Sat 19th/ Sun 20th March what DFW things will you be doing this weekend?

PurpleFairy26

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

PurpleFairy26

Morning all :hello:

Hope those feeling down are better today.

My Saturday will mainly look like this:
Check banking, pad if I can, check surveys and FPL
Packed lunch for DD X 2 at dancing
Meals from stores/planner - chicken and leek pie for tea
Friend lent us 2 electric heaters as the newly plastered room is still v damp and no heating in there. Just have them on for minimum time
Quality time with DH later, maybe watch a film
Wrap small Easter gifts to deliver later when we're seeing save a second journey
Try and list a couple of items on fleabay/FB

Check back later, Jonno

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)
• eBid ( Link )
  
• Freecycle ( Link )
• Free Postcode Lottery ( Link )
• FreeStuff ( Link )
  
• FreeUKStuff ( Link )
• Income Tax Calculator (Link)
  
• i-Say Surveys (Link)
• List of online newspapers. At bottom of the linked page. ( Link )
• LuckyPhone free lottery with loyalty rewards (Link)
  
• Marriage Tax Allowance (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 )
• Wombling Guide (Link)
  
• You Need A Budget site and App (Link)

Checked 25 Feb 2016.

allydowd

Hi March Money-Watchers,

Thanks for the starter Jonno. Thank-you all for your kind words this week. I'm pretty upbeat about my new medical condition. It could be worse and I can get on with my life (and money-saving) around it. Most of the time I won't notice it.

The other Mrs Dowd is still in bed, I'm letting her have a long lie after her birthday yesterday. Also she "un-tidied" the house yesterday during a DIY project and all the time she's a sleep she's not making more mess! :rotfl:

The list will grow as I do things:


Debt Free-Nillionaire Continuity Plan Month Ten:

* Got a response from the Council about paying the Council Tax bill using MY prefered method not THEIR prefered method so now I can set the payment up for the new financial year.

* Do GfK Media Surveys.

* Reluctantly book dental check-up. Better to keep on top of these things.

* Clear my emails in case there's anything valuable in there.

* Unubscribe from some emails. I seem to have been getting a lot of Spam in my "non-Spam" account.

* Re-arrange the flowers we got free through Tesco Orchard. They're on their last legs but we may get another day or two out of them if I remove the dead bits and put them in a smaller vase.

* Pay rent on time.

* Do budget for April.

* Applied for MSE Car Insurance Carver badge. (Link)

* Use Flubit.com to get a cheaper quote for something OH wants to buy. Flubit is a site that finds you an online shop for any item that Amazon sells at a cheaper price. (Link)

How you all doing?



So, I have decided to starting including money-saving computing tips in my ramblings. This one is a time-saver. Hope they help someone:

Money-Saving IT Tip 1: Windows XPS Document Writer

If you use Windows you probably have the Windows XPS Document Writer already on your machine. You know when you are on the internet and you want to print a page, perhaps a receipt or an order, so you stop what you're doing, rush off, connect your machine to the printer and turn the printer on just for that one document before it disappears off your screen and you can't find it again?...Here's the solution, you can save that page now to print it later saving you having to turn on your printer right now for just one page.

So, how do you use it? Simple! Go to print as normal but when you see a pop-up like the one in this link (Link) chose the XPS Document Writer instead of the name of your printer and click OK you can save the page for printing at your leisure. You could save up a few things and then print them all at once.

YORKSHIRELASS

Morning!

Just been reviewing my finances. Have slipped into some bad habits with food shopping, not mealplanning properly, not buying enough on my "main shop" then having to top up and buying more than necessary. This will be addressed as I am going to go over budget.

I also had a couple of expenses this month that I didnt budget for and should have. However DS2 has been selected for some district cricket trials out of the blue and I think a lot of his kit from last year probably doesnt fit. The letter came yesterday and the trials are on Tuesday so not much time to shop about.

DS2 wants to go and watch the footie in the big city with some friends today. He has had a rough week so I want him to go but it will cost him about £40 and he doesnt have any money. He already owes me £15 which he can pay back on Monday when he is at work. I always said I wouldnt be forever lending the kids money but its not easy.

So today looks like housework this morning, DS2 to take to the train station, then I am going to cycle on to watch DS1 play footie this aft. Looks like the weather is decent, no heating needed again which is good.

crazy_cat_lady

Morning all :wave:
Thanks for the starter Jonno.
Ally, I had to laugh - I feel the same about this house when the hubby and kids are still in bed - at least it's tidy for half an hour.
Yorkshire - I am the same with my food budgeting - if there's one thing I get a bit out of control over it's food shopping (and buying wool )
I didn't get back on last night - I was just too tired. Whilst I'm thrilled that dh is back at work it means I'm back doing kids clubs again, so after cheerleading and gymnastics and having to get up at 4.30 this morning to drop dd off for a cheer competition I just went to bed quite early.
So, I want to have as much of a relaxing weekend as I can... but there's always something to do.
check banking and PAD
dd at cheer competition
ds to gymnastics
bit of marking
get ds to do his share of housework
nap if I need to
do not stress
minimise heating use
change bedding
That will do - I need to switch my brain on....

Bouncybubbles

Just joined tesco orchard thanks to seeing this

YORKSHIRELASS

crazy_cat_lady wrote: »

dh is back at work

Ooh I missed that, thats great news. My DH seems to be making a bit more of an effort, just hope it lasts. Like you though it means I am doing more of the ferrying about, although DH did go and pick DS1 up last night.

I am supposed to be doing my mealplan. I hate doing it so I am wasting time on here instead.

crazy_cat_lady

I'm refusing to do much house related today. Just sitting on here and admiring the mess around me.

DawnW

crazy_cat_lady wrote: »

I'm refusing to do much house related today. Just sitting on here and admiring the mess around me.

Lol CCL, I love it :rotfl:

Thanks for the start Jonno

Right, I have done nothing so far, so better get on with something:
No heating unless absolutely necessary
Dog walk later
Shopping list
Might start my business stocktaking, as it is coming up to THAT time of the year, plus OH is doing my head in and if I am in the loft / garage I can ignore him more easily :mad: Hmm, writing lists of hundreds of little bits wrapped up in boxes
Dog walk later
HM meals from stores - I will make fish cakes today, as I picked a big bunch of fresh parsley from the garden yesterday
Decide whether to do a car boot tomorrow - partly depends on what I find in all those boxes - and the weather forecast, which doesn't look great atm....
Any surveys, FPL, already done a survey for Yougov

Now I really must get off my behind and do something

Hope everyone has a good day

C.M.

This will be a very short list in the grand scheme of things...as I've spent the majority of this morning drinking tea and thinking about but being too lazy to cook bacon

-claimed my first ever £10 payp@l payout via opinion world
-surveys and SBTV on swag$ - on track for a £25 PP payout once the $$ from my recent sofa purchase clears
-sold 2 x plastic coal bunkers on gumtree for £40....this will be added to an ikea voucher I got for xmas to purchase some new shelving for the sitting room, and a new computer chair (when you sit on it it just sinks to floor level) to make these purchases financially neutral!
- gathered a box of bits to sell on bay of e the next time I get a free listings offer, and also cleared a box to donate to the CS, and one of VHS tapes for a local respite hospital my mum uses
- spent ages looking for the best deal for LED bulbs (energy saving MSE) that look like those trendy edison filament bulbs...so I get the look, the energy saving and the MSE all in one place

now I just need to motivate myself to go to ikea...and the local charity furniture shops to find some bargains...and also buy a cheap tester pot of very fancy paint so that I can upcycle my current mirror in the living room (which I bought for £5 in a charity shop 10yrs ago) to match in with the new decor, and save me buying a new one