Monday 4th January 2016. What DFW stuff will you do today?

maria3104

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.

maria3104

Morning all

Am up, all machines are on cheap rate.
It is Monday, although I worked between XMAS and NY today will be first day back when lots of managers and clients will be back into gear, so expect to be busy!
Wasted yesterday with a migraine type headache.
Today
NSD lunch from stores, tinned soup I think
Tea from fridge. The £12 ham cooked in ginger ale should be done and finished finally. Has lasted since 29 Dec. Still tasty. But am bored now. Last of the bought mince pies, to be held in case of unexpected visitors will be done today. Found a mouldy orange disappointed that got past me.
Very little food waste in december but also very little progress on freezer eating.

To do:
Shower
May get 2nd load in dishwasher. Am too lazy to do by hand.
Take down XMAS trees and put away and clean. (Will be tonight) Has been up for nearly 5 weeks, love artificial still looks amazing.
A lovely elderly man has died and turns out his car was on finance, it appears he will have a £3000 deficit from the sale of the car versus his finance. Car was bought this august august. year 12 citroen, Does anyone have any advice how to negotiate for the widow. They owned their own home but have zero savings. His pension paid for the car monthly costs. She has no way of paying the shortfall. She is obviously reluctant to sell her home. Very sad I think.

cally6008 wrote: »

Maria - hope the migraine has eased now. Migraleve is expensive (but great if it works, not sure what you took but it's only meant to be 2 pink in 24 hours)
I read somewhere that co-codamol tablets are a cheaper alternative to migraleve (and if memory serves me right, the c-c tablets have more codeine in them as well) but it depends if you need the anti-sickness bit thats in the migraleve

I have them bad as well but i get the sumitriptan (imigran 50 ? ) from the docs.
Not very MSE at £8-20 for 12 but they work quite quick (but i feel as sick as a parrot and have to go to bed immediately after taking one) and I recover a lot quicker as well, 4 hours kip and a day feeling wooly .. instead of needing to spend 13+ hours in bed and 2 days feeling rotten like i used to

Thanks for this, much appreciated. I will try these.
Bye for now.
Maria

Willy_Nilly_Milly

First day back at work today, determined to get organised and start the year well, today I will:
Take two items back to next that are too small for the children
Take premade tuna pasta salad to work for lunch
Have a look into free Kapersky anti virus software
Phone two council mot test stations to ask price

Before work today I really need to have a good tidy round as the MIL is picking up the children from school :eek:
I also need to check all bank accounts as everything comes out today, I'll see how little there is to last me until 26th ::shocked:
I have no words of wisdom for that poor widow, that's a massive shortfall really, what a shame to be dealing with that stress at such an awful time!

Sanctioned_Parts_List

Day's half over for me, and back at work after a nice long 3 day weekend... luxury I tells ya, luxury! Although I've got a week off next month for spring festival, so will catch up on sleep then.

Heart in mouth moment as I realised that I forgot not one, but two bills this month (one's an industry subscription that I really should remember by now and one's to BoMD), but an unexpected remittance covered that. (My company paying expenses on time? Unheard of!)

Task for the day is to update everything in the computer ready for the next 2 months' insurance premium/industry subscription churn and let the forecast wizard do its magic. (I use KMyMoney as I didn't get on with gnucash but everyone has their favourites.) I haven't been keeping it so thoroughly while overseas, but the above is a timely reminder without any harm done.

UPDATE 16:42 CST: Careless me - I allowed my gas/electricity to go out of their fixed price deal onto the standard rate package - didn't notice as I didn't see the email and am not getting my post atm. - so about 10 mouse-clicks later, it's back on a reduced price tariff to save about £150/year. Sadly less of a good deal than usual as I'm reluctant to switch until I'm home. Guess that counts as a DFW thing tho'?

Tyrone_Black

- just made the train that allows me to walk to work rather than getting the tube (£2.50ish)
- I have lunch with me (probably saves £1 on lunch with the cost of buying it)

YORKSHIRELASS

Morning everyone

Maria no advice unfortunately, what a difficult situation. Is there a loan/finance board on here where someone might know? I have posted this type of question before and got good advice.

So, back to work after a week and a bit off. Packed lunch made, no heating on as house seems quite warm and everyone else in bed. Lasagne for tea tonight. Need to do a couple of bits of shopping after work but will resist temptation.

Have a good Monday everyone x

ziggy2407

Good Morning Everyone

Maria - Thanks for starting us off today and I am sorry I dont have a clue what to say regarding your widow friend

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.

Raining here today again and gosh its very dark but back to normality, today I will:

Packed lunches for DH & DS - Done
Check Banks - Done
Quick shower - Done
Meet freegler/wait for other freeglers to collect - Done
List few more bits on freegle - Done
Fingers crossed that the fitting of the new hob goes smoothly and without any hiccups - Done, no probs for me but fitter struggled a bit, lol, only charged me £50 too, company who supplied wanted to charge £89 +
All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer - Done
Check https://www.freepostcodelottery.com - Remember there are now 5 chances to win - Done
Check Lucky Phone - Done

Love to you all!

C x

PaceThePixie

Morning All,

Sadly I don't have a job to return too! Long story! I will find another soon though. Hope everyone who is back to work has a stress free day and week.

As the OH is the sole income he is in charge of finances. I am hoping he will have a NSD today. He has failed on the first three days of the month. Tensions high in the homestead this morning

I did yesterday advertise unwanted furniture for sale on Pre-Loved but think I may have to give it to charity but will try to earn the £5 I am asking for each piece.

Have a lovely day folks.

cowboymum

Morning! Thanks for the lovely welcome yesterday! Posting definitely got me motivated to do the things on my list. Back to work today but actually looking forward to it though! Today is actually an extra day as I don't work school holidays and kids aren't back until tomorrow at the earliest. Not sure what I'm going to do with the children today though - not quite the weather for the park! Nsd for me so far as we went to a friends then did some baking this afternoon. I am exhausted though and it's only 3pm! Got another 2.5 hours of work!

I was going to aim for a nsd but DH still has to get new thermostat. Oldest son is going to a party so we will have to buy a present as well. Thermostat is working now - yeah! DH went to supermarket though to pick up the bits that tescos didn't bring so that was £8.05.

Tesco shopping came yesterday so eating like kings today! Lunch leftover beef stew (already in slow cooker). Tea is spaghetti bol - going to make masses so I can make shepherds pie tomorrow plus at least another portion for the freezer. Very pleased that I've made tea tonight, tea for tomorrow and a portion for the freezer, as well as feeding 8 kids and 2 adults at lunchtime! Phew no more cooking for me today.

DH is out tonight so I will attempt to do some paperwork and some decluttering.

Also going to sort out playroom and remove Christmas decorations there as well.

With regards to the widow, is she actually liable for the debt ie was it in her name? She would be wise to consult a debt charity as they will be able to give her lots of practical help and negotiate with the creditor if necessary. Normally car finance is unsecured so that won't be against the house.

Have a good day everyone!

Sanctioned_Parts_List

cowboymum wrote: »

With regards to the widow, is she actually liable for the debt ie was it in her name?

Sadly yes, she'd be liable whether it was in her name or not. The debt forms part of his estate, and in calculating its value, the balance of assets and liabilities is totalled up and passed to the people named in his will (if he has one). Being his spouse, even in the absence of any will, she'd automatically be passed his entire estate.

His estate can be a negative number.

So while she's entitled to his house, savings, possibly any eligible pensions... she's also stuck with a bill for a car she doesn't want.

In the absence of other ideas, maybe crowdsource it - post an appeal to something like fundanything.com?

DawnW

Morning all
Thanks for the start Maria - glad you are feeling better. Sorry to hear about your friend's issue with the car debt. Is she actually liable for it if it is not in her name? If so would they let her pay in instalments (seems a reasonable request). This can't be the only time this has happened, and she certainly shouldn't have to sell her home for what is in the greater scheme of things a relatively small sum. As Yorkshirelass says, a post on the loans board (there is one on here) might be an idea? Or a call to one of the free debt charities?

Nice to see new posters on the weekend threads - hope they stay with us

Right, list for today:
No heating downstairs, but will light the wood burner later Done
Check banks 1 done, 1 still to do
Clean bathrooms 1 done, 1 still to do (this seems to be a recurring theme )
Strip off spare bed and wash bedding Done
See to hens (done, lettuce and apple cores for treats today )
Walk dog x 2 if not too much rain Done, not much rain today Daft mutt is currently chasing his tail, which he does for about 20 mins every day :rotfl: Not sure why!
Make grooming appointment for dog (not MSE, but sooo scruffy :eek:) I brush him, and often bath him, but he needs clipping and my hairdressing skills are sadly non-existent. I do get a discount through the pet club arrangement at the local vets though (he gets done by the groomer there) Done, got an appointment for Wednesday which will have the added advantage of splitting up the 'terrible twosome' (puppy + baby GD whom I look after each Wednesday) for a while :rotfl:
Hairdresser for me too this afternoon as I am not much better :eek: Done
Pop into sales unit as it is next door to the hairdresser Done, nothing sold ufortunately
Pay a cheque into the bank Done
Small bit of paperwork for my business Done
Deliver a pile of unwanted envelopes to a freecycler who says she can't walk far (I am lucky enough to be able to walk loads ) Done, combined with a dog walk
Investigate Waitrose's half price sale (it is our closest supermarket). Haven't shopped since 23 December, and need a few fresh bits now - but only a few. I am determined to get on top of my grocery stockpiling habit The sale looked a bit rubbish, I couldn't see any of the products advertised. Still, that means I didn't buy them Bought only potatoes, tomatoes, a cucumber, bananas and batteries for the TV remote.
Peel, chop up and freeze remains of parsnip mountain Done - now I won't hit my head on them any more - OH had hung them in a carrier bag at an inconvenient height in the conservatory (I am aware that this is a very glamorous word for a place where you can hang parsnips :rotfl:)
HM meals from stores, I was thinking macaroni cheese for tonight, to use up some leftover cheese and cream Need fresh salad to go with it though! Done, used up leftovers :T
Leftovers for lunch for my brother and I - OH is working and has taken a packed lunch Done
Brother goes home today so there will be only the two of us to feed again. He has been here since 21 Dec, so that will definitely be a saving! :T
Postal survey tasks, FPL and any online surveys Done, a few surveys from onepoll today
Ring old dental practice to cancel appointments - I was unable to do this before Christmas as their phone was out of order. The appointments are some time away, so no problem really.Must remember to do it though! Done :T
Sorted out some items for the CS, to take tomorrow
Cleaned chandeliers (this too is a very posh word for light fittings that have sparkly bits, especially as the sparkly bits in this case are plastic :rotfl:) Still, they are clean and extra sparkly now
Walked all journeys

Well, that lot should keep me busy! Hope all have a good day