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

milann

It’s rubbish that lots of Christmas events are being cancelled. It’s going to be very different this year - there are lots of rituals during December that I’ll miss. I’m gutted as I’ve spent the last few Christmasses  at dds with the children and sea air.....can’t see that happening this year.
NSand I rates have really dropped - I need to have a look around too.

Sun_Addict

We usually go to a local Christmas fayre with DS and the GKs, it’s a lovely day and raises a fair bit for local charities but doubt it will be going ahead this year sadly 😩

doingitanyway

How was the Neom diffuser? Their candles are the only perfumed ones I can use without getting a headache.
I also need to do the search for savings vehicles. Even PBs have lessened the number of payouts! 
Sorry to hear of the Christmas cancellations.

Seasidegal58

Thanks for posting everyone. 😀
@beanielou  and @Sun_Addict - I've just signed up for a First Direct current account as they've reopened for new customers. I can then use their monthly saver where I can pay in £300 monthly at 2.75% for a year. I've been looking to switch to them for a while as everyone I know who has an account there is very pleased with the service they provide. 👍
@doingitanyway - the Neom diffuser is lovely - I was also out at the shops the other day and smelling some of the Stoneglow diffusers which I've had before and liked. I'm going to get one of these for the living room soon - they are a little cheaper then Neom as well. 

MSE Scrimpy Things
So far this week I had a nice vegan brunch last Sunday with my friend at our usual haunt.  She paid this time though and I left the tip. 

On Wednesday DSis and I went for our Pampering Spa day at a salon near me - we bought one another our sessions for our birthday presents.  It's a nice place - time in the hot tub first with Prosecco then a full body massage and salt rub. We then had a nice light lunch with more Prosecco and then a facial and foot mask treatment. Finished off with a pedicure and more Prosecco!  I completely forgot that I would be having a pedicure here when I had my usual monthly ped  last Saturday - I could have saved myself some cash on Saturday - duh!🥴. After this we went for a mooch around the shops and had an early dinner at one of the local restaurants.  I think DSis really appreciated the downtime as she's going through a very worrying time at work as she's in the hospitality business. ☹️

I also bought a new shredder on Amazon as my near twenty year old one has finally given up the ghost!  I got a discount of £8 as I bought it when Amazon was having their sale the other day. 👍
The other purchase is that I've bitten the bullet and bought my EasyJet air tickets for Scotland to visit DD and OH for the New Year.  Who knows if I will be allowed to go because of COVID when the time comes but the tickets sell out quite quickly for New Year and i didn't want to leave it till the last minute and find the timings I want had been sold. 

 So big news here in Seasideville is that we don't come under Essex County Council's directive to be moved into COVID Tier 2 and have stayed in Tier 1.  Our own council is one of two in Essex that run their own affairs, though who knows - the Government may decide to put us in Tier 1 as well. ☹️  DSis's home now comes under Tier 2 but her place of work is under the other council that missed it. So at least it's been a bit better for her business.   Our own council is a bit concerned that people from outside the area will flood into ours so that they can eat and drink with friends. What a mess it all is. ☹️

Hope everyone is having a good day whatever Tier you may occupy for now. Fingers crossed for some relief from all this. 🤞

Sun_Addict

Good to hear from you. The pampering day sounds fabulous. We've gone to Tier 2 but there is talk of going to 3. Our cases shot up when the students went back to the 2 universities here, apparently it's rife amongst them. We were doing quite well until then. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole country went into full lockdown again soon.

Seasidegal58

@Sun_Addict  - I think you may be right about the full lockdown. ☹️   It's awful and I fear terribly for the economy, but also those who have vulnerable family members. 

My boss's youngest son started his first year at uni the other week (not at your local). He's been locked in his hall of residence - he is in a social bubble there but I don't think he envisaged freshers week quite like what he has experienced so far!  Still needs must.....

HairyHandofDartmoor

I'm glad you're still in tier 1 SSG and I'm glad that I am too where I live. It's worrying going into the autumn with the virus still rampant.

It is disappointing that Christmas events are being cancelled. We'll have to try and find alternative ways of getting into a Christmas mood. I'm disappointed about NT Christmas fairs being cancelled, but I said to DH we could always go to a lovely posh garden centre we like in Cornwall and look at their Christmas stock, as they have some unusual items which are fun to look at (but usually too expensive to buy) and perhaps have a coffee there. Perhaps that will help to put us in a Christmassy mood.

Good news about your company doing well and you getting a bonus .

Sun_Addict

Apparently there is to be an announcement on Monday hmm 🤔 One of our universities is a well renowned medical one which seems ironic right now. 

milann

SSG your pamper day sounds amazing....I’d love a pamper day somewhere. I’ve been on a couple with my dd in the past but the way things are going I don’t know when I’ll be able to see her. I’ve often treated my dd to Neom candles which she loves but I’m not much of a candle person in my own home.
We are in tier 2 but expecting to go into the strictest tier (not sure if it’s 1 or 3) Our mayor is currently debating it, but I think it’s inevitable and we will end up there fairly soon. I’d like to see the circuit breaker they keep talking about linked to half term....that might slow things down enough so we can at least see some family at Christmas. I think Wales are being the most sensible- if you’re in a high risk area you can’t visit a low risk and maybe take the virus with you.....Hindsight is a wonderful thing though......it really is hard to know what to do for the best 😳😳 I know there’s been mistakes made in the handling of it all....but I wouldn’t want the job for all the money on earth 😳😳
I hope you get to go to Scotland at New Year.  🤞🤞

Seasidegal58

Thanks everyone. 😀
Today I had my weekly brunch with my friend - my turn to pay this time around. As we were waiting to enter the restaurant the waitress asked if we came from out of the area and whether we were from the same household, i.e. the Tier 2 area. We said we didn't, we are local (Tier 1) and allowed to sit together!  So businesses are checking!
I had a lazy afternoon - I've been re-watching The Crown ready for the new series soon!👑

MSE Scrimpy Things
My annual travel insurance has come up for renewal - it's now jumped to £129 - I have to have the pre-existing medical  conditions cover though so it's always dearer than most people's.  However I'm not bothering this time around as the main reason I take it out is for overseas medical cover. I have only a UK flight trip booked so far and can't see that I will going abroad for the foreseeable future. I already have cover on my contents insurance for expensive things like my tablet in case I take these outside the home. I have £96 already in the travel insurance pot so will up this to £130 and leave it there until I need some cover. 

Other MSE news is that I've cashed out £25 from Opinium surveys. 👍