Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

newgirly

Oops sorry for the delay in replying Peonie. I bought the pe kits very big so unless they lose them (very possible) they should last until they leave school.

It's been a hectic week again, I've not been feeling great the last couple of weeks , nothing serious just tired and run down. I'm not always good at keeping on top of everything, so have decided to set aside one day a week to clean the whole house and get to the bottom of all washing baskets. I did it all yesterday but it really needs effort every day with so many of us.

Its payday next week and supposed to be the first month paying the IO mortgage as if it was a repayment ie £1700 pm :eek: , I should then have leeway of £100 which is very little. So I've decided to up the monthly payment by £10 and pay less off the mortgage in June. That way I can save about £1000 to a mini emergency fund the first month.

We have so much food in the cupboards, packet mixes, various tins, and lots of odds and ends so I'm going to try and cook a lot more and use some of it up. Last night to eat whilst watching england play I made some homemade pizzas , using the bread maker to make the dough instead of popping out for shop bought ones. Today I made a really nice salad with bits and bobs from ald*

Lolly Rosso lettuce
A little fried aubergine and cherry tomatoes
1/4 pack goats cheese
Back olives
Cucumber
Little drizzle of pizza express dressing (approved foods 3 for £1)

It was really tasty and quite cheap ,I think I need to make it again tomorrow I also attempted risotto for the first time ever for dh and it was really good apparently. Defiantly reducing the food costs by cooking more is going to become more important against the mortgage payments have stepped up a big notch. I'm also contemplating giving up /cutting down alcohol again like alchemilla. Some times it's easy to slip into drinking more than I should be and not even notice, plus it costs a fortune.

Dh is making some Mexican lager home brew in the conservatory , he bought some equipment out of his inheritance as a little treat. Maybe I should get him to have a go at wine, and just partake in a little home brew occasionally. :beer:

Alchemilla

I would honestly go for brewing wine. For basically an hours effort you can get 30 or 60 bottles for £1.33 each.

gallygirl

Alchemilla wrote: »

I would honestly go for brewing wine. For basically an hours effort you can get 30 or 60 bottles for £1.33 each.

Our favourite red wine in Spain is €1.09 a bottle :eek::T:rotfl::D.

pink_poppy

I've been contemplating making my own wine, but some of the kits are so expensive.

Our favourite wine is the Toro Loco from Ald1 ~ we have expensive tastes!! :rotfl:

gallygirl

pink_poppy wrote: »

Our favourite wine is the Toro Loco from Ald1 ~ we have expensive tastes!! :rotfl:

We bought a bottle last night - but then opened a birthday gift to Mr GG - Faustino i - :T:T:T

Alchemilla

Gotta love European country wine.

I buy beaverdale kits. They are £40 but the wine is easily £10 at least quality. Wilkos do much cheaper ones.

newgirly

Thanks alchemilla, just had a look I did have a go a couple of years ago with a pack from mr t , made it in what looked like a huge plastic water bottle I got from wilkos. But threw the wine because I didn't like it. What do you use to make it in and how do you bottle it afterwards (sorry if this is a daft question but my little brother doesn't bottle his beers just leaves them in a big keg with a tap ?)

gallygirl

newgirly wrote: »

Thanks alchemilla, just had a look I did have a go a couple of years ago with a pack from mr t , made it in what looked like a huge plastic water bottle I got from wilkos. But threw the wine because I didn't like it. What do you use to make it in and how do you bottle it afterwards (sorry if this is a daft question but my little brother doesn't bottle his beers just leaves them in a big keg with a tap ?)

"Wonders if it's too early to fantasise about having a barrel of wine on tap. Decides it probably is" .

pink_poppy

Haha, should we really be discussing making wine this early on a Saturday morning?! :rotfl:

Alchemilla, where do you buy your wine kits from?? I googled Beaverdale & they sell them in Tesco & Amazon. Not a great review on Amazon for the Shiraz, got 3 stars.

Alchemilla

Kits from creativewinemaking.co.uk two for eighty quid free delivery. Other websites have proved unreliable.

I review as follows...
I like dry wine, not oaky though kits have oak chips you can add.
Blush Chablis fabulous
Pinot Grigio also fabulous
Muscadet very good
Sauvignon Blanc a bit mediocre
Cabernet Sauvignon very good.

I make it in these (5 gallon fermenter with bung and airlock).
We did buy a corker and corks and used washed wine bottles but now we simply siphon off 2 litres at a time into a plastic bottle. You could use any old jug. You also need steriliser-milton type stuff. Bung in ingredients. Add water. Stir. Wait til it stops going "blob blob". Add three more sachets of stuff on three consecutive days. Drink.