Friday 15th January - What Small DFW-Style 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:

allydowd

MONEY MAKING AND SAVING SITES AS OFTEN MENTIONED IN THIS FORUM:

• Benefits check-up ( Link )
• Coupon Shop Forum list of money-off coupons (Link)
  
• eBid ( Link )
  
• Freecycle ( Link )
• Free Postcode Lottery ( Link )
• FreeStuff ( Link )
  
• FreeUKStuff ( Link )
• i-Say Surveys (Link)
• Jack-At-A-Pinch, cheap recipes ( Link )
• List of online newspapers. At bottom of the linked page. ( Link )
• LuckyPhone free lottery with loyalty rewards (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 )
• NHS Minor Ailment Service article (Link)
  
• My Supermarket ( Link )
• OnePoll ( Link )
• Quidco ( Link )
• Reclaim PPI at no cost to yourself ( Link )
• Resolver tool. Helps you draft a letter, send it, monitor replies and then escalate it to an Ombudsman or key complaint body if it's not sorted. (Link)
  
• SayNoTo0870 cheap phone number finder ( Link )
  
• Survey sites that pay for your opinions ( Link )
• Swagbucks ( Link )
• Swapit ( Link )
• Tesco Orchard product testing (Link)
  
• Tickety Split cheap train tickets (Link)
  
• Toluna ( Link )
  
• TopCashBack ( Link )
• You Need A Budget site and App (Link)

Revised 31 Oct 2015.

allydowd

Morning all, :hello:

Hopefully today will be more productive than yesterday!

<<< Turned my avatar upside down symbolically. :dance:

Just a wee list:

* Clean outside of car if the weather lets up for a bit.

* Chase up missing £30 gift voucher code.

* Shop around for new sunglasses.

* Go to doctor to get test results. Combine trip with a wee bit of grocery shopping. We shouldn't need loads as we have lots left from Decemberfest.

* Paid rent early on 0% credit card to get loyalty points. All spending goes on here and I pay off the card at the end of the weekend. I already have £8.79-worth of points which will be spent on food when they are converted to vouchers in Feb.

* Gave OH monthly food money. £159.63 for the two of us. We have quite a lot left over from Decemberfest. With what's left over from that period we have £165 for the month which is a generous £20.62 each per week.

* Re-charge solar-powered calculator. With all this darkness the display is very dim.

* Did Royalmail Surveys.

* Checked all loyalty points. If you login to the Nectar Points website just now and click on "Offers tailored to you" you will probably get the option to get 200 bonus points when you shop four times at a Sainsbury's Local.

* Did i-Say surveys. Haven't done this for months.

* Have a quick look at Freecycle. I've given away loads, time to tsee if there's anything I want from it.

* Raised a claim on Quidco for declined £19 payment for home insurance. This is very complicated but I will not give up.

How about you lovely people?

allydowd

How to make your own hand-warmers:

I like the look of this. (Link)

Sanctioned_Parts_List

Personally, I just stick my hands in my pockets for ultimate cheapness I can still slouch like a teenager, grey hair notwithstanding.

Today's DFW day is a weird one. My lodger gave notice and I need to find another one, stat. Weirdly, I have a choice for a change, but each choice comes with Really Awkward Compromises. That Mrs SPL is of the exact opposite opinion to me doesn't help. So today's DFW plan:

:mad: Have a blazing row

crazy_cat_lady

Morning all - thanks for the start Ally. When are you booking the holiday then? Congrats on getting there so quickly. :j
SPL - good luck getting the lodger situation sorted out.
So tired again this morning but at least I've made it to Friday.
Today's list:
:undecided Check banking and PAD
:undecided NSD
:undecided All meals from stores
:undecided Use my free time at work wisely
:undecided Meet with the Young Carers and get the kids registered there
:undecided Do not get stressed about the drive to work which will be stressful in this weather
:undecided Mark a set of books
:undecided Write my reports
:undecided Get ds to football training
:undecided Get dh up and about to meet his CPN
:undecided Get an early night (or try to)

carrielovesfanta

Hi guys, a quick check in from my phone

Hope you're all ok and welcome to the new posters.

Things much better here, just been running a training course in work and didn't have time to post.

Must dash as am out of bed very late today!

clf x

PurpleFairy26

Morning frugal friends it's Friday :j:j

Amazing savings Ally hope you manage some of your list today, but don't beat yourself up if you don't. My list for today:

B/L from stores, out tonight for meal with friends, but not extravagant. From spends, so no budget effect. Plus we go out about 3 times a year without all our smalls, so will be most enjoyable
Washing on 30 overnight, dry on airer/ rads when on
Check banking, small pad - got paid from own business today
Check surveys
Check £co
Look at budget, seems it's adrift somewhere, it's bothering me probably just a miscalc and the money is in the wrong pot
Take some painkillers for nagging toothache I've woken up with
Package up order for a new customer
Message customer about payment for another order
Update myc0up0ns for mr s as the two I used at weekend have been updated. Can't believe I only found out about this in sept. I've earned tons of points since then

Seems a poor list but being at work all day and out tonight limits things keep warm everyone and safe on those roads

ziggy2407

Good Morning

Ally - Thanks for starting us off today, stay warm and safe
SPL - Hope you manage to sort the issues quickly and less stressfully
CCL - Big hugs

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.

Another feeble list, sorry but feeling "flat" and wiped out Today I will

Packed lunch for DH - Done
Check Banks - Done
Collect Prescription - Done
See if I can order another months meds before my pre-payment card runs out - Done, doesn't run out while mid-March
Bump all sale listings/freecycle/facebook - Done
Continue purge on Emails - Done
Continue decluttering - not today
Enter a few comps - Done a few
All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer - Done
Check https://www.freepostcodelottery.com - Remember there are now 5 chances to win - Done, not me
Check Lucky Phone - Done

Have a good day! Love to you all!

C x

determined_new_ms

Morning guys :wave: & thanks for starting us off ally :A

jonno have a fun time tonight! :beer:

ziggy I hope you have a soothing & relaxing day :A

SPL good luck with the row! Here's to hoping the odds are ever stacked in your favour!

Well yesterday's list was too ambitious! I didn't get most of the things done and today I am working 12-6 so time will be limited so need to get the most important things done.

* Get ready straight after this post! No more frittering away time
* dig out Inland Rev paperwork and complete & post
* cook roast pork & potatoes this morning ready for when I get in tonight
* make banana bread while the oven is on
* do 2 x 2 meditations - they are really helping!
* tidy up & finish dgd's bedroom
* update spending for the year
* all meals from stores
* take snack to work so I don't buy anything later
* film & bottle of wine (already in stores) this evening with oh

Ok think that's everything I need to do. Have a great day x

lego_mum

Morning all, Thanks for the start Ally.
Ziggy, Hope you are feeling better soon, January is such an odd month, it always affects my moods.
Jonno, I've not come across myc0up0ns, must go and investigate!
CCl, hope the drive into work is ok for you, I always hated commuting in bad weather (still hate it was dh has too) Do you have snow there? We don't have any here just wet but blueish sky at the minute.
clf, good to hear from you:)
Spl, Iooks like your plan for today could be stressful! Hope you get it sorted.

Hello to all who follow.

My day is not going to plan, it was meant to be the gym then my monthly cuppa/catch up with a friend but ds2 wasn't well in the night and still hasn't woken up yet this morning, so I'm just going to leave him be for now. So at least it should be a no spend day now.
One of the other parents has picked ds1 up and taken him to the bus for me.
I've cancelled my catchup but she's going to pop in here anyway as she's made us some biscuits

So back to todays list
Health & Fitness plans (lose this weight once and for all, no fad diets ever again!)
:starmod: Walk the boys to & from the bus stop not done this morning but may be able to tonight
:starmod: [STRIKE]Gym class – aiming for 5 a week (works out to less then 80p/class!)[/STRIKE]
:starmod: [STRIKE]Fill water bottle at the gym[/STRIKE]
:starmod: [STRIKE]Shower/dry hair at the gym, save my water & electricity!
[/STRIKE]:starmod: Walk at least 7000 steps to get bounts points
:starmod: Eat for health
:starmod: Drink water through the day
:starmod: Monitor fitness goals etc using my fitbit daily & adjust when needed

Daily jobs:
:starmod: Wash a load at 30 degrees
:starmod: Hang washing on the line if dry/radiators if not
:starmod: Check banks/update spreadsheet :A
:starmod: Delete junk from emails
:starmod: Clean & tidy fridge (make sure we don’t waste anything)
:starmod: Use something out of the food use up box
:starmod: Plan today’s meals from stores
:starmod: Minimum heating on (set for 30 mins before dh gets up), plenty of blankets & jumpers available 

Tidy home = Tidy mind
:starmod: Hoover carpets
:starmod: Clean the kitchen using minimal products :A Must have saved loads of money since switching to stardrops last year!
:starmod: Tidy at least one cupboard
:starmod: Gather together items for the cs

Money making schemes
:starmod: Inbox pounds 4 searches :A
:starmod: Swagbucks
:starmod: Check Fpl
:starmod: Check luckyphone :A
:starmod: Check for surveys

Freebies/vouchers/offers
:starmod: Check 02 priorities
:starmod: Check tcb/quidco
:starmod: Check cos/shopit

Extras
:starmod: Make a date cake
:starmod:
More to follow