What small DFW things will you do this week? w/c 05/06

Julie67

Afternoon all,

Back from holiday. we had a lovely time but ready to get back to NSD and throwing everything we can into paying off the debt and savings.
DH is working all today and my plans are

-Catch up with all the holiday washing and drying
-Pick up birthday cards for all the June birthdays
-Make a salad for tea and use up some sweet potatoes
-check the bank accounts
-write a meal plan for next week
-go over the paperwork on our dmp and decide the next course of action

Hoping for a much quieter weekend. Have a great Saturday x

princess_pea

Hi everyone,

I really need to get back into the habit of posting on here! Mr Pea and me are trying to be super money saving at the minute. We're having a nightmare with our alcoholic, nutty upstairs neighbour (we live in a 1 bed housing association flat) so are trying very hard to save up for a house deposit so we can move. Neighbour tried to repeatedly head butt Mr Pea in the street last week!! He obviously has issues but I now have no sympathy for him.

So, we're living like hermits (not easy when we hate being at home) and trying to spend as little as possible. Mr Pea has listed loads of old games consoles, accessories and games for sale (£900 worth :eek:) and I'm trying to sell my wedding dress, furniture etc. He is having more success than me. I'm working my final month of extra hours but this money is going towards a weekend away in Rome and two upcoming cottage holidays between now and the end of the year (with hindsight we shouldn't have booked these, or maybe just gone on one. Next year we're sticking to camping!).

I'm in the process of switching my current account, credit card and help to buy ISA to Nationwide. So far they have confirmed my new account but not when the switch will happen. Hopefully this will start next week! I get £100 as have been referred by a friend so this will go straight in the mortgage pot. My new credit card has a slightly higher limit than my old one but I'll continue to pay this in full every month.

I've worked out how I can save 1/3 of my income into the deposit fund and still pay monthly bills, save for birthdays, get haircuts etc. Mr Pea doesn't work due to health reasons so everything is budgeted down to the last penny. Any house we buy will just be in my name and on my salary. Luckily I just got a promotion which will help a bit. It's still such a struggle and I don't know if we'll ever be able to afford to have children The only good thing about our situation is we wouldn't have to pay for childcare with Mr Pea being at home but I think he would struggle with a baby to be honest, both physically and mentally. Plus we only have a one-bedroom home! It's all a bit upsetting really but it's the reality we face.

Anyway, not a NSD today as I needed to get a £10 shop from Aldi to see us through the week. We batch cooked at the start of the month and have things in the freezer. I'm on a diet too (have lost 7 pounds in 1 month!). I invested in a Fitbit One which I know is an additional expense but it has really helped to motivate me and seems to be producing results. I also bulk bought some dog food for the pooch (not cheap). Dog food is something I need to cut back my spending on but the tins I get are good quality and have sorted out my dog's digestion really well. I need to look online for some homemade alternatives though as spending £80-£100 on dog food per month is excessive!!

We're off to the cinema again tonight with our unlimited cards and will take pop with us. I've completely stopped drinking at home - partly because of the diet, partly because I can't ever just have one glass and was drinking a whole bottle of wine 2 or 3 times a week, and partly because I'm so disgusted at the behaviour of the upstairs neighbour and don't want to be like that. We rarely go to the pub but the last time we did I had a soft drink. We went to a friend's house last Saturday and I shared a bottle of wine with her (instead of having a bottle plus to myself). I must say I feel much better about myself mentally as well as physically. Hasn't been easy though! Mr Pea doesn't drink so that helps.

I'll stop babbling on now!! X

Twins

Good Morning all!

Welcome back princess pea Sorry to hear about your neighbour, that can be so tricky. Good luck in getting all your funds together to enable you to move. Sounds like your doing all the right things and you'll get there!

I was totally shattered last night and went to bed a 8:30pm which is unheard of for me. I slept until 9:30am! I think my body needed it. I'm aching all over from exercise and still have a bit of a sore throat. I completed 18k steps yesterday according to my FitBit!

Today's plans are:

* Pop to Sainsbury and get the weekly shop
* One lot of washing on and hang outside
* Ironing
* Shred some old letters
* Maybe do a small workout at home depending on how I feel later
* Complete some surveys
* Wrap up any Ebay wins that end today

Have great day and enjoy the sunshine

crazy_cat_lady

Wow - princesspea that sounds like a nightmare. Have you complained to your housing association about your neighbour? We're having a lot of bother with anti social behaviour here - gangs of teenage boys. They don't bother me as much as they bother others but it is hard living with it. I hope that you can get something sorted really soon.
Full day of work for me yesterday apart from an hour catching up with bestie over coffee and the bare minimum of housework. Did tutoring and exam marking. Still need to do more today but I am definitely going to have a few hours off. Me and the kids are going into Newcastle with my mam for a day out, which I'm really looking forward to. We've packed a picnic between us to save £ and I'm really lucky that my mam has bought the tickets. It may be too much to hope for a nsd but we shall see.

allydowd

Hi June Joy-Seekers,

DW and I are just back from a wee drive into Glasgow. I've been promising DW a new shiny something from John Lewis for a while so we went to get it. Haven't done a thing yet. Best get cracking.

I'll add to the list as I do things.

Debt Free-Nillionaire Continuity Plan Year Three:

* Checked online banking.

* Free coffee and cake for us both in John Lewis courtesy of the loyalty card. No purchase necessary. Bargain! (Link)

* Checked 0% credit card balance.

* Checked Nectar Points and loaded special offers on petrol to card.

* Drive to Glasgow as that was cheaper on a Sunday than going any other way.

* Listed stamps from RMSurveys on eBay.

* Sorted out RM Surveys for next week.


Onwards and upwards.

FatVonD

Evening all, today has been a busy one!

I sold my armchair for £40 (it only cost me £16 about a year ago :T)

Took back two non plant items to GS that I bought on payday for a refund, one has sat in my garden for two weeks but still had the price tag on so £36.98 being refunded to my bank account.

YS strawberries for breakfast.

Bacon and egg sandwiches for lunch (from stores)

I have drilled holes into the bottom of a grey plastic storage box to use as a planter for parsnips.

Availed myself of a pallet to turn into a leaning-against-the-wall strawberry planter but it has too many uprights so I will take it back and rethink which one I want.

I cut back the rambling roses in the front garden so we can get in and out without thorns snagging our hair.

Filled the garden refuse bin to the brim with off cuts and swept up bits.

Potted on a cucumber seedling I bought yesterday.

I tried to attach brackets to the wall for my herb window box but it's too solid so they will have to stay where they are, they look okay.

Dinner tonight is going to be salami and courgette pasta using my first two courgettes :T

I'm going to go down for the YS run as they have trifle (which DS loves) and those lovely red grapes (which I love.)

DSXGF has asked if I can help her move her stuff sitting room will be a lot tidier as it's currently lined up in boxes behind the sofa.

Wrap and drop off a book I have sold on eBay!

Happy_Kitties

Didn't get as much done today as I would have liked, but was still productive.
Some housework done, geranium still not outside, weather not great-very windy and overcast.
Made a Sunday lunch using up the bits and bobs in the fridge that I was determined were not going to waste. Extras left made up a small lunch for me tomorrow using a few stray bits from the freezer aswell.DD has exams so likes to have a snack like a panini or scrambled eggs just before.
Must get certain items of paperwork completed, just can't seem to get myself motivated to get these done at the minute.
Have a good evening everyone x

mumofthetwins

Well guys been missing a couple of days as I've been at a posh wedding all weekend at sandoaks .. Supposebly it's posh lol
Back today though and just put the washing on ... Had a couple of ebay payments over the weekend and got a few things finishing tonight (wasn't the best of planning lol.
I did manage £850 PAD over the weekend though so yay !

Just sitting down with a cuppa and writing my meal plan and shopping list for the week ... Gotta say I'm one determined lady this month

I did take £100 out of the bank for the weekend and expected to need more out but I've managed to come back with £27 change out of the £100 and it feels like ive had a fab break ... So going to pay this in the bank tomorrow and make another PAD

Lisa x

katy_ann

Evening everyone, sorry I've been AWOL, I've been having a really tough time with my PND, its caused a lot of problems with me and DH but we are now working together to fix it The downside of my depression is spending money though My savings account to cover my maternity pay has taken a hit, its not awful, about £100 but I could of still done with the money and its not even things I can return, mostly its been clothes and things for DS as we have just finished his nursery. But I have to draw a line under that and tomorrow is a completely fresh start!

I don't really have a list for today as everything has been a bit all over the place, but I'm just about to order a healthy Mr A shop to be delivered tomorrow and sorting out my finances so that I won't be taking any further money out of my savings account!

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the spot of nice weather we've had for the past few days! x

FatVonD

One other thing I did today was take a good look at my garden fence. I was planning to have it replaced when that mythical time of 'having some money' arrives but half of it is okay so I thought maybe I could just get the other half replaced. Then I looked a bit closer and realised that all the uprights are screwed on so I could just unscrew them and replace the cross pieces (which have snapped) and then screw them back on, I really think I could do this myself (maybe getting DS to hold one end for me) which means I could get it done this year instead of next.

Once it's done I plan to steal a foot or so of the grass verge in front (which is about 20ft deep and the council never mow right up to the fence anyway) to plant my hollyhocks