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

EssexHebridean

:T:T:T Woop! £498.55 remaining to pay off on the 0% card! :T:T:T

My aim for payments this year was £700 so I've done that which I'm pleased about considering I did wonder whether I was setting myself too stiff a challenge - I think less than half of that has been made by the standard payments. :beer:

WannabeFree

All sounding wonderful Your early Christmas sounds good.

Have a brilliant week, it's quite sad this time next week the big day will be done :rotfl: x

Cross posted - Amazing work on the card

redofromstart

EssexHebridean wrote: »

although I impulse bought a 29p cauliflower

Thanks - this made me laugh when I was feeling rotten :A

beanielou

Great news on card :j :j

System

That's quite a journey for you EH to Glasgow via Doncaster . I hope it's an easy one , the weather forecast looks ok .

Everything sounds like you are ready to celebrate Christmas.

HairyHandofDartmoor

You're doing really well on the credit card payments and the running EH :T.

I'm expecting great things of that 29p cauliflower :rotfl:.

EssexHebridean

redofromstart wrote: »

Thanks - this made me laugh when I was feeling rotten :A

I know - what a life I lead eh?! :rotfl:

Half of the Cauliflower became Cauliflower steaks and got roasted in the oven last night drizzled in rapeseed oil and sprinkled with cumin seeds. :T The other half is in the fridge and will get used tonight in some form of concoction that also has to deal with the last of the kale and the remaining roast veg. I'm putting serious money on pasta being involved with that too! :rotfl:

Filo pastry cheese & roast veggie pie last night was startlingly good - I topped it with a few of the "pigs in blankets wrapped in filo" that were a spectacular failure at the weekend - they just refused to crisp up when they were baked then, but the second attack saw them go wonderfully crispy and it was just enough meat to stop MrEH protesting that dinner was "vegetarian!" - there's still a handful left to use so I'll chop them up tonight and fry them off to go in with everything else. i'm sure it will be delicious....and if it's not, it's the only thing we'll have so it will get eaten anyway! :rotfl:

Weather forecast thankfully does indeed look OK for Friday and more importantly there's not too much wind forecast for the Hebrides for Saturday so hopefully the flight will be a touch less "lively" than last years was. At the moment Met Office says 24 > 26 MPH for Benbecula on saturday lunchtime so that's fine, barely a breeze.

I have said that we're packing this evening as I'm not leaving it to the last minute - so the bed is cleared ready to get everything that can be sorted after tea tonight. I will have to make a list of all the food related stuff that needs sorting on Friday - we'll take a few extras that will add variety to what we can get over there - some of the cheese we bought at the food show, and some different crackers etc. the bulk of our shopping will get done on arrival on Saturday though.

Another weeny survey on OnePoll this morning
Prolific now at £1.66 payable/£2.87 pending.

RosaBernicia

Have a wonderful time EH - no doubt it will be gorgeous

(doesn't look like I will be in the area over the festivities, but you've reminded me to call someone tonight about plans for the spring!)


Rosa xx

EssexHebridean

Ooh exciting planning trips North for next year Rosa! :T Glad to have been of assistance with a reminder!

Cauliflower Update: Mr EH ate some last night but I wasn't hungry after office christmas lunch so the rest got frozen in its boiled state - it will make a reappearance in the new year smothered in cheesy sauce, I suspect.

Ever the trooper MrEH manfully dealt with a plate of dinner last night that incorporated the remaining few spoonfuls of salsa from the weekend tacos, cauliflower, kale, and a heap of roasted veggies plus those piggy blanket things. I mixed it all with pasta which in Man-Speak instantly makes it gourmet so all good. :rotfl:

Gym last night - paid cash as I had some in my purse. Did my final run of week 6 of Couch to 5k on the treadmill, nice to have that done ahead of Christmas. :T Really didn't feel like it as we were out for lunch from the office - after a big lunch and some beer the gym was the last place I wanted to be but I pulled the big-girl pants up and got on with it I'm pleased to say.

Starting to think about challenges for 2018 now - one thing that is definitely going to be in there is "Frugal February" - we're slipping into the habit of a bit of frittering and all sorts of odd spends going onto the CC so I'm looking at a different way of doing things and just generally focusing on being a bit more mindful for that month I think. Sometimes I find it works really well to just stop and refocus with everything pared down to basics.

EssexHebridean

Just tripped OnePoll to the £5 level which was my aim for this week - good stuff!
And several PA studies this morning too - meaning that is now at: £2.91 payable/£4.01 pending :T

I got paid yesterday so need to do the money shuffle today. I'll then just ignore that money until new year.

I did a quick review of the bank yesterday and confirmed that the Hebrides trip is all covered. Everything for that aside from the food etc we'll spend while we're there is paid, and I'll get some cash out to take with us too rather than relying too heavily on the few cashpoints up there.
The rental cost for the cottage included all electricity but we will need to purchase fuel for the stove. That will be supplemented with any wood we find on the beach too.
All food spending will go on the CC and get paid next month - this is planned.