Paid off the £31,000! BUT - still scrimping!

Seasidegal58

@maggiem - thank you so much for your post. I've applied online as it was a no-brainer!😀. I should have read the terms earlier as I thought that if I changed to the Lite account I would have to have a new account number, card etc, but in fact you still get to keep these. And my cashback will cover the £1 monthly fee.😀

Just having my lunch hour at the moment. Plenty of work though as still catching up because of the systems debacle last week. I could have done some catch up at the weekend but basically couldn't face it. I'll do some extra this evening instead. 

Lovely day outside today. I'm going out soon to post a birthday card to a friend and cash my lottery win in at the Post Office. I had a £126 win a couple of months ago but none of the supermarkets were cashing in at the time. I've finally remembered I can cash in at the Post Office - duh!🤭

 

Bubblesmum

Really pleased you have caught us all up... I think I was born in your seaside town. Moved to a well known commuter suburb when I was 3, started work in the city 33 years ago.. how it must have changed and was thinking re your posts of around Leadenhall and the grocers shop and the butchers - gone now but what If it was to change back....

Seasidegal58

Hi Bubblesmum!😺. Yes the City has certainly changed since I started work there - my first job was at age 16 (49 years ago would you believe!😱). I then worked locally when I had my DD till she started nursery and then went back to the City again.  Funny story with regard to the Market - there is an old pub that has been there when the market was first built.  When I first went in there for a drink it had no ladies loo because it had always been frequented by men - throwback to when hardly any women worked in the City in the good old days and they had never updated it. I had to use the men's with one of my male work colleagues guarding the door. Not a great experience!🤢.  Not long after they did put in a ladies thank goodness!

I've received an email from Santander this afternoon to confirm they've converted my account to the 123 Lite - that was really quick!👍

I've knocked off work for now - will be going back on later this evening to get a few things done.  I've got hummous pasta for dinner - really quick recipe from Madeline Olivia - cook some wholewheat pasta, drain  then stir through hummous and cherry tomatoes. I also throw in some broccoli Into the pasta some minutes before it is drained. Especially yum if you have smoked hummous and it couldn't be quicker. Fruit and plant based yoghurt for dessert!😋

Bubblesmum

I loved the pubs in the city, and clearly remember going to the pub for drinks at lunch time Large wine then back to work  so acceptable then ! 

I eat a lot of plant based non dairy projects - the smooth coconut long life ones annd pineable yoghurt are my favourites 

Seasidegal58

@Bubblesmum - some of people I work with still think a large wine (or two) at lunchtime is acceptable! 😆
I like the Alpro yoghurts - I have tried some of the more expensive plant based varieties, but have found I prefer the taste of Alpro. The mango variety especially, though the cherry is nice too. 

Another lovely day today in Seasideville though inside WFH unfortunately.  My boss is off with his family and dogs  today to their place abroad and rang me a little while ago as they were just boarding the ferry. He's there now till September though obviously will be WFH (with some golf thrown in!). 

Not much to report - spends have been some beans ordered from Amazon to fill my pouffe/footstool which has began to go saggy!  Plus two kindle books - 'Husband Hunters' about the rich 19th century American heiresses that married into our aristocracy, and a biography on Lord Snowdon. 

Going to research some reusable masks online as I have disposables, but they won't last long now we will wearing them in shops from Friday. 

I'm on the 2 part today of the 5:2. So apple for lunch with Heinz vegetable soup, two ryvitas, marmite and small salad this evening. I lost 3lb when I weighed in last Saturday so hoping for another loss this weekend.  

On my lunch break at the moment - I have Smooth radio playing today - Smokey Robinson singing at the moment!  Nice and relaxing!😀

in_need_of_direction

No amount of weight loss could persuade me to ingest marmite!

brizzlegirl

Great to hear your news SSG that you might retire early. Exciting times!! If you think you have enough in hand why not....if nothing else this Spring ( and start of the decade) has been the right time to reflect and think.

ill try that pasta dish too. Good idea even though I am not a huge fan of humuus. Think as a base for a pasta sauce might work well.

have a good weekend x

Seasidegal58

You either love it or hate it, eh inod!🤣

Nice to see you brizzle!  I'm still waiting for the pension illustration for my final salary scheme. Hopefully it'll arrive this week. 

BEGINNING OF SCRIMPY MONTH 8 - AUGUST
.... which was actually yesterday. 

Pay also arrived in my account on Friday. All my YNAB categories have been updated nicely.   I love YNAB - it takes next to no time to update the categories and I have at a glance everything I need to see. My half-yearly service charge on the flat was due so I paid this - at one time I would be shuffling around for the money to pay it, but by creating a monthly saving category for it there is no pressure - there were the funds waiting to be paid. 😀
Looking at the monthly tracking categories - after checking on Zoopla, the estimated value of my flat has dropped slightly, as well as the stock in my ISA.  Whereas my gold and workplace pension have both increased a little in value. 

I lost 2lb yesterday so at least things are moving in the right direction weight-wise. 

DSIs and family drove over to see me yesterday which was lovely as I hadn't actually seen her and little nephew since April and her OH a month before that. They also brought over her OH's great-nephew so we went down The high street and had a bite to eat in the pancake cafe. I had vegan pancakes with fruit, vegan ice-cream and maple syrup - yum!😋
Then the heavens opened whilst we were in there and didn't let up. We were going to have a mooch in the shops but decided to go back to mine. DSis's OH also sorted out my new router as I really couldn't work out how to set it up!  DSis 's OH is very tech savvy but had bit of a job too with it so it was no wonder I couldn't make head nor tail!  It's all working fine now though so I will have to see next week whether it will speed up things whilst I'm working. 

DSIs's OH also advised that I buy a surge protected extension block for all the plugs I have for my TV area, TV, Sky box, blue ray, Apple TV, Sky WiFi box, sound box, lamp - oh, and the new router!  The advice was to buy a ten socket tower block that will fit quite nicely next to my TV unit - so I've ordered one on Amazon - £17.99. 

Today I've had a quiet day. Did the usual Sunday chores - changing the bedding and ironing. I also filled a recycling sack of my oldest bedding as I don't need it since I got the Panda set. I also went through my sock and tights drawer and was quite ruthless and dumped quite a few pairs of  tights as well that I've had for ages and never wear. And a pair of gloves and four pairs of thick treggings that I decided have seen better days.  I have a lovely pair of Dent black leather gloves that were a present for my 60th a few years back and I've never worn because they are tight. I'm keeping these till the autumn then will take them to the dress agency. 

Final ruthless act was my make-up drawer - I'd been hanging on to these little trial mascaras that I've got from Clinique in the past - I don't know why as I prefer the Benefit mascara and the trial mascaras must be well out of date. So they've been dumped along with one or two lipsticks that I don't think I'll be wearing again as they don't really go with my new hair colour.. I do still have two different concealers but I'm going to wear these and keep the one I prefer. 

So this evening I am trying out some new vegan burgers for dinner - with wholemeal rice, sweet corn and cherry tomatoes I think. Also have family Zoom session later on too. 

x

Sun_Addict

All sounding good. Well done on the weight loss, are you back on your 5:2? Will look into that extension block, could do with one for my home office.

milann

Yes the extension block sounds ideal. I’m going to look into it too...you should be on commission 👍
It was good that you got to see your family.
The finances are all sounding good. It’s a lovely feeling to be able to pay things that we’d have struggled with in the past. 👏👏👏👏