EH - Essex > Hebrides...the next step of the adventure?

HairyHandofDartmoor

I've still got the Mr T savings account but despite them dropping the interest rate I need to hang on to get a bonus after 12 months I think.

Christmas in the Hebrides sounds lovely and peaceful .

Well done on your mobile deal that sounds fantastic value!

EssexHebridean

Hi HH - yes the initial drop on the Tesco account until the bonus rate drops off is not too critical I don't think, so possibly worth hanging on.

I was utterly DELIGHTED with the mobile deal! And yes - Christmas will indeed be lovely and peaceful. we have a standard agreement to not take the car anywhere on Christmas day - we go for a couple of walks from the cottage and other than just just cosy up inside - it's fabulous!

Car got washed and the final Sainsbugs voucher used on Saturday - and I shall now revert back to shopping at ThaT supermarkeT until I get any more user-friendly vouchers from elsewhere! I also have a meal plan written for this week ANY next, and have done a bit of cooking ahead to make up some additional meals. I'm planning a roast on Sunday so will get a chicken for that, and that will then also rubberise to another meal next week plus at couple of portions in the freezer for the new year too. :T The freezer is starting to look a little more under control too - there is actually space free in there at the moment which is ace and a bit of a novelty!

Christmas shopping is mostly done and dusted I think - do still need to get a bottle of something for my Dad - and some more oddments for Mum - MrEH has given NO idea what he plans to get his folks but I'm letting him worry about that one. The Niece & Nephews "goody bags" are pretty much sorted - could do with a few extra for the oldest nephew I think ideally but to be honest we'd get away without it. I ideally need to get a few more bits for MrEH as well - I'm putting together a box for him with some of his most frequently used toiletry items as that then saves him having to buy those for himself through the year - and I have a few books for him - including a couple to wrap and take to the Hebrides for him to unwrap on Christmas day. He has finally produced a list of bits but because he's left it so late I'm not sure he's going to get much off it! :rotfl:

I'm meant to be meeting a friend in London on Friday but haven't heard from her - don't want to hassle her though as I know she's had a horrendously busy time at work of late. I can be flexible right up to the last minute anyway and can certainly find stuff to do otherwise if it doesn't come off. It would be good to see her though.

EssexHebridean

Right - the CC month has now finished so I will be able to start doing the money shuffle whenever I want. I keep thinking the balance is looking worryingly high but there are some budgeted for lumps on there where the money is already aside elsewhere I think (although I can't remember off the top of my head what they were - hmmm!) so I don't think it will be as bad as I am thinking. I've made a conscious effort to not use the CC as reflex recently as well - we put far less on it in Birmingham the other weekend than we usually might, for example, so that will help.

I have remembered to stash a the christmas spending receipts off to one side so I can check any as needed to work out how spends split out. MrEH has also confirmed that I should NOT go and buy the Soap & Glory Boots star gift for myself which is good news - at the half price it's good value for me as it does include a lot of things I use - I do need to actually knuckle down to using stuff from the stash though - especially body butters (Although I might ditch the current Brazil Nut body shop one I'm using as I'm not loving the smell, which puts me off using it.) - one of the things I learned from the original "Not buying more toiletries" thread was that if something isn't enjoyable to use, you just don't use it - so should take my own advice there I think.

Meal plan says lamb, apricot & chickpea couscous for tonight, bolognese for tomorrow and originally said cottage pie for Friday night but we've decided to switch that out for macaroni cheese I think (as thanks to the Food Show we have a LOT of cheese around - the Davidstow people where there with a nice offer...) Got some lovely bacon in the freezer too so will remember to chop a few rashers off that ready to throw into the sauce.

We've agreed that we are going to do a charity donation rather than many christmas cards again - that will go in a collecting tin for a local charity when we're in Uist at Christmas (Last year's went to the Lundy Pony fund as we were on Lundy!)

Suddenly realised that the Graze Box I should have had on Friday hasn't turned up so sent the late box reminder - as expected they are crediting it to the account. Whether the box itself will ever show is another question entirely - I suspect it got delivered to upstairs by mistake and if so that will be the last I'll see of that! the bigger question - as ever - is what else may have gone astray with it that they have ALSO decided to keep... Oh well - I get the next one with nothing leaving the bank account anyway which is always welcome!

EssexHebridean

CC money shuffle is done apart from the generic stuff I think - the cashback has also hit so I have transferred that from the joint account across to the holiday account already. I want to have one final pass through for anything else I can allocate off savings pots before I transfer the last lump over. Gut feeling currently is that the surplus this month will be down on where I'd hoped but we'll see what else I find on the final run through.

Shopping list this week should pretty much be fruit/veg/milk and not much else, I'll probably check through the meal plan and do the list tomorrow morning I think. I also want to remember what else needs prepping for meals next week if anything as I might be able to make some bits ahead. I *might* also nip to the nice bakery on Saturday to get a loaf of lovely bread for the weekend. Will remind MrEH to make another batch of rolls at the weekend too as that then means we have them ready for next week, and the first couple of days back, and there is room in the freezer currently.

Meeting a friend at the Queen Elizabeth park tomorrow - she's in London visiting family and suggested we meet first - and neither of us have been for a proper look around the park since 2012 (shamefully, for me - I've done a couple of 5k's there but never just been for a wander!) so that will be ace. I'm expecting tea and cake to feature, but other than that I have enough money on my Oyster to sort my travel out. As I will be right next door to Westfield I will have a think about whether there are any last bits of christmas shopping I might want to get there although to be honest my main aim is to avoid the place altogether! :rotfl:

Have no rejoined the "no more toiletries" thread on here too as that does work as a prompt for me to use the stuff I have!

Lemon_Tree

Heavens I remember the no more toiletries threads from way back and the original use it up thread. Glad to hear they're still going. I did find they were also prone to making me think I needed more stuff, which I didn't.

EssexHebridean

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

Heavens I remember the no more toiletries threads from way back and the original use it up thread. Glad to hear they're still going. I did find they were also prone to making me think I needed more stuff, which I didn't.

Haha yes - do you remember the time someone posted about the fantastic John Frieda haircare glitch in t*sc0 and half the thread rushed out to take advantage of it?! :rotfl::rotfl: brilliant! I was very pleased to find that the thread was still running - although slightly amused to spot one of the original posters from "way back when" still on there and posting away though!

OK - I think Christmas may be under control. A present for MrEH arrived yesterday, and the last few bits of another for him were acquired at lunchtime, so those last two to wrap and that's him sorted now. Final bits for the Niece & Nephew's goody bags have been bought, and three of the four bags are wrapped already. Last few oddments for parents etc needing wrapped still. I'll do half an hour tonight which will hopefully see most of those last bits off - and MrEH can finish the bits he has for me tomorrow night I reckon along with any final straggly bits. Obviously he still hasn't bought anything for his folks but there's a limit to how often I'm prepared to mention it...

Generic CC stuff needs the money shuffled to pay it - in fact I may just go and do that now... Yes. Done. I was going to faff around a bit and see if I could find any further transfers to be allocated from elsewhere, but it's just money-shuffling anyway, ultimately, so eventually decided it wasn't worth the use of my time. Not much surplus this month though - january is going to be a tightening the belts month, I think!

Quick evaluation of the rest of the bank suggests that:
- Christmas spending and the final presents that have been bought are all covered. :T
- MrEH should not need to put any more travel credit on his card this side of Christmas I hope, but will need to in the New year - hopefully that new year top up should see him through to beyond the CC cut off date.
- Diesel - both cars will need some, but mine will be mostly covered from the account that pays for Christmas trip spendiness. Pretty sure Himself will have to put some in tonight or tomorrow, but that will then see him well into the new year.
- Food spending - nothing more from that account until after Christmas now. :T

I did speak too soon on the "not much on shopping" thing this week as I'd forgotten that the meal plan said I was buying a chicken, so that was £8 on top of the basics. It was very tasty though, filled the kitchen with glorious smells for a good chunk of Sunday, and will do a further three meals yet so all good there.

My plan to meet my Friend on Friday also fell by the wayside as her plans had to change unfortunately. Can't be helped but I was looking forward to seeing her. We're planning to try to arrange something for January I think.

One of our intentions for over Christmas is to sit down and do some financial forward-planning - mapping out what we want to do re savings etc going forwards. I need to look into that Coventry BS Regular Saver account too as it's now only a month until my Nationwide one finishes up. We also have to finalise the agreement on what happens with the money from that - MrEH is in favour of not paying down the 0% card - I'd happily pay that right off to be honest but equally I can see that there's little sense in that....the compromise is likely to be my planned approach that we knock another £1k off it in January, and the balance will then mostly be paid off by the time the 0% ends.

All good. I think., Until I remember the stuff I've probably forgotten... :rotfl:

HairyHandofDartmoor

You're sounding very organised for Christmas and the money shuffle. When do you head off to the Hebrides for your Christmas break? I bet you can't wait .

EssexHebridean

Trying to get a bit ahead I think, as much as anything HH!

Glasgow on Friday - I drive up and dump the car in Long Stay, and MrEH will fly up after work, then we fly across to Barra (landing on the beach!) on Saturday morning - walk round to the ferry as fast as our little legs will carry us - and hopefully get the 11.10 ferry across to Eriskay. calling in to see our friends for a cuppa and a catch up before driving up to where we're staying! SOOOOO excited

Lemon_Tree

I can understand you being excited about being away. Glad you've cracked Christmas as well. I've to get DD to wrap her teachers and helpers gifts and I'm making Christmas chocolates for other gifts.

EssexHebridean

Lovely idea to do Christmas chocolates LT!