Monday 23 February

A question about : Monday 23 February

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

Best answers:

• Good Morning All
  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.
  Well, I really need to make this week count, kitchen will be out of action part of this week so need to:
  Move Table (after tea) -
  Empty cupboards and plate rack -
  Washing -
  Clear hallway (ready for tomorrows delivery) -
  Yesterdays ironing all away -
  Pack-up for DH & DS - Done
  Re-list few bits on Facebook -
  List more magazines on Eb*y -
  Continue purge on Emails -
  Surveys -
  Check Banks -
  Check swapits -
  Enter a few comps -
  All meals from cupboards/fridge/freezer -
  Check www.freepostcodelottery.com - Remember there are now 4 chances to win -
  Read/Knit-
  Have a great day, love to you all
  C x
• Good morning.
  Not deserted you, just having a hard time at present...my dad was rushed into hospital and is quite poorly, was there all yesterday. DS2 and his friend being absolute stars running around for me and DS1 is going to clean up my dads house today so that will be a worry less.
  Also think my job is on the line, not very good timing at all.
  So today:
  BLD from stores
  Get to the hospital and see what is happening
  Hoover
  Whatever life throws at me...am totally living minute to minute at present.
  Hope you all have a nice day. Will pop in when I am able.
• Sorry to hear things are tough MilliesMummy - hope they get better xxx
  Hello everyone.
  Today's little list:
  -2.5 hours of work this afternoon
  -Continue my house cleaning and sorting(good start yesterday!)
  -Finish switch to M&S bank (should then get 100 voucher!)
  -LSD - only need a few things for lunches this week
  ]
  Have a good day all x
• Mse Daily
  Just received a letter from eon explaining why they've given me a refund. Turns out some gas metres were taking slightly too much and mine was one of them. Apparently it's been on the news but I haven't watched the news in ages!
  - appointment 10.30 to sign perm house contract now I've been in house so long (done)
  - walk to and from town for ds1 ballet lesson (done)
  - take juice to town to avoid buying one and snack for dd's (done)
  - milk from town whilst there (cheaper) (done)
  - pay in cheque for refund from gas company (done)
  - repair ballet cardi
  - source box to send DVDs so I can sell on
  - all meals from stock - (done)
  - ring doctors re wrong item on prescription
  - ring bank re why s/o keeps failing.
  - Check bank account (done)
  - quick tidy up on (done)
  - nectar card - update details
  - take ds2 for a walk to entertain her (done)
  - find out gv balance
  - watch film - netflick free trial
  Jojo x
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• A Girl Called Jack, cheap recipes ( Link
• Benefits check-up ( Link )
• Birthday Bingo, daily free game ( Link )
• eBid ( Link )
• Freecycle ( Link )
• Free Postcode Lottery (Link)
• FreeStuff ( Link )
• FreeUKStuff ( Link )
• i-Say Surveys (Link)
• List of online newspapers. At bottom of the linked page. ( Link )
• MSE Boost Your Income page. Gateway to lots of money-making links. ( Link )
• MSE Abbreviations Explained ( Link )
• MSE Deals and Vouchers ( Link )
• MSE Wow Offers ( Link )
• My Supermarket ( Link )
• OnePoll ( Link )
• Quidco ( Link )
• Reclaim PPI at no cost to yourself ( Link )
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• Morning DFW-Jedis,
  Well, life goes on, as does the almost everlasting quest for solvency and sanity.
  Thanks for the starter Ziggy.
  
  Today is my day off so I'll be catching up on all the paper and internet based things that need doing. The weather is inclement as well so we'll mainly be indoors:
  The List:
  Check online banking and reconcile monies.
  Do i-Say surveys.
  Turn off electric alarm clock at the wall til tonight.
  Have another look at why OH's computer won't boot up. Will repair ourselves if we can.
  Do Royal Mail Surveys.
  Do a little housework using Stardrops this morning.
  Re-heat abandoned coffee in the microwave.
  Take-up new work trousers to fit my gnome-like height. Bought at the bargain price of Ј7 from SportsDirect. I only have two pairs of work trousers and one of those is falling apart so I thought it was time for a new pair.
  Do some more ironing. Turn off the iron for the last two items.
  Make pancakes for lunch from base ingredients, no expensive packets for us, thank-you.
  Watch a DVD from the cupboard.
  Well that's me for today. Good luck on your quests, Jedis.
• Forum won't let me add to my last post.
  The List 2:
  Keep up with the washing up to save on cleaning paste required when plates are left too long.
  Clear the junk off my coffee table, mobile and PC for maximum efficiency.
  List memory card on eBay.
  C
  Email my MP about an ongoing issue, thereby saving the petrol costs to visit him.
• Morning all
  Thanks for starting us off Ziggy - what are you having done to your kitchen?
  Sorry to hear about your Dad and all the other things that you have going on Milliesmummy Hope it all turns out ok.
  So far today I have:
  Hoovered and washed floors
  Fed chickens and dog
  Still to do:
  Check banks
  Collect auction items (for business), clean them up and put them away
  Visit sales unit, tidy up and see what new stock is needed
  Pay cash withdrawn to buy stock at antiques fair yesterday back into bank as most was unused
  Buy a birthday card for DS and post. He will be 41 on Thursday He has already had his present
  Contact GS1 and ask him if he has an Amazon wish list or similar, as his birthday is coming up
  Small shop as we are nearly out of firelighters and milk I am already over the budget I set myself
  Make fish pie for supper, using fish pie mix that I bought at the farm shop yesterday
  Make a crumble from HG plums I got out of the freezer yesterday
  Ring solicitor to see if the changes I requested to our wills have been made, and arrange for OH and I to go in and sign them and pay her bill.
  More sorting / decluttering -I am starting to see a difference now
  Right, better get on
• Morning Monday Frugalistas,
  Have got off to a good start this morning:
  *Mr f dropped car off for service 1st thing (fingers crossed) & went to work on the bus using the last return journey on his season ticket.
  *Did laundry overnight on cheap tariff. Bright, sunny & breezy here so far, so all pegged outside on the line. Timer set for another cheap wash tonight.
  *Did rubber chicken. Had a roast dinner yesterday & I'll definitely get an additional 3 days of main meals out of it, plus a packed lunch & possibly some soup. Carcass in slow cooker for stock.
  *Loaf churning in the bread machine.
  *Been thinking about why our gas use increased last week despite me being careful. May have found out why.
  Just stopped for a quick coffee top-up then I'm off down to the greenhouse to sow more tomatoes & the rest of my 'February' flower seeds, which were all free packets.
  Re firelighters, am sure they can also be made by collecting fircones & dipping them in something, but can't recall what.
  Best wishes to all,
  F x
• Morning all!
  Milliesmummy - Hope your dads ok.
  Today I have/will:-
  * Check banks - transferred 40p from TCB to OD so all necessary places updated
  * Check FPL
  * Take lunch to work
  * Fill water bottle up at work
  * Catch up on dairies from weekend
  * Do diary post
  * 2 loads of washing washed and dried at my boss'
  * If the weather clears up I may hoover my car out at my boss'
  * Take milk home from work
  * Dinner from stores
  * NDS?
  Think that's everything for today!
• MillieMummy: Sending a big Welsh cwtch to you and your dad
  Today I have/will:
  1. Checked online banking
  2. NSD
  3. Free postcode lottery
  4. Surveys
  5. Meals from stores
  6. Cleaned kitchen
  7. Update signature
  8. Read free kindle book
  9. Watch tv recorded in week
  10. Get shopping list organised for tomorrow and search checkout smart and shopitize for any offers.
• Sorry to hear about your Dad, Milliemummy.
  Back at work today:
  Leftover pizza for lunch
  YS pasta from freezer for dinner
  Early night, I'm so very tired!
• it is a bit cold in the house in some sections so instead of turning the entire heating system up a few degrees, I will use the space heater we have and just heat the room in which I am staying.
  We will eat all of our meals from home (except dh's lunch). I have a menu plan in place for meals for the rest of the week and there should be no more restaurants in our immediate future.
  had to buy a gift for a friend's new baby...saved 50% with sales and coupon codes and rewards.
• Hugs to you Milliemummy really hoping everything will be ok soon.
  Ally -Glad your partner is on the mend now.
  Foxgloves -so what is the reason for the gas increase?
  Ziggy - hope the work goes well.
  FVD - Thanks for the bike advice. I will definitely kick off if needs be but I also think we have made a mistake on the type of bike we bought. We just didn't think we'd be doing this many miles per day so it's like buying a Robin reliant to do John o groats to lands end better quality bike needed really.
  Long day today. Started with some awesome luck as I found a fiver in the street. My first note since starting the roadkill challenge in november. Takes my total for Feb to Ј6.55.
  I cleaned the bathroom and kitchen at my shop which took me from 9.30 to 2pm. That included doing 2 fridges inside and out and a lot of cupboard scrubbing. It is starting to look better now. Husband will be going there tonight after work poor man to do another 3 hours of floor laying. May have found a good handy man who says he can put skirting boards on for Ј10 per hour plus materials so I think I will book him for the weekend.
  I really haven't done much of use in the debt free ways today. Took after school snacks for son and packed lunch for me and husband. I did buy a coffee for me and chips and a sausage for son using my free fiver though. Why not!
  It has been a NSD apart from cleaning supplies I bought on company card.
  Have a good night all.
  bob
• Receiving Ј100 compensation for my housing association's failure to carry out a repair under the government's Right to Repair Scheme. Details here: (Link)