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

abby1234519

EssexHebridean wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl: Seemed like a good idea at the time though, eh Abby?!

Well hopefully my new phone is on its way - the courier company's online tracking suggested it was still at the depot a while ago, but their telephone tracking system assures me that it's out for delivery today so fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I have a list. (no surprise there) Already collected up the rubbish and have the old phone on to backup. also made a start on sorting out the christmas shopping receipts to do the CC money shuffle - with luck the bill will turn up today - easier done off the paper copy than trying to work off the screen. Next jobs are to do the little bit of washing up that's in the sink and run a cloth over the kitchen I think, then cast an eye over the freezer.

Got a reply to my email to Pinecone by the way - they are reactivating my account (no idea why they deactivated it in the first place, mind you!) and I should start receiving surveys again soon. That's excellent news as I know there's are good earners and reliable payers - if they start coming through again I should be able to use that to make a decent impact to my 0% card. Got 25p on OnePoll this morning and will check Opinion Outpost later when I have some spare time.

Oh yes - I thought - this is definitely frugal spending a lot of money on rice but it's okay because it's costing me barely nothing per packet. This has been one of my lessons......just DON'T BUY IT!! Luckily I've got tons of HM frozen currys so it's useful but jeez louise, it's a habit I've had to break. I'm such a food hoarder!

I've still not ordered OH's new phone (after the car door incident). Main reason for not ordering it is that it's another compulsion, he doesn't technically need it as his phone IS working, the screen's just now curved. Also, he "desires" an expensive phone, so I'm half tempted just to wait till August when the contract comes out, cancel it and make him get whatever he wants out of his allowance. Then if he spends £35 a month on a phone it comes out of his usual allowance. Which would save me money. I just worry that the battery maybe has been damaged and the phone might explode or something.

I can't remember what phone you went for in the end EH?

EssexHebridean

Scott_Weiland wrote: »

When you get the new phone try powerofopinion.co.uk and isay.com i use both and do quite well off them both companies the surveys are quite short but are phone friendly.

The uk toluna is a good one too use too if like me you now have more free time.

With pinecone are they still invitation only?

Ooh great tips there Scott - thank you - I like the short surveys - even though each one doesn't earn you much if you're only spending a couple of minutes it's not a problem.

PC are still invitation only I'm afraid - and I've not seen any invites kicking about for a while either.

abby1234519 wrote: »

Oh yes - I thought - this is definitely frugal spending a lot of money on rice but it's okay because it's costing me barely nothing per packet. This has been one of my lessons......just DON'T BUY IT!! Luckily I've got tons of HM frozen currys so it's useful but jeez louise, it's a habit I've had to break. I'm such a food hoarder!

I've still not ordered OH's new phone (after the car door incident). Main reason for not ordering it is that it's another compulsion, he doesn't technically need it as his phone IS working, the screen's just now curved. Also, he "desires" an expensive phone, so I'm half tempted just to wait till August when the contract comes out, cancel it and make him get whatever he wants out of his allowance. Then if he spends £35 a month on a phone it comes out of his usual allowance. Which would save me money. I just worry that the battery maybe has been damaged and the phone might explode or something.

I can't remember what phone you went for in the end EH?

I settled on the SE. A combination of reasons - partly the size, the 6s doesn't really fit my hand comfortably. Partly the price - £409 for the SE over £539 for the 6s. Partly that when I looked at the differences between the 2 phones, the ones the SE was lacking didn't bother me that much. Mostly though down to battery life. 30% better life on the SE for data use. That sold it, to be honest.

I also hear you on the food hoarding. The good news is, it's not a bad habit to get into, so long as you learn your lessons about quantity, and learn your "base price" for certain things on buying them in the regular way, so you KNOW if what you're seeing is a bargain. A degree of open mindedness about BB dates is required, too.

EssexHebridean

Freezer:
Top drawer:
Mutton Stew (double portion)
Smoked mackerel
Salmon portions ([STRIKE]5[/STRIKE]4)
[STRIKE]Goat Ragu x 1[/STRIKE] Taken out for MrEH's dinner
[STRIKE]Veg Soup x 1[/STRIKE]
Red cabbage & apple (Double portion)
Coffee (MrEH's)
Square sausage (3 x 2 slices)
White pudding slices
Fruit pudding slices
Pesto - frozen in dollops
Second drawer:
Flatbreads x [STRIKE]3[/STRIKE]1
white fish portions x [STRIKE]4[/STRIKE]3
Smoked Chicken Breast x 2
Smoked duck breast x 1
Polish sausage x 2
[STRIKE]Bread (odd slices for toast)[/STRIKE]
Scallops - 1 pack
Black pudding slices
Squid rings - [STRIKE]1[/STRIKE] part bag
Tiger prawns - part bag
Cooked sausages x 2
Anchovy fillets - 2 small bags
Bottom Drawer:
Frozen Veg (Assorted)
HM Rolls for lunches x 5
sausages x 2 packs

abby1234519

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Freezer:
Top drawer:
Mutton Stew (double portion)
Smoked mackerel
Salmon portions (5)
[STRIKE]Goat Ragu x 1[/STRIKE] Taken out for MrEH's dinner
Veg Soup x 1
Red cabbage & apple (Double portion)
Coffee (MrEH's)
Square sausage (3 x 2 slices)
White pudding slices
Fruit pudding slices
Pesto - frozen in dollops
Second drawer:
Flatbreads x 3
white fish portions x 4
Smoked Chicken Breast x 2
Smoked duck breast x 1
Polish sausage x 2
Bread (odd slices for toast)
Scallops - 1 pack
Black pudding slices
Squid rings - 1 bag
Tiger prawns - part bag
Cooked sausages x 2
Anchovy fillets - 2 small bags
Bottom Drawer:
Frozen Veg (Assorted)
HM Rolls for lunches x 5
sausages x 2 packs

I daren't audit my full size freezer.....It's taller than me. and is jam packed

bertiewhite

I regularly have to travel to Benbecular in the Outer Hebrides and whilst it has a certain charm in short doses, I certainly couldn't live there.

EssexHebridean

bertiewhite wrote: »

I regularly have to travel to Benbecular in the Outer Hebrides and whilst it has a certain charm in short doses, I certainly couldn't live there.

It's an interesting one, this. We've reached the conclusion we could happily live on North Uist, or South Uist, but Benbecula wouldn't be our choice, either. The islands all have a very distinct character of their own - I can certainly see the attraction of the convenience of being near Balivanich, for example, and for short spells like our upcoming trip, fine, but it won't be somewhere we'll look to settle. Oddly enough, something that MrEH and I were discussing last night is the "Island Mentality" - some folk have it, and some don't.

I assume that your regular travel is work based, in which case I also assume it's related to that large establishment just north of Balivanich? A friend of mine was recently told he was going to have to make a trip up there from his regular Norfolk base - I got a not-very-amused text informing me of this, however he eventually got out of it. I suspect his views would have been much the same as yours! :rotfl:

cazmanian_minx

abby1234519 wrote: »

I daren't audit my full size freezer.....It's taller than me. and is jam packed

We have one under-counter freezer, one fridge freezer and one large chest freezer - I share your fear!

MistyMountainTop

I went back in to HB this morning and the lady working in that aisle said they don't carry the brown rice and she had never seen it in that shop. I do have the other shops to check when I'm next in the cities, so if I find some I will make a point of buying several bags and re-stocking each time I'm in the area.

Greying_Pilgrim

MistyMountainTop wrote: »

I went back in to HB this morning and the lady working in that aisle said they don't carry the brown rice and she had never seen it in that shop. I do have the other shops to check when I'm next in the cities, so if I find some I will make a point of buying several bags and re-stocking each time I'm in the area.

Oh, that's a shame. I'm not in the same region as EH and yet our HB's stock it - at least 2 of our shops in 2 different locations. Still, it is a relatively new line with us, maybe 3-6 months. Perhaps it will roll out.

Greying X

EssexHebridean

Evening! :hello:

Moderately productive day - at least it feels that way!

Headed to Mum's this morning and we went to visit Great Auntie D - who is positively a different person now she's got live in care arranged - the carer is a miracle worker! In the space of a week we've gone from "the end of the world is nigh" to a far more sunny outlook, which is lovely. I took her round a bunch of yellow roses - in spite of her failing eyesight yellow is one colour she can see fairly well, still.
Came back via T's for shopping - spent my Orchard voucher on a pudding for our "fakemas" dinner on Sunday, and got the rest of the week's shopping too, such as it was - came to under £10 so I was happy with that.
Dropped Mum off, home, lunch.
Assorted pottery-type jobs about the place.
Went out for a walk - just my "usual" circuit but it's nudging a couple of miles and ticked the box for fresh air and exercise for the day!
walked in to find that water had come in AGAIN from upstairs via our bathroom ceiling. :mad: Honestly they are an utter pain in the proverbial, up there, we've had nothing but trouble since they moved in - this is the third time we've had water in. Apparently the leak is now fixed, the Landlord is getting a plumber to confirm this tomorrow, and it looks as though everything is drying up. We've got no top light at the moment though as the water made its way to floor level via the light switch pull cord so we're waiting for things to look thoroughly dry before we risk it. VERY glad we had the ornamental light put in in the shelf alcove now as at least we can see what we're at in there! (In my experience, men, and no light in a bathroom, do not a happy combination make!) I have also now lodged the fact that it's happening with the council's property manager for our bit of town - although both we, and they, own our properties, the council are the freeholder so if a claim is necessary they will need to know.
Got two batches of pastry made and resting in the fridge - 1 for sausage rolls, and one for mince pies, both of which I'll cook tomorrow. :T
Washing up - just the processor from the pastry really.
Chopped the onion and pepper ready for tonight's dinner - a favourite of ours, Thai Fish stew. Absolutely yummy and far healthier than you average curry type dish - plus a good portion of fish each as I'm using a salmon portion, a white fish portion (pollack I think) some prawns and some squid rings. in fact, I must go and crack on with cooking it as MrEH will be home shortly!

Tomorrow is farmers market first thing I think - and we'll need to be there early if we're going to get parked I suspect. Sausages for the sausage rolls, chipolatas for pigs in blankets and streaky bacon are on the list.