What small DFW things will you do w/c 16th March?

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 😁

carrielovesfanta

Morning folks

OK, I'm bored of moaning so I'm not going to. The sun is shining and I'm wearing my new Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson t-shirt.

Today's things:
B/L/D from stores
No sugar as my stomach feels like a bin today
Gym at lunchtime - done. Felt good actually
B&M on the way home for toothpaste and BBQ sauce (also any other missing items if they have them!)
Check PMP - done
Charge phone in work
Heating on low or off
Crochet. Still playing yarn chicken!! 

Have a good one all

clf x

ziggy2407

Happy new week everyone

@carrielovesfanta - 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.

 Today's plans:

Check Bank & made PAD - Done
Swagbucks - 
Craft - 
Purge a few emails - 
Enter a few comps -
All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer - 
Check: Lucky Bob, PMP, WinaDinner - 
Read Library Book - 

Have a great day!

C x

PurpleFairy26

Thanks for starting us off @carrielovesfanta

@ziggy2407 hope tomorrow is not too stressful, I've had several recently and know it's such an anxious time. Will be thinking of you. 

My list today:
check banking, update sheet
reconcile just for points cc
post a letter - believe I have a stamp in my drawer 
do some work on DH business
go to an appointment 
washing, dry on airier or peg out of weather stays fine
put some dry washing away
some more knitting, on the home stretch 
look at complex knitting pattern and see if I am going to be able to tackle it. If not see if I can find a free pattern to use the lovely wool I already have. 

Chase something (again!) 

have a good day all. Purps. 

ditty1234

Hi all good morning here.  Thanks CLF. I'm still slightly struggling to go in and teach, but after putting a routine of keeping door open and having students use anti bacterial wipes at the beginning of the lesson, everybody is slightly happier and just trying to make the most of it - before they are sent home next as of Friday. This is not official yet - but I now have an email that students will be sent home, still to find out about whats happening with staff.
On the MSE front I got a lift with my car share after we determined it's not greatly increasing our risk. Ds will cook us dinner. No other spending should be immanent today. 

Baileys_Babe

@carrielovesfanta thank you for starting this week's thread 💫

OH has caught the sickness bug from the children.

This morning I went and did the weekly shop, I also bought the Easter Eggs as the ones I wanted were half price.

All the shopping is away with the exception of the things that go upstairs as I don't want to disturb OH.

Plan for the rest of the day:
🏵Record today's spends
🏵 Cook stirfry me and ds
🏵RM survey
🏵Pmp etc
🏵do 1 load of washing, so it doesn't spiral out of control
🏵 have an hour or 2 resting, I've had lots of disturbed nights in the last week 

foxgloves

Hello Frugalistas,
I'm still not doing a daily list of tasks (except for making a note in my diary of anything I mustn't forget) but I do like a shape to my week in terms of what I hope to achieve, so a Monday post on here is really useful - I do pop in & see what you are all up to & try to post on my DFW diary daily. So this week I'd like to:
*Keep all budgetary stuff straight & up to date.
*Check budget for the money I've ring-fenced for our home improvements programme. It needs to be blimmin' accurate as it is for quite large sums.
*Continue tackling Annoying Jobs. At the moment, I seem to see new ones everywhere I turn!
*Progress current 2 knitting projects.
*Make progress in the garden. Finish March seed sowing & continue clearing & replanting borders.
*Do a bit of batch cooking - at the least I want to have baked cobs for the freezer, also spicy chickpea burgers.
*Chase up quote for new courtyard paving if necessary.
*Continue with an ongoing leisure/hobby type project I've been working on, as finishing it also has a built-in decluttering aspect.
So plenty to be getting on with this week. Am not anticipating big spends. City centre trip for shopping & night out mid-week, so there will be hefty parking, but Mr F has just presented me with a work expenses cheque which will pretty much cover that. Will need to buy coffee & something to eat, but if we have our main meal at lunchtime, we'll be happy with a sandwich.....& might even get there for yellow sticker time, lol.
Look after yourselves,
F xx

carrielovesfanta

Tis all official - government are starting the social distancing measures

DawnW

carrielovesfanta said:

Tis all official - government are starting the social distancing measures

Depressing isn't it, the whole thing? I have made the decision to run down my small business for now, to avoid having to constantly restock my sales unit, make constant trips to the post office etc to post stuff, go out to markets buying etc, as although I am perfectly fine currently,  I have asthma and a haematological condition that affects my immune system, and would rather avoid the dreaded virus if possible. I will need to maintain my sales unit to a basic level (and pay the rent on it) for as long as the shop manages to stay open (very few customers this morning, or people in town generally) but can just pop in briefly once a week to do that. Still, it is what it is, and I am fortunate in that I can manage without the bit of extra money it makes, especially as shopping, and therefore spending, will also be restricted. I am far more concerned for frail elderly people and gig economy workers and others who face the prospect of having to try to keep their families on SSP if they have to self isolate, or their workplace has to close

Anyway, I did go to the shop this morning, and also did a bit of shopping while I was in town. Only a few bits though, no bulk buying of toilet rolls lol - come to think of it, I didn't see any toilet rolls! I did get a few more seed potatoes though.

Did a load of washing and dried it outside, as it has been a nice day

Hoped to get out in the garden this afternoon, but DD came round with little GS, and although I did go outside (with the little one) activity was limited to sniffing the flowers, collecting gravel from the path and jumping in puddles   

All food was from home, made fish cakes with Lidls tinned fish that had been hanging around for ages and some leftover mashed potatoes. Added some chopped parsley and capers, coated with breadcrumbs, and cooked on the griddle, they were lovely (and very cheap). There are a couple left over for lunch tomorrow as well.

Claimed a £10 voucher from a survey site

Finally used up a sample tube of men's moisturiser / exfoliator stuff that has hung around for ages. OH was about as likely to use it as fly to the moon, and neither did it get used by any male guests when I put it in the guest bathroom. I used it for my feet, not wanting to put scratchy beard stuff on my face It smelt a bit like shaving foam but was pleasant enough as a foot treatment.

Also used up a tube of out of date kids toothpaste - I have bought a new on for the children to use, but wasn't going to waste it. Both had been hanging around for about 2 years, but are now gone, and the packaging in the recycling.

I still need to package up some books I sold to Webuybooks, to drop off tomorrow, check the banks and prep the RM surveys stuff for the week.

Thinking of you Ziggy.

PurpleFairy26

Morning folks. My list today:

go to appointment 
pop and pick up some seeds and spend a gift card whilst there. 

Meals from home
2 loads of washing already on the line
make a list of jobs to complete during self isolation 
plan some things for smalls to do when they too will be on lockdown so I’m prepared 
update online order I have for friday
message a couple of pals
check banking (app and website both currently down)
print off some P P I forms and put in post

have a good day all. Purps. 

TryingAgain2022

Hi all. Tried to post yesterday but couldn't! Some technical glitch, might have been because I was sneakily doing it from work 🤐

This week:

-Try to spend nothing. In theory this is fine as plenty of food in. So long as we love pasta, noodles, sausages. Will be taking from joint account for any extras. Milk etc. (Already had to do this as I went comfort-buying food after hearing the PM announcement yesterday. Just needed to see some frozen peas in my freezer. I realise that sounds weird).

-Work on my writing. It's the only thing that helps when my anxiety begins to creep up. Which obviously it is. (Massive palpitations last night so almost no sleep.

-Check that the £120 taken by my website hosting provider has been refunded as per their email. I mean, hooray if they’re going to as that really screwed me up this month, but boo because no sign of it yet. (Nothing yet. Must email them.)

-Check if appeal against parking fine has worked. I don’t want to be hit with the whole amount because their appeal process is rubbish. If appeal is unsuccessful then pay the ‘pay less now’ amount. Grr.

-Make plans for Easter school hols. Book time off work. Figure out what to do if lockdown is eventually phased in. Figure out what to do if not. DD will demand activities and excitement but these cost money and I don’t want to be where lots of people are. (Slightly superseded by PM announcement. We will definitely not be spending money on holiday or day trips. Hurrah. Sort of.)

-Other small things as per usual: bring lunch to work; bring coffee in flask to avoid stopping for takeout coffee on the way in; check banks and money spreadsheet; think about submitting some work and earning some actual extra cash.

I keep reading about how Amazon is full of ‘cure coronavirus’ books full of text copied off the internet. Seems very unfair that the unscrupulous can make money and I can’t! 

Assuming we all stay well (or get mild virus and recover quickly) this surreal time will be overall good for the family as we will spend time together and learn how to entertain ourselves in the house for free, which we have traditionally been very bad at. Pity it took a massive crisis to force us to do it but in this one small way it is a big positive.

-Remind me of that when I have run out of child snacks and cannot face the millionth game of Uno...  😂🙄😏
TryingAgain