misscousinitt's MF Diary

edinburgher

Have a lovely weekend MCI.

We were *very* naughty over the holidays, spent something like £500 on food and alcohol for 3 parties (30+ adult guests). It was all too much (mentally and physically if not financially) and we're taking 2 years off Christmas hosting duties as a consequence. You've been relatively well behaved in comparison

I realise that I am like a one track record here, but I love the EFR chat. Tonight's was leftover pork fillet with spring onions and sweetcorn. What is this mystical sauce of which you speak? I topped ours with chives and black sesame seeds and poured on some oyster sauce for me and a bit of chilli and peanut oil for heat.

Ps. Your diligent meal recording is solely responsible for our first meal plan in over a year - my thanks :beer:

misscousinitt

https://www.wingyipstore.co.uk/wing-yip-chinese-fried-rice-sauce-150ml.html

Here is the Fried Rice Sauce - I suppose it makes me lazy but seems to have the right combination of flavours (I tend to add sweet chilli sauce aswell).

Glad you are back the meal planning. Need to start planning more than a week ahead again - really helps our budget (saved over £400 on the food budget last year!)

MCI

misscousinitt

Spent most of Saturday sorting out money and spreadsheets (re-designing, transferring balances and signing off 2016 financially). Found a nice surplus in the joint account and we will be able to pay a few things off and have a couple of treats.

I am a bit cross with myself because I have managed to keep all our finances straight, but really failed at my own over the last quarter of 2016 - I think with being so busy and stressed, it hasn't helped - but no excuses!

I have found myself a little adrift on the CC for some of my personal expenses eg Car service, dentist costs and odd bits and pieces that I had just forgotten about - really annoyed about the dentist costs as it is now too late for me to claim this back :mad: - just goes to show that you can actually be too busy! and as usual it's me that I have let down!

I have spoken to DH about it and we have agreed that I will pay half and the joint account will pay the other half of what I owe on the CC - he was glad we chatted about it as he leaves all the finances to me and to be fair I felt a bit of a pleb - but at least it was my own money that went pear shaped and not ours!

I did however realise the next day that the joint account owes me for 4 months worth of pet insurance! So that's just over £100 that will be paid straight off my debt - see - I really have been a bit topsey turvey! Need to take things a little more steady!

Everything is straight now - I just need to work out exactly what our surplus is and then have a discussion with DH what we are going to do with it!

We did another toy fair yesterday, but it didn't go so well but we made a few ££s on top of the stall fee, but may not have been worth getting up at 6.30am on a Sunday for - never mind - you can't win them all. The money raised will be put towards what we owe on the kitchen/roof on the CC.

Will be going back over my 2016 goals at some time this week and I need to make new plans.

Really tired after the weekend and I have a charity meeting tonight, but I intend to make turkey stir fry for dinner - might ask DH to do some chopping for me while I'm out.

Prescription to be fetched on the way home and I have a jacket to collect but I will probably do that tomorrow (sale purchase! - just £22 - hope it's ok).

We are planning to have our 'New Year' meal out on Thursday. Need to count the contents of the change bottle to see how much we have got towards it - but I am sure that the joint account can make a contribution out of the surplus!

Hope everyone is healthy and I also hope your week goes well.

MCI

misscousinitt

Just spoke to R&angemaster confirming that everything is ok with the cooker now (fingers crossed).

They have offered me £75 compensation. I was holding out for a bit more really, but I will probably accept as I just want to get it all finished and sorted now. Better than a kick in the teeth and another £75 that can be paid off the kitchen/roof that still resides on the credit card.

MCI

edinburgher

Sauce looks interesting - basically soy sauce with yeast extract, onion, garlic, black pepper and ginger.

Our CC has gotten a little out of hand as well, probably for similar reasons to yourself. I diligently update the spreadsheets, make payments and set up DD as required, but it has got a bit bloated during December. I think I'm going to go oldschool and just stick to the debit card for a bit.

What sort of cuisine for Thursday? Enjoy

lincoln-potter

Have you thought about doing stoozing at all MCI as opposed to the standard cashback credit card?

It'll give better % return and it also will give a few months time to get on top of it all.

misscousinitt

edinburgher wrote: »

Sauce looks interesting - basically soy sauce with yeast extract, onion, garlic, black pepper and ginger.

Our CC has gotten a little out of hand as well, probably for similar reasons to yourself. I diligently update the spreadsheets, make payments and set up DD as required, but it has got a bit bloated during December. I think I'm going to go oldschool and just stick to the debit card for a bit.

What sort of cuisine for Thursday? Enjoy

Thanks Ed.

I have had an issue with having mislaid my joint account card (in the house somewhere!) and that is why everything has just been bunged on the CC.

Some good pub grub I think - there are a couple just out in the country(about 15 mins drive from us) which are particularly good.

Looking forward to it.

lincoln-potter wrote: »

Have you thought about doing stoozing at all MCI as opposed to the standard cashback credit card?

It'll give better % return and it also will give a few months time to get on top of it all.

Hi LP

I am confident that I can get on top of it quite quickly now everything is straight in my head (and on the spreadsheet). I have a few months of 0% left so time to get things sorted - but we don't really like having debt (even though it's 0%) and with my plans for this year I want it gone asap.

All will become clear :rotfl:

Cheers for the suggestion.

MCI

lincoln-potter

Oh I didn't doubt you would be on top of it. I am actually going to go about mine method in the opposite approach to increase the debt purely to take advantage of stoozing, my only concern is how quickly I can apply for different cards and bank accounts...... anyway I am digressing and its your thread

misscousinitt

Thanks LP - good luck with your stoozing.

I will need a certain amount of credit available for my plan - so need to keep it available.

MCI

misscousinitt

Completed my meal plan for the rest of January!

Printed off and it will go on the fridge freezer door when I get home!

I like it when I know what we are going to eat.

MCI