Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

Karmacat

Loving the delayed drying of the washing - thats a lot less faff than I do, I might have to borrow that sounds like the other things are going just as well

Busy_Mee

Hi Mad Vix.  

For what it is worth I think you should live your own life and not worry at this stage about your parents when they get older. We ended up with parents a long way away because they moved to do their retirement thing not the other way round. It isn't easy keeping an eye on them from afar but it is doable. Your parents might enjoy coming to stay with you in a rural idyll too. I always felt that my kids developed very good relationships with their Grandparents because they had more intense periods together when they can to stay for a week or we went to stay there. 

I would start having a serious look around at what you can get for your money elsewhere. I agree with others, a more semi rural lifestyle will really suit you. I understand there are still some places around that are great value for money, like Lincolnshire and Wales. 

the_cross_rabbit

Hi only tried it with brandy, but have got rum in, so going to pick more red currants and give it a go.
CRx

themadvix

Aldi only had brandy, so glad you said that! Thanks 😊 

Karmacat

Busy_Mee said:

Hi Mad Vix.  

For what it is worth I think you should live your own life and not worry at this stage about your parents when they get older. We ended up with parents a long way away because they moved to do their retirement thing not the other way round. It isn't easy keeping an eye on them from afar but it is doable. Your parents might enjoy coming to stay with you in a rural idyll too. I always felt that my kids developed very good relationships with their Grandparents because they had more intense periods together when they can to stay for a week or we went to stay there. 

I would start having a serious look around at what you can get for your money elsewhere. I agree with others, a more semi rural lifestyle will really suit you. I understand there are still some places around that are great value for money, like Lincolnshire and Wales. 

There are about a billion really good points there ... and it made me think, didn't you say that properties where you'd benefit from a price drop are about an hour away?  Thats different from what you're used to, but its really not very far.  And you do have to think about how long you might hold yourself back from this sort of change.  Your parents are late 60s/ didn't your dad just turn 70?  In my family, apart from rellies that died really young (like, in their 40s) they all seem to go on into their 90s ... that would be a *long* time for you of putting off what you want to do. 

Bit too serious, sorry, but you're entitled to make your life the way you want it.  Just mentioning on my thread that my Glastonbury friend has a zoom meeting with his stepdaughter, trying on wedding dresses in the Far East.  He's the closest family she has left, and there's half a world between them.  They find ways, though.

South_coast

I'm an hour from my family. They're thinking of moving closer to me 😮!

themadvix

Thanks all, lots to think about there. It's also an issue of where our friends are (and that we're close to our family) - we're both introverts and would be working from home too, so the difficulties of making friends in our new place would apply too. DH would also still need to go into the office sometimes and nears to be near good connections for work travel (so Wales is a definite no-no). Basically there's a lot of me that doesn't want to move a million miles away, regardless of the parent situation! I'm more confident about it now, as video calling does help and we have managed not to see people for extended periods of time. But it would be a wrench regardless. I know other people can and do make it happen without any problems, but I've always been a homebody really (a nightmare on school residentials as always homesick and moved uni after the first year as I was so unhappy being away from home). So it's really not just the ageing parents thing. That's not to say that part of me really doesn't want to do it - I'd love to live somewhere more rural, more inspiring and with more adventure! I think I probably need therapy!

Yesterday we returned to the in-laws for some more Mini fun. Progress is being made and as yet isn't costing anything. FIL bought us chip-shop chips for lunch, which was a real treat - not had chips since before lockdown! We also then ordered pizza for dinner (I know, such an unhealthy day!). Have just finished pizza for lunch today though.

Today has been a spendy day - collected my zero-waste shopping, topped up with a few other bits (you can now go back in and fill your own containers! But only 2 people allowed in at once, so for my big order I'll keep CnC-ing for a while). Also in process of finalising supermarket delivery, which as it's the first we've had in a month, is fairly large.

MS things:
* Bets placed
* Clicks done
* We're having a BBQ tonight (just us) - we have a lot of meat in the freezer (considering only DH eats it!), so this will free up some space (and money already spent)
* Have done a freezer inventory (a *lot* of red currants - 2 boxes from last year still?)
* £15.59 TT of mortgage... because I can!

Gratitudes:
* Nice time yesterday at in-laws - saw them, BIL and friend and her little boy who stopped by to say hello
* Lovely to go inside the zero-waste shop and have a chat with the owners - I've missed that
* Picked my first patty pan squashes!

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Morning all,

Not feeling great this morning - bad night's sleep and headache. However, I'm determined to keep up the momentum from yesterday. We went for a 9 km walk in the morning in the countryside near here (walking distance - I may moan, but we are right on the edge of town - for now). When we got back I made biscuit dough (ready in the fridge for slicing and baking), naans, yoghurt, spag bol (using up various bits from the bottom of the fridge), and a rhubarb and red currant crumble (recommend this for a red currant use - it was lovely!), as well as watching the Grand Prix and 'seeing' my family. It felt good to be productive! (On Saturday DH was super productive - fixing the bathroom, working on my car and clearing out lots of stuff - mainly cardboard boxes, so a good weekend all round.)

Today I want to make the red currant shrub and some wine (we've had a couple of kits hanging around for a while - hope the yeast is OK), as well as doing some bits in the garden. I also need to place a couple of bets and do a small amount of work.

MS things:
* £22 cashed out from PA
* YG surveys x 2
* Due to being on Zoom for the next half term, evening class will only be an hour instead of 1.5 hrs, so a saving there
* Food saved from waste and plenty of tasty food in
* Bought a 10 kg bag of flour a couple of weeks ago on my supermarket delivery - not only is it very MSE, but it's proving really good - I'm getting through it!

Gratitudes:
* Lovely, peaceful countryside yesterday - it was very rejuvenating, could have been anywhere
* Family Zoom time - not seen some of them in a couple of weeks (and a planned actual meet-up with a couple of them on Weds!)
* Bounty from the garden

Have a good day all. The sun's out here, I hope it is with you too!

themadvix

Just done a tot up of MB so far. Have made about £150 in the first month. TP reckon it should be nearly £200 (I've not done the last offer before that point, so I'm ~£21 down on where I should be. The difference will be in the ability to maximise the odds, so I'm pretty happy with that! Plenty more in that pot to be gained though Bets placed for the next couple of days.

2 x YG surveys done and a PA survey too. Comps entered as well. Time to get off the computer and into the kitchen.

Karmacat

Fantastic news on your first MB month, madvix!  Well done you!  And the other mse things are really adding up too

You made biscuits ... and naans ... can I be a pain and ask you for the linkies?  I've really confused myself with linking to so many recipes in my  bookmarks, I'm not sure which is which any more.

Hope the headache has gone by now.