Thursday 28th April - What small DFW things will you do today?

crazy_cat_lady

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:

crazy_cat_lady

Morning all :wave:
Still feeling pretty _pale_ this morning. Have to go to work though, it's only a cold. I'm tired because I can't sleep well and it hurts when I cough. But I'm looking forward to payday tomorrow and a holiday on Monday so it's all good.
Not too much planned because the main plan for the day is survival. Hope everyone is doing ok - lovely to hear from you Foxgloves and thinking of Ziggy and Ally...
_pale_ Check banking and PAD :eek:
_pale_ wash dishes and make dinner
_pale_ use my free time at work wisely
_pale_ minimal heating in the house
_pale_ use my free time at work wisely
_pale_ try not to stress or make any big decisions
_pale_ finish the big shop for delivery tomorrow
_pale_ get a very early night
_pale_ which has just reminded me that it's dd cheerleading tonight

DawnW

Morning all
Thanks for the start CCL - hope you are better soon

Sunny here at the moment, but we had a really hard frost overnight The heating is only on in the bathroom and airing cupboard though (other radiators are turned off)

My list for today:
HM meals from stores
Not a NSD as I need to buy a birthday present for GD3, who will be 6 on Monday - she likes Barbies, so fun in the toy shop today
Need to go to sales unit to see if anything needed
Check banks
Check for surveys
Check FPL
Do some cleaning - not sure where, but there is plenty to do!
Declutter something
Dog walks for free exercise
Do a bit in the garden if it stays dry

Hope everyone has a good day

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 7 April 2016.

PurpleFairy26

Morning all :hello: thanks for the start cat hope the day is short and you feel better quick post for me as I need to be out the door as soon as DH comes home in about 5 minutes.

Today will look like:
Hot drink for commute
Home made soup and ys bread something for freezer for lunch, bottle of water (tap) and fruit as snacks too
Meals from stores, must get a chicken breast out of freezer for tea
More stewed plums and yogurt for breakfast
Check banking - payday tomorrow :T
Worked out I paid £340 of stuff this month that was required but I didn't dip into savings I just used 'budget' this is good
One final reconciliation of accounts tonight
Do may to do list /annoying things
Use one of the products that I got for testing through the post. A whole months worth :eek: I thought I was going too get about 5 very :money: plus I can keep the container and re-use. Win win.

Think that's about all, must dash. Have a good day everyone. PF.

allydowd

Hi April Awesome-ees,

Thanks for the starter CCL.

Well, I took a week of the Board; I was just too busy.

Snowy day outside today and a huge amount to do indoors and out. Boo!

Had a lovely weekend away over in the Edinburgh direction. I ran a marathon distance to complete my run of the Forth and Clyde and Union Canals from the West Coast of Scotland to Edinburgh in the East. The logistics of this were most complicated but it was brilliant, really glad I did it. We weren't entirely MSE in eveything we did, but we didn't go too mad with the entertainment budget. Took our own food and drink with us so we only ate out once and our newer wee car cost us just £15 in petrol to do about 200 miles driving.

Anyways today's list will grow as I think of things.

Debt Free-Nillionaire Continuity Plan Month Eleven:

* I'm off to Haemo/Onco for the results of my bone marrow tests this morning. The Consultant is 95% sure that my bone marrow is just misbehaving "because it feels like it" like a recalcitrant teenager, rather than because of the return of anything sinister. Test results of the procedure I had the other week should confirm that today. Got the results I was hoping for. Hurrah!

* Check bank balance.

* Friend's husband is going to fix our garden tap on Friday so we can use a hosepipe with it. The garden water tap for our garden hose that was once connected through the kitchen wall to the pipes under the kitchen sink. When our "dear" Housing Association fitted the new kitchen, just before we moved in, the plumbers disconnected the smurfin' tap! The HA will not entertain the idea of paying to re-connect it as it "isn't essential". Jury rigging a housepipe to the peculiar shaped kitchen tap fitting when we want to use the hose is frustrating us so we're going to pay for the work ourselves. This guy comes recommended to us. He's asking £60. I think the work is worth less but he has a nice family so I'm going to pay 50-50 with DW.

* DW's phone has died. Looking into cheap solutions. It's complicated. Will take all morning to explain, so I won't! :rotfl:

* Got some new SealSkinz hiking socks. (Link) They cost £25 but that is a good price, keeping your feet dry in the mountains can be the difference between coming home comfortable or contracting hypothermia in Winter. My last SealSkinz pair has lasted me 9 years; so that's £2.70 per year. These socks are amazing as they feel like fabric but are waterproof. You can walk through a stream in just your socks and stay dry. They were £35 direct from SealSkinz but I shopped around and got them for £25. (They sell gloves too, but I've heard they're not as reliable when it comes to being waterproof so I've never bought these.)

* Will batch cook KFC Chicken, Lasagne, Lentil Soup and Curry for the rest of the bank holiday weekend. One lot of washing up, one lot of heating the cooker.

* Two free cans of Red Bull arrived in the post.

How about you guys?

allydowd

News:

Tesco is to stop offering Double Ups on Clubcard vouchers after one final time in May. (Link)

OrangeFairy

Morning all,

Finally Thursday...the first of my two short days at work though I know today will be stressful with a meeting I don't want to have

We were taken out for a lunch with a coastal walk as part of our working day yesterday so that saved my some lunch pennies

List for today

Lunch is chicken wrap made in a rush this morning
Send three fleabay sales
Breakfast at work
Check surveys
Check tcb
Check FPL
Reconcile spends
Check bank
Continue using Xmas toiletries- haven't bought any shower gel this year
Make a cake for DDs cub camp rather than buying as I have most ingredients
Coco pop porridge for breakfast to use up as no including me likes it- but I won't let it go to waste!

That's me!

OF x

make_the_change

Hi All,

Its a cold but sunny day here, rained all night though. Today I woke squashed between DS1 and DS2, the rascals seem to find their way into our bed!

Today I am making homemade curry (OH has never really tried it), so only taken enough chicken out for us and will freeze the remaining sauce. I cant wait for it :rotfl: I need to pop into town to cash some coins and grab some essentials. Small bit of ironing for clothes required tomorrow (mainly school uniform) and a washing to put on.

Yesterday I waited as usual for OH to finish work before I went home and the two bullies were on the steps that lead into my block of flats. My stomach sunk when I saw them. As they were blocking the steps OH had to lift the pushchair over them. Got all this to come throughout the Summer, when the weather improves :(:( Still house hunting but still no joy.

I am 30 in just over a week and feel like crap approaching it... in debt, unhappy at home and school, emotions taking a rollercoaster ride again.

Hope you are all well, hugs to those unwell or feeling down, we have had a house full of bugs and colds the past few weeks, which is very draining.
x

determined_new_ms

Morning guys :wave: thanks for starting the thread cat :A and hope that pesky cold goes today!

OF hope the day isn't too stressful!

PF - :j on your extra payments

ally am soooooo tempted by those socks! Have to keep my pennies in my bank though have about £500 left in my bank, which is just for my personal spends now (oh will be paying our outgoings from next month until I find work) and if I'm frugal/careful it should keep me over for a few months... after getting my holiday pay & this rebate on tax I should have about another £100 coming from in

Quick post as about to go for dgd's swimming lesson

small things for today:

* [STRIKE]checked banking & transferred my housekeeping for this month..[/STRIKE]
* received payslip for payday tomorrow. Should be getting about £70 holiday pay next week
* [STRIKE]need to contact Inland rev about a rebate as I have paid tax when I shouldn't have...[/STRIKE]
* going for a walk along the beach with dgd after swimming lesson. Might treat us to a portion of chips to share for lunch. Will take drinks and snacks
* gardening this afternoon
* finish putting up shelves in dgd's room
* pick up a few mushrooms & a pepper for dinner (will be having savory pancakes)
* start gathering things for next batch of compost

Think that's it. Better get my skates on! x

allydowd

Happy Birthday Foxgloves

:bdaycake: