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

MistyMountainTop

The best thing about my Samsung is that the battery is replaceable. I've only had to do it once so far. Hub had an iphone a couple of years back and after about 12 months the battery would only hold charge for a few minutes. Getting it replaced was going to be a huge expense so he decided to put the money towards a new phone instead. I don't think I'd consider one now that didn't have an easily removeable/replaceable battery...

abby1234519

MistyMountainTop wrote: »

The best thing about my Samsung is that the battery is replaceable. I've only had to do it once so far. Hub had an iphone a couple of years back and after about 12 months the battery would only hold charge for a few minutes. Getting it replaced was going to be a huge expense so he decided to put the money towards a new phone instead. I don't think I'd consider one now that didn't have an easily removeable/replaceable battery...

See, my iphone's 14 months old and going strong. I definitely want to get it to 36 months old.

My husband however always has android phones such as HTC and he hasn't ever managed to get one to last the length of his contract. So in August I need to look at a new phone for him - I suggested iphone as its been reliable for me but he isn't having any of it. So I've got to find a reliable android phone that isn't basic as he constantly is on it, reading about football or messaging his uni mates!

cazmanian_minx

Card shuffle for the phone sounds like a plan

Just popping by to say thank you again for the MPB recommendation - they upped my trade-in value and honoured the £50 off offer for the camera I was trading for which popped into my inbox about 2 minutes after I'd accepted their quote, so I've ended up paying them £38 + my old kit for an as-new camera and pro lens that would cost around £1,200 to buy new. It should be here on Tuesday

EssexHebridean

MistyMountainTop wrote: »

The best thing about my Samsung is that the battery is replaceable. I've only had to do it once so far. Hub had an iphone a couple of years back and after about 12 months the battery would only hold charge for a few minutes. Getting it replaced was going to be a huge expense so he decided to put the money towards a new phone instead. I don't think I'd consider one now that didn't have an easily removeable/replaceable battery...

It is a downside with the iPhones - my current one's done OK - in fairness its standby and talktime are still good - it just takes a hammering on data use now. I can always carry my powerbank though so not that much of an issue, and switching it to low power mode extends its life massively.

abby1234519 wrote: »

See, my iphone's 14 months old and going strong. I definitely want to get it to 36 months old.

My husband however always has android phones such as HTC and he hasn't ever managed to get one to last the length of his contract. So in August I need to look at a new phone for him - I suggested iphone as its been reliable for me but he isn't having any of it. So I've got to find a reliable android phone that isn't basic as he constantly is on it, reading about football or messaging his uni mates!

Haha MrEH refuses to have a smartphone at all! I've got friends who swear by their HTC phones sp not sure whether your OH has just been unlucky. Beyond that I've got no idea about Android or windows phones though! :rotfl:

cazmanian_minx wrote: »

Card shuffle for the phone sounds like a plan

Just popping by to say thank you again for the MPB recommendation - they upped my trade-in value and honoured the £50 off offer for the camera I was trading for which popped into my inbox about 2 minutes after I'd accepted their quote, so I've ended up paying them £38 + my old kit for an as-new camera and pro lens that would cost around £1,200 to buy new. It should be here on Tuesday

Whoah that's superb - so glad they came up trumps for you! Bet you can't wait for your shiny new toys to turn up! :T

Well phase 1 on the phone is complete. Got a text from my Mum on the way home to say that my Dad had also haggled EE down to match the Plusnet deal - so I decided a phone call to them myself might be worth a try. I half expected them to say there wasn't anything they could offer as my contract wasn't up until 2nd March, but 10 minutes on the phone and I'm not switched onto a 12 month SIM only deal with immediate effect - £10.99 a month, my data increases to 4gb, calls to unlimited and I keep my unlimited texts. My data will cover me abroad in Europe, and my speed cap gets removed so I get double speed too. Oh and if I want the BT sport app I can have that for free too. :T Very chuffed with that - although it's 99p a month more than plusnet, I have a hunch that plusnet price will increase in a few months anyway, and this saves me the hassle of having to port my number across too - miles easier. Happy!

RosaBernicia

I've had Samsungs for years and they have lasted fine, in fact my original Galaxy one lasted right through to the S5 and caused great hilarity for the phone shop guy when I traded it in! They are really way over spec for me as I'm a pretty light user. The ultra low power mode is rather handy and meant my phone did last 4 days camping!

Nice one on the contract escape EH - will bear that in mind as mine runs out in April.


Rosa xx


Rosa xx

EssexHebridean

4 days Rosa?! That's the stuff of fantasy for us iPhoners! :rotfl:


Aaaaand phase 2 on the phone also complete - 0% balance transfer card applied for and won. Sainsbury's bank card - 0% on balance transfers done within the first 3 months at zero fee. 22 months on the 0% period which is fine. Also should get 5,000 bonus Nectar points on that. Chuffed to bits - and really feel that I've got my MSE mojo back on this one!

Final phase now is to sort the new phone - and thanks to the old contract being cut short I don't need to feel guilty about doing that right away either, which means a) I'll have the new phone with it's much better camera by the time we go away at Christmas and b) as I think you have to buy the initial giffgaff £10 bundle with the phone, MrEH will have a useable smartphone while he does the travel to Glasgow the day before we go - which means he'll be able to use FindFriends to see how I;m getting on on the drive up while he's still at work. :T

Today has been a good day!

abby1234519

I'm looking at buying the husband a Samsung when his contract ends - his HTC is bashed up just from being in his pocket. The metal edges chipped away within weeks and it crashes constantly and over heats. It's been sent back to Carphone 3 times already. He has to make it last till August as I refuse to buy him a new one in contract. I've also told him the budget is £200 (I am so mean - I have an iphone) and if he wants a more expensive one, well he has 8 months to save up. Agter all - 8 months of saving £20 would mean he could have a £360 phone.

EssexHebridean

We view phones as our own responsibility Abby - and we have no similarities whatsoever in what we choose as I've got the iPhone and MrEH has the most basic phone he can possibly find! :rotfl: Your right about your OH having the time to save if he wants something better though - it's entirely his choice then isn't it!

Well today feels reasonably productive. Headed out this morning to walk to Al's and realised on the way that I might as well walk on to HB as well. Initially thought that was a wasted trip as there was still a gap on the shelf where the Brown Basmati label was - but then found it further along the shelf so all was not lost! Also grabbed 3 packs of the Ainsley Harriott flavoured couscous for £1, and a few christmas presenty oddments too. Walked back to Al's for the S6 goodies (and had to dig a bit for British apples - the top ones were french), and then back to home. Then into the car and over to Mum's for a cuppa and a natter, Dad came back from Dog walking while I was there too so I got puppy cuddles as well. Lil's is only just down the road from theirs so I went straight to there (peppers and Clems from the Pick o't'week offer - the 'shrooms were Dutch so I left them alone) and then on to T's - by that time feeling completely as though I'd had my fill of commercialisation for the day! :rotfl: Did grab a couple of boxes of mince pies and a couple of packs of christmas biscuits for the Food Bank though which helped!

This afternoon was mostly about Pottering and odds and ends, and the first batch of mince pies made. Pastry via the food processor always works well for me and this was no exception - it's some out beautifully light and crumbly. I forgot to put the Cranberries in to soak in the booze until the last minute - the ones for the second batch will go in a few days ahead - but I just stirred the puddle of Cointreau from the bowl in to the mincemeat as well so all good! :rotfl:

Popped along to the christmas fair this evening but only for 10 minutes or so - there wasn't that much going on although the fire eating was quite entertaining!

Step count for the day has ended up at over 13k so I feel a quieter day tomorrow might be in order! :rotfl:

MistyMountainTop

Wow, that's quite a productive day! I'd need to stay in bed for a week after that.

Is the rice a bargain then at HB? I buy ours at Als but it's not always in stock. I'll buy white if I'm desperate but would rather not, even though it seems to be half the price of brown no matter where I go...

What is your recipe for food processor pastry? I have a food processor sitting unused in the cupboard. I was thinking about getting rid, it takes up a fair amount of room. I was very happy to see the back of the bread maker - the loaves were never as good as the ones made by hand and it freed up a huge amount of space. I've kept the fp though because in thinking about a menu plan, I've realised that we only eat about 5 different meals over and over and they are not as healthy as they could be. I want to increase the different meals to at least 20 and use much more veg. I have a hard time with all the fine chopping of veg and thought getting the fp out for this would be a big help. If I could use it for pastry etc., I'd feel like it was earning it's space in the cupboard.:p

abby1234519

MistyMountainTop wrote: »

Wow, that's quite a productive day! I'd need to stay in bed for a week after that.

Is the rice a bargain then at HB? I buy ours at Als but it's not always in stock. I'll buy white if I'm desperate but would rather not, even though it seems to be half the price of brown no matter where I go...

What is your recipe for food processor pastry? I have a food processor sitting unused in the cupboard. I was thinking about getting rid, it takes up a fair amount of room. I was very happy to see the back of the bread maker - the loaves were never as good as the ones made by hand and it freed up a huge amount of space. I've kept the fp though because in thinking about a menu plan, I've realised that we only eat about 5 different meals over and over and they are not as healthy as they could be. I want to increase the different meals to at least 20 and use much more veg. I have a hard time with all the fine chopping of veg and thought getting the fp out for this would be a big help. If I could use it for pastry etc., I'd feel like it was earning it's space in the cupboard.:p

The best thing I EVER bought for making bread is a pullman loaf tin. I've got a rather large one so end up making a huge loaf but its square and there are holes in the bottom to aerate the bread. I thoroughly recommend it