Wednesday 11th May - what small DFW things will you do today?

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 :money:

PurpleFairy26

Morning all :hello: quick post with a coffee before the rest of the house wakes up and madness ensues

Hope everyone is well. I'm working today but not in my office and not at home. I used to do this everyday but now it seems exciting. Oh the small things that keep us happy

My list will look like:
Post fleabay parcels
Drop product to customer (who I'm meeting today anyway), send samples to another potential customer via DD at school, collect big order for some other customers.
Check banking, FPL and surveys
Mortgage appointment tonight on phone, must make sure phone is fully charged as they said it could take up to 2 hours :eek:
Meals from stores - apart form lunch but work will buy that, will take snacks to avoid temptation anywhere
Washing on the airer as it looks like more rain outside
Stash the wrapping that I bought home from work that would have gone in recycling in my fleabay bag

Think that's about it for now, will check back later. Enjoy your day folks. PF

determined_new_ms

Morning everyone thanks for starting the thread pf have been up since 6 drinking coffee in peace :T

Plans for today's:

Someone coming to pick up and item I listed for free this morning i(operation sorted out the garden!)

Had a response on an item I listed on face bay. Hope it sells (again operation garden)

List some bricks and paving slabs sat in the garden - if I can get a fiver I'll be pleased!

All meals from stores - managed to resist takeaway temptation yesterday :T

Make some more banana, raisin and cinnamon muffins - last batch didn't last long!

Load of washing and put on line as weather forecast says it'll stay dry

Taking did to the local wildlife centre and using annual pass

All meals from stores - pesto chicken pasta(didn't have yesterday) will stop at farm shop to get a couple of bits of veg to add

Vacuum, polish downstairs and mop downstairs floors

Have been out in the garden and watered veggies that needed it and checked germination progress :T need to pick up some more compost today to pot on some veg. Depending on whether the ground dries up a bit I might plant courgettes out today

Read martins email

Ok that's all I can think of! Have a lovely day everyone x

HelleBelle

Hi all

thanks for the start PF
Hope your garden stuff sells well DNMS
Legomum - don't do too much. Lots of resting now will help you recover faster. Put your feet up and watch some netflix or similar.

Today:
In the office, have physio (who's based in the building at work but I have to pay as I'm agency staff )
got bought a cup of tea this morning
made the effort to make my breakfast and lunch last night

Have a good day everyone! x

foxgloves

Morning all,
Another day confined to barracks as today is so far constant rain. So there will be no money saving activity in the veggie garden, though might squidge down to the greenhouse later to see how things are going. Today's bits of frugal activity:
*Managed to catch about 30 mins of cheap tariff for my final laundry load of the week. No chance of pegging it out to dry. Will put on heated airer but will not switch it on unless it is absolutely refusing to dry by tonight then it can do the job on cheap tariff.
*Jacket potato night - mr f has fetched a pork stew out of the freezer to put on his (one I made using rubber pork & l/o gravy), I fancy cheese & coleslaw & salad........shall hope the rain lessens enough for me to go & gather some of my Speedy Leaves Salad Mix from the garden, cut some coriander, pull some radishes, etc.
*Did 3 surveys. I wish Toluna would use the profiling details we dutifully fill in to send us invitations to surveys we are actually elligible for! I can start the day with invitations to 4 surveys that have been 'selected just for me' to find when I sign in that they are for smokers, parents, London Underground users, etc, when it is clear from my info that I don't fit that profile. Can't bear having my time wasted through the inefficiency of others. Grrrr! Having said that, I did get through 2 big surveys today & I do like receiving the Sainsbury's gift cards, as I swap them into my grocery budget & pay the equivalent money straight into the Car Fund.
*NSD. I don't have the car, I don't fancy the bus, I don't want a long walk in the rain & I don't need to buy anything. I intend to spend this rainy Wednesday indoors catching up on a few projects, none of which will involve spending.
*Do something off my Annoying Things lists. (Free & will take approx. 1 minute!)
*Make tomorrow's packed lunch.
That will be it for today.
Have a good day all,
f x

SpekySquarehead

Morning.

Today will be another NSD for me!

- Brought my breakfast and lunch with me to work
- Charged my phone at work
- Shower at the gym
- Sign up to another YNAB webinar
- Check my tax code tonight
- Set up my Barclaycard app on my phone

Short list today but confident it’ll all get done 

Have a great day everyone

foxgloves

MTC - Excellent idea to give up the smoking. You'll be doing such a good thing for your health & setting a good example for your children. I know you've shared with us that money is often tight, so you will find much better uses for it than buying cigarettes. I've never been a smoker myself, but I understand that nicotine is one of the most difficult addictions to give up. What a big boost to both your finances & health it would be, though. You would deservedly feel so proud of yourself when you manage to do it & I know we'd all be cheering you on. I think Ally makes some good points about using whatever you can get free on the NHS to help with this. We are all different. I know what sort of things motivate me & I think I'd be enjoying each moment I managed NOT to smoke a cig because it'd be keeping money away from big tobacco companies who basically make their vast profits by selling products which make people poorly & addicted. Would a visual thing help? I'm thinking that if you put the price of a packet of fags somewhere you can see it & write down all the other things you could buy with that same amount of money? I don't know, I'm thinking off the top of my head. I don't know how much a packet costs, but I bet it's much more than I imagine. And nobody on here is being judgemental. When I shifted 6 stones of weight, I had to learn that it's all about personal choices & however much I might have been craving sugar, I was the only person with the power to make that personal choice not to have it, but instead to be healthier & drop those few dress sizes. I still struggle with that (I like baking too much for my own good!) & nearly 2 stones have drifted back on in the last couple of years, though they are shifting quite nicely now that I'm tracking my food intake again.
So why not give it a try when you feel ready & prepared.......perhaps you could start with a couple of weeks of cutting down, then another couple cutting down further, until you are maybe just having 1 cig a day at a time you most feel you need it. I think the money saved & feeling pleased with yourself for working on giving up would help motivate you. It is very addictive though, & I'm not trying to lessen the effort it will involve. But I am backing Team MTC all the way!!
f xx

ziggy2407

Good Morning All

PurpleFairy - Thanks for starting us off today
MTC - Cheering you on all the way :T

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.

Today I will:

Packed lunch for DH & DS - Done
Check Bank - Done
Ironing -
Read -
Continue purge on Emails -
Complete a few surveys -
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/Ashleigh/Numberplatelotto -

Have a good day! Love to you all!

C x

foxgloves

Morning Ziggy,
Bet you've got a soggy wet day as well. Cat hasn't moved yet......well, not since he barged into our bedroom first thing to dry his rainy fur on our duvet!!
F x

make_the_change

Brilliant words foxgloves. I am definitely going to sit down and do some research. Would save soooooo much money! Thank you to everyone else.

Quick post now as DS2 has woken up poorly, has a temp, thrown up his lunch and is generally very unhappy. Hate it when babies are ill.

Didn't go to bed until gone 2am as was wide awake for some reason so exhausted today! OH took DD to nursery. She is home for lunch and then back this afternoon. Need to eat something myself. Wait for OH to finish work before going home and meals from stores. Wash some towels and do a dark wash. Iron a few bits. Get an early night (hopefully!!).

It has been raining all night and morning, finally stopped an hour ago and the sun is trying to breakthrough. Hope you enjoy your hump day! x

HelleBelle

MTC - defo cheering you on. My husband gave up 3 years ago with support from NHS. Was very successful.

Speky - I just installed the Barclaycard app and found you can get your Experian score on it for free!! No full report though.