What small DFW things will you do this week? w/c 26 Dec 16

determined_new_ms

Phew just did mega budget session. Sorting out all accounts, reconciled spends and now know what is where and what the state of play is for 2017

Have joined £1 pd for xmas 2017 challenge which means upping my monthly deposit to xmas fund. Have also had a good nosy around ynab thread and think given I am on such a low income it's not worth the outlay but I can steal some of the ideas :money: have put £100 into buffer with a view of over this year building that until I am a month ahead. This is dependent on making an additional £50 pm. Ok all the time I have overtime (this coming and next month) but harder after that! Am also going to try to bring gc down by £5pm to put into savings for xmas 2017 food :money:

given all of the food we have in I am going to attempt only spending an additional £30 on food this month! our month runs 20th-19th. will be getting complaints from oh towards the end so need to be very creative!

Diodiva

heyo everyone,

I've been getting all sorts of little ideas from your posts, hope you dont mind

I'm back at work today, yesterday I was in tescos when they were reducing their meat by 75% so I managed to grab a beef roasting joint, two large stuffed chickens, and a rolled pork joint all for £1.25/£1.50 each so that's the freezer stocked, I also made a nice leftover dinner with chicken and gammon in a tarrogan and white wine sauce all using bits from the fridge that needed using.

Ive done a couple of surveys this morning it wont be long before I can claim the second £20 paypal credit, the first one went on a christmas present, Ive also got leftovers from last night for lunch, leftover leftovers so to speak and i'll watch something in the staffroom rather than go wander round the shops being tempted in the sales

Ive been thinking about trying my hand at ebaying some bits and pieces, ive got some knee high docs that i'll probably never wear again, and some other bits and pieces, do people find ebay easy to list and sell stuff on there? any tips?

lou

determined_new_ms

I find ebaying a real pain in the wotsit Diodiva and just hate doing it, but do when needs must. I often am surprised that things I think will go don't end up getting snapped up. But I know a lot of people on here do quite well!

it's definitely easier with the phone app

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi Diodiva. I think ebay is not the same as it was a few years ago - people's expectations seem to just be too high for the price they are paying for second hand stuff. My advice would be to price things sensibly and be completely honest in your description. Have a look at similar listings for the things you want to sell and make sure you get your postage right.

Like dnm I am working out budgets and figures. My second job is a lifesaver - but was never guaranteed to be long term so the more debt we can clear next year the better. I keep coming back to this idea that there is very little that I actually need. I would love to buy some new carpets and do some decorating but is it really that important, especially when you don't have the spare cash?

Off to do a bit of work on DHs accounts, too much sitting around is making me fidgety!

FatVonD

Hi all,

Diode a I find listing on eBay a total bore and have to really push myself to do it but I do enjoy the buzz of checking my stuff and seeing bids and watchers etc. Another thing to consider is your local Facebook selling page where you won't be losing anything in eBay fees and PayPal charges.

Today is going to be a lazy day, DH didn't Ho to work after all and we've had a long lie in (we must sound like right slobs to all you active people but with working full time it is such a luxury to be able to sleep late!)

We had sandwiches made with leftover ham from Christmas Day for lunch so that didn't cost us anything. DS and DSGF had reheated Chinese :eek:

The only thing that may get me out of bed before YS time today may be a trip to the bank. DH and I were both gifted money for Christmas and DH has used his to repay some money I loaned him last month so I have just over £300 to pay in :T I need to massively overpay my Mr T CC as I have been putting all food spendies on there to take advantage of it being interest free until March. All my DDs will have gone out today so I will know how much I have to play with until next payday but I'm hoping this will be a low spend month.

Have a good day all

katy_ann

Thank you so much everyone FatVonD - I have heard about trying a cranial osteopath at a local college here, I will look into this further DNM - These first months are so hard, much more than I blindly thought! I sometimes just feel so helpless when little one is crying and I've tried everything I can think of! He is also suffering badly with colic which isn't helping but the doctor has prescribed some drops for his milk which seem to be working to some degree *touch wood*! And thank you to everyone else for your words of advice, I'm taking it day by day but now I'm getting out and about a bit I'm starting to find things easier

My list for today:

- Take LO to doctors at 4.20
- Pop into town to return a jumper - Done
- Low spend day - just a lunch meal deal out and a days bus ticket that will cover all my journeys today
- Do a few surveys
- Do a load of washing and tumble dry - Done
- Tidy up the house a bit - This will have to wait until my OH is home from work!

Hope everyone is ok x

carrielovesfanta

Afternoon folks


Quick check in from work...

• B/L/D from stores
• Shop for next week - stick to list
• No drinkies
• Charge phone in work
• Free stretching vid
• Early night

And er that's pretty much it!


Have a good one all


clf x

foxgloves

Hi again,
I'll try to manage more than a one-word moan this time! Despite feeling like absolute poo today, I've managed the following:
*Big Budget Day. Reconciled December's budget. Set January's budget & decided how much I will pay into our Savings Piggies this month. Car Piggy not looking too bad, seeing as we also have a servicing plan with the garage, so have paid that £20 into our Loan Pay-Down Fund instead & updated my signature.
*Another £5 voucher of survey income received. Updated signature & felt motivated to do a couple of small boring surveys.
*Paid 5 x 50ps into my new sealed pot.
Still to do:
*Meal plans for the coming week.
*Shopping list.
*Put vouchers & relevant Savings Piggies cash in purse ready for city centre trip tomorrow, providing I feel up to shopping.
Just out of interest, I threw away my old Money Book this afternoon as I filled it up & bought a new one last month. While I was ripping it up, I noticed that the first monthly budget in it was May 2007. Wow! 9 years of budgeting!! More, really, as I've been doing it properly from 2006. 9 years seems like loads because I came very late to budgeting (& mr f even later!) & enjoyed (if that is the word, as it is pretty scary being too worried even to open one's bank statements!) some really spendy decades before the LBM finally struck properly (rather than the previous exceedingly feeble flickers......) I can't imagine going back to how I used to be. Even if we're having a tighter month for whatever reason, it is just so much better knowing the exact picture so that I'm in a better position to deal with any nasty surprises or to take advantage of good offers, etc,
Well, I'm off downstairs now. When mr f sees how pale & pathetic I look & hears the churchyard cough, I think he's going to make me a cup of tea at the very least!
Feeling motivated for a positive year of budgeting though.
F x

crazy_cat_lady

Afternoon all
Been a bit of a busy bunny today so this is really the first chance I've had to sit down and catch up on here. DH is back to work today so I have the living room to myself for the time being. Feet up, heating on (it's only 1 degree outside - I've had to give in) and catch up time on here.
So far today I have:
done the daily housework jobs
fought my way through the sales to get new school shoes for the kids
bought a mattress topper for ds bed in the next phase of trying to get him to sleep in his own bed
been out for my PT session - feeling the burn now...
I still need to portion up the leftovers from yesterday's roast dinner and do something for myself in terms of down time, but other than that I'm done for the day.
Foxgloves - hope that you're feeling better soon...

Cheery_Daff

wow, 9 years of budgetting foxgloves? :j :j Well done! :j I think I have similar (well, vague attempts at budgetting anyway :rotfl: )

I've never had much luck selling on ebay either, although I've not tried much. Successfully sold a cd :j then someone 'bought' my old van but never paid for it so I ended up getting it scrapped. Waste of time! :rotfl:

Been out for a bike ride in the freezing fresh air took a flask of hot chocolate with me :j I'm intending to do more cycling in the new year, so was sorting out my lights - the back one doesn't attach but I've discovered I could buy an attachment, rather than a whole new light, for £2.99 :money: Also I had a gift card for another shop (after I made a complaint ) so I've ordered a super snazzy front light with that, so I should be all set soon :j