What Small DFW Things Will You Do This Week 25/07/22 25 July 2022 at 10:04AM in Debt-free wannabe 31 replies 761 views

ziggy2407

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 😀

twiggy86

Hi all

Thanks for starting the thread @ziggy2407.

I'm working from home again today, so list is a bit different.

Today I have/will:

• Check banks
• Pop washing on 30 degree eco wash
• Note OH hadn't switched hoover off at wall so the little light had been on all night - such a small waste but totally unnecessary! 
• Update spreadsheet
• Message company re leaflets as have now completed the round
• Respond to friend who has asked me to help with her leaflets and she'll split the money
• Hang towels on airer
• Look at budget for August 
• List 5 things on V*nted - listed 6 things and hung one more in the bathroom to try make the creases drop out before I photograph
• Make meal plan
  
• Make shopping list
• Shop at lunch - sticking to list 
• Lunch and dinner from stores 
• Turn computer and phone off properly when I finish work
• Snap receipts
• Make bolognaise sauce for dinner tomorrow night
• Crochet in front of the TV (currently working on the next birthday present!)

Hope you all have a good start to the week! 
Twigs 

ziggy2407

Good Morning everyone

Let's see if we can get this thread back up and thriving, it would be a shame to lose it after so many years - Ive been a member for over 10 years and although debt free, there is always some new tip to learn.

Today's small things

Check Bank & make PAD - Done 
Swagbucks - Done
List a few bits on FB for free (have tried freegle) - Done
Ironing - Done
Enter a few comps - 
Purge a few emails - 
Read -  
All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer - 
Check: PMP, WinaDinner, Freejackpot (referral available £1 giftcard when you sign up, free daily draws and a mega monthly draw) 

Have a good day! 

C x 

Bagpuss741

Today I have/will

1.  Checked online banking
2.  Been to Lidl for small top up shop and been to Wilko for cat food/treats and bird food
3.  Surveys
4.  Duolingo
5.  Pick my postcode
6.  Washing drying on line
7.  Meals from stores
8.  Keep electricity spend as low as possible
9.  Read free book

DawnW

Evening all

Thanks for starting the thread @ziggy2407 , totally agree re the thread. I haven't posted on here for some time, but will get back to it now.

Today I have / will:

Used items from last week's Lidl £1.50 box for breakfast fruit, (along with a few HG berries

Watered garden pots plus new seeded area. We haven't had any decent rain for ages

Usual bathroom and kitchen clean up routine

Put line dried washing away, apart from 2 items that need ironing

Delivery from Icyland (I have one a month roughly, saves carrying bulk stuff and takes advantage of any offers. Bought chicken breasts and mince today). Oh dear, aren't the prices going up!

Started small shopping list for Lidl for later in the week. Just butter and yogurt on there so far

Did a few small gardening jobs

Listed some unwanted items on freecycle

RM Surveys stuff

Still need to record spends over the last few days (I have receipts), and check the banks.

Hope everyone has had a good day

allydowd

Hi July Junk-repellers,

I'll try and find more time to post in here. I'd be a shame for this thread to fade away.

Debt-Free-Nillionaire Continuity Plan Year Eight:

Checked online banking. Found a fraudulent transaction and spent two hours trying to convince the bank that it was fraud.

Alarm clock off at the wall during day time.

Turn off WiFi box when not using it.

I've been taking a packed lunch to work all week instead of buying a microwave meal in Farmfoods to take in. I don't really have time to make packed lunches but I'm trying. Continue trying not to buy yummy but costly food and drink at work.

We are going on holiday soon and the accommodation we have has no tea making facility so we will take the secondhand travel kettle we have in a cupboard somewhere and a couple of mugs etc with us instead of paying €10 for a week's hire when we arrive. We were going to buy travel mugs but they all seem to be made of metal or silicone and DW likes her tea in a porcelain mug so we may buy two from a charity shop to take with us. We don't want to risk damaging our precious mugs in transit.

Deep cleaned my work Thermos with vinegar and bicarb.

Continue crocheting blanket.

Continue trying not to do the washing every day even though I work outdoors and I make a lot of washing.

Make more homemade lollies by freezing squash in lolly moulds. They're not outstanding but they are cheap.

Took a quick shower today as I hadn't been out at work getting covered in the great outdoors.

Went to Superdrug for an off-the-shelf medication for DW. Delighted to see that it was available for £3.50 rather than £5. In the case of this ailment 'natural' remedies are not going to fix it. I would really encourage everyone to look for PL numbers on medications. You can read about them here in this article about cold remedies, but the principle is the same for ALL medications. Imagine you want to buy a brand name medication. Look on the packaging for that medication and find the PL number. Now look on the nearby shelves for similar, cheaper medications with the same PL number on the packaging. If the PL numbers match, it's the SAME drug. It's not SIMILAR, it's the SAME.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2016/12/revealed-the-identical-cold-and-flu-medicines-which-cost-a-third-of-the-price/

As an example, from a few months back:

Sudafed Cold & Flu medication:       PL12063/0073        £4

Asda's own Cold & Flu medication:  PL12063/0073        £1.50

Bagpuss741

Today I have/will:

1.  Checked online banking
2.  NSD
3.  Meals from stores
4.  Keep electricity use low
5.  Read free book
6.  Update phone, tablet and laptop and scan with free antivirus
7.  Water tomatoes that are growing in greenhouse and dead head roses
8.  Duolingo

Good to see some of the old faces back here

twiggy86

Morning all!

Also re medicines - a doctor once told me not to bother with things like lems*p as they don't have a full dosage of paracetamol so better off taking tablets and having a hot lemon and honey! 

Today I have/will:

• Check banks
• Cancel HelloFre*h for this week (we very rarely get it now)
• Make lunch to take to work
• Drive on eco mode
• Update spreadsheet
• Snap receipts
• Look at budget for August 
  
• Help friend with leaflet delivery on way home from work - hopefully will only take a couple of hours
• Dinner from stores 
  
• Freeze extra portions of bolognaise sauce I made yesterday 
• Crochet in front of the TV (currently working on the next birthday present!)

Hope everyone has a good day.
Twigs

allydowd

Bagpuss741 said:

Good to see some of the old faces back here

@ziggy2407 rallied us.

allydowd

Hi July Junk-repellers,

Awoke early and have been a very busy Bee.

Debt-Free-Nillionaire Continuity Plan Year Eight:

Alarm clock off at the wall during day time.

Turn off WiFi box when not using it.

Lunch was a falafel mix from a packet at the back of the cupboard. Tasted fine.

Refilled wee travel toiletries bottles from large bottles for our holiday.

Two home haircuts and I tinted my hair myself with leftover tint from last time.

Dug out some abandoned coffee from the back of the cupboard.

ziggy2407

Good Afternoon everyone

I am loving being back and its seems to have re-focused me so that a great start, today's small things

Check Bank & make PAD - Done 
Swagbucks - Done
Gym - Done (trying hard to get back my health and fitness back but at the same time not overdoing = tricky)
Return Library books and collect new items ordered - Done, handy as its in the same building as my Gym and its a great free resource - anyone with kiddies should take advantage of the Summer Holiday Reading Challenge and see what other activities they also offer during these long holidays (I do miss my son being this age)
Drop old glasses and cases at Opticians for recycling - Done
Return Amazon item - Done (proud of this one as none of the 3 of us were really happy with item but none were bothered about it enough to make a decision so I made the decision and its £20 back in the Bank rather than the item going unused and gathering dust)
Check cards linked on Daali and Airtime Rewards - Done (linked and tracking fine, exactly the same principle as TCB but exchange for couchers (Daali) or towards mobile bill (airtime rewards) 
Signed up to Gousto as friend gave me a link for a box 100% free - Done (I know have a link if anyone interested), easy to pause and cancel at any time too - so no major commitments 
Buy couple of freebies on Shopmium and Checkoutsmart - Done, uploaded receipts and transactions processed within 10 minutes
Enter a few comps - 
Purge a few emails - 
Read -  
All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer - 
Check: PMP, WinaDinner, Daali, Freejackpot 

Have a good day! 

C x  

PS One other little win we've been making lately is to use a bucket to collect the cold water when we first switch on the shower and using a jug in the kitchen - some might think its a bit tight but our waterbutts are running low and I cant bear to be paying for water to go straight down the drain now we're on a meter