What small DFW things will you do w/c 30th July?

carrielovesfanta

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:

carrielovesfanta

Morning folks

I hope I haven't cross-posted the start thread!

An early night last night for me and OH, but still feeling a bit done in from the weekend. Was very nice to just watch DVDs and crochet last night.

Today's mission:

• B/L/D from stores. Looked desperately into the fridge this morning but have come out with a nice pastrami salad
• More reconciling of budget sheet as coming to month-end
• Charge phone in work - done
• Gym at lunchtime - done. Tough but good.
• Speaking of the budget, it's currently not working. We are making a budget, then totally ignoring it all month. Prime culprits are the "fun fund" and the "grocery" spends. The food is getting eaten (well mostly) but I'm not actually sticking to the budget at all. My plan is to go back and rebuild the budget. Instead of picking an arbitrary amount, and saying I'm going to stick to it, I'm going to budget say:
  • 4 x weekly shops at £30
  • 2 x veg boxes at £14
  • 1 x bulk powders order at £25
  • 1 x B&M type shop at £10
  • 2 x top ups at £10

as this is more reflective of what we are buying. Then try to come under budget for each category. We're going to do the same with the fun fund. We tend to do quite similar things so we're going to build up what we want to do, then try to come under budget for each category.


I know that this is kinda the reverse of what Martin recommends but I think it will work better for us at the moment, as currently we are just ignoring the budget completely!

Right, I'll make a move. Here's to a good week and, as our dear Foxgloves would say, let's look after those pennies!

clf x

PurpleFairy26

Thanks for starting us off CLF hope everyone is ok. Feeling a bit better today, so hope it lasts and I can't start doing a few more things. Household is still sleeping, so enjoying a coffee and catch up on here.

Bestie is coming today for a brew, we don't live particularly close or see each other half as much as we'd like, so it's always good when it happens. We'll stay in of course, so no spend there other things:
Check banking, update sheet
Reconcile just for points cc
Do some washing when rain clears and peg outside
Quick tidy round
Something from meal planner for tea, something out of freezer
Make waffles for breakfast
Dd to prepaid swimming
Clean bathroom
Discuss with DH about which recovery people he wants to go with for his car
Check surveys
Pick raspberries and tomatoes from garden, feed tomatoes

Have a good day everyone. Purps.

E11ie

Morning all

Sorry I didn't get round to posting last week - it went by in a whirlwind due to ongoing house bits and starting in a new clinical area at work, plus after being off sick for 3 weeks it was more tiring than usual.

So my MSE jobs for today are

Fill in spreadsheets
All food from stores
Don't need to water the garden as it's rained all weekend
Load of washing in and air dry inside
Go to the gym and fill up water bottle
Swagbucks
Continue with knitting sock
Wait in for deliveries if they don't arrive when promised get refunds - as I paid extra for morning delivery slots, hate waiting in all day on my day off.
Tidy house and get rubbish and recycling out ready for collections tomorrow

Have a good day everyone

carrielovesfanta

Very quiet today - I hope everyone is ok!!

foxgloves

Evening Sunflowers,
And today's mse stuff ran thus:
*Vet bill not quite as much as anticipated (though cat has early stages of a condition which will at some point require medication).
*Free fitness walking a brisk walk around the village.
*Picked our 69th cucumber.
*Picked more courgettes.
*Got some useful 'use-it-ups' into tonight"s meal.
*Turned out pantry to make more room for food storage.
*Made tomorrow's packed lunch.
*Froze some odds & ends rather than waste them.
*Knit.
*Set washer on timer for half price overnight laundry.
*Cleared out kitchen utensil drawer. About 5 times more knives than we need. All spares now stored in fish kettle rather than getting rid of potentially useful stuff.
*Two baths from 1 lot of hot water.
*Watered & fed veg.
*Made list of stuff I can usefully do in town tomorrow while I have the car.
I am now flat out on the sofa! So tired tonight. I shan't be late in bed.
Cheers all,
F x

Baileys_Babe

:A Thanks, CLF for starting this week's thread.

OH is one the last day of AL before heading back to work tomorrow he has been at home for 11 days, we are going to miss him this week. We have also had my parents staying for 6 days which has been great. We went out for 2 planned meals to celebrate family birthday's, both of which came considerably under budget.

Today's achievements:
Made 2 jars of jam in the microwave, free berries from the garden
RM survey
B/L/D from stores, myself and OH had HM lo from the fridge, delicious
Made naan bread
Porridge into soak
Given our bedroom a free makeover:

1. We have had a major clear out of our bedroom, removing all the things that have been dumped there
2. Put the furniture we want into the bedroom
3. OH has put the majority of his clothes away, the pile was a metre cubed :eek:
4. Given the bedroom a good deep clean

Around this, we have also Home educated the children

We still have areas of the bedroom to tackle but the majority is clean and clear

I hope everyone is off doing lovely things, take care everyone BB

spudsmum

Hi all - hope everyone is ok and enjoying the slightly cooler weather. Back to work today after a full week off with the husband and kids - luckily managed to survive with most of sanity and budget intact.

This weeks small things:

:A ordered new pastry brush from Amazon - cost 9p!
:A had some free days out and had put some extra money aside for entrance fees/meals out etc so came in bang on budget for last week
:A used £10 morrisons voucher to add to my stockpile (now have roughly 6 weeks worth of non perishable food and household goods stored) so should only need fruit and fridge stuff this week
:A meal plan to make most of the above - aiming for minimal spend
:A cooked a mega chicken which should feed us most of the week
:A made use of oven being on to bake some muffins for this weeks lunchboxes (using store cupboard ingredients)
:A received cashback from my bank so paid it straight to credit card
:A made use of a new 0% balance transfer offer on existing card so should save a little more on interest
:A eldest small to pre paid football club - only £40 for the week so good alternative to holiday childcare.
:A made another batch of laundry gloop - discovered its also good for cleaning carpets and upholstery :rotfl:
:A paid gas bill - pleased that for once already had money put aside in a seperate account ready
:A by some miracle my car survived its MOT only needing £400 of work (which again i had already saved) i was expecting to have to find a "new" car so this is a major bonus and boost to the savings pot.
:A started on christmas shopping :eek: with 3 smalls an early start is a must - asda were selling of a load of toys for £5 and under - got 9 gifts for the twins for £36! Luckily i put money away every month ready for xmas so this didnt have to come out of my weekly budget.


Think thats it for now.

carrielovesfanta

Morning folks!

A cooler but sunny morning here today. I had a rifle through the garden last night and found some more large courgettes and picked my first beans. I think that they will go into some sort of tray bake thing.

Today's mission

• Big budget day as it's payday. Redesign our spreadsheet to reflect the new grocery and fun fund set up.
• Gym at lunchtime - done
• B/D from stores
• Check in B&M on the way home for seeds
• Bit more crochet. Am catching up on the second half of "sunshine and showers" doing the hateful flowers. 6 ends of doom per flower and 42 flowers in each strip is def unnecessary IMHO
• Charge phone in work - done
• OH to do housework

Have a good one all

clf x

carrielovesfanta

Spuds_mum - I remember the feeling the first time I had the money saved aside for the MOT and was able to just pay without a panic. It felt amazing

foxgloves

Morning Penny Wranglers,
A more relaxed start to the day. Mr f has gone to work.on the early bus so brought me coffee in bed. On today's list:
*Defrost l/o wraps, sliced peppers & some of my batch cooked refried beans to make veggie fajhitas tonight.
*I have the car today & think I can reach everywhere I need to go wirhout paying for parking.
*Brine, then pickle 1.5kg courgettes. Everything in stock except vinegar so will need to get that first.
*Make tomorrow's packed lunch.
*Peg out cheap overnight laundry & do a quick 30 mins at 30 deg load. Rest of it can go in an overnight load tonight.
*Feed sourdough jar.
*Water greenhouse veg.
*Knit (for presents box)
*Clean fridge, as this dropped off the list yesterday - will do fridge triage at the same time.
*Pick cherry tomatoes.
*Pull last of this year's rhubarb & possibly bake rhubarb mini-muffins.
*A bit of free fitness, even if it's just dancing to 7 or 8 CD tracks.
Have a good day all,
F xx