Trying to escape the Rat Race

Adoremouse

Well done on getting the garden sorted, we need to do ours before the winter sets in!

I was just wondering about you scanning in your shopping, is this something that you do to keep tabs on what you've bought? Or is it something the supermarket does? I've been doing my shopping online for years and never had to scan anything...just being nosey

picasso2

Morning all.

Feeling loads better thanks Hiddenidentity.Cough still troublesome at nights but a swig of Covonia generally sorts it out.

New leaf this is my recipe :

Green Tomato Chutney

1 pint vinegar
1 pound Demerara sugar
1 pound sliced green tomatoes
1 pound chopped cooking apples
1/4 pound chopped shallots
1/2 pound sultanas
1/2 pound white sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of salt

Put the vinegar and Demerara sugar in a pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook slowly stirring all the time until the mixture thickens. Pour into clean sterile jars.

The recipe is not specific about what type of vinegar to use. I used to buy Sarsons chutney vinegar but have not seen this on the shelves for years so I just use a pickling vinegar these days. My Freinds still like like it.

Adore mouse, I do the Nielsan shop and scan thing to earn points every month and when they add up you can get bits and pieces with them. I think there is a thread for this in the up your income section. I got mine a good few months after I applied and it was a fiddle at first. You have to scan everything you buy. I used the points for a new phone (landline) earlier this year and I'm just saving my points at the moment until there is something I need. It's just a little hand held device like they have at the supermarket.

According to the weather report it is going to rain most of the day today. It hasn't started yet and I have to go to town today to do things I have been putting off. So I'm having a cuppa in bed and if I don't drift off back to sleep I'm going to dash to the library with the books , have a quick look in the cheap shop for some storage jars and pick up DDs prescription from the chemist. I also need to have a good tidy round the house , make the chutney before the tomatoes turn red and get some things on eBay.

Hmm think I can feel a nap coming on.....

Hiddenidenity

Glad your feeling better x x

Adoremouse

Thanks for the explanation, I will look into it

picasso2

Just a quick post.

A bit hungover today having decided last night as I was feeling better I would have a glass or two of wine. Oh dear
Mind you I slept a good ten hours which I must have needed and didn't notice the torrential downpour we had last night.

The monthly bills are coming in and I will do my totals next week when I have them all. Sadly CC1 has still risen despite an overpayment as I had to put essentials on it again.

I was lucky enough to claim the Train voucher yesterday. As I've mentioned before I do use this company anyway and whilst I have no definate plans for it my feeling is if nothing comes up that I need it for I'm going to use it for a leisure trip next month and go to one of these christmas events that are so popular as a treat to myself.

I've lost my mojo with the competitions of late so im just doing a few regular ones. But im getting on okay with the surveys and managed to complete a few today. My feeling is do it whilst its fun and when its starts being a chore leave it for a while. TBH there doesn't seem to be much of what I would want to win when I look although I will have a go at the Times hourly competition tommorow.

As its a free listing weekend on ebay DD and I had a tidy and sort in the spare room. I've listed 7 items this evening at 99p and got others lined up for tommorow. I'm finding it very easy using the ipad for this. Much easier than the traditional way. So im hoping for some sales over the next week or so that I can put towards my debts. We've cleared out some stuff for freegle and for the clothing bins too and hopeful this will be gone by sunday evening.

Why is it that even when you have reduced what you are bringing into the home then you still very quickly feel like you are being overtaken by clutter ?

picasso2

Well it's 6am on a Saturday morning and I am wide awake.

DD has very severe eczema which has been stable of late. We were in lush the other day looking for Xmas presents when one of the staff suggested she try one of their creams that is mild and natural. She gave DD a sample jar and first impressions were very good. DD was pleased that she had something that didn't look clinical for a change. Patch test went ok. Sadly at 5 am she woke me to show me a big skin reaction on her legs So it was off to the shower to get it scrubbed off and a dose of antihistamines. It was worth a try and at least we didn't buy a big pot.

So I'm having a cuppa and a banana and getting a few jobs done from my comfy bed.
Lottery checked - nada ( I get a lot of small wins and the last few weeks have paid to keep it going)
Bank accounts checked - ok
Emails checked and responses sent to freegle
eBay to do - got quite a few items that just need resisting
Competitions to look at.

By the time I've done that and finished my cuppa I will either have an extra snooze or get up and make my daughters favourite Carrot and Lentil soup :A

Have a fruitful Saturday folks

picasso2

Time for another rant I'm afraid.

It was all going so well. 45 items listed on eBay :T Still a few more to do but then......

...a visit from mother . We are a very dysfunctional family and mother visits for an hour or so every few months....then the emergency wine and chocolate come out


I think it will be the full bottle of vino tonight.

picasso2

Right. Got my head back where it should be

Yesterday was not very MSE , had a trip to the posh shops and only half of it was budgeted for. Also ate out at Nandos - my first time and I'm not really sure why it is that popular. But you know , sometimes we all need a bit of a blowout and I feel loads better even if my purse is lighter.

To reflect my good mood I've had a little good luck. I've had two small but welcome competition wins. The postman brought tickets for a craft fair which I was hoping to get to. It's more DD that is good at that kind of thing. I try with different levels of success. Secondly I had an instant win for a box of cereal on FB. I tend not to buy packets of cereal that cost more than £1 so these will be a treat and they look scrummy. On the freebies side I followed a link in an email and I have a packet of balsam tissues coming my way too so they will be used up very quickly I suspect !

Given that we ate rubbish yesterday I stepped up today and made a huge pot of lentil stew. Enough for both of us today and tomorrow and possibly some to freeze too. DD loves this and it's so quick and easy to make. She made us her special bolognase for tea with lots of veggies in it so we are both feeling a lot healthier now.

Most of the card bills are in and I will update them shortly. I need to take some money out of my Xmas account to pay for some of this weekends spending. I'm pleased with the surveys but getting tired of them too. I have around £35 that I can add to my pot now if I need to and am close to another £10 valued opinions voucher, there is also around £40 in Quidco to come back too. Whilst I've already overspent on DD I think by the end of the year Xmas will be paid for entirely by this route. I will have £50 in M&S vouchers which will be paying for food, we tend to go for things like a piece of venison and nice veggies and Pudsey as opposed to the traditional fodder and £50 is more than enough for two of us.

Busy day tomorrow preparing a statement for a solicitor and waiting in to pass on more items via Freegle. Hoping the weather stays mild so I can keep the heating off.

Night folks

Igamogam

*de-lurk *

Lush - I am not allergic to anything as far as I know but on the rare occasions I go to the 'Big Town' and walk ast the open door I have a sneezing fit! I wouldnt touch the stuff........IMO poor quality

Nandos - I know just what you mean....only been in one once and not sure what the fuss is about...........mass produced over processed dressed up fast food!

Well done with the comps Surveys can get a bit boring and I have to admit sometimes I just click anything..........and then feel guilty so do the next few a bit more concientiously

*back to lurking*

picasso2

Hi Igamogam. I am so pleased I am not on my own in my views on Nandos. DD looked at me in horror when I told her what I thought. She thinks I'm mad. Well she can go without me in future.

I've had a few days thinking work things over and my mood is a little low. My GP has put me on a new pill regime and all I can say is thank god for the prepay certificate. But I think I have come to terms with what's going on work wise and I'm ready to go back when my fit note expires.

Finances are not great , when my mood is iffy we eat more takeaways or eat out and I tend to spend without thinking. Hopefully this will pick up soon. The weather is good which helps so getting lots of walks in the autumn sun.

I've had a couple of letters about PPI. The FO has upheld a claim with Capital one. This has dragged on for ages and I suspect it will drag on longer still. My car finance from a few years back have turned me down and attached some badly copied documents as proof. However you can see I told the salesman about my health issues so I'm going to challenge this. Just need to get a bit of energy.

I won a few tickets for local events this week. I went to a crafts fair yesterday and I'm going to a country fair tomorrow. I'm good in that I'm careful what I spend and I'm hoping tomorrow I may get some gifts for people.

Well I'm going to spend some time this afternoon doing my monthly debt check , it won't be great but luckily I've sold a few bits on eBay so next month may come back down. Will post it up later today .