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What small DFW things will you do, week commencing 27/07/20?

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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 😀
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Comments

  • DawnW
    DawnW Posts: 7,749 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Morning all :)
    Been up for ages, washed my hair, couldn't do dog walk due to heavy rain (I don't mind but Dog doesn't 'do' rain :D), so thought I would start the weekly thread. No firm plans for today but I need to:
    Do some ironing :#
    Sort out my sourdough starter which seems to have gone to sleep a bit
    Usual kitchen clean up
    Clean bathroom
    (How I hate both ironing and cleaning!)
    Check banks and update spreadsheet
    Decide what to do with some savings, which I have been keeping in a S*tander 123 current account. Interest has been cut to virtually nothing, and I am paying for the account. No longer - I have transferred to a basic account with the same bank. Handily I can keep my account number, debit card and cheque book, all the direct debits stay the same, etc. But I don't want to leave the savings in there. Maybe a new ISA, or 2, as the money belongs to both OH and I (our old ones are pretty rubbish, but then everywhere seems to be....) Research needed.
  • Baileys_Babe
    Baileys_Babe Posts: 6,257 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 27 July 2020 at 9:14AM
    Morning @DawnW Thank you for starting the  thread this week :star:

    Hello @PurpleFairy26 and everyone who follows 

    It is raining steadily here and looks like it is set for the day.

    Both children's onsite training resumes today, due to CV19 restrictions we will be out even longer than we used to be. Whilst 1 is training the other will be studying in the car, what joy 😒

    Plans for today:
    :heart: Only spends, children's training
    :heart: Record all spends in my diary
    :heart: keep the freezer inventory up to to date
    :heart: meal plan for the next fortnight
    :heart: make a batch cooking list, using food mainly from stores
    :heart: Home educate the children
    :heart: B/L/D and after training snacks from stores
    :heart: continue working on project email
    :heart: make a birthday cake
    :heart: Pmp etc
    :heart: RM survey
    :heart: Ongoing survey
    :heart: ring the garage and book my car in for MOT and  service, this dropped off last Tuesdays list week, my friend called and we chatted for over 2 hours :smiley: and it never made it back on to a list - MOT not due until mid  August 
    Fashion on a ration 2025 0/66 coupons spent
    79.5 coupons rolled over 4/75.5 coupons spent - using for secondhand purchases

    One
     income, home educating family 
  • ditty1234
    ditty1234 Posts: 2,118 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 27 July 2020 at 9:24AM
    Morning everybody thanks @DawnW for starting up this week. I'm still in the holiday weeks and as it's a week with no commitments I am looking forwards to getting on with some of my own projects. So have a sort of everything diary I write every morning and then sorting through some old pictures, are the main objectives. 
    Mini break last week was lovely, we even ventured out for an outdoor pub lunch, crazy golf and a lot of walking. 
    To day I will:
    Blitz tidy down stairs - done
    Take stuff to cs - if out driving anyways - 
    Tidy my bedroom/office -  
    put clothes away - 
    Make granola - 
    Try to follow a sourdough bread recipe - 
    Roasted vege lunch
    Vege stirfry dinner
    Happy Monday 
    @Baileys_Babe ok yes good idea - meal plan for next 2 weeks, am trying to now rein in food budget!
    Isa help to buy: 1000/3000 33%
    Emergency fund: 100/1000 10%
    Weight loose 8.6 kg - while having fun. 0/8.6 0%
    Focus debt to clear HSBC £10/1111, 0% updated May 25
  • Hey folks,

    Thanks to Dawn for starting us off!

    Sorry for being awol all week last week. I will catch up with the thread through the day but I hope everyone is ok. I worked 5 days last week and I had several bits to sort out. i feel like a lot of my work days are so dull to read about anyway! 
    I can't say that it's been very mse. I dropped £326 on my new glasses and this week I'm getting my hair coloured and eyebrows done and a massage... I've also rejoined the gym! But I haven't had any of these things since February so *shrugs* 

    Just the usual mse things today - nothing very interesting on the radar. Weather is dull and raining although it's watering in my Christmas potatoes that I planted yesterday so I can't complain. Other than that, I've been trying to work on relaxing and I'm feeling pretty chilled and good. This week's focusses are:
    :star: Do at least 2 gym sessions (I have booked in for 6am classes. I must be crazy)
    :star: Make sure I use my standing desk at least twice a day for half an hour
    :star: No sugar or alcohol - working on gut health again
    :star: Make sure I build some stretching into my week. I did a routine last night and it felt goooooood.

    Have a good one all

    clf x
    LBM 11/06/2010: DFD 30/04/2013
    Total repaid: £10,490.31
  • Morning all. @DawnW so funny that your dog doesn't do rain! Ours loves water, would swim all day if she could.
    Today - a work thing is happening so haven't much attention for anything but that
    -find some washing which can be tumbled
    -meals from stores
    -plan for trip to the south to see my folks this weekend - splurged on hotel of better quality than our usual super-budget option but now keep looking to see if I can get it cheaper. Paranoia over virus versus moneysaving!
    -move money around to pay off balance of holiday. First year we've ever done it with cash not credit.
    Not much else. Sadly we lost a close family member at the weekend so OH is taken up with that and all plans are subject to change. My anxiety has been super high the last few weeks but am trying to keep it together to not make things even more difficult.
    On that note, time for a biscuit.
    -TA2022
    PEAK Dec 2019: £24,273 -- NOW Virgin £2377 Markses £681 Halifax £6143 Loan £6696 Family loan £5819 TOTAL: £21,706 -- Paid off: £2308. Target: Jan 2023 LBM: monthly pay but weekly spend doh :o December 2020 target = £18212 and nothing added to CCs AND by paying an extra 20 a month on something I just knocked 8 months off my target date :-)
  • ziggy2407
    ziggy2407 Posts: 4,106 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 27 July 2020 at 12:51PM
    Hi everyone

    Thanks for starting us off today @DawnW

    Hope everyone's well and big hugs to anyone struggling.  I'm really going to try harder to get some stability and routine into my days as I am struggling with mood and sleep.  

    So far:
    Checked Bank & made PAD
    Spoke to mum 

    Later:
    Ironing 
    Investigate Bank A/c for a fixed rate ending soon that will be ridiculously low interest if it rolls over
    Exercise
    Swagbucks
    Purge a few emails 
    Enter a few comps
    All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer  
    Check: Lucky Bob, PMP, WinaDinner 
    Read or knit

    Have a good day everyone.

    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
    Morning all :)
    @TryingAgain2022 sorry to hear of your bereavement.
    Thanks for the heads up re NS&I Purps. I have stuck some of it in a fixed term bond for now, but will look at one of these accounts for the rest.
    So far I have walked the dog, had home grown raspberries with breakfast, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, put the washing machine and dishwasher on, and checked money stuff. Quite pleased with progress so far, but I still need to:
    Update spreadsheet
    Peg washing outside once done (assuming no rain!)
    Put some clothes away upstairs - these are clean things that have found their way up there but come to rest on the ottoman instead of in the drawers or wardrobe!
    Take some items to my sales unit and tidy it up
    Make a sourdough loaf
    See if anything needs picking in the garden
    Check larder, fruit bowl and fridge to make sure nothing is in dire need of using up
    Sow some seeds
    Make cauliflower / broccoli cheese for dinner :)
    Make a cake or some scones
    Update Icyland order for delivery early tomorrow morning.
    Better get on!


  • 1LuckyLady
    1LuckyLady Posts: 1,206 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Evening all,  very quiet here again so I hope everyone is ok. 
    Today I've
    * checked banking and updated cashbook
    * dad popped in with a £1.50 fruit/veg box from lidl - lots of salad bits in there this week so salad for tea, with some boiled eggs and we used a tin of salmon that was at the back of the cupboard bought to make a recipe ages ago but none of us could remember what for! 
    * washed two loads and dried out on the line (and all put away no ironing ;) )
    * another workout found online and a long walk done
    * started using a maths workbook that we'd been given ages ago with ds2 (I found it yesterday morning in with some books we'd picked up from the inlaws last year)
    * updated mr t click and collect for tomorrow (was able to knock quite a bit off after todays veg box!)

    Think thats about it ,  take care all. 
    Sticking with the "Small things" thread to keep up us on the straight and narrow.
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