The land of the eternal stripey list returns.

Pippilongstocking

Budgets are a bit tricky aren't they?

My main focus is working on minimising my food spending habit (its a serious issue here, I'm addicted to food shopping) and trying to combine trips as my other big spend is petrol. Having a job which charges me about the county also helps to cover that I guess. Its just remembering.

Excellent news about waitrose (haven't been in one or a sainsbugs for a while). Its my treat when I'm off.

We couldn't meet the celebrant last time as she was off adventuring to St Kilda - so she seems like my kinda gal.



My contract is being reviewed this month, so we'll see what happens.

I'm hopeful all will be well.



Right - banks................

Pippilongstocking

Wages haven't cleared so can't do much in the way of money magic at the moment.

The joy of cheques.

Large payment off the cc gone through via the money minimum so off to check that.

Balance of captain card £2949 so its under £3k but expenses to go off that once cleared and a chunk from my wages.

Heading in the right direction.

Pippilongstocking

So I need eggs - making our special yummy homemade nice and frugal brownies later.

But I don't need anything else.

I need to keep saying this to myself.

Meal plan

Corn beef hash with baked beans (both tins lurking in cupboard)
Omelette (good use of eggs)
Smoked kipper (found in freezer) and instant mash fish cakes - will taste better than it sounds
Tom Yum soup - kinda oriental spicy job with crunch veg
Haggis (not the dog) and neeps

For lunches

Found some chicken livers in the freezer (45p) so making some pate for lunches - must ask aunty c for her recipe - its easy but I keep forgetting it. Cheap and tasty.
Lots crackers/salad to go with those
Need to eat up a mountain of mushy peas (or freeze batches) made them on Sat night (very rock and roll)
Have last of the carrot soup in the freezer - might make more soup from the random veg in fridge


Then I head off on the ferry on Friday, will take flask and brownies for the trip down.

Pippilongstocking

Budget

Grocery's - we'll aim for £200 as whilst I'm alone this week, the manchild lands home courtesy of mums-taxi on Monday and I'm currently filling the freezer with bread and other teenager delights and there will be 3 or 4 of us in the house off and on.

Petrol - we'll aim for £300, hoping to come in under budget but that's probably sensible this month with two trips away.

Ferries - we'll aim for £180 which allows for an egg roll on the boat each time. (Its tradition don't you know)

[There is a travel budget of £1200 for three-four trips a year put aside, but it still hurts.]

Treats - well I'm away (and I have a special treats and travel budget) so lets aim for £100 and not forget the fat face £20 voucher we have. And, take a few home made delights/local eggs for staying at chums.

Car needs tyres - at least 2 so we need to dip into the car maintenance budget.........will cost that here and then if silly will do on mainland where life is normally cheaper.

DD needs 2 weeks of buses, so she'll need £30 this month.

Anything else, I hope not??

Greying_Pilgrim

Hail Pippi and Stripey Gang :hello:

Pippi be on the look out for a parcelette that is headed your way. Should land with you in a day or two. X

Greying

Pippilongstocking

Oh how exciting - and thank you!

Loving the new 'forever in blue jeans' sig.

I'm still at work (although I had a long walk earlier to break it up) finishing paperwork.

Board meeting on Wednesday

Dreaming of grub.............

Greying_Pilgrim

Hey up!

Sorry - dashed off to have tea with DP. NOT what you wanted to hear if you're already dreaming of grub......... At least I got it right for once and we had salad 'style' stuff, given that the yellow ball has come out to play here. :j (if Feta, Chickpea cous cous salad and pugilese style beetroot counts as salad.....)

Yep, I liked the 'blue jeans' sentiment too. Although to be strictly accurate, it should be 'black Regatta walking trousers', but Neil said, not only was it difficult to scan the next line with that, but also he didn't think that those 'trews' were around in 1978. So he point blank refused to re-write the song. Humpf......:rotfl:

Oh, forgot to say Hi :hello: and nice to 'see' you to LT before.

Hope you have a good evening Pippi - and to everyone else too.

Greying

wik

Did I hear my name mentioned

Quick Chicken Liver Pate,

Trim the livers - get rid of any bits of sinew and cut up

finely chop an onion or some shallots,

saute in butter until softened, then add the chicken livers

saute for about 5 mins, allow to cool slighty, then blitz in food processor adding some cubes of butter, and season with black pepper and if you want some brandy.

place in a serving dish, and when cold pop into the fridge to set.

then enjoy - I like it on crusty bread with redcurrant jelly - but some peeps may like to have some chilli jam with it :rotfl:

wik xxxx

Pippilongstocking

I knew you'd do instant recipe :-) thanks wik!

Bleurgh to the brandy though :-)

Thanks!!

And chilli jam :-) yum

Btw just made awesome fish cakes..... With instant mash!

Don't judge me....I'm eating out the cupboards and have two bags (well one now) - surprisingly yummy:-)

How's the decluttering going? X

elantan

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

Petrol for trip (1000 miles) £155
Ferries - £130
Snackage £15

So trip one - £300 + treats/pressies for staying at chums

Trip 2 - 400 miles (retun in July budget ) petrol - £65
Ferries - £150 (different route)

Normal petrol - £120 is a normal working month, so let's see if it's the same taking two weekends off.

So fingers and thumbs

Petrol budget work/normal life £120 but should get a fair chunk of that back
Petrol trip to get manchild from uni £155
Petrol end of month enroute to holiday (:)) £65

£330

Ferries etc - £305+ grub and gifts.


'spensive month travellng. But worth it, I guess.

That's some price for ferries, when we went to Mull the other week I was shocked at the price for the ferry, don't think I could afford to live on one of the islands even though they appear idyllic