet it as my crochet is very basic & rubbish! If knitted, your blanky would have to be knitted on very long circular needles in order to keep it in one single piece. Hope the recipient loves it.

Ziggy - It's odd how some people just don't seem to be able to smell gas as much as others. We had a gas leak in our lounge a few years ago & I could smell it really strongly just coming into the room, but mr f had to get down on all fours & stick his nose right near the gas pipe to be able to smell anything, & even then he wasn't sure. I always thought it's maybe because I grew up in a household with gas cooker, gas fires, gas central heating, etc, whereas he had electricity & free coal with his Dad working at the pit. Hope it all gets sorted anyway.

CCL - I do hope thing are turning a corner in the right direction. Glad to hear your partner's work is sympathetic. That's a bit of a weight off, anyway. Good about a transfer nearer home too. Fingers crossed....in fact everything crossed....that things carry on stabilising x

Better get some sort of a list posted.
f x

foxgloves

I wasn't intending to post today, as I've got a fair bit to do & I find the internet is such a thief of time. Then I caught up with myself & decided to whack a list on while eating my lunch:
*Did a load of laundry on cheap overnight tariff, followed by a final one on full price tariff (shudders.....you don't often hear of me washing on a tariff that is twice as expensive as the night time one, do you?!) All on heated airer. Toyed with the idea of pegging it all out on the line but despite being very windy, it keeps drizzling & I want all this washing dried & put away before our guests arrive. Heated airer it is! And a row of knickers on the bathroom towel radiator.......soon to be replaced by Row of Knickers x 2!
*Leftovers & what I could find in fridge for lunch.
*Turkey taken out of freezer. Will have a general move-around later. Turkey is about 13 or 14 lbs, so very big for 4 people, but I will literally CRY if there are no leftovers to play with, so will be making the usual array of tasty freezer meals from lovely rubber turkey next week :-) Intend to live off these in January, when we have plans to step up the money saving.
*Finalise shopping list for Co-op visit later. Will be spending our dividend card points - about £25.
*mr f has gone on a jolly boys' outing with some work friends. As luck would have it, they agreed on a local restaurant, then he received a voucher for a free lunch because it's his birthday month, so that should be a saving of around £12 or so, excluding beer, which I am hoping will be purchased from his December 'spends'!!
*Collect mr f from agreed car park at local park (hope he doesn't have so much beer he can't remember which one as this park has two!) Call at Waitrose on way home for big bag of cat biscuits which I'm hoping will still be on offer. Stop for free coffees......may be good idea depending on beer consumption :-)
*Do a few surveys.
*No downstairs heating on until much later as it just isn't cold enough.
*Put letter from old mobile provider in safe place to deal with after Christmas. Despite my long assertive phone call with them this week, my final bill shows that they owe me £11. I have already cancelled the DD so hope they can still refund me as they took the full amount of DD on the final payment. As mr f will almost certainly be owed £11 too, I think £22 is sufficient money to put up a fight for, but will see if it materialises without aggro first.
*Read library book, which I'm enjoying & maybe knit a bit more sock. No pressure on with those, as they are for me, but I've been thinking about a little micro home crafty business next year & if I decide to do it, will need to start working on knitting enough stock each month to have plenty to sell in the lead-up to next Christmas. Am giving it some thought, anyway.
*Cut open my cleanser tube this morning as couldn't get even another drop out of it. Naturally, inside there was so much product left that it will last me right into January. What a waste it would have been to bin it.
*Put a colour on my hair this morning.......I refuse to have scabrous roots at Christmas! Saved the gloves & empty plastic bottle as next couple of times I'll be able to get away with doing roots only so will go back to my thrifty trick of only making up half a pack to stretch it to 2 applications.
*We decided to start sealed pots again for opening Dec 1st next year. While mr f is giving serious consideration to what coins he's going to save in his, I'm getting off the blocks by having chucked quite a few 50ps into mine already. He was impressed with how much was in my pot this year & thought he might do 50ps too. Then it occurred to him that as I manage the budget, I will get an unfair advantage where changing coins for 50ps is concerned, so he's having a major strategic rethink. .........while my first month of coins are clinking into that pot. Oh yes!! :-)
Well, I had better go & get the straighteners on my hair & get some make-up on. Do I need to glam up for the Co-op? No! Am I going to do it? Yes! It's that scary motivation of catching sight of oneself in the glass & thinking 'What's Mum doing here?'
Have a good day, everyone. Or for people not expecting exactly a good day, I shall say have a calm day. There's always tomorrow, & that's another day entirely.
Love f xx