Tuesday 19th Jan - What small DFW things will you do 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:

Greetings from a wet and cold Dowd Towers. Had some 'good' news. My managerial contract ends at the end of next week and I was worried I'd have to go back to the Jobcentre but tonight my boss told me I can go back and work on the "shop floor". Even better I can have nearly two weeks paid holiday in between the two roles. I haven't had a single day's holiday since I started the role in September. It'll be a big drop in pay but it's better than no job at all. And my OH is going to be delighted when she wakes up and I tell her I'll be back on Dayshift too. The downside is that it's very physical work. Oh well...that means I can eat more chocolate doesn't it!? Trying not to feel too nervous about the change. It'll be ok. "Fake it til you make it" as CLF says:

Just a wee list:

* Charged phone at work.

* Took a packed lunch to work.

* Two free keyrings from work. Well, not exactly free, I had to earn a lot of company "Brownie Points" to earn them.

* Ask OH to fuel the car as she drives past it later and to do the tyres while there.

* Ask OH to go to Post Office while in the vacinity.

* Sitting in my dressing gown and hat to avoid putting the heating on. The pipes are noisy and I don't want to wake OH too early. Today's her day to work.

* Leftover chilli for breakfast
.
How about you lovely people?

allydowd

maria3104 wrote: »

How do I get the car insurance badge. Saved a fortune today by 1st checking had all the right covers, drivers, excesses and then got a saving on top. Good job done. Also with a which 5 star insurer

Maria, you post in this Forum and, if MSE Badger spots it, you get a badge. (Link)

crazy_cat_lady

Morning all :hello: Thanks for the start Ally - good news about the job, and you're right - better than no job at all
I feel ok today. Not great, but the fear is gone I had to get up during the night with a headache to get paracetamol and have had more this morning. It's Year 11 parents evening today so a long day and I need to be on top of my game.
List
Check banking and PAD :eek:
full day of teaching
parents evening :cool:
exercise
crochet (latest unicorn almost done)
nsd
meals from stores
politely nag dh to do something
be kind to myself
early night
stay calm
Have a good day everyone.:j

PurpleFairy26

Morning all :hello: thanks for starting us Ally. Woo hoo!! On job front. I know you are taking a drop in pay but it's not like you have debts to service anymore.

Feel refreshed as woke up to alarm this morning for the first time in ages rather than a small climbing in to bed :rotfl: my list for today will be small but hopefully productive:
Check banking
Check for surveys
Sign up for RM survey I've been offered
Sew DD glove before school
Meals from stores, ys bream for tea
Clothes drying on rads whilst heating is on
Volunteering tonight

Bob - the transaction was odd, they claimed we had signed up for something when we hadn't and they couldn't prove we had. They did refund it without quibble in the end ( the company) but I'm sure if I hadn't been on the ball it would have stayed. I do have a handful of places that I shop occasionally on line that have my debit card in them, where I changed when I was first a DFW as I didn't want to be using CC freely online as it as too easy, however, I now only use cc online and pay off straight away, I need to move other accounts back - will add to my monthly list.

Anyone know if 2 of you at same address can have an isay survey account? I'm signed up and DH tried to but it said straight away that he was already signed up when he wasn't.

Have a good day everyone.

foxgloves

Jonno - Yes, both mr f & I have an I-say account as we like to pool our vouchers. We also share a laptop but haven't had any issues wuth registering.
F

foxgloves

Morning all,
Big frost here. Mr f is just scraping the car. Today's list is a bit kitchen-based but as long as it's money saving, I don't mind.
*Prepare the fruit for making my annual batch of seville orange marmalade & put to soak overnight.
*Make dough for pizza & bread rolls.
*Do a bit of 'Use it up' for pizza topping, which will include spiced-up rubber chicken. I like to chop it, add fajhita spice & put on pizza with chillies (still got loads of our crop in the freezer), onions, peppers & sweetcorn.
*Make a stew with rest of rubber chicken & some of the stock.
*Freeze remaining stock.
*Make leek & potato soup prob in slow cooker.
*Soak chickpeas for spicy chickpea burgers later in the week.
*Make tomorrow's packed lunch.
*Two baths from one lot of hot water.
*Last of this week's laundry dried overnight on heated airer to maximise cheap tariff.
*Pop down to greenhouse to cut a lettuce.
*Do another job from Annoying Things list. Yesterday I mended the bedroom curtains. Took about 40 mins, yet that job had been hanging there annoying me for a whole year! I can really recommend making a list of all these silly things & just crossing them off as you go. I've spent virtually nothing on this so far......39p for one job, a 50p spend for another & 2 small cheap half-price photo frames. Most of the Annoying Things just required me to commit a small amount of time.
Right - Time to get cracking with those oranges.
Have a good day all.....& keep your mitts on your money.
F x

ziggy2407

Good Morning

Ally - Thanks for starting us off today

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.

Everything planned for yesterday is on today's list - I was busy being kind to myself :rotfl: so today I will

Packed lunch for DH & DS - Done
Ironing -
Bump all sale listings/freecycle/facebook -
Check Banks -
Sort filing drawer -
Continue purge on Emails -
Continue decluttering -
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 -

Have a good day! Love to you all!

C x

maria3104

Hi

Thank you Ally for the car ins link. Have done this now. I feel like a girl guide getting a badge! Very exciting day.

Not such a great start here, lovely crisp morning. DS left for work 4.30. DD left for exam 6. I snuggled down and forgot to check sheep, literally forgot we are lambing until 7!!! Unbelievable. Anyway, am now caught up, washing done, DS washing rotated onto airer, bird feeders topped up, dogs had a run. Had a fine row with DH. Cleared my tubes! Got my blood pressure roaring.

Best yet, am working on auction tomorrow and I love it love it love it. Like a holiday but I get paid. Am overjoyed. Hope to get some new business, but who cares, I am out doing what I love.

Have a good day all.

Maria.

twiggy86

Morning all!

Great news about the job Ally.

And pleased the meeting went well CLL.

I was very annoyed last night - made a big batch of super healthy sweet potato and chickpea stew... and I don't like it! I managed to force myself to eat it for dinner last night but have a feeling it may linger in the freezer as don't know if I can face eating it again! Although OH thought it was nice. May donate it to OH's mum whose a veggie and loves all things healthy - although will probably do her for 4 meals as there's loads left!

Today I have/will:-
* Check banks
* Take chicken out of freezer for dinner
* Wash OH's work clothes with my trainers from my mud run on 40 degree eco wash
* Watch first 10 mins of Mr Selfridge that I recorded to see where friend is getting married!
* Take breakfast and lunch to work
* Eat breakfast before lunchtime!
* Check FPL
* Charge phone in work
* Remake appointment which was cancelled on Saturday
* Dinner from stores
* Sweep hall, stairs and kitchen floor
* Sort out laundry
* Find out knot paint and paint brush
* Sort out clothes to return (one of which is a gorgeous dress but I just wouldn't know when I'd wear it!)
* Make list of jobs I want to achieve this weekend!

Think that's everything for today! Hope you all have a great day.