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What small DFW things will you do w/c 27th August?

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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:
DF as at 30/12/16
Wombling 2025: £87.12
NSD March: YTD: 35
Grocery spend challenge March £253.38/£285 £20/£70 Eating out
GC annual £449.80/£4500
Eating out budget: £55/£420
Extra cash earned 2025: £195
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Comments

  • determined_new_ms
    determined_new_ms Posts: 7,867 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 27 August 2018 at 7:51PM
    Morning :D been up a while waiting for a thread to appear but seems everyone is having a BH lay in! Hope you're all well.

    Foxgloves thinking of you and hoping today your mum's health starts to improve. Take care of yourself (I know you will) x

    So it's the last day of our puppy share today - yesterday he had a period in the late afternoon/evening where he was quite naughty! Starting with obedience training today!

    As we have pup it will be a low key day :D

    *[STRIKE] have put washing on line as forecast ok. will do another load. [/STRIKE]Prob will need to put it on the airer for a bit later - 2nd load will get basket down to no longer overflowing!
    * [STRIKE]put away 2 loads of washing currently in basket :o[/STRIKE]
    * [STRIKE]make meatballs in roasted veg sauce to use up lots of veg hanging around[/STRIKE]
    * [STRIKE]finally put thing in/get out of loft[/STRIKE]
    * [STRIKE]monthly financials/shuffle [/STRIKE]:D it's official - I'm broke!
    * text some school friend's mum's to see about a meet up on Weds
    * really want to get my sewing machine out later and pick up projects that I haven't finished :D
    * put together library books to return tomorrow - thank goodness for the email reminder as madam's books now attract a fine for lateness!
    * [STRIKE]text hairdresser and book an appt for when madam is back at school[/STRIKE]
    * [STRIKE]start getting things ready for madam's return to school next week - pencil cases/checking uniform & work out what's needed for tomorrow's trip to town[/STRIKE]
    * [STRIKE][STRIKE]text dog sharer and see if she wants to come round later for coffee and bring her dgs to visit pup[/STRIKE][/STRIKE] didn't invite her round as have a bit of a virus. Dodgy stomach and have a temp
    *[STRIKE] email friend I cancelled on a couple of weeks ago then never replied to her response[/STRIKE] :o

    Ok that's enough. Will see how I get on! Hope you all have a lovely day x
    DF as at 30/12/16
    Wombling 2025: £87.12
    NSD March: YTD: 35
    Grocery spend challenge March £253.38/£285 £20/£70 Eating out
    GC annual £449.80/£4500
    Eating out budget: £55/£420
    Extra cash earned 2025: £195
  • allydowd
    allydowd Posts: 4,965 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Uniform Washer Name Dropper
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    If any of the links are broken, let me know.
    Debt-free day: 8th May 2015 "Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck," Dalai Llama
  • allydowd
    allydowd Posts: 4,965 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Uniform Washer Name Dropper
    edited 27 August 2018 at 5:25PM
    Hi August-Austerees,

    Morning!:coffee:It's still my weekend and a wet Bank Hol Monday. And I don't know what we're doing today. DW is still getting over a light case of Plague.

    Debt-Free-Nillionaire Continuity Plan Year Four:

    THINGS I WILL DO:

    * Check online banking. Done.

    * Take medication. Done.

    * Turn alarm clock off at the wall til tonight. Done.

    * Get some exercise. Done. Very short walk with DW, windier than we thought out and we hadn't got jumpers with us. :doh:

    * Check DW's online banking. Done.

    * Triage the fridge and freezer. Create something for lunch and dinner. Defrosting batch-cooked soup for lunch. Making curry for dinner, to be served with naan bread and bhajis from the freezer. Added some frozen limp raddishes. Made apple and blackberry crumble from frozen foraged fruit. Removed ice from freezer and turned down the thermostat.

    * Check TopCashBack. Done. Still unpaid.

    * Deep-clean plastic chopping boards before DW pronounces them "manky" and bins them. Done.

    * Start using up all the fancy coffees squirrelled away in the cupboard. Done.

    * Send off for t-shirt and medal purchased prior to Run for Sanity. Done.


    Things don't have to be perfect to be wonderful.
    Debt-free day: 8th May 2015 "Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck," Dalai Llama
  • Morning all :coffee:
    Thanks for the start DNMS, and Ally - thanks for volunteering to be my 'smack around the face' person :rotfl:
    Foxgloves - thinking of you :kiss:
    I'm having a quiet cuppa before making a start. I have a list of little annoying jobs to do before we can go on our last trip of the summer - to the Lakes. I'm really excited because this one is my choice, but it was originally booked as a holiday for the 4 of us so I've had a few 'What if' moments this morning.
    I haven't packed yet, then need to wash dishes, fold washing, put rubbish and recycling out and sort the cat food for the sitter. I'm still hoping we'll get away by 11 though :cool: We can't check in until 5 but I've decided to spend the afternoon in Kendal - I think it's one place in the Lakes that we've never been to so I fancy having a look there. Should get lots of steps in before I spend the entire evening in the hot tub at the cottage :rotfl:
    I'm not taking my laptop with me, but I will definitely make the effort to check in with my phone while we're away.
    Best get on I suppose - may be being over ambitious thinking I'll get away by 11...
  • PurpleFairy26
    PurpleFairy26 Posts: 3,903 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    Morning all :hello: thanks for starting us off determined enjoy your day with pup. We're not planning on doing too much today but it will include some bits include:

    Going for a run
    Food from stores, have mince from freezer for tea probably with garlic flatbread from freezer
    Pop out and look for a waterproof fleece thing for DH. He needs this for work, we will go to a budget warehouse type place and it'll come from the clothes pot
    Clean bathroom
    List a few bits on fleabay/sort some stuff for charity shop
    Quality time with family watching a film tonight snuggled on sofa
    Check just for points cc
    Pick tomatoes

    Have a good day everyone. Purps.
  • Thrice
    Thrice Posts: 159 Forumite
    Morning all! Hope everyone is doing okay, Monday though :p

    Not a huge amount planned for this week. Pay day today, so I've printed off all my direct debits and CC statements. Will work through a budget for this month. Need to lift cash for my weekly food budget envelopes. This has worked out really, really well for August, I've actually had a few weeks where we underspent, which if I'd just kept a monthly budget I think wouldn't have happened.

    Need to write a short list for Lidl after work, we need stuff for sandwiches for this week for work. I can definitely make a dinner tonight, so I'll do a stock check of the fridge tonight and see if/what I need for the rest of this week. Started taking breakfast to work as of today, so I'll need some fruit as well.

    Will keep up to date with surveys etc etc to earn some extra pennies :money:
  • ziggy2407
    ziggy2407 Posts: 4,106 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 27 August 2018 at 9:10PM
    Good Afternoon All

    Another shocking nights sleep, DS not feeling too great so will just be having a quiet day. Today we will

    Check Bank & made PAD - Done
    Shopping with list - Done
    Upload receipts - Done
    Ironing - Done
    Purge a few emails -
    Enter a few comps -
    All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer - Done
    Checked: Tombola Stars, Lucky Bob, FPL, WinaDinner - Done
    Read -

    Have a great day!

    C x
    Goodreads 2025 Challenge :16/75
    Goodreads 2024 Challenge: 65/80
    Goodreads 2023 Challenge: 77/52


  • DawnW
    DawnW Posts: 7,749 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 27 August 2018 at 7:18PM
    Afternoon all :)
    Thanks for starting the thread DNMS - I quite forgot it is Monday and tie for a new one :o
    Hope you have a nice break CCL. Goodness, haven't the summer holidays gone quickly - can't believe everyone is getting ready to go back to school :eek: Little GD will be starting, but not for 2 more weeks, so quite late going back here (?)

    Been car booting this morning, but only bought business bits so no spends to record on my personal / household spreadsheet. Recording already done on business one though :)
    OH went to Sainsburys as we had run out of a few items. Will need to record this spend. Hope he didn't buy too many extras -haven't checked receipt yet :eek:
    Picked raspberries and tomatoes
    Load of washing on line nearly dry, another waiting to go out, and a third waiting to be done :eek: About to get the last load in from the line, all dry outside today :D
    Sorted out 4 boxes of items to restock my sales unit tomorrow, carted them all from the top of the house to the garage at the bottom of the garden and put in car ready to go. It will be nice not to have to do it in the morning, but I am enjoying a well earned sit down now!


    Still to do:
    Get OH to pick the French beans Done

    I want to do some baking, to use stuff that is lying around:
    A big quiche (will use up slightly OOD sour cream, grated cheese from freezer, last of old bottle of milk, 4 leftover mushrooms), I am sure I will find some other things to go in it too! Done
    A spinach and feta filo pie, or rather a spinach and Sainsbugs basics Greek salad cheese one :rotfl:to use a big bag of spinach picked yesterday. Done

    Will have some of one or the other of those for dinner! Had some of the spinach pie, with a jacket potato, French beans and some mashed swede left over from yesterday (reheated in oven while potatoes were cooking). Finished off yesterday's windfall apple and quince crumble for pudding :)

    Also made some little cherry pies using up a few cherries from the freezer, and some mince pies - a bit unseasonal but I had some HM mincemeat in the larder.
    Juiced 3 lurking limes that had seen better days, juice frozen in ice cube trays
    Scraped last of a jar of chutney into another half jar - not sure why two are open at the same time, but only 1 jar now, the other one washed and put in recycling
    Squeezed last of the tomato ketchup into new bottle, old one washed and put in recycling - there is a bit of space in the fridge now :)



    Now have the washing up of doom to do, after all that cooking :(
  • Lydia42
    Lydia42 Posts: 133 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi
    Not commented on this thread before but trying to stay positive on the whole debt thing at the moment.
    Few things for me today:

    DS has been asking for a bean bag for his bedroom for ages - managed to pick one up second hand off local selling site today
    Dinner from cupboards and freezer
    Checked bank acc
    Meal planned tomorrows food - all from cupboards and freezer again (hoping to empty and defrost the freezer this month)

    Enjoy the rest of your bank holiday everyone
    Total Debt November 2018: £23, 795
  • foxgloves
    foxgloves Posts: 12,552 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Thanks for all your kind thoughts & wishes. I am feeling so stressed. While I am obviously still hoping for the best with Mum, it's clear that we also now need to be preparing for the worst. I don't want to go into details, as it's a bit unusual & could identify me, iyswim.
    Anyway, after another crappy night of very little sleep, I decided I needed to get busy, so have tackled my monthly Big Budget Day. A useful day on the money saving front, really:
    *Reconciled Aug budget & set September's.
    *Paid those of our savings piggies which are getting some cash this month.
    *Switched washer on early to get a bit of the cycle on the cheap tariff.
    *Currently running washer on a 90 degree service wash to flush it all through. Thought it smelled a bit iffy, but to be fair, it had just dealt with cat's favourite blanket.
    *Nice leftovers for tonight's meal. mr f roasted Indian spiced chicken last night & we're having the leftovers cold today with some jacket wedges, salad & some of the Bengal chutney I made recently.
    *Updated my signature on here as had neglected to fill in the latest survey income received.
    *Sorted out Breakdown cover - we were covered by Skoda when we bought our car as it was only a year old, but it expires soon. Went with Green Flag as it was £20 cheaper than the provider we were with originally.
    *mr f (who was starting to look like he could audition for a hairy old rock band) decided to save his money by shaving his head instead of going to the barbers.
    *No exercise today as I've had so much desk sitting stuff that's needed doing, but I may possibly go for a walk later or I shan't get my required calorie deficit if I don't do at least some steps today.
    *Big filing & admin session.
    *Knit - trying to finish a nice pair of autumn socks for mr f - could get them finished tonight if I am in the mood.
    I think that's all for today.
    Best wishes to everyone else having various 'troubles'.
    F x
    2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
    2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 5.9kg/30kg

    "Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)
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