The 9 year plan...hold onto your hats and here we go!

EssexHebridean

I think speaking with the supervisor at BG will get things sorted out. I certainly hope so anyway! I'll keep you posted!

Just in the middle of a bingo-blitz with almost three days worth of BB bonus. Fingers crossed! Nothing yet mind you. :rolleyes:

Our microwave died on Thursday evening - I had just put something in in to nuke and it started making strange noises and sparking inside. I thought first off that the turntable was stuck or something but in spite of fiddling it carried on, so I decided to unplug it and retreat......! Can't really complain, the thing is nearly 15 years old - and has doubled as an extra kitchen shelf for much of that time too (must be female - multitasking!) so it's done us proud really. Resigned to the idea of having to go and find a new one today I told Mum about it - at which point she reminded me that we have it insured on their kitchen insurance policy! It will go off round there tonight and hopefully when the "man comes" next week, he will shake his head, play the funeral march to it, and then tell us how they will go about replacing it with a new one......of course, my luck dictates that it will be fixable, but we'll see!

Electric readings done this morning - about right for the time of year but MUCH lower than last year as we only have the single storage heater on at the moment, and that only quite low. Might turn the hallway one on tonight though as it will start getting colder now and that is the other really efficient one.

:xmastree: :xmastree: Christmas tree day today! Woop Woop! :xmastree::xmastree:

EssexHebridean

mineallmine wrote: »

The iPod touch is hours of fun and you did save the dosh with the takeaway. That's great. Otherwise we can find ourselves having to make use of "deals" which we don't need or can do cheaper or better.
We had home made chilli and for first time in ages done a double batch, so there's 9 of the little ones in the freezer. So that's all good. But totally blew the budget on an early xmas turkey at M&S. I am embarrassed but it will last for at least 2 meals!

Mum's had a Touch for a while and I love it - having my own is great! I love being able to put photos on it too - have already started to sort out all my favourites to go on there! Actually, that reminds me, I must add the seal shots I linked in to on Fays diary a while ago on there. Got to get more of my music on too but at the moment it's mostly on the desktop machine which isn't connected to t'interweb. Annoying. The iTunes version on there isn't new enough to work with the new gadget. Maybe I can copy all the stuff from my little Nano (which will be heading onto eBay at some stage shortly - boo hoo!) across onto the laptop and then onto the new one from there. Hmmmm.

Right then - your challenge would appear to be "rubber turkey" then.....see if you can s-t-r-e-t-c-h it over as many meals as possible - remember to get all the tiny trimmings off the carcass and then make stock from the bones - that will then make an extra meal of risotto if you like it, or soup. Try reducing the amount of meat you give each person slightly as well - you can glean enough back that way to do an additional meal, and if you arrange the plates carefully I bet they won't notice! Because we now buy all out meat at farmers markets or direct from the farm gate we took the decision some time back that if we wanted to eat the quality of meat we liked, we were going to have to cut down on the quantity. It takes a bit of readjusting but then works fine. Well done on that chilli too - I love having home made ready-meals in the freezer!

mineallmine

Thanks EH. The turkey was an indulgent buy but everything else came from Asda. I do have a turkey and leek pie recipe from Jamie Oliver so that would be good. Thanks for the nudge.

Good luck with the xmas tree, we must get ours sorted too. Chill this morning, then maybe do that later.

Good to see the Make up a month challenge getting close to £100.

yukkibear

Have fun with the ipod. I had to get dd's laptop yesterday for xmas but I found out that I could reserve online (through tcb) and collect it and pay on my card. Still get the cashback! result. Hope it goes through ok.

EssexHebridean

Fingers crossed for that going through OK YB. I do still have to buy my new flashgun for my camera so I promise to make sure I best-buy that and get cashback etc!

yukkibear

Lol I have been going on about cashback a bit haven't I!

EssexHebridean

yukkibear wrote: »

Lol I have been going on about cashback a bit haven't I!

Have you?!!! You're right though, and I know it.

yukkibear

Lol.......

I need to take some of your advise though

EssexHebridean

OK - quick update:

Small wins on the bingo the last two days - £3 yesterday and £5 today - so another £8 to the challenge funds and signature updated.
The refund has left my B.Gas account to fingers crossed should be back with us in a few days now.
Payday was yesterday so the savings money transfers over the next few days - the car account money has already gone in fact. Credit card bill is on its way so I'll get to find out how much of the Christmas shopping ended up going on there! :rolleyes: I've made a point of keeping as much as possible of it to cash spending so fingers crossed it won't be too bad.
Have discovered an app for my ipod which can be used for monitoring utilities spending so it will be earning its MSE keep! I'm still really impressed with it which is good - although I'm still not convinced it will manage to replace my paper diary mind you!
A few more bits sold on eBay tonight - I'll probably relist those that didn't after christmas. I have one slow payer at the moment from the bits that sold last week - I've messaged him this evening to tell him he now needs to pay immediately so I can get his items posted out. The first lot to be posted have started arriving now which is a relief. Need to get MrEH to sort out transferring the money from his paypal account now though.

Scottishmummy

Hi EH, just popping in to say hello. I'll hopefully get caught up with your news tomorrow but thought I'd better pop in since you've popped in to mine already since I've been back.:beer:

SM x