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

Baileys_Babe

I am glad you are feeling better @themadvix

Sounds like you had a lovely weekend.

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Thanks Baileys_Babe - the weekend was excellent!

Had a good afternoon with friends yesterday and discovered that a pub near my dad's house has been done up and is a lot less dodgy looking than last time I passed it - the food menu looked good too, so will have to investigate that at some point (we just popped in for a cuppa).

This morning I've been working and popped out to collect some bread rolls and cherry tomatoes from Olio. Was expecting to share the toms with Mum, but it seems her and my sister had both bought some, so they don't need any! Will have to roast them and eat them in things (no hardship there). Collected some apples from another Olioer yesterday - I'm trying to be healthy at the moment as the walking is not shifting the weight I'd like it to (only a few pounds, but the wedding is looming and I'd like to be a bit slimmer then, as well as for America). Have made an Instant Pot soup concotion for lunch, so am looking forward to tasting that!

Am meeting mum in a bit for a walk as the weather is so nice. This evening I've got a cat sitting meet and greet and evening class (still need to do homework for that). We'll be eating a sausage and apple 'hash' recipe for dinner - mainly using up or using free ingredient!

I have done a small supermarket order for tomorrow and a R'ford order for Thursday. R'ford isn't a box as there were a few specific bits I wanted.

MS things:
* Free food
* Using up the Christmas veg box swede in my soup
* Christmas red cabbage will feature in tonight's dinner
* Cashed out on 1P - I've not had the December (or was it November?) pay out yet, but that wasn't resolved until right before Christmas so hopefully soon!
* A few PA surveys, so will have £20 to cash out there tomorrow when I get round to accounts/invociing etc.

Gratitudes:
* Catch up with friends yesterday
* Free food
* Lovely sunshine!

Have a good afternoon all!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Collected my Olio stuff this morning. Quite a small collection, but did manage to keep some tenderstem broccoli and radishes for us (as well as a pastry each). Am back on the phone to Virgin Atlantic waiting to speak to someone about the car for when we go to America.... I've been on hold for an hour and twenty minutes now. Fortunately the music isn't too annoying and in that time I've done all my invoicing, banking and money shuffles, so the time hasn't been wasted! I have a new appreciation for my phone's ability to multi-task too, as I do the vast majority of my banking on apps now.

Met the other new cat (and servant) last night - very sweet cat, nice lady, all booked in for April too. And had a text from a previous client asking if I was available at the end of this month - am expecting to hear from her through the website soon. I am so glad I braved doing this! It took me a while to decide to take the plunge after seeing a friend elsewhere doing it, but it's a really nice sideline and I seem to be popular!

Instant Pot soup yesterday was pretty good and I have more for lunch today. Dinner last night was as planned and yummy. Tonight's will depend on whether DH is home or meets a friend after work - if it's just me I've have a single veggie burger that's been lurking in the freezer and some oven chips - the supermarket delivery has arrived (less said there, the better - I made several c*ck ups!). I did pop to Morries on the way back from mum's yesterday to save quite a bit on olive oil - and fish fingers too. She got me looking on trolley.co.uk and I definitely think some things are going to need to be price compared with the way things are going.

Given the dire work situation last month, things aren't looking too cheery for Feb's payday, so I need to keep spending down again this month (should be better at end of March though). So will keep trying to get Olio food rather than R'ford and supermarket delivery. I do have a £50 WR voucher I could use too. (We are not on the bread line - DH would certainly help if I asked him, but I don't want to - he already pays more towards the bills. He also pays for the supermarket delivery too.)

MS things:
* able to put something into savings, even with reduced income (and topped up anniversary pot and holiday pot with surplus from car insurance etc.)
* free food
* clicks done
* 1P surveys done
* when I'm here on my own I turn the heating down to 16.5 instead of 17 - small difference but it helps! I'm used to it, so don't really notice the difference
* picked up 25p in cash off the floor the other day - with the pandemic a) you don't see cash any more and b) I've refrained in the past, but 25p is 25p!

Gratitudes:
* friends' baby was born safe and well another girl for them
* nice walk with mum yesterday - somewhere I didn't even know existed
* saw niece and sister briefly yesterday (and I get a whole day of niece during the Easter hols! )

Have a good day all!

ETA: 2 hours later and I've rebooked the chauffeur service for our flight! Virgin Atlantic staff are excellent once you get through to them!

Chiglepig

Patience pays off!

I'm trying to think what I would do with a combination of tender-stem and radishes - and realised the reason I couldn't thnk of anything was because DD nd I would just sit and eat them raw from the fridge (I often find random chunks taken out of  a cauliflower even though no one has cooked with it!

themadvix

I doubt I'll combine them DH is like that though - and he and ginger cat fight over the raw cauli stalk! I don't like radishes, with the exception of in a stir fry - they mellow nicely then and are a bit water chestnutty.

Karmacat

themadvix said:

I doubt I'll combine them DH is like that though - and he and ginger cat fight over the raw cauli stalk! I don't like radishes, with the exception of in a stir fry - they mellow nicely then and are a bit water chestnutty.

Ooh, radishes in a stir fry ... that's a good idea.  They're  bit too tangy for me raw, but apparently they're so easy to grow, it feels a mistake not to grow some 

themadvix

Morning all,

I have a huge list of items to do today and a client has scuppered it by sending work!🙄 Not a complaint in the slightest as I was already procrastinating. I still need to do some of it though and I'm still procrastinating.... I may head out once I've had my cup of tea and do some of the bits. (Update, I got on with a procrastinate-y bit of work and got it done between typing and posting this.)

R'ford delivery arrived this morning, with a marmalade kit I didn't order (but did have to check I hadn't left it in basket by mistake) and no butternut squash. Lovely lady refunded me for the squash and told me to keep the kit.... So, when life gives you Seville oranges.... make marmalade! I decided not to order one this year as I still have plenty from last year. Oh well. The fruit will have to go in the freezer for now though as being organic it doesn't last as well and I haven't got time today or tomorrow.

In other news.... the other day I applied for the council garage that is effectively at the end of our garden (where people park in front of and block us in). I figured, if we don't move, we've started making our way up the list for the garage etc... if we do move, nothing lost. On my application I mentioned that no one had used it in at least two years and that it was full of rubbish at the last count. So imagine my surprise when two council guys are clearing it this morning.... I just hope my tip-off is reciprocated and we're offered the garage. Otherwise, I've probably made life more difficult instead!

MS things:
* Collecting eggs and carrots from an olioer later (waiting to hear about some kale too)
* Free marmalade kit!
* YG survey
* 1P and PA surveys

Gratitudes:
* A warm cat on my lap
* Free food
* Work
* Marmalade making to look forward to!

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Loving those initiatives, madvix, very creative and of course the cat sitting is working for you when people come back from holiday to a contented cat, because of the cat sitter, it's a really big deal  

South_coast

Ooh, your council is a lot more responsive than mine! I emailed mine months ago (I want to say August?) to let them know about some railings which have rusted through at the bottom and have a MASSIVE drop on the other side, but they've not done anything about it. I know times are hard, but it'll cost them a lot more to settle the claim when someone falls through them than it will to make a temporary repair 🤦‍♀️! Keep meaning to chase them up about it actually. Think I'll put that on my weekend list....

Baileys_Babe

Homemade marmalade is wonderful and how lovely to ve able to make some for free.

If you don't think you will use it all you can always use it as gifts for people.