Mortgage Reduction Beginner to Novice - The Show Begins

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

I had a huge picture of David Cassidy on my bedroom, which I thnk came from the Jackie comic

Secret_Saving_Squirrel wrote: »

if you want to know anything about David Cassidy

I hate to say it but you two sound like my mum!!!

SSS- I don't mind a bit of Shakespeare "I'll look to like if looking liking move but no more deep will I endart mine eye than your consent gives strength to make it fly." and all that but who's the other bloke?

I did some baking today - red velvet cupcakes (the recipe has an expensive ingredient list so only for treats!). And I also made a trial one jar sample of marrow and ginger jam (I used a different recipe to the one I linked earlier) so you'll have my verdict after breakfast tomorrow!

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi MRN, your Mum is sounding particularly gorgeous x x x x

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Morning everyone... happy Monday!

I had a very productive day off on Friday and got lots done before relative arrived on Saturday (including racking up another £14.70 in gym attendance - annual membership well worth it!). Since then I have been talked at to oblivion which has led my mind to wander and think of other things I'd rather be doing. I can also see that cooking proper meals every night for the next two weeks is going to wear thin.

I also had to begrudgingly fork out for airport parking and parking at a local nature reserve because relative doesn't have any change yet!

Oh well. At least I completed week 4 of packed lunches last week and starting this week positively too.

quintwins

Hope your relative doesn't bore you too much can you batch cook at all, even just an extra one for the freezer, i find it hard to cook when you feel you have to, even tho i like cooking, thats why my meal plan features things like chicken nuggets and chips or beans on toast from time to time.

misscousinitt

Hi MRN

Busy, busy...

Just stopping by to say hi!

MCI

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

quintwins wrote: »

Hope your relative doesn't bore you too much can you batch cook at all, even just an extra one for the freezer, i find it hard to cook when you feel you have to, even tho i like cooking, thats why my meal plan features things like chicken nuggets and chips or beans on toast from time to time.

Yep, I too think nothing of boiled egg and soldiers or just a jacket potato for dinner but I'm too proud to serve that to a guest.

I did stuffed marrows on Saturday so I portioned off some of the mince and whipped up a lasagne for later in the week (a freezable, frozen-to-cold oven dish is possibly my favorite wedding present!). I'm going to try to make a curry paste tonight while I make our dinner... again for later in the week.

Only a relative through marriage, of course none of my relatives would bore me... far too many things to reminisce about;)! In any case, OH is back from working away tomorrow so he can entertain relative for a bit and my colleagues have invited relative to a work social evening next week so that's one less meal and evening activity for me to prepare!

My end of September stats were:

Grocery challenge: £15.21 under-budget and included a C0stco shop. I'm going to stretch myself and drop budget by £50 this month.
Mystery Shopping: £28 before expenses and tax.
New Kitchen fund: £35 from me and £125 from MrMRN
Splurge rate: £10 on fabric off-cuts from ebay - turned out to be 5 bin bags full when I collected so actually a complete bargain! And will keep me occupied all winter with sewing projects I previously couldn't afford/justify buying fabric for.
Voucher spending: £60 in Arcadia vouchers, £16 in supermarket vouchers, £40 in beauty salon treatments

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

I nearly had a heart attack when I got home from work yesterday... all the lights on in the house:mad:, a mug left on the bare wood of our new furniture:mad:, a cold condensation ridden beer bottle stood on the arm of the new armchair :mad: and a leg sprawled over the other arm of the chair:mad:, extractor fan still on in the bathroom from the morning:mad:, mobile phone/laptop/camera all plugged in charging and the TV and playstation both turned on but not being used:mad:. And I didn't dare open the door to the guest room.

I think my actions spoke louder than any words I could have used (I whizzed round rectifying the issues before I took my coat off). Why do so many uninvited 'guests' (usually OH's relatives) treat my house like a poo hole?

I made a lovely dinner and was very chatty - thinking if I'm nice about it hopefully relative will buck ideas up and be nicer to my house/things. At bedtime I got a "hope I haven't inconvenienced you" all I could think was please hurry up and ten more sleeps pass very quickly!

ammonite

Hopefully they got the hint! My friends stayed a couple of years back and put their wet towels over the brand new wooden doors. I moved them and mentioned it was because I didn't want the moisture sinking into the doors and got told that it didn't matter and shouldn't affect the wood. Regardless....its my house and if I didn't want them on the ruddy door I shouldn't have to have them there! This was one of just many moments we had where our house (and we) were treated like a hotel. Made worse by the fact that she said she was hoping we would offer them a room which is why she asked where the nearest hotel was. Cost us an absolute fortune that weekend, they spent nothing !

Next time they asked to visit we unfortunately were unable to accommodate them as we were "decorating". Once bitten, twice shy for me!

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Hi Ammonite, Thanks for sharing your experience - it makes me realise that it's not just me it happens to. Heavens I'd never dream of hanging a towel on a door - it's just not what it's for! Also I'm super careful with wood because anything moist does mark it (towels on doors, mugs without coasters!).

I think things are getting on top of me - work is manic, I'm still looking for a different job, OH has been away for work and I've been trying to finish waxing the furniture, unpacking boxes and cleaning up after the big DIY push. It's all got a bit much... just when I needed some quiet time to breathe rude relative turns up and I'm dumped with organising SIL's surprise family birthday lunch!

I need to look to the positives - I promise to get an early night and be back again tomorrow with more chirpier posts - this venting can't make good reading and it's hardly MFW-related!

gallygirl

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice wrote: »

I need to look to the positives - I promise to get an early night and be back again tomorrow with more chirpier posts - this venting can't make good reading and it's hardly MFW-related!

Better out than in hon, don't bottle it up or you'll explode :eek:.