What small DFW things will you do this week? W/C 15th July

crazy_cat_lady

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:

crazy_cat_lady

Morning all :wave:
I haven't seen a starter this week - so apologies if I've missed it and am cross posting or anything.
The countdown is finally on - 4 more work get ups to go, and I'm beyond tired now. Might have made a bit of a mistake sitting on my bum doing nothing for most of the weekend... but plenty to get on with this week as I still have 4 teaching days to go and also need to be packed and ready to go on Friday straight from school.
Today's plans are just mostly survival but I also need to start getting things sorted for going away.
Tonight I will get the cases out and leave them in bedrooms ready to fill as the week goes on. We have a case each that we will be responsible for, so the kids will look after their own stuff.
Also need to make dinner with my 44p YS meatballs from Mr M yesterday
Do a load of washing to stay on top of it
Check catsitter is still good for the week ahead
Talk to neighbours about keeping an eye out
Email my solicitor re latest court date
Weather is pretty decent today, which makes the fact that the radiators were on in my classroom this morning even more bizarre...

janb5

Hope you get a well deserved break CCL and are able to switch off!xx

1LuckyLady

Afternoon CCL and thank you for this weeks thread.

CLF, hope all went as well today as it possibly could do.

Hk, hope you're doing ok.

Didn't get chance to post at the weekend (and it was very spendy but planned spends)
A few small things we did do though
# used a £5 birthday voucher for The body shop that they'd sent me for free, bought a bottle of soap.
# used another£5 ^^ from Ikea for some cushion covers I'd be liking for a while

Todays list
# washed 2 loads on the quick 30 degree wash and hung on the line (including another couple of items that I thought we're salvageable but a bit of TLC and they're drying on the line and can be passed onto my friend who still has littlies )
# emailed my gym to ask for code so that dh won't pay the joining fee when he joins later this month
# had a coffee and chat with a friend in costalots today but used a voucher I'd earnt through surveys

Still need to
## send rm survey item
## post a 3rd box of tech off to CEX to sell. £183 back in vouchers to us so far
## bag up the rest of ds2s school uniform as I will pass this to my friend tomorrow when its his leavers assembly.
## take gifts down to the school mini bus tonight for the driver and chaperone as ds2 won't be on the bus for the rest of the week (gifts are just little sweet canisters)
## recover my kitchen window seat with some fabric we already have in the loft and put my new cushions on there to refresh the look of the kitchen as these match in with the replacement table cloth I bought.
## use up tea tonight, I've got various bits in the freezer so a freezer dive of leftovers with jacket spuds
## freeze some picnic type nibbles bought yesterday and then not used, savoury eggs/sausage rolls etc otherwise we'll be eating them for days!! will freeze and use in the summer holidays instead.
## make packed lunches for tomorrow
## check banking/update spreadsheet (And remind ds1 to do the same as he withdrew cash at the weekend and I want him to remember what he spent his money on)
## write a list of jobs up for the week as we've got lots of school things going on and events we need to get to and so I'd like to make the most of my time!

Thats enough of a start, take care all.

foxgloves

Afternoon Campers,
Quite productive with frugal stuff today:
*Did my mid-month budget check-in.
*Paid off a 'just for points' credit card in full.
*Paid 5 x 50ps into my sealed pot.
*Baked bread.
*Did rubber pork duties.
*Made tomorrow's packed lunch.
*Cast on 2nd sock (still stash busting)
*Water & feed veg (still to do)
*Did a few surveys.
*Overnight laundry done on the cheaper tariff. All line drying in the sunshine. Same again tonight.
*Today's 15 items to declutter as part of my July challenge.
*Free fitness with a little bike ride (primarily to see if the problem with front mudguard is sorted out - yes) & will make sure I get my daily target of 7000 steps today too.
*Did one annoying mending job.
*Have another look at some garden benches I am thinking of ordering. They look like exactly what I want. Good reviews, but the only negative comments seem to be from people who struggled to put them together. As this will be mr f's job (they look really solid & heavy), I want him to cast an eye over the design to see if he thinks he can do it. Requires proper drilling, etc, not the more usual ready-made holes (usually in the wrong place!) & a pile of allen keys. If all is declared 'doable', I will go ahead & order. Ridiculous that I have such a nice garden, am out there such a lot, yet have nowhere to sit!
OK, kettle's going on. Wishing CCL a great holiday.....& hope your son does manage to get a few clothes packed.....or he'll have to wear his sister's!
Cheers all,
F x

DawnW

Evening all
Was up half the night, so feeling a bit tired - hope this means I will sleep tonight!
Warm sunny day again
So far today I have:
Restocked sales unit
Picked up an on offer large pork leg joint from local butcher - 3kg for £10. I have frozen this for a future family meal. Also a little bit of shopping in Iceland, just over £6 spent in there.
Got rid of 3 bags of 'stuff' to the CS: 3 books, 2 pairs of trousers that don't fit, 2 bags I don't use, some table mats, some toys that the GCs aren't interested in, and 3 large bowls Feeling a bit inspired by Foxgloves' decluttering challenge, but not nearly organised enough to do the daily tally

Brought unsold shop stuff back - got it out of the car and into the house, but still need to put it away :cool:
Lunch at home, just sandwich for me / roll for OH
Then DD came round, and not much else got done for a while....
Dinner was a pork rib thing from the place where my brother works (staff shop) - glad I didn't pay for it! It was ok, and that is about all you can say. It is Waitrose branded too, so at full price, as opposed to staff shop. it wouldn't be cheap :eek:
Had a salad and HG potatoes with it.
Still to do:
Put shop stuff away Partly done
Update spending diary and spreadsheet Spending diary done
Check banks Not yet
Water whatever needs it in the garden Done
Feed tomatoes Done
Made a cake

Hope you have a great holiday CCL - if anyone deserves it, it is you!
Thinking of HK and CLF.

little_pink_purse

evening every one

been a busy few days but have managed to be good

today i have done

picked up shift on overtime
washing on and out
meals from stores
shopping topped up
millage checked for work
banking checked
a little tidy up

have a great night xxlppxxxx

allydowd

MONEY MAKING AND SAVING SITES AS OFTEN MENTIONED IN THIS FORUM:

• Benefits check-up (Link)
• Birthday Freebies (Link)
  
• Coupon Shop Forum list of money-off coupons (Link)
• Cooking On A Bootstrap, cheap recipes. (Link)
  
• eBid (Link)
• Freecycle (Link)
• Freegle (Link)
  
• FreeStuff (Link)
• FreeUKStuff ( Link )
  
• Income Tax Calculator (Link)
• i-Say Surveys (Link)
• Jobseekers Railcard (Link)
  
• List of online newspapers. At bottom of the linked page. (Link)
  
• Marriage Tax Allowance (Link)
• Martin Lewis' Weekly List of Deals and Tips (Link)
• MSE Bank Charges Comparison Tool (Link)
  
• MSE Boost Your Income page. Gateway to lots of money-making links. (Link)
• MSE Budget Planner (Link)
  
• MSE Abbreviations Explained (Link)
  
• MSE Deals and Vouchers (Link)
• MSE Demotivator Tool (Link)
• MSE Credit Card Minimum Repayment Calculator (Link)
• MSE Money Makover (Link)
• MSE Piggybank Budgeting (Link)
• MSE Stoozing Guide (Link)
  
• MSE Wow Offers (Link)
  
• NHS Minor Ailment Service article (Link)
• My Supermarket (Link)
  
• NHS Free Prescription Checker (Link)
• OnePoll (Link)
• Parcel2Go: compare postage prices (Link)
  
• Parkopedia: compare parking charges (Link)
  
• Pick My Postcode Lottery ( Link )
  
• Quidco (Link)
  
• Reclaim PPI at no cost to yourself without using a claims company. (Link)
• Reclaim Packaged Bank Account fees at no cost to yourself without using a claims company.(Link)
• Reclaim phone credit (Link)
  
• Resolver tool. Helps you draft a letter, send it, monitor replies and then escalate it to an Ombudsman or key complaint body if it's not sorted. (Link)
• SayNoTo0870 cheap phone number finder (Link)
• Split Ticketing (Link)
  
• Start Rescue Breakdown Cover (Link)
• Super Saver Amazon Delivery Tool (Link)
  
• Survey sites that pay for your opinions (Link)
  
• Swagbucks (Link)
  
• Swapit (Link)
  
• Tickety Split cheap train tickets (Link) Site closed
  
• Toluna (Link)
  
• TopCashBack (Link)
• Wombling Guide (Link)
• You Need A Budget site and App (Link)

If any of the links are broken, let me know.

crazy_cat_lady

Ziggy :wave:
Thank you SO much for thinking of me and sending me that book. It's amazing, and so are you.

ziggy2407

crazy_cat_lady wrote: »

Ziggy :wave:
Thank you SO much for thinking of me and sending me that book. It's amazing, and so are you.

Aww bless ya, glad it arrived. Hope the next few days are uneventful for you so you can go away and enjoy - you definitely deserve it.

Baileys_Babe

CCL thank you for starting this weeks thread :A