What small DFW things will you do this week - w/c 22nd August?

foxgloves

Hello Friday Savers,
Lots of money saving activity today as it's my Big Budget Day, so mr f (who is off today) offered to go & get the grocery shopping, clean the bathroom & hoover the house so that I could get stuck into the budgeting. So here goes:
*Grocery shopping came in on budget & leaves enough to pop to the butchers tomorrow.
*Groceries bought using CC. This is standard practice now, for us, as I will pay the money across online in a couple of days. We do it to maximise vouchers.
*Lots of budget stuff: Reconciled Aug budget, set September's, paid off a CC in full, worked out what to pay the savings piggies this month, paid 3 x 50ps into my sealed pot, paid the fish man, decided on budget for our forthcoming camping trip, basically got it all written up into my 'Money Book' so that I can refer to it easily at any point. Left a little bit bigger 'cushion' in bank account this month as we are going to be getting used to paying loan repayments again, after 5 years debt-free (apart from mortgage).
*Sorted out various money things regarding new car.....added loan repayment & service plan dd to monthly bills spreadsheet, filed everything away in car file & did a few workings out. I usually put £50 a month away in our Car Piggy to cover servicing, tyres, tax, etc. The service plan looked like it would defo save us money, so I decided we'd pay the £20 to that, & I'd cut the payment to our Car Piggy to £20 (All the Savings Piggies are temporarily closed when I consider they have enough in them) Car tax is now £20 a year instead of £130 & mr f is still on his first tank of fuel as the new car does around 78 mpg whereas old one was doing about 44.
*Another car decision. We are now very debt averse (especially me) & although we had saved a good deposit for our new car, we did have to take out a loan too. We borrowed up to the sum we thought we'd probably have to pay to buy a fairly future-proofed car as mr f has to do quite a lot of mileage for work & my family all live a long drive away. We also needed something a bit bigger as we go camping & didn't really have enough room for all our gear in the old car. Anyway, surprisingly (partly cos we got a better part-ex figure than we thought), we didn't end up spending the whole sum, so I have transferred £1300 into a new 'pot' which is the 'Loan Pay-Down Fund'. I shall build it up then contact provider to arrange a 'Part Repayment'. My aim is that we will get the loan paid off a lot quicker than 5 years & my signature can then once again proudly say 'Debt-free!'. Have changed my signature today & in addition, will use it to log growth of the 'Loan Pay-Down Fund'. The old me & mr f would have said 'Oh yippee! Over a grand left, what can we buy?' ........& would have promptly gone crackers with the plastic! Not now! We are like different people where all things cashola are concerned!
*Did a couple of IPSOS surveys.......Dawn, sorry these don't seem to be much of a winner for you. We've both done quite well with them, especially me. These things seem so random sometimes.
*Did 4 supermarket feedback prize draws.
*Decided on a low-spend outing for tomorrow. Parking will only be £3 & we'll take a picnic.
*Make list of everything I could usefully do in town on the way as am aiming for a 1 hour free car park space (there's about 10 of these next to the castle & it's a right bun-fight to get one)
*Read energy meters & uploaded to website.
*Watered veg. Must check for anything that needs picking as soon as I sign out.
OK, I've bored you quite long enough.
Have a fun Friday night, all.
F x

Bobarella

Great new sig Foxgloves I have no doubt you will thrash the debt in no time.

Happy anniversary to you & Mr L Legomum

Hello to all

We have come away to visit the in laws for the weekend. We arrived at mid day and by 3pm the 4 of us were swimming in the sea. In laws stayed back to make lunch.
They had also bought a 10ft paddling pool for the garden and DS has barely been out of it.
They have now gone out for the evening for an early birthday meal with other relatives and left us home with wine and money for a chineese! Feels a hummoungus treat.
OH is just upstairs doing a spot of Daddy magic to get DD to sleep and then wine o'clock...

Night all
Bob

allydowd

lego_mum wrote: »

CCL Fantastic news, I bet you are very proud of your students.
Ally Hope you have some downtime coming soon.

Saturday, Sunday, Monday if I'm lucky!

allydowd

Worked.

TV can be repaired! Hurrah. The shop is just waiting on the parts to arrive.

PurpleFairy26

Well the weekend is here :j even better as I have a 4 day weekend as I'm off Tuesday too looks like it will be a nice day. Small things for today:

Load of washing out to dry
Check banking, FPL, surveys
Move savings to high interest account
Work out plan of how I'm going to get minimum in and out each month without playing havoc with budget/payments
Meal from stores - new recipe for tea
Make some 'pasties' with left overs. Need to make a dough in bread maker as they're 'cheat' ones
Make cake in BM - bought cheap marmalade for purpose. Should make about 5 cakes @7p a cake. Had used up rest we had
Order meat
Pop to wholesalers for a couple of items

Think that's about all. Have a good day. PF.

determined_new_ms

Hi everyone! Phew taken me ages to catch up since Monday!

lego mum happy anniversary for yesterday! 12 years is impressive - we've *only* been together 8 1/2 years - especially as you always come across as being veyr happy x

ally nice one re the holiday fund and the tv getting fixed! Any idea of when you're planning to go?

Dawn good luck with the potty training with your dd. Honestly it really doesn't take long once they get the hang of it before you can go out with them. Prob about 2 weeks and then you're good to go x

Bob how lovely to get a little break and for the outlaws to leave you wine and take out money!

Hi to everyone else x

So I am now a fully fledged worker bee I worked 4 days last week :eek: must say I found it hard to return to work after a year off! Not used to so much stimulation and taking in so much info. Each afternoon I was like _pale_ but as the week went on this was later in the day (yesterday it was about 3.40 when I was thinking surely this is enough for anyone! I want to be at the allotment ). I guess I hadn't even thought that it would be hard in this way! luckily the company does ease you in for the first month so by the time I'm actually doing the job I will have adjusted

Yay to 3 days of oh being off :T

small plans for today:

* all meals from stores
* make apple & blackberry crumble
* do stock take of all veg and work out plan of action...
* make some yogurt tonight :j (2 week shopping meant I haven't had any since the start of the week)
* going to allotment with oh, I'm going to water plants, do a little weeding & some foraging and then "not buying it challenge" dgd and I will walk back while oh does some bigger jobs :A veg there growing nicely :j think my 2 rows of turnips have germinated
* take dgd to see if there are any ducks on the river on the way back and possibly stop at the park
* return library books
* go to sm and get last bits for food shopping aldi didn't have. I am planning now not to go into a shop for the best part of 2 weeks :j
* night in - ha ha ha are there any other kind???! :rotfl: think I'll dig out the scrabble and have a game with oh with a bottle :money:
* try stain removing method of one of my trousers. It's a fatty stain that has been washed hoping it works as with my "not buying it" challenge I only have 3 pairs of trousers I have for work and cba to trawl round cs' & bootfairs!

Ok gonna go now! Happy weekend y'all x

La_escocesa

Hi everyone :wave:

Happy anniversary legomum!
DNMS - Exciting about you being back at work. Rest lots this weekend!! I remember when I worked my first full week and fell asleep in a meeting on the friday afternoon! :eek: :rotfl:

I'm on holiday for a week - so excited about my staycation! Everyone has been asking where I am going and when I say nowhere they look confused. My boss even asked if I wanted to come in next week since I haven't got round to booking something.... Er no, that is how I have planned it!

OH is working today so I'm at home with poochface. Will take him out a walk later and then spend time tidying round etc.

We went to the pub last night for dinner. We were good though and had the 'regular' fish n' chips @ £7 each. Didn't even look at the menu so weren't tempted by the £15 dishes and didn't have a starter. :cool: We have saved loads this month on cutting out take aways - long may it continue!!

I need to sort YNAB today and look forward to next week's payday to organise September's budget and being another month closer to debt freedom!!

Catch up soon everyone :wave:

Oh - did you see last week's thread in the weekly newsletter?!

xx

determined_new_ms

lego_mum wrote: »

Thanks Dnms, we are happy, it could have been very different as we were very close to separating about 5yrs ago.
I'm sure you'll be back into the swing of things workwise soon.

7 year itch! To be honest think we're at this point, stretched a bit later cos we've had a lot of adversity which does generally either tear you apart or bond you together. Absolutely no way we're gonna split though, just need a bit of a break and to make some effort. It's been especially hard these last few months as financially things have been very hard (we had a massive argument the other day as he dared to get 4 tins of tuna rather than do freezer dives ) Think when I finally get paid at the end of next month things will ease up considerably :beer:

determined_new_ms

La_escocesa wrote: »

Oh - did you see last week's thread in the weekly newsletter?!

xx

No! exciting! Haven't been reading the newsletter since I've been on my not spending challenge. At the 2 1/2 month point :j

La E - consider doing 2 weekly shopping if you have a big enough freezer. Honestly I'm a massive convert and I've only done it one fortnight! If I have enough, milk, bread and tinned fruit for 2nd half of second week I literally don't go into any shops at all! Takes some time planning but it has/will reduce our gc a lot. Have been making sure we have 2 decent/take out style meals (so 1 a week), we have some fancy pizza and steaks this time

determined_new_ms

I'm so darn excited! I just booked go ape for my son's birthday the week after next :j expensive & had to put on the cc but won't need to pay it until after payday :j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j

I've literally wanted to do this for years. Makes me wonder why I don't do more stuff that I love when it makes me feel this good?!