Tuesday 1st March - What small DFW 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.: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)
  
• Cooking On A Bootstrap, cheap recipes ( Link) Site name updated
  
• eBid ( Link )
  
• Freecycle ( Link )
• Free Postcode Lottery ( Link )
• FreeStuff ( Link )
  
• FreeUKStuff ( Link )
• i-Say Surveys (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)

Checked 25 Feb 2016.

La_escocesa

BTW Ally - I don't think I've ever mentioned it but I found the YNAB link on your list!

You amazing woman you, you have changed my life!

make_the_change

Thanks for the start, up bright and early here due to an unsettled DS2 and the other two kiddies wide awake at 6.30am :eek: went to bed at 9pm myself as was exhausted

- school run and playgroup done
- put beef casserole on in slow cooker done
- clean frontroom and bathroom done
- Hoover done
- wash at 30 degrees done
- nursery run done
- pop into town to type up some letters and post didnt do as was raining!
- check banking and final bills due this week
- book doctors appt for these blooming headaches forgot to call at 2pm again
- school run done
- entertain kiddies and read new story with DD
- relax!

Have a good day all! :T

PurpleFairy26

Happy Tuesday frugal friends :hello:

Thanks for starting us la E enjoy reconciliation, glad it's just not me excited about payments going in/out my account so I can reconcile my big spreadsheet mine doesn't run from month to month it's payday to payday, as I get paid on Friday I'm going to add in a couple of new categories after tracking incidentals for a month- was revolutionary also as its the first lots of payments have gone out. Years ago I would have dreaded a first of the month so close to payday as there wouldn't have been any money left - not any more - all balanced to the last 1p

Today will mainly look like this :
Banking, update sheet, surveys and FPL
Meals from stores, maybe make something hot for pudding tonight
washing mountain continues to be ascended :rotfl:
Packed lunch for DD
Lunch to work for me, hot drink in car
Plan March tonight, it's going to be a busy month with one thing and another, need to plan what I am doing when

Enjoy your day everyone

crazy_cat_lady

Morning all - thanks for the start LaE
I'm another one singing your praises Ally - thanks for the link. Until last night I hadn't even realised that wood filler existed. I suppose that's my next 'annoying job' on the list.
I'm tired this morning - just because I was so busy yesterday I think though.
It's big DD day and I'm already distraught at how low my bank account balance is - but it's all I can expect with dh not contributing anything...
Here's my list.
Check banking and PAD
Full teaching day
Mark a set of books
Try not to stress
Hope ds behaves so that he can go to football tonight
Arrange a cheap or free date evening for Saturday now someone has offered to have the kids for a few hours
Catch up with crochet projects
Aim for nsd
Research where to buy wood filler locally
Get dh to clear space for new freezer
Meals from stores
That will do for now - see you all later :T

Bobarella

Morning All

La E - I was pleased to read that you've had it out with your OH about contributing. It's right what you say about his business not being dead but just needing building whilst he earns as well. I really hope he gets a job soon.

Make the Change - my baby is teething too. Congrats to yours for getting there which one was it? My DD is almost 5 months and has been drooling like a fiend for weeks. She bites everything that comes her way and let's just say we are keeping pampers in the FTSE100

So March. Well it is now heading into week 5 post op and no sign of any issues. I've been off painkillers for around a week now and feeling much stronger than I was. So this will be the month I start to get back to normal after what was an enormous grenade in our little lives.

Good things? The easter long weekend will be a really nice time to spend with family. Will be going to the in laws for a couple of days by the sea.

Bad things, having to pay a lot of money out to cover the 2 week easter school break. I really don't want to use EF money for that but all the playschemes are expensive and where OH has just lost a lot of leave during the time I was out of action we can't rely on him taking more now...

I will therefore be keeping on the small things like a maniac this month and hoping for the best result I can.

Love to all

Bob

P.s CCL and Jono we cross posted. Morning.

ziggy2407

Morning All

LaE - Thanks for starting us off today
CCL - If you have a W*lko nearby they usually have all manner of diy stuff including wood filler at reasonable prices - would your DH be willing to pop out during the day to get some, may be one less stress for you

Today I will try to:

Badger school for a call back (phoned last week and twice yesterday and still no return call) - Done, received two calls from head of Y8, she spent some time with DS and apparently he still worries about my health and didn't like to ask about the funeral procedures etc, he was so happy when he came home
Packed lunch for DH & DS - Done (DS is still not 100% but has gone back to school following much pressure and questioning from school kids. I believe some of his illness is lack of sleep due to all the stress, still waiting for results of mums op and brother dying and then arranging funeral etc - hard for adults to deal with let alone children )
Check Bank - Done
Builder returning to finish off today (as he kept popping out yesterday) - Done, not happy
Massive clean (as dust is absolutely everywhere) - Done
Craft (have two scrabble/word art to do for Mother's Day for a friend and maybe some art for Spring Fayre at mum place) - Done
Investigate wills and power of attorney for mum (at younger brothers insistence, because he dealt with his inlaws he doesn't want to deal with it again )
Tidy more of attic - Done
Continue purge on Emails - Done a few
Complete a few surveys - Tomorrow
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
Check Lucky Phone - Done

Have a good day! Love to you all!

C x

foxgloves

Morning all,
Will check back later. Just popping in to say that as it is absolutely chucking it down with rain here today, I am transferring my money saving efforts to the kitchen.

CCL - If one of you goes to Homebase or Wilko's, look in the fillers section & you should easily find a tub of woodfiller. The fact that the frame is rotten does not necessarily prevent a repair. The windowframes I repaired were rotten in places, but I used a wood hardener product on those before filling. It hardened up the softened wood & sort of sealed/bound the crumbly bits together to facilitate getting the filler in later.
F x

DawnW

Morning all
Thanks for the start LaE
CCL, if your door frame is too rotten to be fixed with filler, then a professional repair (as opposed to replacement) should be possible if it is only part of it that is rotten. I left some info from OH on yesterday's thread.
Ziggy, hope your son is ok, and that the school ring you back as they should

Right, today's list:
Dog walks
Find the code generator thing to check the bank that needs this in order to be able to log in
Check quidco
Any surveys, check FPL etc
HM meals from stores, need to find the recipe for what I want to make (River Cottage cookbook)
Have a change around at sales unit
More housework
Polish coffee table now OH has told me what to use (it is one that he made)
Make some scones for DD (she is organising a hen do which involves a cream tea, among many and varied other things :rotfl:)
Right, OH is out of the door with the dog, who has a phobia about the hoover, as with much else, so I had better whizz around with it while he is out.

Hope everyone has a good day

woollisox

Morning all! What a horribly wet morning it is.

Today's plans:
*3 loads of washing 2/3 so far
*NSD (would only have to pay for Slimming World but I have a voucher for that)
*Good healthy meals (now both on a diet) from stores
*Go to my Moving and Handling class later - try not to screw uniform up in my bag!
*OH at work overnight tonight so make sure he has a decent meal before he goes and takes food with him
*Make sure my boots are collected by JustFab
*Sort out the return to littlewoods.
*General tidy up

I think that's about everything...

Not having any luck over the past week - boiler breaks, shower breaks, bed falls apart (its only 4 months old), stethoscope goes missing. They say it comes in threes, I think I've had my fair share.

Have a good and frugal day!
Wooli x