Busy Mee's Last Leg

teapot2

Well done on the running, I've now got Sarah Millican's voice in my head saying 'go and get some cake pet' so I may have to comply later :rotfl:

savingholmes

I love quidco - I've currently got £79 tracked in there waiting to be paid. I've had over £1500 since 2008.

Busy_Mee1

A few weeks ago B@rclays were offering to double up their Blue rewards if you switched a current account to them and this was available to existing customers too. Taking advice from the good people on the Banking thread I sacrificed one of my defunct T€sco accounts and switched using the B@rclays app. It was far too easy and I didn't think it would work, but low and behold my second reward arrived today :j:j:j:j I have now doubled my normal monthly £12 reward to £24 a month for a year.

This has made my day.....and although this would make most ordinary people consider me to be rather tragic and needing to get out more. I know you guys would " get" it :T

In less positive news Mr Mee was working from home yesterday and put the fire on because he was cold IN AUGUST :mad:

This doesn't bode well for when he is retired and at home every day. I either need to make sure he has plenty of jobs, so he isn't sat about feeling the cold or make sure he wears something warmer. I have a range of ugly yet warm garments for working from home so I don't have to put the heating on during the day, until it gets really cold :T

I have offered to lend him my trusty working from home cardigan but he wasn't impressed :rotfl:

beanielou

Busy_Mee1 wrote: »

A few weeks ago B@rclays were offering to double up their Blue rewards if you switched a current account to them and this was available to existing customers too. Taking advice from the good people on the Banking thread I sacrificed one of my defunct T€sco accounts and switched using the B@rclays app. It was far too easy and I didn't think it would work, but low and behold my second reward arrived today :j:j:j:j I have now doubled my normal monthly £12 reward to £24 a month for a year.

This has made my day.....and although this would make most ordinary people consider me to be rather tragic and needing to get out more. I know you guys would " get" it :T

In less positive news Mr Mee was working from home yesterday and put the fire on because he was cold IN AUGUST :mad:

This doesn't bode well for when he is retired and at home every day. I either need to make sure he has plenty of jobs, so he isn't sat about feeling the cold or make sure he wears something warmer. I have a range of ugly yet warm garments for working from home so I don't have to put the heating on during the day, until it gets really cold :T

I have offered to lend him my trusty working from home cardigan but he wasn't impressed :rotfl:

Can't think why:rotfl::rotfl:

Moneyfordreams

I got home from work last night to a log fire my OH made … bonkers

Busy_Mee1

A bit of a cheeky Monday post, but work is very quiet.....lots of people (clearly the ones that create work) are on holiday. I love working in the school holidays the roads are really quiet too.

We have been away for the weekend, staying with friends, so another spendy eating and drinking weekend. I am still tracking our spending and we have already bust the entertainment budget this month and we still have the bank holiday weekend to go. :eek:

Being away at the weekend, does mean we have skipped a weekly grocery shop and I am determined that we will get away with just a small top up shop for milk and other fresh stuff this week. I have done a bit of a stocktake of the freezer and cupboards and will use what we have in this week. I have salvaged a load of veg for a chicken dinner tonight and will make Hairy Bikers sausage casserole tomorrow.

We are out at friends on Friday evening, which will involve going halves on a takeaway and we have friends coming to stay on Saturday night. I am thinking about making Beef Bourguignon as I have some braising steak and half a bottle of wine in the freezer ( Yes we once actually had half a bottle of wine leftover :rotfl: ) I think I will also make my failsafe. Chocolate fudge cake as I have all the ingredients in (Is made with vegetable oil rather than butter, which is so expensive at the moment).

I have started picking blackberries to make blackberry compote for the freezer again this year, It was lovely on overnight oats or porridge in the depths of winter last year.

In financial news we have received some interest on one of our fixed rate ISAs which will boost the month end savings totals.

I Think that is all....the running is still going well. I am now on run 2 of week 4 , however unsurprisingly I haven't lost any more weight. I am good during the week but eat and drink too much at the weekend. Still at least I haven't put any on :rotfl:

themadvix

I know exactly what you mean about already having bust the entertainment budget... And we've got people coming round next week too. Still undecided as to what we'll feed them, but should probably make a decision soon!

Do you have a recipe for the chocolate fudge cake?

Busy_Mee1

Hi Mad Vix,
The recipe I use is the Good Food Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe:

175g self raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g caster sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 large eggs lightly beaten
150ml sunflower oil
150 ml semi-skimmed milk

For the icing
100g unsalted butter
225g icing sugar
40g cocoa powder
2-3 tbsp milk

180c oven. Grease and line 2 x 18 cm sandwich tins
Sieve flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate. Add caster sugar and mix well.

Make a well in centre and add golden syrup, eggs, oil and milk. Beat well with electric whisk.

Pour into tins and bake for 25-30 mins before turning out onto cooling rack.

Make butter icing - which is enough for middle and top. I usually add chocolates on top, mini eggs at Easter, chocolate buttons, malteasers or grated chocolate. Whatever takes your fancy really.

I use this recipe all the time and it never fails, and it is a real crowd pleaser. I usually have all the ingredients in all the time, so I can whip one up quickly. The cakes are fine made a couple of days before you need them (they just get softer ) and then I just add the butter cream on the day :T

Enjoy

themadvix

Thanks Busy Mee, that looks great and as you say, I usually have the ingredients in so nice and easy. Will give that a try.

Busy_Mee1

Well I have been on fire this morning :T

I started week 5 of C5k with a run a 7.30 am. I then hot footed it over to L!dl, picking up the Daily Fail on the way ( all principles out of the window for a £5 voucher ! ) to get my £25 worth of shopping. Crisps are back on as the weekend deal @ £1.19 for 30 bags, so 6 x 30 bags duly purchased, but I am going to drop half of them off at the food bank. Not very nutritious I know but I thought some families with children might appreciate a few treats through the school holidays.

That should now be the last of my grocery shopping for August - I think I have spent around the £330 mark but just need to add this last receipt in. I am happy with that as my freezer is jammed packed with lots of yellow stickered meat that I picked up in Sainsbreeze on Wednesday evening. I am hoping this will mean a lower spend in September and I am going to aim for under £300.

I have cleaned the bathrooms and bedrooms as we have friends staying tonight and got three loads of washing on the line.....phew ...a well deserved bacon sandwich next I think.

The running is still going well, and I find if I get up and get straight out, there is less chance of me talking myself out of it. I think I am now half way through now and have lost 3 lb in 4 weeks, Not earth shattering but considering we have socialised and eaten out every weekend through August, not too bad.

In Frugal news I have been blackberry picking all week, picking a few every time I walk the pup. I have been making compote and freezing for the winter when soft fruit is really expensive.

I think that is all my news....we will be freewheeling downhill now to payday on Friday and when I am expecting some pay arrears :T

I need to ice my chocolate cake and then I think I might tidy the garden before our visitors arrive. We are having a barbecue now as the weather is so good.

Hope you are enjoying good weather too and have a great weekend.