:) What small DFW things will you do this week - w/c 23rd October?

foxgloves

Hello Monday Money Savers,
Quite a useful day so far on the frugal front. This is the list so far:
*Did laundry overnight on cheap tariff. Rain forecast for today so have put on heated airer. As I've got to run it to get that first lot dry, I decided to do a quick 30 mins at 30 degs wash too so that can be drying at the same time.
*Did rubber pork......not as kinky a morning as it sounds, unfortunately! We had roast pork yesterday & I have divvied up the leftovers to make a Madhur Jaffrey leftover meat curry recipe for tonight (also using one of our home grown green peppers that I sliced & froze a while back), plus some sandwiches & also enough for the Epic Man-Stew which mr f is threatening to concoct on Wednesday night.
*Made a granary loaf - it's just on its 2nd proving at the moment.
*Did a couple of surveys.
*Updated grocery budget & closed it for this month.
*Checked online banking to see if a cheque had appeared. It had, so I was able to pay the amount off my CC.
*Paid £39 off the other CC which was concert tickets. We had the cash in our Leisure/Entertainment Piggy, so no hit to the bank account, I just wanted to keep the different budgets straight.
*Entered a prize draw.
*Ran a pile of DVDs & ebay rejects though Ziffit to see what they'd give us. Agree with 1LL that it's amazing how this stuff is worth virtually nothing now. Unless it's a rarity or an in demand out of print book, the bottom has really dropped out of the 2nd hand DVD/CD market. Most DVDs they aren't buying at all. The few they did want added up to about £7 (inc today's extra 15% code). I am going to leave it & wait until we've got more stuff. mr f's view is that it's all worth more to the local charity bookshop & he's right, but I do feel we need to recover our savings after all the unexpected spends we had over the summer, so I think we will end up splitting the stuff between the charity shop & an online buyer.
*Rounded up loose change & paid into shrapnel box.
*Made tomorrow's packed lunch.
*Refilled all our teeny-tiny plastic boxes with raisins for work/out-of-house snacks.
*A little free exercise trotting down to post box with a letter (which I wrote using recycled stuff from my writing box).
STILL TO DO:
*Carry on working on my new bullet journal. I have ruled up & arranged the pages up to May 2018. That's for all the routine stuff - a monthly calendar grid, daily task lists, monthly grocery budget tracker, monthly meal plans, step/calorie burn daily targets. Once I've got all those done up to end of Dec 2018, I shall do the other pages - birthdays, books to read/ films to watch, event planners, Christmas planner, transfer presents lists, etc, then index it all. It's time-consuming, but quite relaxing & I need that at the moment.
*Knit. Nearly finished the leg of these groovy boot socks. I sooooo want to wear them, so must get my needles clacking. DNMS - You are speeding along with your 2nd sock. I told you that once you've mastered the heel issues, you will just be up & away, didn't I?
*Try not to put the heating on. It is a little chillier today but I don't have a very thick cardi on, so that will be my first port of call. Weather forecast said warmer after today, then dropping colder for the weekend, so I reckon we can maybe go a few more days without, apart from the little conservatory stove if we are sitting in there. It's just saving energy bill credit for when it does get properly cold, isn't it? If we get a cold snap, I'll know we've got a few quid on our account to cover using a bit more.
OK, that's it. I'm going to sign out now, go & make another cafetiere then crack on with ruling up my bullet journal.
Hope you're all getting off to a good start to the week. If it's been pants for you today, don't worry, just start the week again tomorrow, instead.
Bye,
F x

Lumanous

Sorry to hear some of you are going through tough times but good on you for keeping back at your goals it's so easy to go off the rails these days for people so it's great you can still keep moving forward with the things that will help you out. Hope things improve

I am taking inspiration from all of you to get better at all of this been off the grid for a while but need my little improvements to help along the way so...list for this week:

- cancel car insurance abroad (put off due to conflicting time zones but might get something back so I need to do asap)
- cancel breakdown cover abroad (no money back but more worried about auto-renewal)
- pay hmrc bill once accountants confirm exact £, to avoid any interest building up
- return dress for refund (for an event but did not fit)
- make soup to use excess veg
- make dip to use veg (bought specifically and not made...)
- cut up and freeze fruit before it goes off...
- trial lunches for taking to work before new job (hoping to not spend anything!)
- come up with a clever shopping list to avoid waste, make frugal recipes and cover 100% work lunches from home
- reorganise kitchen to make above easier...
- figure out timer for bathroom heater, only heater I plan to use before December at least so need it running minimally (no forgetting to put it on or off...)
- go through work clothes, 1-to be organised with fitting outfits ready (reduce panic washing and hopefully avoid buying anything else) and 2-to see if anything can be ditched/sold that I won't wear again
- start checking FPL again, daily emails don't work anymore so need some sort of reminder for myself
- prepare new-style work bags, in hopes of being prepared meaning no £ needed
- kick up exercise
- carry on decorating (might not finish this week but I need progress, hopefully finish next week - no cost here, already have the tools)
- get a new cash/change storage place ready (e.g. so it's all in once place and I can try to build up my tiny off-the-books savings in addition to the big stuff)
- study
- read through previous weeks of this thread and get back onto some of your diaries for inspiration and tips (my diary will start just as soon as I am back in work with a new goal date)

Hopefully can get myself back in gear! Good luck for a good week all x

Lumanous

1LL - I like your use-by inventory list, I tried this once ages ago but never got it set up properly so I think I shall try again! You have some good ideas

Lumanous

1LuckyLady wrote: »

Thank you :beer: I actually have a box in the cupboard that I add things too when I want to get them used up and I try incorporate something out of the box at least every other day.

Ohh now that is a good idea! I often get stuck looking at everything in the kitchen not knowing what I feel like making so if I had something like that then on the days I get stuck it's like an instant go-to box. Thanks 1LL I shall try something like this!

Uh-oh on the lost coat..hope it is found!

carrielovesfanta

1LuckyLady wrote: »

Thank you :beer: I actually have a box in the cupboard that I add things too when I want to get them used up and I try incorporate something out of the box at least every other day.
In my box at the minute is
a tin of sardines
some pearl barley
lasagne sheets
a fajita salsa pack (my sis doesn't like it so whenever she has fajitas dinner kit she sends this to me I still it in spag bols etc
ys semolina
Peppercorn sauce dry mix

I make a pearl barley risotto. it's very good with sausages chopped up in it and kale.

Sautee onions and garlic (plus chopped up carrots and celery if you like it).
Whack the pearl barley in, sizzle for a min or so
Start popping in veg or chicken stock a bit at a time.
When it's about half cooked, add in the pre-cooked chopped sausage and any other veg bits
Finish off and nom

PurpleFairy26

carrielovesfanta wrote: »

I make a pearl barley risotto. it's very good with sausages chopped up in it and kale.

Sautee onions and garlic (plus chopped up carrots and celery if you like it).
Whack the pearl barley in, sizzle for a min or so
Start popping in veg or chicken stock a bit at a time.
When it's about half cooked, add in the pre-cooked chopped sausage and any other veg bits
Finish off and nom

Love this idea, we like pearl barley here and put it in the SC with our stews as it makes the nice and thick so no need for thickner/cornfour to be added. But I'll give it a go as risotto as it'll eb a darn sight cheaper than risotto rice.

allydowd

1LuckyLady wrote: »

:heart2: Look into a packaged bank account for dh as it might be a better deal for the mobile phone insurance and it might cover mine & ds1’s too, but need to check into all that and also check as it includes some breakdown cover

Have you seen this? (Link)

ziggy2407

ziggy2407 wrote: »

Good Morning All

1LL - Thanks for starting us off today

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.

Apologies for going AWOL lots of things have happened over the last few weeks which have left me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Mum is in hospital so that has resulted in yet more pressure (brother has been to visit once and now on holiday, I look like having to cancel the holiday we had planned for half term next week ), DS still at school but we have eldest grandson staying - anyway enough moaning, sorry. Today we will:

Check Bank & made PAD - Done
Bits from shops needed for mum - Done
RM Survey - Done
Visit mum - Done
Washing - Done
Mr A delivery booked for tonight - Done and all put away
Purge a few emails - Done a few
Enter a few comps - Done a few
Surveys -
All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer - Done
Check: Tombola Stars, Luckyphone, Ashleigh, FPL - Done

Have a great day all.

C x

Not sure how but I managed everything on my list and even managed to

Bake a banana cake
Deal with the bag of apples that we were gifted - chopped and cooked with sugar and cinnamon, will make a cobbler type topping tomorrow (if time permits)
Re-melted a candle that didn't burn properly and poured into a recycled jar with a new wick (which I re-discovered in my craft stash)

Thanks everyone for all your well wishes, mum has had a knee replacement op but because of past surgeries and the fact that this is 3rd time it's been replaced means that there is lots of metal work in her leg (ankle to knee and then knee to hip) so a non-standard op. Brother doesn't surprise me at all, this is his 4th or 5th holiday this year, we've been unable to sort anything (until now) due to hubby's major heart op, so just felt a little miffed but I soon get over it because it's only me getting upset and nothing changes.

Night all xx

FatVonD

Sorry to hear about your mum, Ziggy, I'm doing a little rain dance for wherever your brother is

I went out for fish and chips with my mum again today and then a quick scout of the charity shops but neither of us were feeling much like browsing on a full stomach so gave up.

On the way back I stopped at a town close to my mum's to hunt for job ads, I managed half a dozen or so then stopped at Mr T, ostensibly to get a box for an eBay package but there was lots of half price meat (including another beef joint like the fab one I got the other week) so I ended up spending but on 'good' things. One of the lads said he'd save me a box for later so I went back down and now the package is (finally) winging its way to the buyer.

I cooked the reduced posh sausages for dinner with home made mash and tonight I've been prepping some cards as I'm planning on going to a local gift shop to try to sell some.

I'm testing the Amazon pay per click thing on my small and light cards (so nobody please click on them any more as it will cost me!) for two weeks which should get me onto the first page for those two at least. I've put a fairly low cap on it, I just want to see if it translates into sales.

Night, night all!

PurpleFairy26

Morning all :hello: sending hugs Ziggy unfortunately some family members we wouldn’t choose

My list today:
HM soup and fruit to work
Cheapie porridge for breakfast with some stewed apples left from a crumble
Risotto for tea using stock and chicken from roast at weekend
Post some fleabay items
Hot drink on commute
Hopefully some knitting tonight
Check surveys, banking and FPL
Updated shopping spreadsheet for food, not too bad at all this month considering a week of half term
Quick shower, no drying of hair
No heating on, mild again here

Right must dash so I’m ready when DH gets home in 2 minutes.